Silence fell over the nobles. Although they had seen Da Xue's prowess in the past, and Baiyi had shown off his prowess before, this was the first time Da Xue had displayed his prowess in public. Aside from the spider marionette, which looked like a furry toy, Da Xue's Ragdoll Bear surprised them even more.
'Is this a show of force? Is he forcing us to pick a side?' The nobles thought to themselves, and they could not help but feel nervous. They had brought more treasures with them than they had last year, and their biggest hope was to buy a neutral spot. However, it was clear that Principal Hope had seen through their thoughts and was using this method to force them to make a choice.
'These prisoners of the Void sure are ruthless. All they talk about is benevolence, righteousness, and morality, but when it comes to doing things, they are so ruthless!' Some of the nobles grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Alright, this is just a small segment. If any of you are interested in the future development of this marionette, feel free to stay behind for a private chat," Baiyi said to the crowd. The marionette and Mr. Bear, who was standing beside her, turned around and went backstage.
"Alright, let's get down to business," Baiyi said. He gestured for the two girls to take a seat next to him, and he took out fifteen metal plates with numbers engraved on them. "Let's start with the first one."
According to previous years, the nobles would have already started bidding, but this year's situation was different. Baiyi held the number plate in his hand, stunned. The crowd was silent.
'What's going on? What's wrong? ' Baiyi thought to himself. He studied the nobles' faces, and when he saw the conflicted and hesitant expressions on their faces, he realized something. He asked, "Did you hear some groundless rumor that made you think something was wrong?"
These nobles had wild imaginations, and Baiyi knew this very well.
One of the nobles braced himself and said, "Mr. Hope, before we start bidding, we are more concerned about your relationship with the Church."
"This is between me and the Church. What does it have to do with you?" Baiyi asked, amused. "Don't tell me you think I'm trying to win your support? Don't overthink it. You've misunderstood. "
As soon as these words came out, the nobles below were all stunned. Aren't you trying to win our support? Are you trying to force us to pick a side? Then what do you mean by holding this auction ahead of time? What was the meaning of being so inexplicably generous with 15 slots? What was the meaning of that earlier display of strength? You created so many conditions for us, but in the end, you tell us not to overthink it? Are you kidding us? The nobles cursed in their minds.
Immediately, someone stood up and asked in an incredulous tone, "Master Hope, are you planning to go against the Church with just the power of Da Xue? You don't need our help? "
"Yes." Baiyi nodded. "It's not just you. I don't need anyone else's help, be it from the royal family or the Northerners. Maybe a few barbarians? But that has nothing to do with you. "
These words made the nobles look at each other in dismay. They didn't expect this guy to be so arrogant and conceited.
Although everyone knew that Da Xue was powerful and influential, that was only in terms of academics. From the beginning, people had only acknowledged Da Xue's educational standards and influence, as well as its image as a leader in the academic community. However, in a war against the Church, these facts alone were not enough! The Church had been around for thousands of years, and its followers were everywhere. Its influence was far-reaching and long-lasting, and its military power was unparalleled. Its military might was even stronger than the Empire's. Especially after the recent catastrophe, the Church's power had increased significantly. This was the peak of the Church's power in the last hundred years. It was unwise to declare war against the Church at a time like this.
Many of the nobles thought that Baiyi had lost his mind. No matter how powerful he was, the Church had plenty of powerful fighters. How many could he fight alone? How many could the Voidwalkers, who were also encased in armor, fight? Other than them, Da Xue still had some combat power? Those pretty girls by the dean's side? Don't be ridiculous, okay? How were they supposed to fight against the Crusaders? How were they supposed to fight against the priests and protagonists? Not to mention the Holy Samurai Order, which was known as the strongest military force in the plane, which struck fear in people's hearts.
Even the Southern Duke, the pimp, stood up and asked Baiyi, "Have you lost your mind, Mr. Dean?"
The Southern Duke had already prepared himself to side with Baiyi when he heard the Emperor's decision. The Southern Duke was planning to pick out more allies from the nobles who were present today. He knew that the war between Da Xue and the Church was inevitable, but he did not expect the Archduke to choose this sensitive timing. If the Archduke had his own reasons for doing so, he might have been willing to listen to the Southern Duke's explanation, but who would have thought that the Archduke did not care about the nobles at all?
Compared to being forced to take sides, the feeling of being ignored was even worse.
Baiyi looked at the Southern Duke, who was his business partner, and shrugged helplessly. "I think all of you are overthinking things. You're just like the Emperor, who thinks that the war between me and the Church needs you. The Church might need you, but on my side, even without the help of other forces, I will still win!"
His words were full of confidence, and the people below almost believed him. Then, he continued to speak.
He continued, "The war between me and the Church will not be a war of life and death. They may want to eradicate heretics like me, but I will not kill them all. After all, I am a kind and gentle person who does not like to kill people. From the beginning, I only want to use force to make them accept our existence, acknowledge our future, and allow us to live in peace in the real world. That's all. It's a simple request, and it's not excessive at all."
The nobles' expressions turned complicated when they heard Baiyi's words. If Hope, or the Voidwalkers' request, was really that simple, then Baiyi's arrogant way of thinking made sense. If Hope and the Voidwalkers' request were really that simple, then Baiyi's arrogant way of thinking made sense. If Hope and the Voidwalkers' request were just that simple, then Baiyi's arrogant way of thinking made sense. If Hope and the Voidwalkers' request were just that simple, then Baiyi's arrogant way of thinking made sense.
Although this would cause the situation to spiral out of their control, it was also the safest and most appropriate way to deal with the situation. It also coincided with the reason why they were here today.
"If that's the case, then why did you suddenly increase the quota?" The Grand Duke of the South asked, his expression complicated. He was one of the rulers of this country, and now that two forces were fighting on his turf, he could only watch from the sidelines. Something was not right.
"I increased the quota because I have a lot of new projects that need to be developed in the future," Baiyi explained. Baiyi explained. "That marionette you saw earlier is also part of the new project. You've all seen its power and size. If we want to improve it further, we'll need a lot of funding."
"Uhh … So you're saying that you've gathered us here on the eve of the war with the Church because you want to do business with us that has nothing to do with the war?" One of the nobles asked with a strange expression.
"Exactly," Baiyi said seriously. "The grudge between me and the Church does not require outsiders to intervene."
The nobles fell silent. The Grand Duke of the South said, "If it's possible, we need some time to discuss this."
"Let's do it here, then," Baiyi said. Baiyi nodded at Mia and Vidomina, who were sitting behind him. The two girls obediently went up to him and held his arm. Just like that, Baiyi left the hall with the two of them.
As soon as they left, a heated discussion broke out among the nobles.
Some were debating whether Baiyi's words were true or not. Was it just a euphemistic way to win them over? Others were debating which side would win this war. If Da Xue's goal was to teach the Church a lesson and force them to acknowledge the existence of the Voidwalkers, then Da Xue's chances of winning were not that low. Such a thing could be achieved through intimidation and influence.
Others were hesitant. Should they just join Da Xue's side? It would be awkward if they could not intervene in a war like this. Others were more concerned about whether sending their children to Da Xue was considered siding with Da Xue. What would the Church think? Would they accept Da Xue's habit of betting on both sides? Would the Church try to win them over?
All in all, the nobles had their own opinions. Only the Southern Duke and two other nobles were interested in Baiyi's new project. The two nobles were from a family that ran a chain of blacksmiths and a family that specialized in reselling marionettes. They were Baiyi's competitors for the Empire's military supply business, so they should be enemies with Baiyi. However, that did not stop them from sending their children to Da Xue and getting involved in the business.
Perhaps this was how nobles behaved. They did not care about politics or feelings; they only cared about profit.
Baiyi returned to one of the rooms in the manor, where Mia and Vidomina sat on either side of him. The two girls did not look as relaxed as he was. Mia leaned closer to him, her two small hands gripping his gauntlet as she asked worriedly, "Mr. Hope, do we really have to be like this with the Church?"
His youngest daughter had never paid much attention to such matters, so she did not know much about the situation. This was the first time she had heard that her academy was about to become the Church's enemy. Her heart was in turmoil, but it was not appropriate for her to ask directly, so she had been suppressing her questions until now.
Baiyi pinched her cheeks and said, "Actually, I'm sure you already knew this would happen, right?"
Mia nodded. She had expected this to happen the moment she found out who Baiyi was, but she did not expect it to happen so suddenly. Things had always been peaceful between Da Xue and the Church, after all. Both sides had maintained a facade of restraint, and Laeticia, who was close to Mia, had been appointed as the official Saintess. She had thought that things would go on like this forever.
"You don't have to worry too much, Mia." Vidomina, who had heard the news, was much calmer than Mia. She held a glass of red wine in her hand and sipped it. "There's no enemy in this world that the Godfather can't defeat."
"I know you're the best, Mr. Hope, but I'm worried about Laeticia," Mia said. Both of them were very confident in Baiyi. His image of an invincible God of War had been deeply ingrained in the hearts of the two girls.
"I'm worried about her as well," Baiyi said. "She's the only uncertain factor, so you two should help me think of a solution."
"Mm …" The two girls nodded obediently. Baiyi, on the other hand, stroked their heads in satisfaction. He was glad that he did not have to spend too much time explaining to his daughters about the war against the Church. This meant that they would stand firmly by his side.
"Speaking of which, those nobles are overthinking things," Vidomina said with a bitter smile. "Do they really think that we need their help?"
"The reason I arranged for Mr. Bear to appear today was to hint this to them, but they completely misunderstood me …" Baiyi muttered, his left hand caressing Mia's bare back from the top of her head to the top of her head. The smoothness of her skin was so mesmerizing that he almost forgot that he should not have done such a barbaric thing to his youngest daughter.
Mia did not think that Baiyi's action was inappropriate. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, as if she was enjoying it. Perhaps, to her, this kind of contact was normal?
"Alright, it's getting late. It's about time we showed up," Baiyi said, removing his hand from Mia's back. "Let them discuss it for a little longer. Who knows what new ideas they'll come up with?" Baiyi retracted his hand from Mia's body.
With that, the three of them reappeared in front of the nobles, who were still in the middle of a heated discussion.
Baiyi did not even have enough time to play with Mia, so what could the nobles possibly come up with? They were just trying to figure out what was going on.
"Alright, can we continue now?" Baiyi asked as he raised the number tag in his hand.
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