CHAPTER 137: EX 137. FINALLY

Nikko remained frozen, still on one knee, eyes wide beneath her dark bangs. Her breath caught in her throat as her mind scrambled for answers that didn’t exist.

’Father... is here?’

’Why would Father come in person?’ she thought, heart hammering. ’It can’t possibly be because of Leon. He never showed the slightest care what happened to him. No... that doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense. I need to know what’s happening.’

A few steps behind her, Elizabeth gripped her own arm tightly, trying to keep her hands from shaking. Her mind, too, was spiraling.

’That was the Governor...’

’The Governor.’

’Why would the Governor, the supreme head of all military power in the federation, just casually be in a clinic room?’

’And why was he talking to Leon like they’d planned something? Like equals?’

As if their thoughts weren’t already unsteady enough, the man in question, calm, composed, amd terrifyingly casual, turned slightly toward Leon.

"Okay, Leon," the Governor said, his voice effortless but commanding, "as for what we discussed... I’ll be getting back to you in due time."

Leon gave a shrug.

"No problem."

A faint vein ticked on the Governor’s forehead. His expression twitched, just once, before he clicked his tongue. "Tch."

Then, without another word, he vanished. Not a flash, not a puff of smoke. One instant he was there, the next, nothing. But as the space he’d occupied returned to stillness, a faint ripple of thought hung in the air, his last lingering impression before departure:

’Right... I forgot to tell him to treat Nikko nicely. Ah, well. I’m sure he’ll handle it fine.’

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Leon stood casually, hands in his jacket pockets, as if he’d just waved off a messenger instead of the most powerful man alive. In front of him, Nikko and Elizabeth slowly rose from their kneeling positions, both staring at him.

Not saying anything.

Just... staring.

Like he was some rare artifact dug out of ancient ruin.

Leon blinked.

"What?"

Nikko was the first to find her voice.

"That... was the Governor."

"I know," Leon replied, unfazed. "Did anything happen?"

She hesitated. For a brief second, her eyes softened, something close to confusion flickering behind the usual steel-like eye. Like she wanted to ask a dozen things at once, but then swallowed them all in a single breath.

"...Never mind."

Leon gave a small nod, glancing between the two of them now.

"So... is there a reason you came here?"

Nikko stepped forward. Her posture straightened, voice regaining its usual tone, but with a quiet urgency behind it.

"Yes," she said. "There is."

"Your squadmate, Eleanor, is still under surveillance, and while monitoring her, we detected small traces of demonic. We suspect it belongs to her master.

So when she wakes up, we’ll be able to gather intel... not just from her, but from the lingering presence of her master as well. It’s a rare opportunity. And one that could give us crucial insight into the demon hierarchy and their infiltration tactics."

Leon simply nodded.

Nikko noticed his lack of reaction but decided not to let it go. Her gaze then shifted toward the bed beside Adrian’s, where Eden lay.

"As for Eden..." she said, "we’ve summoned his parents."

Leon blinked. "...What for?"

"We ran a deeper scan after stabilizing him. The results confirmed it, Eden’s mind had already been altered long before the incident with Eleanor. That alteration made it possible for a possession to take root.

It didn’t start with her, Leon. His vulnerability was already there when he arrived at the base."

Leon stiffened. His hands dropped to his sides, and his fingers curled slightly. "So you’re saying Eleanor didn’t break him. He was already broken."

"Yes," Nikko replied. "And we suspect his parents may have played a part in that. Whether by negligence... or intent."

"...I see." Leon’s jaw clenched. "That explains too much."

He fell silent, eyes on Eden’s pale face. ’Poor bastard never had a chance.’

Just as he was about to turn away, Nikko added, "There’s one more thing."

Nikko’s voice cut through the sterile quiet of the clinic.

"As for your contribution during the skirmish," she said, her eyes steady on Leon, "the Federation and Base 1 Command have agreed to award you a sum of ten million credits."

Leon blinked.

’Ten. Million?’

He didn’t even process the rest of her words for a moment. His breath stalled in his chest. He’d expected a bonus, sure. Maybe a few hundred thousand. A million if they were feeling extra generous. But this? This was practically a national budget of a small country in his past life.

Nikko kept speaking, her tone composed as if this sort of reward was handed out every other day. "It is well deserved," she said. "Your contribution on the front lines was decisive. Not only that you also assisted in the successful takedown and capture of a high intel-value target, but also the recovered corpse of the near S-rank Basilisk-class beast found in the cave. possessed assets that were invaluable to the Federation’s research and operations."

Leon let out a low exhale, still dazed. "I didn’t even know I did that much," he muttered, almost to himself. But as the pieces began to click together he gave a small nod. "Well... I guess it kind of makes sense."

He leaned back slightly, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

But Nikko wasn’t done.

"And, because of your accomplishments, you’ll be receiving your next promotion."

That got a proper smile out of Leon.

That, at least, he had expected.

"Finally," he said under his breath, stretching a little. "One thing I actually saw coming."

"You’ve done well, Leon Kael," she said. "Your promotion and awarding ceremony will be held tomorrow. But for now, you’re free to rest."

The words settled over the room like a final seal on everything that had happened.

Leon’s shoulders loosened, a breath slipping past his lips as the weight began to ease. He gave a small smile, tired, but real. For once, there were no orders waiting, no alarms blaring in his head, no shadows creeping in the corners of his thoughts.

The skirmish was over.

It had begun with the scent of blood and the looming threat of demons... and ended in the silence of hospital lights, with betrayal carved into the faces of those he once trusted.

He glanced toward the beds where his squadmates lay, then back at Nikko. His voice didn’t rise, but the thought sat clearly in his mind.

Finally... it’s over.