Hearing Khaerts's words, the previously noisy hall immediately quieted down, as if expressing their "respect" for the newly appointed Family Head.
But anyone with a discerning eye could tell that these guys didn't care at all what he thought.
What they cared about was not family honor, nor the interests of others.
Instead, it was whether they could smoothly transfer their existing assets and whether they could extract more profit from the chaos.
This was the crux of the matter.
Looking at the completely silent hall, Khaerts nodded slightly, a sinister expression appearing on his face, like a beast ready to devour someone.
"Listen carefully, what I'm about to say is very important."
"The ones targeting us are not Palais Mermonia, nor the Marechaussee Phantom or the Law Enforcement Office, but Auxiliary Officer Chang Ming, who caused the trouble earlier."
"The prestige and power he wields mean we cannot confront him directly; we can only use some underhanded methods to throw him into disarray."
"But... that's enough."
A sinister smile appeared on Khaerts's face, as if he could already imagine how chaotic the troupe would be at that time.
Of course, his cunning and treacherous expression didn't last long; after all, he still needed these cannon fodder to draw fire for him.
"If they find out... things could get very bad..."
Khaerts narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly thinking of something unpleasant, then continued to look at the crowd below and said:
"Please listen carefully to my arrangements as the Family Head. As soon as the news arrives, immediately take the family's assets and quickly leave Fontaine. The farther, the better."
"Also, everyone, please pause your recent activities for a bit. Even if it's to take away more mora, there's no rush for now."
"Once Palais Mermonia gets a handle on us and all my plans so far fail..."
As Khaerts spoke, he once again scanned the silent crowd below, a cold glint flashing in his emerald eyes, as if demonstrating.
"Even if everyone ends up being caught in Meropide, I will disregard Meropide's rules... and kill any disobedient traitors on the spot."
With that, Khaerts gently tapped his cane and left the council hall without a word.
And the other members of the Noclan Family, after Khaerts left... began to discuss the methods of this newly appointed Family Head.
After all, they didn't want to be sacrificed in a one-for-one exchange, nor did they want to incur the wrath of other family members because of this matter.
If that were the case... even if the culprit could successfully escape Fontaine under the pursuit of Palais Mermonia, someone would seek revenge on them in the future.
They wouldn't be able to sleep soundly, and at any moment, their entire family could be wiped out. This kind of thing...
was truly terrifying.
...
After leaving the detached villa, which was much smaller than the ancestral home, Khaerts slightly raised his head, looking at the vast night sky, momentarily lost in thought.
He had to admit, he was gambling, and just as those people fundamentally perceived him, he was scheming against them.
He had studied Yuto and naturally understood how terrifying someone like him, who tries to be "watertight" in everything he does, truly is.
When he understood this... he realized how dire his own situation and that of the Noclan Family truly were.
On the surface, the Noclan Family's reputation was completely ruined due to the previous incident, and they could only raise operating funds by selling off residences and properties.
At first glance, it seemed like they would just earn much less mora than before and that collaborations would be harder to negotiate, nothing more.
For a large family... this matter was not particularly damaging.
After all, money lost can be earned back, and an ancestral home lost can be bought back with money; there was nothing to regret, just a necessary act of cutting off an arm to save the body.
But the problem lay in the person behind these matters: Yuto, the one acting on behalf of Palais Mermonia.
Moreover, they were the first nobles to dare to take the lead in violating the laws set by Yuto. If any problems arose later... they would likely be used as a deterrent.
From this perspective... the Noclan Family was truly like a flickering candle in the wind, in imminent danger.
So, they only had one path left—to flee.
Whether it was Mondstadt or Snezhnaya, or Inazuma, Sumeru, and Ritou, or even Natlan, which is based on tribal units...
They could live more comfortably by taking the Noclan Family's assets and doing business in those places than they could now or in the future.
After all, there was only one Yuto, and only Fontaine could effectively curb exploitative practices with strict rules.
So... whether from the perspective of "future development" or "reducing trouble,"
the Noclan Family's best choice was to leave Fontaine with their assets.
Of course, Khaerts also understood that if he could think of something, how could Yuto not? So, he prepared two baits.
The first bait was that idiot Nelson, letting him be a clown on stage, to attract attention and delay Yuto from noticing his second bait for as long as possible.
And this second bait... was the remaining members of the Noclan Family.
He would let them leave Fontaine one by one with large amounts of assets amidst the feigned "chaos," and then...
He would let them be caught by the people from the Marechaussee Phantom and the Law Enforcement Office.
Then would follow intense interrogations and various other processes, and he, Khaerts, could take advantage of the manpower shortage to leave Fontaine with the largest sum of assets and live a carefree life in other countries.
What the other family members said in the hall earlier was indeed true; he had always been the schemer who liked to calculate against others.
He was also a very pure egoist.
Family honor? Father? Lover? Or those useless emotions?
What good were these things?
How much mora were emotions worth? Could emotions turn into the ham on his plate? Could they turn into the red wine in his glass? Could they turn into the luxurious mansion he lived in?
Clearly, no.
Plop—
A cool sensation from his scalp completely interrupted his thoughts. He slightly raised his head and touched his hair.
Feeling the dampness on his fingertips, he slowly exhaled and softly murmured:
"It's rain..."
Almost the instant he uttered that sentence, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky, as if foreshadowing something.
And the two bodyguards in black standing beside him also approached with black umbrellas at this moment, softly saying:
"Young Master—"
"Call me Master. I am now the Family Head of the Noclan Family."
"...Yes, Master."
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