​Seeing that Leo had no intention of responding, Grandpa Jiro wisely chose to steer the conversation. Turning his gaze toward Rex, the old man gestured toward the simmering pot.

​"So..." Jiro asked, mild amusement in his voice.

"If the food and ingredients belong to him, what the hell are you doing here?"

​Rex didn’t display even a flicker of embarrassment. Instead, he shamelessly pointed at Leo.

​"Today is a special occasion," Rex declared, proudly puffing out his chest. "To celebrate him joining the Freedom Convoy, he’s treating everyone to dinner."

​At that, Leo finally lifted his eyes from the pages of his book and stared at Rex in exasperation.

His eyes portrayed, ’When did I ever agree to join?’

​Grandpa Jiro’s attention shifted back to Leo. This time he studied the young man quite seriously,

His gaze swept over Leo’s upright posture before settling on his deep, dark eyes. Behind them lay the calm presence of someone who had survived countless battles.

Someone with a lot of blood on their hands. A person carrying many unresolved burdens . A seasoned warrior.

​"Kid," Jiro’s eyes softened.

"I can tell you’ve been through a lot. A survivor recognizes another survivor. Welcome to the team."

​Before Leo could even part his lips to respond, a sharp, dismissive snort cut through the air.

​"Hmph," Nina interjected, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don’t agree."

She leveled a fierce glare at Leo. "He looks like a bad person."

Turning on her heel, she directed her defiance toward Rex.

"I don’t approve of him joining."

​Leo blinked, bewildered by the sudden hostility. ’Have I offended her somehow?’

He racked his brain for a few seconds, searching for anything he might have done , before giving up on the erratic logic of the girl. "Whatever"

Grandpa Jiro reached inside his coat and produced a small, amber-filled glass bottle . He glanced over at the young woman cooking nearby.

​"Young lady, do you have glasses?"

​Linda nodded quickly

" Bring me two glasses " Grandpa Jiro asked .

Linda hurried into the tent. A moment later, she emerged carrying two clean, mismatched glasses.

With slow, deliberate movements, Jiro poured a the rich liquor into both before extending one toward Leo.

​"Here, kid," the old man offered. "It looks like you could use a drink. My own special brew."

​Not one to refuse a gesture of goodwill, Leo accepted the glass without complaint.

​The moment Rex caught sight of the amber liquid, his eyes went wide with shock and indignation.

"Oi! Old man! I’ve been begging you for that drink for months! You never gave me a single drop! This guy didn’t even ask, and you hand him a glass? That’s unfair! Give me some too!"

​Grandpa Jiro didn’t even bother to look in his direction. He brought the glass to his lips, taking a calm sip. "The lad is feeding me," he replied flatly. "I’m just returning the favor." His gaze flicked toward Rex, cold and threatening . "If you keep bugging me ... I’ll let you taste my sword instead."

​The threat hung in the air, and Rex immediately shut his mouth. He wasn’t stupid enough to test whether the old man was joking or serious .

​Meanwhile, Nina’s attention had already drifted back to the savory aroma wafting from the pot. "Since we’re having a party..." she mused aloud, her previous animosity temporarily forgotten. "I’ll go call Big Brother. He loves meat. He’ll definitely be happy."

​She had barely taken a step when Leo’s calm voice cut through her enthusiasm like a knife.

​"Hold it."

​Nina paused and turned around, meeting Leo’s puzzled, unblinking expression.

​"Weren’t you the one who just said I wasn’t qualified to join your convoy?"

Leo asked, his tone mild and unhurried l. "You also said I looked like a bad person."

He pointed a finger at the boiling stew. "So why are you so eager to eat a bad person’s food? And now you even want to invite someone else."

​Nina froze, the hypocrisy of her actions suddenly catching up to her.

​Leaving her speechless, Leo turned his gaze toward Rex. "Is she your little sister?"

​Rex’s face twisted into an expression of sheer disgust.

"What the hell? Where did you even get that idea?"

​Leo offered a casual shrug. "I don’t know. She seems just as shameless as you. So I thought you might be related."

​A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the campsite. Nina’s face slowly bloomed into a bright, burning red.

She desperately wanted to refute the accusation .

She really did but as she replayed her own words in her head, the harsh truth settled in. From an outsider’s point of view, she really did look every bit as shameless as Rex.

​Rex looked from Nina’s crimson face to Leo’s deadpan expression. He paused for a moment and then He burst into a raucous, breathless laughter.

​"Pfft... Hahaha! I can’t believe someone finally said it!"

​Nina’s temper flared, her embarrassment turning into pure rage. "Shut up!"

​Losing all control, she grabbed the heavy wrench resting beside her tools, and lunged at Rex.

​"Aaaah! Old man! Save me!" Rex yelled, sprinting away into the darkness with a vengeful Nina hot on his heels.

​Watching the chaotic chase fade into the shadows, Grandpa Jiro didn’t even blink.

He calmly continued sipping his drink as if this sort of scene happened every single day.

"Linda, sorry to bother you again, but cook a larger portion."

Leo let out a helpless sigh.

"I have a feeling those two are definitely coming back."

Linda nodded and quietly added more ingredients to the pot.

Sure enough, not even fifteen minutes had passed before Leo’s prediction came true.

Rex and Nina returned.

This time, they weren’t alone.

Walking behind them was a burly young man who looked to be around twenty-three years old.

Standing well over six feet tall, his broad shoulders and heavily built frame made him look like a walking bear. His short golden hair was cut in a neat military style, while a simple black tank top and camouflage military pants did little to hide the muscles covering his body. Thick calluses covered his hands, showing that he was no stranger to hard work or battle.

Despite his intimidating physique, his face completely ruined the impression.

He wore a wide, innocent grin, and his bright blue eyes wandered around curiously like an excited child.

The contrast between his massive body and his carefree expression made him look more foolish than threatening.

The moment he caught sight of the pot, his eyes lit up.

"Wow! Nina , you were right . There is meat !"

Rex rubbed his forehead.

"There he goes again..."

Then Rex introduced him to Leo.

" Leo this guy here is Atlas . And Atlas he is Leo ."

Then with a crafty grin he continued,

" This is the big brother who is treating you to a meal"