King lifted his eyelids from behind the newspaper, glanced at the petrified Lumine, then at the triumphant Paimon, and finally, his gaze landed on Furina's snickering form.
He said nothing, simply returning his gaze to the newspaper.
The corner of his mouth, which curled up by 0.1 degrees, betrayed his inner amusement.
Well, it seemed the D-rank skill [Home Cooking Mastery] was quite effective.
It's just that one diner was far too gluttonous.
He'd have to have the Opera Epiclese kitchen prepare more ingredients.
Knock, knock, knock.
A steady and slightly hurried knocking broke the post-breakfast silence.
Everyone in the room looked up.
King put down the newspaper and turned his gaze toward the door.
"Enter."
The door was pushed open, and Clorinde walked in quickly.
He was still in that capable attire, but a hint of seriousness was knit between his brows, his expression even colder than when he was escorting Marcel yesterday.
"Lord Furina, Lord King."
Clorinde's gaze swept over the people in the room, pausing subtly for 0.1 seconds on Paimon's round belly before quickly returning to the main topic, his voice clear and rapid:
"The official response from Inazuma has arrived."
"Oh?"
Furina put down his fork and elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, a trace of lingering anger flashing in his heterochromatic eyes.
"So fast? It seems Inazuma is truly anxious."
"What did they say?"
Clorinde took a deep breath and recounted the contents of the strongly worded, almost explosive document in a flat tone:
"Inazuma officials claim that after a 'thorough' investigation."
"The previous matter of smuggling contaminated crystallized bone marrow and endangering Fontaine's safety was entirely the personal doing of the Kanjou Commission's head, Hiiragi Chisato. The culprit has been dismissed and is in custody awaiting trial."
"Inazuma expresses its willingness to apologize to Fontaine for this incident and pay a hundredfold compensation."
Hearing this, Furina snorted, about to say "that's more like it," but Clorinde's next words caused him and the nearby Lumine's expressions to change instantly.
"But,"
Clorinde's voice dropped lower, carrying a hint of chill:
"Inazuma further emphasized their hope that Fontaine, considering 'the friendship and long-term interests of both nations,' would 'not continue to take radical measures such as blocking diplomatic relations'."
"Otherwise..."
He paused, looked up at King, and said word by word:
"Inazuma will be forced to take 'all necessary measures, including but not limited to military force,' to 'defend Inazuma's interests'."
"..."
The room fell into a dead silence.
Only Paimon floated in the air, oblivious, letting out a small burp and blinking his large eyes in confusion: "Military force? Is Inazuma going to attack Fontaine?"
The fork in Lumine's hand hit the plate with a clatter. His amber eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
Are the Inazumans tired of living?
They dare to speak to Fontaine like this?!
Images of King quelling a natural disaster with a single punch at sea flashed through his mind.
The Raiden Shogun of Inazuma is indeed strong, and the current Inazuman soldiers do possess a certain ruthlessness.
But Fontaine's Grand Guardian is King!
That monster whose heartbeat can shatter the sky, who caught a Fatui Harbinger's full-strength attack with two fingers, and who is honored by the people of Fontaine as the'Strongest Man'!
Where did Inazuma get the confidence to threaten Fontaine like this?
Furina was also stunned, followed by a surge of absurd and absolute rage.
"Huh?!"
He suddenly stood up from his chair, the hem of his pure white divine dress swaying with the movement, two flames igniting in his heterochromatic eyes:
"They are threatening Fontaine?!"
"It was clearly their own people who committed an unpardonable felony, with conclusive evidence!"
"We are punishing them according to the law and suspending diplomatic relations as a warning to others. What's wrong with that?"
"Not only do they fail to reflect deeply, they even dare to turn the tables and use 'military force' to intimidate us?!"
Furina's chest heaved with anger, his fair cheeks flushed with a faint red.
He subconsciously looked at King, his eyes filled with grievance: "King, look at them!"
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"