"That would certainly be the best option, but you know that is completely unrealistic," Bennie said. "Those news-hungry journalists are probably digging through every historical record they can find at this very moment to determine exactly what the Pope was talking about. Once they discover the connection between the Grand Cross and our family, they will never stop asking questions. Just look at how aggressively they have been harassing the Roth family."
There was a trace of fear in Bennie's eyes as he imagined the consequences. He was not afraid of the journalists themselves, of course, but of what would happen once they crossed the wrong boundary. The modern world had become accustomed to investigating powerful families, exposing secrets, and demanding answers from people who had once been untouchable. The Sonnenbergs, however, had never fully adapted to that particular aspect of modern society.
"Oh, but for that to happen, they would first have to grow a pair of balls," Karl replied with a demonic grin. "Otherwise, they will receive the Bingen treatment."
Bennie grimaced slightly. "That is true. All the journalists who investigated the Bingen family ended up becoming incurably sick. They became so ill that no doctor on the continent could cure them because no one could identify the source of their condition. The Bingen family also refused to treat them because they considered those journalists enemies of the family."
"The journalists were only cured after signing some kind of contract with the Bingen," Bennie added. "After that, they stopped reporting on the family entirely. It was a very effective way of ensuring that the problem never returned."
"Yes, and I heard that the Roth family is now going after the parent companies of those news agencies," Karl continued with a disappointed expression. "Apparently, they are no longer satisfied with dealing only with the journalists themselves."
"That may be all well and good, but it will not stop them from asking us questions over and over again," Bennie said with a sigh. "Eventually, they will find something interesting enough to report on, and then the entire world will be shocked when an entire news company disappears."
Karl did not deny it.
"That is what would happen if they got in the way of the Sonnenbergs and our craft," Bennie continued. "I know it is morally wrong, and I understand that it is rather draconian, but I also know our family well enough to understand that it would happen. If an entire company deliberately interfered with our forests or endangered something connected to our profession, the response would not be restrained."
The Sonnenbergs had never interacted with the modern world as extensively as the other ancient families. They had adapted to the changing times, adopted new technology, and participated in modern commerce, but their fundamental values had not changed as much as people might assume. On certain matters, they were still surprisingly close to the family that had existed before they withdrew into the forests.
"For example, the Great Houses deal with journalists snooping around them constantly," Bennie said. "They ask invasive questions, investigate family secrets, and sometimes openly accuse them of wrongdoing. In the past, the Great Houses would have executed the journalist and their entire family for daring to question them."
Karl nodded. "Now they have to play a long and complicated political game to have that person removed from public life. They have to pressure employers, manipulate contracts, influence governments, and quietly destroy reputations. The process is much slower than simply killing the person."
"And I imagine they find that frustrating," Bennie said.
"Extremely," Karl replied. "They are used to problems being solved immediately. Having to spend months arranging someone's downfall is considered an inconvenience."
Bennie looked toward the television, although the screen remained dark. "The modern world likes to pretend that humanity has become more civilized, but all that has really changed is the method. The Great Houses still want the same results. They simply have to hide the process behind laws and bureaucracy now."
"That does not mean journalists should be afraid to investigate," Bennie added. "I have no problem with them uncovering unpleasant truths or exposing corruption. If someone wants to report on the ugly side of humanity, that is their right."
Karl's expression hardened.
"But if they step into our forest," he said, "they will be killed on sight."
The words were spoken without anger or hesitation. There was no dramatic threat in his voice, nor any attempt to exaggerate what he meant. It was simply a boundary, clearly defined and entirely non-negotiable. The Sonnenberg forest was not a public location, a tourist destination, or a place where outsiders could wander around while claiming that they were merely doing their jobs.
"That is my line in the sand," Karl continued. "If they cross it, then the world will learn exactly what happens when someone ignores the Sonnenbergs' warnings."
"I know," Bennie said calmly. "Don't worry. I will stand on the front lines to defend the forest if necessary."
His expression then changed, and the previous subject seemed to vanish from his mind almost instantly. His curiosity returned with overwhelming force, replacing the concern he had shown only moments earlier.
"Speaking of the Pope, though, do you think that mana attribute he displayed could be used to create a tree that naturally breathes that type of mana?" Bennie asked. "And if such a tree could be grown, how would someone make a bow from its wood? More importantly, how would that bow actually be used?"
Karl blinked at the sudden change in topic.
Bennie was no longer interested in journalists, contracts, or the possibility of entire companies being destroyed. His mind had already moved toward the possibilities presented by the Pope's display. As someone connected to nature and the Sonnenberg craft, he could not help but become fascinated by the idea of a tree capable of producing or circulating such a unique mana attribute.
Bennie believed in the rights of journalists and understood the importance of freedom of information. However, those principles did not override the instincts of a family connected to nature. A predator did not appreciate prey urinating on its legs, and the Sonnenbergs were not about to apologize for reacting badly when someone deliberately crossed into their territory.
"That is all, sir," the intelligence officer said as he finished presenting the cabinet with the information gathered about the Church's broadcast. "The presentation covered what the Vatican revealed, the identity of the Grand Cross, and the relationship between that title and the ancient Trade Families."
The officer stepped back, allowing the ministers to consider the information. The room remained quiet for several seconds, as the Chinese leadership reviewed the implications of what they had just learned. The Church had revealed more than it probably intended, and the existence of the Grand Cross had opened several new questions about Europe's oldest families.
"All right," Wan Gengxin said at last. "What are your thoughts on what they have shown us so far, especially the Grand Cross? They seem to have hidden that title quite effectively. I was under the impression that we had developed a relatively clear understanding of who the major Trade Families were."
He turned toward Yan Wen, the Minister of National Intelligence, waiting for an explanation.
"Yes, sir, we have a fairly good understanding of them," Yan Wen replied. "We have access to their rather unusual guild structures, and through those organizations, we have roughly determined which family is connected to which profession or faction. However, we have never been able to guarantee that every identification is correct."
Yan Wen paused and sighed quietly. "The situation became even more complicated after the first year back, and people saw the unique tag those families had. Once the other companies or families had access to enough money, many more people began joining their guilds and clans together. Those types of organizations have expanded considerably, which has made it harder to distinguish the trade families from the rest of them."
"As for the Grand Cross that was mentioned," he continued, "we have had considerable difficulty finding accurate sources. As you saw in the presentation, most of the available information is incomplete or contradictory. To verify the history properly, we would need physical books in our hands so that we could confirm their authenticity."
"Unfortunately, many of those books were destroyed during the rush toward artificial intelligence," Yan Wen explained. "People digitized what they considered important, discarded what they thought was obsolete, and relied on AI-generated summaries without realizing how much historical information would be lost. Now that AI can no longer be trusted to preserve or verify historical records, we have discovered just how many gaps exist."
He gave a slight bow. "I apologize for the delay in finding the information you requested, sir."
"There is no need to apologize," Wan Gengxin said. "I am simply glad that we were able to uncover this much. However, if I understand the history of the Grand Cross correctly, there were opportunities for people to earn the title by challenging certain families."
"Yes, sir," Yan Wen replied.
"And those families were essentially open to all challengers?" Wan Gengxin asked, his expression becoming curious. "At least, that is what the historical records seem to suggest."
"That was the case in the distant past," Yan Wen said. "However, those competitions have not been held in at least five hundred years. More importantly, we know that the Sonnenbergs would not be open to such challenges."
"Sending a challenger of that caliber to Europe would most likely result in his death," Yan Wen continued with certainty. "Not necessarily because the families would deliberately seek to kill him, but because of how they would interpret his behavior. We have developed behavioral profiles of the major Trade Families, although many of those profiles will now need to be revised because of the recent changes in their organizations."
He glanced at his notes before continuing. "Still, we are fairly confident about the Sonnenbergs. Anyone arrogant enough to travel across the continent to challenge them would probably be the kind of young, self-important weapons master who believes his own reputation is greater than it actually is. Such people would irritate the Sonnenbergs almost immediately."
"And that would not end well," Wan Gengxin said.
"No, sir," Yan Wen replied. "The problem is that the sort of person who would accept such a challenge is unlikely to understand the danger until it is too late. They would assume that the Sonnenbergs follow the same rules as the other weapon-focused families. That assumption would be fatal."
Wan Gengxin leaned back in his chair, considering the information. "You are probably right, but if we could establish a similar order here in China, it might be useful. Our soldiers and experts need something to look up to. Having an obvious champion or an officially recognized title could do wonders for morale."
"A title that represents excellence, dedication, and mastery would also give people a clear goal," he continued. "It would not merely be a reward for strength. It could become a symbol of what someone should aspire to achieve."
"Yes, sir," Xian Mu replied. "We can work on establishing such a system within the military and the general public"
Wan Gengxin nodded. The idea had clearly caught his interest, and the cabinet members began considering how such a title could be adapted to China without simply copying the traditions of the European families.