Although such behavior was little different from selling one's daughter, and was undeniably tragic, it held critical significance for Count Rostov in his current circumstances. The nobles of Chernobog had nowhere left to go.
A mobile city was their foundation, their sphere of power. If the city were breached, they could once rely on their wealth and resources to negotiate peace with invaders. But Reunion did not seek peace. What they wanted was destruction. For them, the annihilation of Chernobog included the annihilation of its nobility.
They could not flee to other cities. Neither the new nobility nor the old would welcome them. What, another noble to dilute their share of the spoils?
Nobles had always been creatures that valued profit above all else. Words like friendship, sympathy, and compassion had no place in their present reality.
Only when the protective shell was stripped away, only when they slowly realized that what they once possessed with ease might never be theirs again in this life, did they finally understand that they were no different from ordinary Ursus citizens.
Without those privileges, they were lambs waiting for slaughter.
Faced with the Infected, whom they had once regarded as lowly trash, they found themselves more disheveled than ever before.
For people who had always been proud and aloof, this sense of defeat cut deeply.
Count Rostov pressed his lips together. Circumstances outweighed personal will. As a mature businessman, he knew very well that these nobles, himself included, now held no real value. Their networks had vanished along with Chernobog. Their estates might already have been pulverized by the falling meteor. Though they still had some funds in Ursus banks, compared to their daily expenses, it was a world apart.
This reality forced Count Rostov to reconsider the matter of offering his daughter. Originally, he had planned to join forces with another hardline faction among the rising new nobility. As for whether his daughter Natalya liked the other party's son, he had intended to take that into account. He had never wanted to sell his own daughter. At their level of nobility, marriages between children were often the shallowest form of alliance.
"Silence."
Anthony spoke calmly. His casual tone stirred dissatisfaction among some of the nobles. They muttered under their breath but dared not voice it aloud. They no longer even had the capital to protest, and this they understood clearly.
Felix entered the tent. With his arrival, a golden light filled the interior, bringing an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
This was the third time Count Rostov had seen Felix.
The first was at a noble banquet. At that time, the Pioneer had been graceful and composed. Though a merchant and a leader of power, he bore none of the arrogance associated with rulers, blending effortlessly into noble society.
The second time was just earlier, when the nobles had been utterly bedraggled. Felix had just come from a great battle. His eyes were sharp like unsheathed blades, brimming with killing intent. He no longer concealed himself behind a peaceful facade. Like a gem amid rubble, he carried the presence of a king, commanding awe.
And now, this moment.
Felix's expression was as calm as still water, revealing nothing of his thoughts. This was precisely what unsettled the nobles the most. They were accustomed to negotiating terms, yet none of them were qualified to do so now.
Count Rostov let out a long sigh. He had thought Felix an ordinary leader. To have misjudged him so thoroughly was something that should never have happened, whether as a businessman or as a noble.
The nobles fell silent. Pairs of eyes fixed on the young man standing before them in a general's uniform.
They could read no emotion from Felix's face.
"Ladies and gentlemen, where do you believe your future lies?" Felix spoke evenly. "Now that Chernobog has been destroyed, you should have fled long ago, just as you always did, or perished along with the city. Yet you did not, because operators of Tomorrow's Development saved you. That is why you are sitting here now."
At these words, cold sweat began to form on the backs of many nobles.
"So tell me, where do you think you should go?"
After the question was posed, the nobles were left speechless. They truly did not know what to say. In practical terms, they were inferior even to ordinary Ursus civilians. Those people could work with their hands, could fight for Tomorrow's Development. This group of merchant nobles, unable to lift or carry, who spent their days staring at numbers, what could they truly accomplish?
Count Rostov stood up. As the de facto leader among the nobles, he chose this moment to step forward. He lowered his head, something he had not done in a very long time, and spoke with sincerity.
"Your Highness… I still retain some connections among the other new nobles. Though Chernobog has been destroyed, there are still new mobile cities under construction."
He paused briefly. "We are willing to become a trade partner of Tomorrow's Development, and to serve as a key for your entry into Ursus. We will open every door for you and clear the way. Your goods, your cargo, and your operators will move freely through all cities controlled by the new nobility."
This was the answer Felix wanted to hear. Otherwise, he would never have bothered to meet these Ursus nobles who were usually so aloof. Count Rostov understood the situation clearly. He knew the weight of his own influence among the new nobility. The destruction of Chernobog was not primarily his responsibility, and he was still someone whose voice carried authority within that faction.
The new nobles had risen through commerce, so they were extremely sensitive to matters of trade and business cooperation, and not at all resistant to them. The old nobles despised them for their mercenary stench, and the two sides were fundamentally opposed.
Hearing this, the remaining nobles seemed suddenly enlightened.
"Your Highness, my aunt's cousin's sister-in-law's younger brother works in the central administration. He can secure all the necessary permits for Tomorrow's Development."
"Your Highness, my uncle owns large tracts of land in two mobile cities. Where do you think would be best to build a Tomorrow's Development branch?"
"Your Highness, I have a pair of beautiful twin daughters…"
Hmm?
Every other noble turned their gaze sharply toward the last speaker. Beside him, the two Ursus girls stared in shock. They had never imagined that, in the middle of a conversation, their father would sell them out so casually. A moment later, their faces flushed red. Well… His Highness was handsome. Maybe it was not entirely unacceptable.
That single remark seemed to open the floodgates. The tent instantly became as noisy as a marketplace.
"Your Highness, take a look. This is my youngest daughter. She's so well developed for her age…"
"No, no, this is my sister. It's all my father's fault for loving children so much. She's only around ten, but take a look?"
"Twins? I have four daughters! Your Highness, if you're willing, you can take them all."
Anthony's expression twitched. He had not expected the bottom line of these nobles to be this low. When he had operated within Chernobog, he had worked alongside Sonya and the Ursus student groups. Some of the students here looked familiar. Seeing them being sold off so casually by their parents left him momentarily stunned. Families with only sons beat their chests in regret, while those with daughters eagerly began promoting their own "fine dishes."
Count Rostov felt an almost murderous urge toward the noble who had spoken first. He had planned to quietly mention things to his daughter Natalya, to have her probe the situation gradually. He never expected someone to be so shameless and say it out loud. Now everything was ruined. Natalya's involvement would be seen as calculating, and the plan had collapsed.
"Silence."
Anthony's voice turned cold. As Felix's subordinate, he understood His Highness's charm better than anyone. Had they not noticed the faint crease of annoyance on His Highness's brow? How could these brutes be so oblivious?
The nobles fell quiet. Only the air remained heavy and awkward. Or rather, that was the warmth of color on the noble daughters' flushed faces.
"There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests," Felix said calmly. He looked at Count Rostov and gave a slight nod. "Your proposal is sound. But business has always been about mutual assistance and mutual benefit if it is to last, isn't that right?"
"Absolutely, Your Highness!"
"I agree with both hands and feet!"
"Your Highness, about my daughter, please reconsider… gah!"
The last speaker yelped as someone stepped hard on his foot.
Tomorrow's Development had no intention of fully intervening in Ursus. Felix had thought so back in the 2.0 era. Ursus was too complex internally, and Tomorrow's Development had not been strong enough then. Entering Ursus would have meant being swallowed whole at any moment. Now things were different. News of him cleaving a meteor with a single strike and decisively defeating Talulah would soon spread. With true high-end combat power, Tomorrow's Development would be fundamentally transformed.
Moreover, the final level cap for version 3.0 players was level ninety. That alone allowed them to surpass many NPCs. In terms of evaluation, they could easily earn five-star operator ratings. Add to that Tomorrow's Development equipment and skill manuals, and the question became simple. How could they lose?
Anthony knew this was his cue. He took over the conversation and began outlining Tomorrow's Development's trade routes.
Tomorrow's Development sought to build a better future for both the Infected and the uninfected. It sounded at odds with Ursus, even ironic, but the new nobles did not care. As long as it made money, background meant nothing to them.
Felix left the tent. From here on, Anthony would handle everything.
He looked toward Natalya, who had followed him out. No, now she had already received the operator codename Rosa.
"Your father has shown admirable resolve," Felix offered a brief compliment. "Since you have chosen to join Tomorrow's Development, does that mean you have decided to become independent from your parents?"
Natalya smiled and let out a quiet sigh. "Father has aged quite a bit. He does not feel much hatred toward the Reunion Movement. He believes all of this is simply karma."
"After everything that happened, I feel that I have grown, and matured. In the past, my thinking always revolved around Father and the family. I cared about school lessons, where to eat after class, and the little topics between classmates."
She showed a faint, nostalgic smile, her beautiful eyes resting on Felix. Only then did he notice that Natalya had heterochromia, gemlike pupils of red and blue, clear and luminous.
"Reality is cruel," she continued softly. "More than once, I told myself that once I left home, once I left school, I was actually nothing."
Her voice was light, as if it might be carried away by the wind at any moment. "The suffering on this land had never had anything to do with us who lived in greenhouses, until the day the Reunion Movement arrived. They broke through Chernobog's walls and shattered the shell of that greenhouse, forcing us to face the real land beneath our feet."
"Your Highness, I have an impertinent request."
Natalya bowed. The gentle rise and fall of her chest followed the motion. She was still a middle school student, wearing Tomorrow's Development's white winter uniform on her upper body and black thermal stockings below. Despite her young age, she had already grown into a mature and captivating figure. Compared to her, Sonya looked almost like a child who had yet to grow up.
Felix nodded calmly.
"I want to help Tomorrow's Development more."
Her gaze carried a quiet strength. "I know that simply serving as an operator will not allow me to fully realize my abilities. I ask that you grant me an opportunity to temper myself."
Straight to the point, she was aiming for a higher position. Felix neither affirmed nor rejected it outright. He did not wish to dampen her confidence. After all, a soldier who does not aspire to be a general is not a good soldier. He considered Natalya's role in his previous life. On Rhodes Island, she had assisted the HR department, perhaps due to her young age. Letting her try again was not unreasonable. Having a former Ursus noble within the upper ranks could also prove useful for intelligence regarding Ursus.
"Where would you like to begin?" he asked.
Taking into account that Natalya had once been the student council president of Chernobog Fourth Secondary School, Felix left the choice to her.
"I…" she hesitated briefly. "I would like to start with personnel coordination and planning. I have experience working in the student council and should be able to get up to speed quickly."
Felix nodded. This choice was not far from her previous-life position, but in this life she could try climbing higher. He could have her report to that HR officer later.
Watching His Highness walk away, Natalya let out a soft sigh. She had not told her parents about this decision, but she knew her father would support her.
From here on, it depended on her alone. She knew that her parents' survival was owed entirely to Tomorrow's Development. Joining Tomorrow's Development was partly to repay that debt, and partly for the thoughts she had just voiced.
And partly… she truly thought His Highness was very handsome, and she wanted… well.
Ahem... as a proud daughter of Rostov family, she must continue the bloodline!