Finally, within the spacious and bright conference room, only three people remained—Welt, Old Mr. Peros as the patriarch, and Petros Jr., who shared both name and bond with him.
"Sigh..."
Petros Jr. let out a long sigh, picked up the recently extinguished cigar, relit it, and began puffing smoke.
After a moment, he turned towards Old Peros.
"I understand your intentions now. So, Little Lorna and Little Roger will be safe, correct?"
"Mr. Welt has promised that as children, they won't face misfortune. They will go to a distant place, no longer enjoying Pelos's wealth nor bearing any of its stains. Like all normal children, they can receive Anti-Entropy's care, attend school, grow up, and choose their own paths."
"I see... Then there isn't much more for me to say. Mr. Welt's approach today is truly remarkably gentle."
Petros Jr. looked at Welt with a serene smile.
Compared to their predecessors who were hung from streetlights, enduring the wrath of the common people, their treatment today was indeed exceptionally lenient.
Meanwhile, Welt simply held a fork from the table, examining it closely.
"Pure silver?" Welt tapped it against the plate, hearing a crisp and melodious sound, and asked, somewhat astonished.
His surprise was understandable, as he had never used such high-quality cutlery before. In his previous missions, he had encountered various treasures, but this level of precious dining ware was genuinely the first he'd seen firsthand.
Old and young Pelos exchanged glances, then Petros Jr. shook his head with a chuckle.
"Yes, it's pure silver, with gold and fine gemstones embedded at the top and middle sections. To be honest, just this fork you're holding is worth more than many commoners' lifetime earnings. If you like it, feel free to keep it; I doubt anyone would object."
"No thanks, let's turn it over instead. I'm not accustomed to using such expensive items, plus gold and silver have numerous applications in precision instruments."
Welt put down the fork without any hesitation.
Now, Petros Jr. took a closer look at Welt's attire—simple trench coat, dark blue scarf, devoid of any superfluous accessories. Even the watch visible on his wrist was the standard electronic device commonly used by Anti-Entropy members.
To put it bluntly, even a small scrap of fabric from Petros Jr.'s clothing might be worth more than everything Welt wore combined.
Yet here they sat, with all of Petros Jr.'s wealth rendered worthless, while each word uttered by Welt could determine the fate of both him and Old Peros.
Petros Jr. sighed once again, taking a moment before speaking with mixed emotions:
"Mr. Welt, I've actually met you before."
"Oh really? When was that? I don't seem to recall."
"A year ago, during an Honkai incident in New Zealand. Since we had a plantation there, I visited after the conflict subsided. On a remote road, I saw you from afar. Naturally, like a mouse encountering a cat, I quickly left without daring to greet you."
"I see. No worries, now I know who you are."
Welt smiled warmly, but facing the Pelos father and son, his cold and piercing gaze showed not a hint of amusement.
Petros Jr. forced out a wry laugh.
If possible, he wished they had never crossed paths at all.
"Mr. Welt, as someone with your abilities and status, surely you understand that by just making slight concessions, every one of us would kneel, placing you on a pedestal, proclaiming 'Long Live the Emperor!' We'd devoutly offer you the highest power and most precious treasures."
"Not interested," Welt replied mildly.
Petros Jr. sighed deeply, continuing:
"Yes, on that day, I saw you kneeling amidst mud soaked with animal waste, holding a child and shedding tears while speaking to him... It was then that I realized how fundamentally different you are from us. After witnessing that, I actively sought new paths, but unfortunately, it still wasn't in time."
"So you saw me at that moment? Ha ha, that boy's name is Berbert. He later recovered and is now studying at the Anti-Entropy School in New Zealand. Just the other day, he wrote to tell me he received the school's top scholarship award! What an exceptional young lad!"
Welt chuckled softly. When mentioning Berbert, his face no longer displayed the habitual gentle demeanor; instead, it lit up with genuine warmth.
As for the possibilities Petros Jr. mentioned... apologies, but Welt had absolutely no interest whatsoever.
"All right, let's leave it at that. Out of gratitude to Old Mr. Pelos, I'll give you this remaining time to bid your farewells properly. Oh, here's the pistol Old Mr. Pelos requested earlier. Use it however you wish."
Welt placed a handgun on the table, stood up, casually grabbed some nuts from the snack tray, and left the room.
The vast conference room now stood empty.
Petros Jr. pressed his cigar onto the table, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.
"Father, I understand you. This is the best choice; it can secure some leniency for Little Lorna and little Roger. It's already a gain."
"No, you don't understand."
"Pardon me, Father?"
Taken aback, Petros Jr. watched as Old Pelos retrieved a shard of deep red gemstone from his pocket.
"Hold onto this, keep it hidden well, avoiding Welt and any other influential figures you know. When Anti-Entropy's law enforcement discovers it, claim it was my keepsake, which you intended to preserve until your execution. Anti-Entropy will accept such an explanation."
"Father, what exactly are you..."
"Ha! I should have made my decision earlier, but ultimately, it's too late, involving you as well. Take it, wait for the right moment, and one day, you'll regain your freedom. Then, forge new paths when the time comes. Little Lorna and little Roger are heading to North America; find them yourself and fulfill your duties as their father. As for me... helping pave this path for your survival is all I can do for you now."
"Father, you..."
"Bang!"
Blood and fragments splattered across Petros Jr.'s face.
Stunned, he gazed at the unrecognizable remains of the elder man, gradually tightening his grip on the gemstone shard. After a long moment, he placed the gem inside a pocket within his clothing and turned towards the door.
As Welt exited the room, two Anti-Entropy soldiers clad in black armor stood guard at the door.
The fighters promptly saluted with their legs snapped together, but Welt extended his fists clenched around some nuts instead.
"Have a taste—these are the fancy kind rich people eat; they must be delicious."
Smiling warmly, Welt opened his hands before them, revealing several plump nuts nestled within.
The guards exchanged glances and shook their heads simultaneously.
"Alliance Leader, we're on duty!"
"The mission is almost over; don't be so rigid. There's no one else here anyway," said Welt, still smiling.
After hesitating briefly, both soldiers reached out and accepted the nuts from Welt.
Welt chuckled approvingly, patting their shoulders. "That's better. One of you just turned nineteen yesterday, and the other is barely half a year older. You're both still young; don't wear such serious expressions all day long. Anti-Entropy isn't some deeply troubled, shadowy organization. Alright, I have other matters to attend to now. Only one person should emerge shortly, but regardless of how many there are, bring them back for Trial. Enjoy your snack, and see you next time."
"Yes, sir!" replied both soldiers in unison.
With that, Welt walked away directly.
Outside the door, the two guards continued their conversation while munching on nuts.
"Huh? How did the Alliance Leader know it was my birthday yesterday?"
"Duh! The Alliance Leader knows practically every Anti-Entropy staff member by name. It's not just birthdays; he likely has a clear grasp of where you're from and even your entrance exam scores."
"Wow, incredible memory!"
"How else could he remember those complex mechanical structures and wield Herrscher Authorities?"
"Sss... This is delicious."
"I'll tell you what—it truly is... mouthwateringly good! Only the rich can indulge like this."
"Tch! All blood money, really. If not for the Alliance Leader giving me some, I wouldn't touch it, fearing whose blood might be on these treats."
"You've got a point... A coalition of mobsters and capitalists, going too far even to ruffle Sir Zeke's feathers. This Trial should be quite interesting."
Bang!
A gunshot suddenly echoed from within the room.
The guards swiftly swallowed their snacks and stood at attention.
Shortly after, they escorted a stoic Petros Jr. out of the manor, joining the larger force outside, and together they headed towards the nearest Entropy base.
The vast manor quickly emptied as servants and guards were relocated to designated holding areas, awaiting the investigation's outcome. Naturally, a specialized team would arrive to inventory and manage the wealth within the estate.
Finally, even the lights dimmed completely.
Welt ascended to the manor's rooftop and opened a communication channel.
"Working on it, working on it! Don't nag me every damn day... Huh? Oh, it's you? I thought it was that little bastard Zeke again!"
"Pfft! Tesla, sounds like you're having quite a time over there?"
"Don't mock me! Even geniuses need rest, but that jerk doesn't care one bit, throwing project after project at us. Damn it! I'm a genius, not a machine!"
"Haha, despite the exhaustion, you seem to enjoy it though. You're smiling, Tesla."
Welt smiled, his voice carrying an unnoticeable tone of affection.
Tesla blushed momentarily before aggressively leaning closer to the screen and retorted, "Who cares if I'm smiling or not?! Just tell me, what do you want?"
"Well, during this operation, we discovered something peculiar."
Welt held between his fingertips a fragment of a vivid red gemstone—indeed, it was the very piece Old Peros intended to pass on to Petros Jr. Before their exchange could occur, Welt stealthily intercepted the genuine artifact.
What Old Peros ultimately handed over to Petros Jr. was an ordinary ruby conjured by Welt, serving as bait to lure out any hidden schemes and uncover the secrets tied to Old Peros' backup plan.
"I detected Honkai Energy signatures; even my Core resonated faintly with it, suggesting something significant is at play. Zeke is currently on leave, so I wanted to discuss this with you first..."
Welt's voice abruptly cut off.
From Tesla's perspective, Welt simply vanished on the spot.
"Hey? Yang? Are you playing a prank on me? Stop messing around! This isn't funny!"
"Yang?"
"Yang?"
"Oh no! Mophead, something terrible has happened!"