Chapter 9: The Power Struggle II

Evan entered the meeting room without much expression on his face.

As expected, he had not been invited.

Several people inside immediately turned toward the door, their expressions changing the moment they saw him walking in as if the meeting had been interrupted by someone who was never supposed to be there.

Evan didn’t seem to care.

He walked straight toward the seat he always occupied during Sentinel Committee meetings, only to find someone already sitting there.

The man looked up when Evan stopped in front of him.

His name was Leonard Armitage, one of the senior representatives of the Armitage family and a member of the Sentinel Committee.

Leonard hesitated.

Everyone in the room knew that seat belonged to Evan. Yet he had been specifically placed there for today’s meeting. Perhaps he had been hoping Evan wouldn’t come.

Evan simply glanced at him and said nothing.

Leonard cleared his throat and remained seated, pretending not to understand the meaning behind Evan’s stare.

Evan tilted his head slightly. It was such a small movement, but something about the way he looked at Leonard made the man’s shoulders stiffen.

The room suddenly became quiet.

Leonard’s fingers tightened around the documents in his hands. Then, after a few seconds, he abruptly stood up. "Please."

Evan walked past him and took his usual seat as if nothing had happened.

Darian entered behind him and stopped at the door for a moment, looking at Leonard, then at Evan.

He quietly shook his head.

Some things never changed.

The meeting had clearly been arranged without Evan, but now that he was sitting in the middle of it, no one seemed brave enough to ask him to leave.

Evan settled comfortably into his seat and crossed his legs, his posture relaxed despite the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Continue the meeting," he said calmly.

For a moment, no one moved.

The chairman, Marcus Valen, exchanged a quick glance with the other members before clearing his throat and looking down at the documents in front of him. "Then... let us continue."

Evan leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable as he listened.

"As everyone knew, yesterday, an S-rank Anomaly appeared in the civilian district," Marcus began, his voice carrying through the meeting room. "The situation escalated much faster than expected, resulting in Evan Caesar entering the suppression zone before the reinforcement team arrived."

Marcus Valen was the current head representative of the Valen family and one of the senior members of the Sentinel Committee. More importantly, he was the father of the Empire’s second-ranked Sentinel, Raphael Valen.

For years, Marcus had watched Evan remain at the top of the Sentinel ranking while his own son stayed just beneath him.

It was something he had never been pleased about. Now, for the first time, he had a reason to challenge Evan’s position.

"Although the Anomaly was successfully suppressed, entering the suppression zone without waiting for the assigned reinforcement team was a clear violation of Headquarters’ protocol."

Evan remained silent, his legs still crossed.

Marcus continued, "But that is not the only concern."

He turned to another page of the report.

"For years, Evan Caesar has repeatedly refused to be assigned a Guide during missions, despite being an SSS-rank Sentinel whose mental energy is considerably more unstable than that of ordinary Sentinels."

A few members of the Committee exchanged glances.

"Normally, a Sentinel of his rank would be required to have a Guide nearby whenever entering a high-risk suppression zone. Yet he has continued to operate alone, relying solely on his own strength."

Marcus’s gaze settled on Evan. "Last night, that decision nearly became a disaster."

Evan’s eyes lifted slightly.

"You entered an S-rank Anomaly zone without a Guide, before your reinforcement team arrived, and eventually entered Rampage."

His voice remained calm, but the words carried enough weight to make the room quiet.

"If you had completely lost control, who would have been responsible for stopping you?" Marcus paused before adding, "And how many civilians would have been caught in it?"

The question hung heavily in the room.

"You may be the strongest Sentinel in the Empire, Evan, but strength alone does not make someone suitable to stand above everyone else. If anything, the stronger you are, the greater the consequences when you lose control."

Marcus placed the report down. "That is why I believe your SSS-rank should be reviewed."

Evan nodded his head as if he understood every word Marcus had said.

"So, the final report from last night is already out?" he asked calmly.

Marcus’s expression stiffened slightly. "Yes. It was submitted to the Committee this morning."

Evan’s fingers rested lightly against the armrest as he leaned back in his chair.

"I see..." His gaze shifted toward Marcus. "Who?"

"Who?" Marcus frowned. "What do you mean?" ℯℯ𝘭.

"Who submitted the report? Because no one came to me asking what happened last night..."

Evan took a slow breath and tilted his head back slightly, his eyes looking toward the ceiling of the meeting room while his fingers continued tapping against the armrest.

"I find it interesting that a report about an incident I was directly involved in was completed before anyone bothered to ask me what actually happened."

His tapping stopped. Evan slowly lowered his head, his eyes settling back on Marcus.

"So, I wonder..." His voice remained calm. "Whose version of last night’s incident is written in that report? You?"

"Evan Caesar! Don’t be rude just because you are the strongest Sentinel at the moment!"

Marcus slammed his palm onto the table and jerked to his feet.

"Woah... calm down." Evan stood up, a faint smirk appearing on his lips. "I just want to tell whoever made that report to fix it."

He pushed his chair back and straightened his clothes before continuing, his voice lowering slightly, "Because... I brought my Fated Guide along last night."

The entire meeting room fell silent.

Evan turned toward the door and added casually, "And one more thing. Next week, all of you are invited to my Fated Bonding Ceremony."

He continued walking toward the door, leaving the whole room in complete silence. Just before stepping out, Evan glanced back.

"See you all there."