After hearing Oracle Loka’s answer, Daniel slowly swept his gaze across the officials gathered below the dais.

Not one of them met his eyes.

Some stared at the ceiling, while others studied the floor or turned toward the pillars as though the carvings had suddenly become fascinating. Their silence made their attitude obvious. They had no intention of cooperating with the newly arrived Supreme Commander.

Daniel frowned slightly. Then he turned back to Loka.

"In that case, Governor Loka, why don’t you serve as my deputy?"

The instant those words left his mouth, every official in the hall snapped their attention back toward him.

Several cautiously glanced at Loka, unease and alarm flashing through their eyes. They seemed to fear that the T7 Oracle-grade governor might erupt in fury at any moment.

Loka was no ordinary official. He was a genuine high-stage Oracle-grade powerhouse and the long-standing governor of the Heavenly River Starfield. Daniel, by contrast, appeared to be only Divine-grade. His temporary title of Supreme Commander might grant him authority over the Tribulation-Ash campaign, but in the eyes of the local establishment, that did not erase the enormous difference in cultivation or seniority.

If Daniel wanted Loka as his deputy, he should at least have approached him privately, negotiated the arrangement, and allowed the governor to preserve his dignity. Instead, he had issued the request in front of everyone. Accepting would make Loka appear subordinate to a young Divine-grade outsider. Refusing would openly challenge the authority of the Holy See.

Loka’s expression did not change, but his eyes narrowed.

"Supreme Commander, your will naturally takes precedence," he said evenly. "Unfortunately, I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot remain here any longer. I will take my leave. Please handle the remaining arrangements as you see fit."

With that, he rose and prepared to depart.

A cold smile appeared on Daniel’s face.

"Oracle Loka, wait. There is still one matter that has not been settled."

Loka stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

"What matter?"

Daniel did not answer.

Whoosh!

Without warning, the Holy Spirit Stone appeared before him. It transformed into a streak of golden light and crossed the hall faster than anyone below Oracle-grade could follow.

A dull impact sounded.

The stone pierced straight through the head of a quasi-Oracle-grade official standing among the local authorities. Golden light flashed once more, and the Holy Spirit Stone returned to Daniel’s side as quietly as though nothing had happened.

The armored official remained upright for a fraction of a second. Then his body collapsed heavily onto the polished floor.

He was the Chief Inspector responsible for the defense of Uma Plane’s main city.

Daniel had killed him openly, in front of Governor Loka and every senior official present.

For several breaths, the hall was completely silent. The officials stared at the corpse in disbelief. They could not understand why the Supreme Commander, who had only just arrived and was meeting them for the first time, had suddenly executed the Chief Inspector.

Even more shocking was the method. Daniel had supposedly possessed only Divine-grade cultivation, yet he had instantly killed a quasi-Oracle-grade expert before anyone could intervene.

"You!"

Loka’s expression finally changed. Rage surged across his face.

"Supreme Commander Daniel, what is the meaning of this? You killed my subordinate in front of me. If you cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, I am afraid you will not be leaving this hall today."

His aura began to stir.

"Do not think your temporary appointment places you above imperial law. Even if the Eternal Emperor himself came here, he could not casually execute an imperial official without cause. You may be Prince Dorek’s most trusted minister and perhaps a future pillar of the crown, but unless you explain yourself, this matter will not end here."

Daniel remained perfectly calm. Instead of responding at once, he studied the officials below, observing every change in their expressions.

With Loka supporting them, they quickly recovered their courage.

"The governor is correct," one official declared. "You may be the Supreme Commander, but the officials of Uma Plane deserve an explanation."

Another stepped forward.

"This region may be far from the Imperial City, but that does not mean you may kill whomever you please. If officials can be executed without charge or trial, how do you expect anyone here to obey you?"

A third spoke even more sharply.

"Perhaps the Supreme Commander believes the lives of people in remote territories are worth no more than weeds. Perhaps you think we are insects to be crushed whenever the mood strikes you. If so, what law remains in this starfield?"

Daniel allowed them to vent until their voices gradually faded. Then he spoke in an unhurried tone.

"This is indeed my first visit to Uma Plane. Yet the moment I entered the city, a gate guard stopped me. Do any of you know what he demanded?"

No one answered.

"He ordered me to open my private storage space, claiming it was part of a routine inspection."

Daniel’s voice remained level, but the atmosphere in the hall changed.

"Tell me, when did the Eternal Empire enact a law requiring every traveler to expose the contents of their storage artifacts? Was that decree issued personally by Governor Loka?"

Several officials stiffened.

Daniel turned his gaze toward Loka.

"Of course, I am certain Governor Loka knew nothing about it. Such an absurd and harmful regulation could only have been invented by corrupt subordinates who abused the governor’s authority for personal gain. Wouldn’t you agree, Oracle Loka?"

Loka’s face darkened. He said nothing.

Daniel continued as though he had only just remembered another detail.

"Ah, there is one more thing. I happen to carry a treasure capable of recording images and sound. Everything the gate guard said and did has been preserved. If anyone doubts my account, I can display the recording here and now."

His gaze swept over the assembled officials once again.

The courage they had displayed moments earlier vanished. One after another, they lowered their heads. Everyone knew how common extortion had become in remote imperial territories. More importantly, no one knew whether Daniel truly possessed such a recording treasure. Challenging him meant gambling their careers and lives on the innocence of a dead gate guard.

Daniel gave a quiet, contemptuous laugh.

"If Governor Loka believes my judgment was unjust, he may accompany me to the Holy See and contest the matter before the central authorities. I have nothing to fear from an official investigation."

He looked around the hall.

"Is anyone else willing to travel with us and testify that I acted improperly?"

Silence answered him.

Loka’s expression shifted repeatedly. Daniel had placed an enormous political burden upon him while leaving a narrow path of retreat.

If Loka rejected Daniel’s account, he would effectively admit that the corrupt inspection policy had been authorized by his own office. He could demand evidence, of course, and insist that Daniel produce the recording. Yet doing so would be dangerous. Uma Plane lay far from the Imperial City, and corruption had become so widespread that the truth hardly required investigation.

The dead Chief Inspector had overseen the city defenses. If the gate guards had been systematically extorting travelers, responsibility would naturally rise through the chain of command. The Chief Inspector was the perfect scapegoat, and Daniel had already made certain that the man could never defend himself.

Loka now understood the purpose of the sudden execution.

Daniel had not killed at random. He had chosen the one official whose death could simultaneously intimidate the local government, sever a corrupt chain of evidence, and force Loka to publicly distance himself from his own subordinate.

The officials in the hall also began to understand.

The young Supreme Commander was not merely strong. He had arrived prepared to seize control of the entire situation, and he had done so with one strike.