The silence that followed my bold claim hung in the air like a physical weight. Commander Wood's face had turned an alarming shade of red, his eyes narrowed to slits.
"You have some nerve," he finally said, his voice dangerously low. "First, you arrive three days late. Then you dare to criticize Master Bellweather's methods. And now you claim your unknown techniques are superior?"
I stood my ground, meeting his gaze steadily. "I wouldn't say it if I couldn't back it up."
Zane Avery stepped forward, barely containing his laughter. "This is absurd, Commander. We shouldn't waste another minute on this... charlatan."
Commander Wood studied me for a long moment before turning away. "Continue with the scheduled training, Captain Avery." He glanced back at me with dismissive finality. "Knight, your services won't be needed."
As they walked away, William placed a restraining hand on my arm. "Liam, that was—"
