This time, Sitana truly made preparations that could be considered thorough.
The preliminary reconnaissance work, entry points, escape route, guard posts... She almost mastered all the necessary prerequisites for infiltration perfectly without any guidance.
But then she found out—seriously, what's the big deal? why did I get so nervous?
Turns out, the meeting wasn't a secret to begin with, or rather, Earl Hardstone, the meeting organizer, was well aware that if Lord Hydra had any intention to eavesdrop, there was no point in trying to keep it under wraps, so he didn't bother with any confidentiality measures at all.
Under this "openness," Earl Hardstone was making a gamble that would determine the rest of his life.
Those who could sit in this spacious assembly hall were all the well-known nobles of Scarletfrost.
The decor of the conference room was quite different from the style of the Scarletfrost Manor; the elements of luxury were just enough as there was more of a restrained tranquility. The wine cabinet placed in the conference room also stood out in a unique way.
And the conference room was not in the chaotic state of the Earl Scarletfrost's banquet; each noble had only one glass of wine in front of them, with four servants standing in the corners, awaiting orders, and that was all.
As the second hand of the pocket watch ticked, Earl Hardstone looked up, surveying all the nobles present, and spoke slowly and steadily:
"Gentlemen, thank you all for coming here, I believe you should understand that this meeting is... of great significance to us."
He interlaced his fingers and placed them flat on the table, getting straight to the point:
"I do not intend to enforce Lord Hydra's edicts."
The conference room fell into a silence.
After a long while, a noble with a seemingly high seat position spoke up:
"My Lord Earl, we all trust your prestige and abilities in Scarletfrost, but this matter... the risk is too great."
There were naturally supporters as well: "But the policies of His Grace are indeed a bit... excessive. Although I don't care about that little agricultural tax, the commoners should have the demeanor of commoners, why should we let them live comfortably? Moreover, even if they are eased, they won't be grateful to us."
Once someone started, the conference room became noisy, but Earl Hardstone did not stop them. If there was no exchange, what was the point of holding a meeting? He did not have the power of Lord Hydra, who could command everyone's awe and submission with just a word or a gesture.
The argument lasted for about ten minutes until the voices gradually subsided, and Earl Hardstone slowly spoke, "It seems that you all understand that continuing to argue like this will not yield any results. If some of us comply, some oppose, and some only pay lip service... I don't think this is a good sign."
"Splitting up... will truly make it easy for Lord Hydra to crush us one by one, isn't it?"
This statement hit a nerve with the nobles who liked to band together, always fearing they would be the one left out.
Under the respectful gazes of everyone, Earl Hardstone slowly spoke, "So, I will give you the reason that can convince you all."
"Firstly."
He stood up, looking at each noble, "Gentlemen, I believe you all should be very clear about one thing—Lord Anselm is a special Hydra, and I don't think there is any objection to this."
Hiding in the roof space—last time during the assassination, Anselm had killed a hidden assassin here with the hand cannon, which led Sitana to find this perfect hiding spot.
In any case, Sitana disdainfully pouted, everyone around her described Hydra as if he was some kind of super monster. If it weren't for her being so close to that jerk yesterday, she might have actually believed it.
If anything, it's just... it's just that his chest and abs are a bit firm.
The nobles listening to Earl Hardstone's words nodded one after another; of course, Anselm was special, special to the point of being excessive.
"He will not act like his ancestors, who would swing their butcher knife at the slightest pretext. He prefers to engage in dialogue with us, negotiate, and partake in the ancient art we all study, obtaining what he desires through the exchange and game of words."
Earl Hardstone pointed to his head, "He detests killing, as he believes that depriving someone of their life is a waste. Only those who are absolutely worthless or have truly angered him will be subjected to his punishment. I hope you all remember this."
After instilling the notion "Hydra doesn't kill indiscriminately" into the minds of the nobles present, he continued, "On this basis, you all should understand what Lord Hydra... truly wants."
"Money? Beyonder materials? Or interfering in the chess game of the two grand dukes? No... none of these. Although it sounds absurd and incomprehensible, based on the current appearances, His Grace is only concerned about one thing."
Earl Hardstone raised his index finger, "His reputation in Scarletfrost."
"Perhaps that mysterious Miss Rancemalos could count for half, but overall, his attention and all his actions are aimed at improving his reputation in Scarletfrost."
This point was clear to many nobles, since their advisors were not idle either, as Anselm's policy of bleeding himself dry, apart from gaining reputation... didn't yield any other benefits.
"Then, the matter becomes simple."
Earl Hardstone smiled calmly, "Since Lord Hydra wants reputation, we will give it to him. As long as he gets what he desires, why would this Hydra, who dislikes killing, easily swing his butcher knife at us?"
"Earl Hardstone, isn't this back to square one?" a noble complained, "If we don't enforce His Grace's edicts, how can we improve his reputation?"
The leader of the meeting chuckled, laughing with pleasure and confidence.
"Gentlemen, remember the night when Lord Hydra discussed the edicts with us?"
The nobles' expressions were terrible, as no one could forget that awful night.
"Although Lord Hydra put immense pressure on us, commanding that we must do so, but everyone... please recall carefully—"
Earl Hardstone tapped his head, "That night, did he ask you all to announce to your respective retainers and subjects that Scarletfrost would be receiving new edicts?"
"After that night, did he, like his speech to the commoners before killing Earl Scarletfrost, promote that he was going to issue new, beneficial edicts for the commoners?"
"No!"
His voice suddenly rose, "He could have done so, immediately announcing after Earl Scarletfrost's death that he would improve the living condition for the commoners, which would undoubtedly greatly boost his reputation in Scarletfrost, but he didn't. Up until now... Lord Hydra has only made the most basic improvements, although the effects are outstanding, but the news about his radical new edicts are all just rumors, aren't they?"
At this moment, some nobles had already understood Earl Hardstone's meaning, and one of them stood up excitedly, "Your meaning is, since Lord Hydra has never officially announced what he intends to do—"
"Then for him, there is no such thing as 'breaking a promise.'"
Earl Hardstone nodded in satisfaction, "So even if we don't follow his edicts, as long as we don't publicize that meeting, don't announce the edicts arranged by Lord Hydra, even if he doesn't bother with us, doesn't pay any attention to us, his reputation won't suffer any loss—after all, this situation has been going on in Scarletfrost for over a hundred years, hasn't it?"
He smiled calmly, "And Lord Hydra is making efforts to improve it, how could he be cursed for being hypocritical and breaking his word?"
In the attic, Sitana, holding the Image Projection Crystal, was dumbfounded.
"So... that's how it is!" she murmured to herself, then her eyes turned extremely fierce, "Hydra... that jerk really didn't intend to get things done from the start! He had it all planned out!"
The nobles erupted in excitement, cheering for finding a way to preserve their own interests, but among them, the more rational few stood up urgently, asking, "But my Lord Earl, I believe this is not enough. Your idea only prevents Lord Hydra from 'suffering losses,' but he originally intended to gain even more reputation through this."
"Baron Blackpeak, you're just too tense."
Earl Hardstone smiled and shook his head, "Since Lord Hydra hasn't spoken up, he naturally consented to leave the right to spread the news in our hands. So he want reputation? It's too simple. We can refer to his grace's edicts, but change the amounts in them. Just these changes are enough to make those commoners grateful—and then, what should we say?"
"We should not mention anything about the edicts. The news we should spread is that Lord Hydra desires the commoners to live better lives, so he has given us immense pressure, forcing us to change our policies—not that he has issued the edicts but only indifferently watches us not enforcing them."
The man spoke eloquently, extremely confident, "Then, we can vaguely connect it to the previous assassination attempts against Lord Hydra, and those commoners will make their own associations. And we will simply lose a little bit of our interests, a negligible amount of interests."
"Look... the reputation that Lord Hydra desires, isn't it already here now?"
The conference room fell into a long silence.
Then, after the first person stood up to clap, the entire conference room was filled with thunderous applause.
"You are truly a genius, my Lord Earl!" the nobles praised, "Simply perfect! Such a perfect solution, that fool Earl Scarletfrost would never have thought of it!"
"No, no, no..."
Earl Hardstone shook his head with incomparable humility, "We should thank Lord Hydra. Do you really think this is just a coincidence, a loophole I discovered through my research?"
He spoke with incomparable admiration, in a tone of utmost sincerity:
"It is his mercy to us, gentlemen. He is not tyrannical, nor is he completely unnegotiable. He has bestowed his mercy upon those who can seize the opportunity—just as I said... negotiation, playing chess, in every word and action of His Grace, it is already a perfect, heart-pleasing art."
The nobles fell silent, but in their hearts, they all thought the same as Earl Hardstone.
"He is truly the nobleman among nobles," someone spoke with utmost admiration, "I witnessed his grace's performance at the birthday banquet of the First Princess. To speak irreverently, the radiance he exuded even then as a young child could rival the First Princess, who was already mature and very powerful."
"Yes, I heard that Lord Hydra is also an honorary master of the Banqueteers' Association, having passed the most difficult examination at the age of thirteen."
"He is also a top-tier pianist and violinist! His music can shake the very soul! If you all have the chance, you must go to the Imperial capital to listen to Lord Hydra's concert!"
Sitana watched all this in confusion, watching them begin to praise Hydra.
What were they praising? Praising things that had nothing to do with her life, with the lives of all ordinary people, praising his clever trick of deceiving the populace, praising his skill in playing with scams and schemes, calling it art?!
When did this world become so absurd? Lies are beautiful, even great? Deception is wonderful, an unparalleled ancient art?
All those struggling for just food and warm clothes, fighting against the cold for survival, in the eyes of these people, were they not even worthy of a better life, just like ants?
The long-dormant anger in Sitana's heart surged instantly, almost condensing into a tangible flame in her dark red eyes. The raging inferno burned the young wolf's reason, making her selectively forget that Earl Hardstone had mentioned "Hydra is improving Scarletfrost," and also making her fail to notice... the disdainful and cold gaze with which Earl Hardstone looked at the other nobles, as if he did not want to associate with them.
Malena, is this what you call right?
"Hydra, you said it yourself, you would never oppose me going against you."
Sitana clenched her fist, spitting out pure hatred from her throat:
"Then watch closely... watch closely as I destroy the reputation you built on lies and malice!"
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