The Seven Sisters and Their Hidden King-Chapter 214: Shielding in Public
Chapter 214 - 214: Shielding in Public
Seeing Bertha's tough attitude, Nate found himself in a difficult position.
Just moments ago, when they had been sitting together discussing how to handle the mutated person, she had been all smiles and civility. But the moment her brother was involved, her demeanor changed completely.
Leader Bertha Carter of the Central US Martial Arts League clearly spoiled her younger brother.
But Nate was no stranger to favoritism either. He, too, had a habit of protecting his own.
Karl was his most capable subordinate—someone he often turned a blind eye to. As long as Karl didn't cross too many lines, Nate was willing to tolerate a lot.
In Nate's mind, this was merely a case of favoritism during a martial arts competition. It wasn't a serious crime. So, when he saw through Karl's intentions, he had chosen to play dumb.
Bertha had her stance, and Nate had his.
"Andrew, you were in charge of this competition," Nate said calmly. "Tell me the truth. What happened?"
It was clear Nate didn't intend to hold Karl responsible and was instead shifting the blame to Andrew.
Andrew gave a bitter smile. How could he not understand Nate's intentions? He was being made the scapegoat.
Still, with his lower rank and the fact that he had overseen the competition, he had no choice but to take the fall.
With a resigned look, Andrew dropped to one knee. "Sir, it's my fault. I thought that since Sawyer was Guardian Karl's disciple, pleasing him might earn me some favor. That's why I gave him some pills, which worsened the situation."
"Oh, so you're the one who abused the law for personal gain. And my reputation was almost destroyed because of you," John said coldly.
Karl sighed inwardly: You're a good subordinate. A perfect scapegoat.
Nate put on a stern face. "Since you've admitted your wrongdoing, Andrew, I hereby strip you of your position and demote you to an ordinary law enforcer. Do you have any objections?"
"I accept the punishment willingly," Andrew replied.
Of course, this was all just a performance—for Bertha and John's benefit. Once things blew over, Andrew would be given a chance to redeem himself and rise through the ranks again. It was an old and well-practiced routine.
And indeed, Bertha found herself unable to argue further. Nate had defused the situation without actually punishing Karl. There was no obvious point to attack now.
Nate turned to Bertha and John with a polite smile. "Leader Carter. Mr. Lopez. Are you satisfied with this resolution?"
Bertha glanced at John in silence.
John, however, sneered and shook his head. "No. I'm not satisfied."
"Oh?" Nate's eyes narrowed. "Then what sort of punishment would satisfy you, Mr. Lopez? Should Andrew be dismissed permanently from the Martial Arts League? Or thrown into the dungeon?"
There was a faint trace of warning in his tone.
He had already made what he felt was a significant concession. Most people would have taken it and moved on—perhaps even joined him for dinner as if nothing had happened.
But this John still shook his head.
That annoyed Nate.
To pressure him, Nate added with quiet menace, "Mr. Lopez, let's not forget—you did kill someone. If you continue to push, I may have no choice but to make a case out of that."
It was a threat.
Regardless of the circumstances, John had killed someone. If he kept being "unreasonable," Nate had every justification to escalate the situation.
So what if you're in the venerable realm? Nate thought. I represent the Martial Arts League of the United States. There are plenty of venerable realm masters at the headquarters. Picking a fight with me won't do you any good.
He thought he had made the message clear.
But John simply shook his head again. "I said I'm not satisfied. Are you deaf?"
Whoosh!
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
Nate's expression turned icy. John's words were openly rude—a clear sign he intended to press the issue to the very end.
How can someone be this ungrateful?!
"How dare you speak to the leader that way?" one of the enforcers shouted. "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're in the venerable realm! If it weren't for Leader Carter's presence, do you think we'd be wasting time with you right now?"
"Wasting time?" John sneered. "Fine. Then I won't waste another second."
His gaze turned sharp as he declared, "Here's my demand: Karl must be dismissed and permanently barred from rejoining the Martial Arts League. And you, Nate, must be demoted."
The room fell into stunned silence.
A few long seconds passed before Nate finally exploded.
"You arrogant brat!" he roared. "Who gave you the authority to issue orders?"
His aura erupted with fury. Clearly, the time for polite discussion was over.
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Even Bertha was taken aback by John's boldness.
But then she turned to Nate, her eyes sharp. "Nate, you're the leader of the league. You're fully aware of the favoritism taking place, yet you refuse to act. Do you really deserve to lead?"
She wasn't stupid. As the leader of the Central US Martial Arts League, she knew how to read between the lines.
Nate's slick handling of the situation only confirmed that something was being covered up.
Who would actually believe Karl hadn't shown favoritism?
Nate's expression darkened. "Leader Carter, your brother is reckless. Are you going to be just as unreasonable?"
"I don't know whether my sister is reasonable," John cut in, stepping forward. "But I do know that if you dare to offend me, you'll have to kneel."
With a sudden shout, John pulled out a token.
It shimmered with authority.
The Oracle Token.
