God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World!

Chapter 457: Power Shuffle [2]

The atmosphere inside was so tense that even small movements sounded loud. Chairs stopped creaking. Hands stopped fidgeting. People sat stiffly, keeping their eyes on Gabriel but not daring to stare too directly.

Gabriel did not introduce himself. He did not need to. Everyone in the room already knew who he was. They had either seen him on the battlefield or heard the reports. The camp had been talking about nothing else since Henry and Dominic died.

Sophie stood slightly behind his right shoulder, straight and calm, her gaze sharp beneath her veil. A few of the officials kept glancing at her, then quickly looking away.

They were wondering who she could be, why her face was veiled, and most importantly who she was to the new lord.

Even with the veil they could tell the woman was a kingdom shaking beauty.

Of course they could not see Seraphina. If they had, they would have been on their knees like dogs in heat.

Gabriel rested one arm on the table and looked around the room once.

"I will keep this short," he said in a firm, authoritative voice. "Give me reasons why I should not dismiss you from your posts."

The pressure in the room tightened even more.

A man near the front cleared his throat and spoke first, forcing his voice to remain steady.

"My Lord, I manage food distribution. The stores, the ration system, the workers. If I am removed, the supply line will break until someone replaces me."

A woman beside him quickly added, "I oversee medical supplies and treatment rotations. I know where everything is, who is trained, and what we lack. Removing me will slow the system down, and people will die from delays."

"I handle construction and repairs, my Lord," another man spoke up. "Barricades, shelter reinforcement, water line repairs, and transport routes inside the camp. I can keep the base functioning."

A few more began speaking in quick turns, as if afraid they would not get a chance later.

"I manage the inventory records."

"I coordinate the patrol schedules and internal security shifts."

"I maintain contact lists for the squads and workers, and I handle assignments."

"I know the storage locations, the keys, and the supply access points."

They tried to sound useful. Some spoke too fast. Some stumbled over their words. A few repeated points others had already mentioned, but they did it anyway because they were scared.

Gabriel listened without reacting. He did not nod. He did not reassure anyone. He simply let them speak and watched how they handled pressure.

If they could not handle this little pressure then he did not really need them.

He kept his eyes on the group, quietly noting who remained composed and who was falling apart. In his mind he was already ruling some of them out.

Seraphina’s gaze moved slowly across the table. She remained quiet, but it was obvious she noticed everything. When someone tried to exaggerate their role, her eyes narrowed slightly. When someone spoke honestly, her expression remained neutral.

One official raised his hand slightly as if asking permission. When Gabriel did not stop him, he spoke.

"My Lord, I managed resource allocation under Henry. I did not choose the leadership. I only worked. If you need someone to reorganize the numbers and make sure resources stop disappearing, I can do it."

Another person quickly followed.

"I managed the worker groups. I know who is reliable and who is not. I can keep the labor force moving without delays."

Gabriel’s voice remained calm.

"If you were competent, why did the camp still look like it was barely holding together?"

That question hit them harder than the first.

A man swallowed and answered carefully.

"Henry prioritized comfort for his inner circle. Resources were controlled. We could only do so much with what we were allowed to access."

A woman nodded quickly.

"Requests were delayed or rejected, my Lord. We were forced to work around it."

Gabriel did not argue. He simply let that answer hang in the air before looking at the rest.

"Continue."

More voices followed. Some tried to frame themselves as loyal. Some tried to say they were neutral.

Some claimed they had opposed Henry privately.

Gabriel did not reward any of it. He paid attention to who spoke with confidence and who spoke like they were begging.

While all of this was happening, the chubby man with spectacles remained silent.

He did not raise his hand.

He did not speak to defend himself.

He simply sat there with his fingers interlocked, posture steady, looking forward as if waiting to be asked directly.

It stood out immediately.

One of the officials noticed it too and glanced at him with irritation, as if he was too proud to fight for his own survival. Another looked at him with confusion before turning back to the discussion.

Sophie’s eyes shifted toward him for a moment. Her expression remained composed, but she clearly noticed the difference.

Gabriel’s gaze also settled on the man briefly before moving away again. He did not call him out yet. Instead, he allowed the others to keep speaking until the room ran out of voices.

After a while the talking slowed. People began repeating themselves. Some started adding unnecessary details, trying to stay relevant a little longer.

"Enough."

Gabriel’s deep voice cut through the room and everything fell silent again.

A few of them lowered their heads, unsure whether they had done well or if they had made things worse. The tension did not reduce. If anything it grew heavier because now they had no more words to hide behind.

Gabriel’s gaze moved across the table again before stopping on the chubby man.

The man met his eyes without flinching.

Sophie noticed that as well. Her fingers tightened slightly at her side, but she remained calm. She had seen too many people crumble under pressure, especially in front of Gabriel. Not even Henry could maintain his composure. Seeing someone remain steady was unusual.

Seraphina’s expression barely changed, but her eyes sharpened slightly as if she was trying to read him. She did not trust calmness easily. Calm usually came from preparation or confidence.

"You have been quiet," Gabriel said, locking eyes with the chubby man. "What is your role here?"

The man did not answer immediately. He adjusted his spectacles with one hand, slow and unhurried. He looked around the room once, noticing how everyone else was tense and watching him.

Then, without rushing, he pushed his chair back. The scraping sound against the floor was loud in the silence.

He stood up confidently, drawing every eye in the room toward him.