Hammond felt a pang of pain in his heart when he saw Leo's appearance.
He had worked with Leo for so long that he knew what kind of person this young man was.
He was upright, brave, willing to sleep in trenches with his soldiers, and liked to be at the forefront of the charge.
Only those who are like this deserve to be called knights, and how could a knight possibly side with Chaos?
But he also knew that he couldn't make decisions based solely on his feelings.
His extensive experience taught him that in this world, feelings are the most unreliable thing.
Even the most loyal warrior can be corrupted by Chaos, and even the most reliable comrade can become an enemy.
He couldn't afford the consequences of making a mistake.
So he could only remain silent.
On the other side of the ruins, the Knight Auxiliaries began to stir.
Seeing Leo's reaction, they assumed he was guilty and scared, so they berated him even more fiercely.
"Traitor!"
"Coward!"
You've completely disgraced your father!
Leo's body swayed slightly.
He heard someone mentioning his father.
Alistair St. Garus.
The man who died in Dorito, the man he had always admired and wanted to become.
But his eyes quickly returned to calm, though he felt a void in his heart.
Perhaps unable to bear it any longer, Hammond took a deep breath and raised his hand.
"Attack."
The order has been issued.
The Vanguard's final offensive has begun.
The roar of Boltgun, the howl of Chainsword, and the shouts of soldiers blended together.
The Knight Auxiliaries fought desperately, but outnumbered and outequipped, defeat was inevitable.
Leo stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching it all unfold.
He had stood here countless times, watching the Vanguard charge.
At that time, he would grip his weapon tightly and charge to the front.
He would shout "For Brevis!" and charge into enemy lines with his soldiers.
But now, he can only watch.
Watching comrades who once fought side by side turn on each other.
Watching those familiar faces fall one after another.
Tears streamed down his face.
He didn't know why he was crying.
For the fallen Knight Auxiliaries, for the Vanguard who had to kill them?
Or is it for the family whose eyes were blinded by Chaos, and for his own broken self?
He simply stood there, tears streaming down his face, silently watching the entire process.
The savage beside him sensed something, sighed, and remained silent.
The battle ended quickly.
The Knight Auxiliaries was completely wiped out; more than five thousand men, not a single one surrendered.
They fought to the last moment, demonstrating their loyalty to the St. Garus Family with their lives.
Although they may no longer be loyal to the real St. Garus.
The Vanguard soldiers began clearing the battlefield, gathering the wounded, and taking stock of the losses.
No one spoke to Leo, and no one came near him.
He stood alone in the snow, like a statue.
Hammond finished the final touches and finally walked towards him.
" Leo."
Leo looked up at the Commissar from the Brontë Longknives.
His eyes were red and swollen, and there were still tear stains on his face, but his gaze had returned to calm.
" Hammond," he said hoarsely, "Do you believe me?"
Hammond remained silent for a few seconds.
"I trust you, but I can't make decisions based solely on my 'feelings'," he said.
Leo nodded; he understood.
"So what do you plan to do with me?"
Hammond sighed.
"Lock you up first, and wait for news from the governor."
Leo didn't speak, but simply nodded again.
Lock them up, imprison them, and await trial.
In the Imperium, this was essentially a death sentence for him.
He was once the second-in-command of the Vanguard, the bravest commander on the Forbidden Wall, and a hero in the hearts of the soldiers.
Now, he is going to be locked up in a cell set up by his own people.
He looked at the savages, the savages who had saved him and escorted him back.
"You..." he began.
The savage chieftain shook his head.
"We only listen to the Ice Lord; he told us to wait for you here."
Leo gave a wry smile.
Two Vanguard soldiers walked over and stood beside him.
They weren't carrying weapons; they were just standing there, but their meaning was clear.
"Let's go, Lord Leo," one of them said, his voice tinged with melancholy.
Leo grunted in agreement and followed them.
He did not resist, nor did he offer any explanation or beg for mercy.
He walked silently, like someone who had exhausted all his strength.
The cell was very simple: an iron door, a single bed, and no windows.
Leo sat on the bed, looking at the tightly closed iron door.
There were footsteps outside the door; soldiers were changing shifts, patrolling, and talking in hushed tones.
They were speaking very softly, but Leo could hear them.
"Did he really commit fraud?"
"I don't know. The message from the main hive says he's a traitor."
"The main hive? It was clearly those insects in the Noble Council who announced it; our Governor hasn't even said anything yet."
A soldier interrupted the man in front of him.
"I don't think so either. He's been fighting on the Forbidden Wall for so long, don't we know what he's like?"
"Who knows? Sometimes even your own brothers can be corrupted right under your nose."
Leo closed his eyes.
His own brother, he thought of Aiden.
The paladin who had protected him since childhood, his old subordinate who had followed him for over a decade, ultimately wanted to kill him.
Even Aiden could betray him, let alone a high-ranking nobleman like himself.
The small window on the iron gate was opened.
A face appeared there; it was a young sergeant whom Leo didn't recognize.
The sergeant looked at him with a complicated expression, then spoke in a low voice:
"Lord Leo, would you like to hear about what's happening at the main hive?"
Leo opened his eyes.
"Explain."
The sergeant began to speak.
It is said that Callum St. Garus set a trap, using evil means to control the governor, and attempted to offer him to the Chaos Gods.
Just as Callum was about to succeed, a Chaos Sorcerer suddenly appeared, bringing demons to disrupt things.
Afterwards, the governor's wife realized something was wrong and promptly contacted Archbishop Goodwin, who led the Ecclesiarchy army into Saint Garus Castle.
That earth-shattering battle claimed countless lives, including the life of Canoness Valenia.
The governor eventually emerged alive, but Callum died, and High King Caladogon disappeared.
Leo listened quietly, without saying a word.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Lynn was alright.
That man, the man who could change Brevis, the governor whom he truly admired for the first time, was still alive.
Finally, some good news.
But then, he heard news about his grandfather.
Missing.
High King Caladogon has disappeared.
Leo's breath caught in his throat for a moment.
He was a stubborn old man who was always arguing with him and liked to keep all his secrets to himself.
But when his grandfather actually had an accident, Leo felt a certain emotion overwhelm him.
He held his head in his hands, his fingers running through his hair, his body trembling.
But he didn't cry; he had already cried all his tears.
After a long time, he raised his head.
"Say it again," he said. "Say all the details again."
The sergeant hesitated for a moment before beginning to repeat what he had said.
This time he spoke in more detail, piecing together information he had gathered from others bit by bit.
After listening, Leo closed his eyes and began to think.
This is what Caladogon values most about him.
" Leo possesses a dynamism that belies his appearance," High King Caladogon once remarked.
On the battlefield, he always manages to find the key to breaking the deadlock in the most chaotic situations.
Now, he needs to maximize this ability.
Uncle Callum, corrupted by Chaos, set a trap.
Chaos Sorcerer suddenly appears, causing chaos with demons.
Aunt Luna immediately took over the family after the incident, becoming Lord Regent.
The knight mechs were mobilized, Aiden went after him.
The Knight Auxiliaries appeared at the Forbidden Wall and engaged the Vanguard in battle.
The Noble Council suddenly rebelled and launched a civil war.
A series of pieces of information were arranged and combined in his mind.
After an unknown amount of time, his eyes suddenly brightened.