What kind of shadow Dome Council is this?
This was entirely Lloyd's doing, convened specifically for Charles, and the purpose was simple: a blatant threat!
"Lord Charles, you should have a way to control that armor, right?" Lloyd discovered the secret of this armor while analyzing it.
It seemed that only a special method could control and awaken this armor, which was precisely why Charles dared to hand the armor directly to them.
"You, you—" Emrys glared at Lloyd, his eyes burning with a rage that seemed to want to devour him alive.
"Calm down, Lord Charles." Lloyd was completely unafraid, saying with a half-smile, "I can give you two choices: either hand over the method to control the armor, or—we can wait until something happens to you, and then slowly decipher the armor's secret."
Facing the shameless faces of the Fernando family, Emrys' face turned green with anger, and he trembled as he pointed at Lloyd, unable to utter a single word.
"Harming an Imperium of Man noble bloodline, you—aren't you afraid of the Inquisition's pursuit?!" Emrys, as if exasperated, veins bulging in his neck, let out a low roar, "If you dare to kill me, no matter how perfectly you conceal it, it will be impossible to hide from the Inquisition's eyes; they will definitely find you!"
"The Inquisition? Hahahaha—"
However, the Inquisition, feared by the world, seemed like a Joker in Lloyd's eyes. He sneered wantonly, "Lord Charles, you are too naive. If the Inquisition were truly that powerful, then our Fernando family would probably have been annihilated long ago. How could we have ruled Wanderer's Port for so many years?"
"Now, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, Lord Charles." Lloyd said smugly, "Just recently, we intercepted and killed an Inquisitor. Now—do you still think we fear the Inquisition?"
"You, you even dared to kill an Inquisitor?!"
Emrys feigned panic, but deep down, he already believed Aldrich's words by seven or eight parts.
Perhaps the Fernando family was indeed plotting some shocking secret; otherwise, if it were merely colluding with xenos and heretics, it wouldn't go so far as to intercept and kill an Inquisitor!
If it were merely the former, they could still use the power of a Rogue Trader to argue their case; even an Inquisitor, as long as they weren't caught red-handed, would find it difficult to convict them.
But if it were the latter... that would be a different story!
"Lord Charles, don't you like Lillian very much?" Charles, seeing that the intimidation was almost complete, began to implement a softer policy, saying gently, "If you are willing to hand over the method to control the armor, I can not only have Lillian serve you but also cooperate with you. With the strength of our Fernando family, it will surely become a great help to you. At that time, even the position of Emrys family head might not be impossible!"
The Destroyer armor, they were determined to get it!
This was the only hope, the key to deciphering the 'Ancient Saints' civilization, the hope for Fernando's rise, and their hope to break free from 'that one's' control. Therefore, at all costs, Lloyd had to obtain the method to control the armor from Charles!
Using both carrot and stick, he wasn't afraid that this useless noble scion wouldn't submit to him. Lloyd was full of confidence; he didn't believe that such a useless person would value that item more than his own life!
Women, power, status, money!
Lloyd didn't believe anyone could refuse these four things, let alone such a useless noble scion!
"I... I need to think about it"
Emrys' tone indeed weakened, and his face showed hesitation and struggle.
"It's alright, you can take your time to consider."
Lloyd patted his shoulder and smiled, "We have plenty of time. I believe a wise person like you will definitely make the most correct choice."
Heh, what a useless person. Looking at Emrys' retreating back, Lloyd's lips curved into an arc. With such a foolish descendant, it was no wonder the Emrys family declined.
As for Fernando becoming his help, those were just words to coax a child!
Once he got the method to control the armor, he would kill this stupid pig immediately. The Fernando family's secrets must never be known by anyone to live!
Soon—as long as the plan was completed, their Fernando family ruling the entire Imperium of Man would not be impossible!
Thinking of this, Lloyd's face showed a struggle, and he couldn't help but burst into maniacal laughter.
The Emperor?
Heh heh, that's just a decaying corpse sitting on the Golden Throne, looking down on the suffering of humanity. The fate of humanity—should be left to humanity itself!
After Emrys 'tremblingly' returned to the manor, Lloyd sent a 'gift' that very night!
And this gift was none other than Lillian, a collateral bloodline of the Fernando family, Lloyd's granddaughter, the capable and charming woman from earlier in the day.
At this moment, the slap marks on her face had not completely faded, standing out glaringly on her fair, jade-like face.
Lillian looked very calm, seemingly without any resentment at being given away as a 'gift', especially her emerald green eyes, perfect like jewels, quietly observing the profligate noble in front of her.
"What are you looking at?"
Emrys was very surprised by her behavior.
From their brief interaction during the day, he could tell that although this woman appeared fawning on the surface, she actually harbored a hint of stubbornness deep down.
To be given away as a gift to a profligate scion like this, she shouldn't be so calm, right?
"Looking at you, Lord."
Lillian's gaze was unwavering, directly staring at Emrys, as if to pierce through him.
"Heh, what's there to look at me for?" Emrys' lips curved slightly. He stood up and came to her side, deliberately bending down and taking a deep breath at Lillian's fair neck. "Mmm, so fragrant. I didn't expect that old man to act so fast. It seems I'll have a wonderful night tonight."
However, even in the face of Emrys' 'impatient' behavior, this time Lillian showed no repulsion at all, allowing Emrys' 'salty pig hands' to roam freely over her body.
"Oh, is this despair, a complete surrender?" Emrys' hands paused at her waist, lightly sniffing the scent of Lillian's neck, and chuckled.
"No, you misunderstand, Lord." Lillian turned her head, her eyes like silken threads, her red lips slightly curved, "It is my honor to serve you."
The stark contrast was so great that it somewhat confused Emrys. He slowly retreated and sat back on the sofa, travel his legs, also scrutinizing Lillian. "Weren't you very resistant to me during the day? How did you become so obedient tonight? The Fernando family's training—is indeed impressive."
"No, you misunderstand again, Lord."
Lillian bowed slightly, her smile like a flower, "The reason I changed my attitude is not because of Fernando, but because of you!"
Emrys frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Unexpectedly, Lillian directly knelt down, looked up at Emrys sitting on the sofa, and said word by word, "Lord, you are not a descendant of the 'Emrys' family at all, are you?"
"What's your evidence?"
Facing Lillian's questioning, Emrys couldn't help but laugh, "Dare to question a noble, do you know what crime that is? Even your wouldn't dare to say that to my face. Where did you get the courage?"
"Because he is foolish, he cannot see it."
Lillian looked directly at him without fear and said, "Actually, a second ago I wasn't sure, but now—I am certain. You are definitely not a descendant of the Emrys family!"
"The reason?"
Emrys wasn't angry either.
In fact, he didn't care at all whether his identity was exposed or if he would be suspected, because from the very beginning—he had already checkmated them!
"Do you know?" Lillian smiled sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "True nobles cannot see our suffering. And you, when you comforted me, I already began to suspect your identity."
"Why?"
Emrys became interested and asked.
"If he were a true great noble, how could he possibly save the life of that receptionist?" Lillian laughed, "You hit her, but you also saved her—didn't you?"
"Just because of that?" Emrys frowned.
"Not just that. When you were comforting me, those words—are very difficult for a haughty and arrogant top noble bloodline descendant to say," Lillian continued.
"So what?"
Emrys shook his head with a wry smile, "Even great nobles might occasionally show compassion for their servants, right?"
"Yes, that's why I said—I just confirmed it." Lillian looked directly at him and said, "If you were truly a descendant of the Emrys family, you wouldn't be chatting with me this much. Questioning noble bloodline is a grave sin. The fact that you didn't kill me directly has already indirectly proven my speculation."
"After all that talk, there's still no evidence."
Emrys shook his head, losing interest, "Let's end this farce. I'm not interested in hearing your personal conjectures."
He was about to leave when he saw Lillian kowtow to the ground, "No, Lord, precisely because there is no evidence, your identity will not be exposed. This is just my private conjecture and will not have any impact on you!"
"What does this mean?" Emrys, who had stood up, looked down at Lillian kneeling and prostrating on the ground, his brows tightly furrowed, unable to understand her thoughts for a moment.
"I don't know your purpose for disguising your identity and coming to Wanderer's Port, but I know you must be here for Fernando!" Lillian's forehead was pressed tightly to the ground, her voice hoarse, "I want to ask you for one thing, and only you can accomplish it!"
Emrys looked expressionlessly at Lillian prostrating on the ground, "Why should I help you?"
"I can give everything, including my life!"
Hearing this, Lillian suddenly looked up, her gaze firm, containing a deep and bitter hatred, "As long as you can help me destroy the Fernando family, I am willing to offer everything!"
This statement successfully piqued Emrys' curiosity.
He stopped, about to step out, and turned to stare at her with interest.
Lilian tilted her fair, swan-like neck. From that angle, she was almost completely exposed, especially the snowy expanse of her chest. But what truly captivated Emrys were her emerald eyes, like precious gems, burning with a fierce, scorching fire!
From that gaze, he read anger and resentment.
Lilian now resembled a beast, completely consumed by fury and hatred.
"A bit interesting" Emrys sat back down, travel his right leg over his left, leaning back as if relaxed. He lit a cigar, then turned his gaze to the woman kneeling on the ground, saying faintly, "Explain clearly, why do you want to destroy Fernando?"
Her demeanor... had completely changed!
At this moment, Lilian suddenly felt as if the man before her had transformed into a different person.
Just meeting his brown eyes gave her a suffocating illusion. An invisible pressure, like a tsunami, washed over her. His not-so-strong figure seemed to grow larger and larger in her eyes, until it occupied everything!
Gulp!
Lilian swallowed hard, fine cold sweat beading on her fair forehead.
But, despite Emrys' sudden change, her heart was filled with excitement and joy, because she had truly gambled correctly!
"Yes, Lord" Lilian took a deep breath and began to recount the reason.
Her mother was a receptionist in the Roaming Port and had a beloved man.
They had agreed that once they saved enough money, they would board a merchant rogue's ship and go to a safer star system, then settle there permanently.
However, as expected, an accident occurred. Just like the cliché plotlines in all tragedies, her mother, due to her exceptional looks and knowledge, caught the eye of a direct descendant of the Fernando family.
The subsequent plot was easy to guess. As a receptionist, her mother could not resist the will of the Fernando family at all.
That man wanted to take her mother away from the Roaming Port, but this was Fernando's territory. That noble descendant discovered them, and with a single word, turned the man into a slave, while her mother was forcibly abducted.
Ultimately, the man died in the slave market, and her mother, under the coercion of the noble, gave birth to her.
But the torment awaiting the woman was far from over. That noble always used her as a venting object, frequently beating and scolding her. When she was six, her mother's condition worsened beyond recovery, she fell ill from sorrow, and eventually died in depression.
And Lilian, after witnessing her mother, who had accompanied her childhood like a ray of dawn in the darkness, being tortured to death by that brute, a seedling of revenge began to brew deep within her young heart.
She swore that one day, she would make the Fernando family pay the price!
For this day, she forced herself to learn a lot, from managing family businesses to bowing and scraping in service, even wearing a false mask, just to climb higher and wait for an opportunity for revenge!
Now, the opportunity she had been waiting for had arrived, and that was the mysterious 'noble' before her!
"Aren't you afraid that I'll tell Lloyd everything you've said, word for word?"
Emrys extinguished his cigar and finally began to seriously regard the woman before him.
Ambitious, intelligent, and willing to act—it must be said... she was indeed a rare talent!
But, he still needed to test her.
"No, I'm not afraid."
Lilian's gaze did not waver in the slightest, showing no emotion. "If exposing me can help you destroy the Fernando family more effectively, then please do so. I will not have any complaints, nor will I reveal any information about you!"
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
Emrys looked at her with interest. "From your description, you should hope to witness the destruction of the Fernando family with your own eyes, shouldn't you?"
"Yes, if possible, I even want to destroy them with my own hands!"
Lilian bit her lip tightly, letting blood flow, her eyes streaked with red, her trembling voice filled with resentment.
"But I am also keenly aware of the Fernando family's power, and this life of mine is simply too insignificant."
"If it can add even a little to your chances of victory"
"Even if it's just a tiny bit, I will not hesitate to offer this insignificant life to you, just to destroy Fernando!"
Lilian's gaze was fervent, like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
But Emrys saw a strong self-destructive tendency in that fervent gaze.
To seek revenge, no matter the cost—this statement, coming from her, was not just empty words.
This woman... rather than clever, she was ruthless!
Not only was she ruthless to others, but she was also ruthless to herself!
"I find it hard to believe you, given your identity."
Emrys paused for half a second, then, as her gaze slightly fell, he slowly said, "But I can give you a chance, a chance to prove yourself. Are you willing, Lilian?"
"I am!"
Lilian, who had been feeling down just a moment ago, her eyes now sparkled with hope, and she nodded vigorously.
"Very good, then let's start with one thing." Emrys looked at her, gently tapping the table with his index finger.
"Lloyd told me that he intercepted an Inquisitor. Is this true or false?"
"It's true." Lilian nodded without hesitation.
"That Inquisitor was investigating the shadow Dome and seemed to have discovered some secret. Then he was ambushed halfway by Eldar pirates sent by Lloyd, but it's suspected he's not dead yet. Currently, 'Dane' is tracking his whereabouts."
"Dane?"
"One of the council members of the shadow Dome Council, and also the person in charge of weapons and external trade channels within the Fernando family." Lilian revealed everything she knew.
"As far as I know, Archmagos Byrne of the local Mechanicus and Mr. Lawson are both members of it."
"Besides them, how many others are there?"
"There are four more."
Lilian said.
"They are the Navy Lieutenant Commander responsible for the Roaming Port's defense in the Calixis Sector, the planetary governor, the Planetary General, and the Arch-Cardinal of the Ecclesiarchy."
The forces were truly enormous, almost encompassing the entire Roaming Port!
Even with a planetary governor and a Planetary General, the most powerful entity in the Roaming Port was a Rogue Trader.
"Of course, this is merely the tip of the iceberg." Lilian continued.
"The true shadow Dome actually consists of Lloyd, representing the Fernando family; the Countess, representing the Dark Eldar pirate forces; the Lord, representing the Chaos forces; and the Mad Jaw, representing the Ork forces. They are the true power that enables the Fernando family to dominate the Roaming Port star system."
"I'm very curious, how do you know so much?"
Emrys' eyes narrowed slightly. A collateral relative, not highly regarded, yet understood the Fernando family so deeply?
"I understand your suspicion and distrust." Facing Emrys' questioning, Lilian was calm.
"The reason I know so much is because I have always handled those illicit affairs for Lloyd."
"Including... the matter of intercepting that Inquisitor, I was the one who did it."
She looked at Emrys with deep eyes, saying emotionlessly, "In a family, someone always has to do the dirty work, don't they?"
"Interesting, so that's why you know so much?"
Emrys neither believed nor doubted, tapping his index finger.
"Continue, I'm very curious... what exactly does the Fernando family use to make the Dark Eldar pirates, Ork beasts, and Chaos Lords cooperate with him obediently."
He leaned forward slightly, carrying a strange pressure.
"Is it the 'Eternity Forge'? That doesn't seem right either. An artifact that can freely traverse the Warp couldn't possibly make xenos subservient to Fernando. So what is the real reason?"
"You even know about the 'Eternity Forge,' you truly are not simple."
Lilian's heart was first startled, but quickly regained composure, saying.
"As you said, the reason the Fernando family made those forces submit is not just the 'Eternity Forge,' but a very special 'artifact.'"
"A special artifact?"
Emrys was stunned for a moment. The Fernando family actually had another treasure hidden away!
"I'm truly sorry, Lord." Lilian shook her head, seemingly with some regret.
"Regarding that item, even I don't know exactly what it is. Lloyd's level of importance for it seems even higher than for the 'Eternity Forge.'"
"I investigated for a long time, but the only information I found was"
"That artifact seems to be related to the Warp, seemingly to a certain... 'God.' This is also the Fernando family's biggest secret."