81: Chapter 81 Shut up, Victor, you're delaying everyone's money-making!

Princess Ella Radiant's emerald eyes suddenly widened. Before she could process the almost arrogant declaration, she saw Levi had already moved.

He stepped forward, walking directly from the defendant's stand, a symbol of crime and punishment. His steps were steady, without a trace of hesitation.

The hard soles of his leather boots struck the marble floor, producing crisp, rhythmic "clack, clack" sounds. In the air, which had been boiling with greed, it seemed to possess a strange magic, instantly overpowering all the noisy discussions.

He ignored the furious gaze of Arch-speaker Victor, which seemed ready to spit fire from the high platform, and walked directly towards Duke Dupont, who had been the first to speak out.

Light from the narrow windows streamed into the hall, cutting a chiaroscuro silhouette on him, making him look less like a criminal on trial and more like a theater protagonist about to take the stage.

"Your Grace." Levi stopped before Duke Dupont's seat and bowed slightly, performing an impeccable noble etiquette.

His voice was clear and steady, carrying a convincing sincerity. "I must thank you. Thank you for your extraordinary foresight in incisively pointing out the core contradiction of this hearing—the deep conflict between the Empire's long-standing tax laws and the property rights of our era's burgeoning new commercial entities."

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, and exquisitely phrased.

What was originally an impulsive act by Duke Dupont, driven by his own interests, was instantly elevated into a noble act promoting the advancement of imperial legal system, thanks to Levi's packaging.

The old Duke felt the mixed gazes of jealousy and admiration from around him, and couldn't help but straighten his back, his face flushing even more, as if he had truly become the wise man who saw into the future.

Levi's move was too clever.

He didn't defend himself at all. Instead, he leveraged Duke Dupont's influence to cleverly transform his identity from a 'criminal' awaiting judgment into an 'industry pioneer' who raised cutting-edge legal issues and led the era's transformation.

He was no longer the object of judgment, but had become the topic itself.

"Presumptuous!"

A thunderous roar came from the high platform.

Arch-speaker Victor slammed his gavel onto the obsidian base, the huge sound making the entire dome hum.

His face, carved like granite, was filled with livid rage, his gray eyes fixed on Levi, as if he wanted to flay him with his gaze.

"Contempt of the Council! Disturbing order! Guards!" Victor pointed at Levi, his voice trembling slightly with anger. "Bring him back to the defendant's stand! Immediately!"

Upon the command, two silver-armored guards at the door immediately gripped their halberds and stepped forward.

The cold clanging of metal armor instantly chilled the atmosphere that had just heated up.

The nobles instinctively fell silent, watching the tense scene. They still feared Victor's long-established authority.

However, just as the guards were about to approach Levi, an unexpected change occurred.

"Wait!"

Duke Dupont slammed his hand on the table and stood up again.

He tightly clutched the "Shareholder Revenue Outlook Report" in his hand, as if it were his scepter.

"Before the Council makes a clear ruling on property ownership, Lord Levi Byron, as the core manager of Blackstone Territory's commercial entities, his personal safety directly concerns the interests of all our investors! I will not allow anyone to threaten my investment returns!"

Before his words fully landed, on the other side, a Marquis, primarily involved in alchemy material trade, also stood up with a grim face: "Duke Dupont is absolutely right. My family's workshops' contract with Blackstone Territory has already taken effect. If Lord Byron has any accident, will the Council be willing to bear the losses from supply chain disruptions?"

"And my mining bonds!"

"Protect our key business partners!"

At once, seven or eight more great nobles, holding mining bonds or deeply involved in trade with Blackstone Territory, simultaneously rose.

Although their words were not as fervent as Duke Dupont's, their cold gazes and firm stances were like invisible walls, instantly blocking the space between Levi and the guards.

The two silver-armored guards' steps seemed to be frozen, stuck in place.

They were in a dilemma, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on their foreheads.

On one side was the unquestionable command of the Empire's Arch-speaker, and on the other, seven or eight great nobles holding real power and vast fiefdoms.

Their gazes were substantial, weighing heavily on the guards' shoulders.

These two small guards could not bear such pressure.

In the Council Chamber, Victor Augustus's command, for the first time in history, was so openly disregarded.

His supreme and absolute authority, at this moment, was struck with a visible crack by gold coins and profit.

Levi seized this fleeting power vacuum.

He didn't even glance back at Victor's distorted face, but merely cast a subtle look towards the direction of the observers' gallery.

Hamilton, who had remained calm throughout, immediately stepped forward the moment he received the signal.

He quickly walked to the center of the hall, first bowing to the speaker's seat to show procedural respect, then loudly declared: "Your Excellency the Speaker! According to Article 72, Annex 3 of the Imperial Council Law—when a certain issue directly involves the direct property interests of more than one-third of the attending council members, the nature of the issue can be temporarily converted from 'public trial' to 'internal hearing' upon joint request by the interested parties!"

His voice was loud and clear, every word striking everyone's heart like a hammer.

"Here, on behalf of my client, Lord Levi Byron, I formally propose this motion! Every council member present who has a commercial contract with Blackstone Territory or holds commercial bonds issued by Blackstone Territory is an undeniable interested party! We demand that the Council immediately vote on the procedural conversion!"

Victor's chest rose and fell violently. He stared intensely at Hamilton, then scanned the standing nobles.

He knew he had fallen into a meticulously designed trap.

If he forcefully refused to vote, it would be openly trampling on imperial law, and his prestige would be completely ruined.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart, and sat back in the speaker's chair.

His cold gaze swept across the hall, his voice slow and heavy: "Good... very good. Since someone has invoked the law, the Council shall comply. Now, initiate the voting procedure. Council members who agree to convert this trial into an internal hearing, please raise your right hand."

He firmly believed that the nobles' sense of honor, that pride passed down for a thousand years, would ultimately overcome the temporary blindness of greed.

Those families who had sworn allegiance to him before, he believed, would never betray the order he represented for mere gold coins.

However, reality dealt him the heaviest blow.

One hand, two hands, ten hands...

Hands adorned with various family rings, well-maintained, were raised without hesitation.

The forest of arms quickly spread throughout the Council Chamber.

Duke Dupont, that Alchemy Marquis, and many more he hadn't expected.

Victor watched in astonishment as even the Northern Iron Mine Tycoon, known for his rigidity and loyalty, who sat not far to his left, after a moment's hesitation and a glance at the dazzling projected earnings figure on the report in his hand, slowly, as if using all his strength, raised his hand.

Finally, when the vote counter reported the result with a trembling voice, the entire hall fell into a dead silence.

More than half.

Victor leaned back, heavily resting against the chair back.

He seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. Those families who had sworn allegiance to him had now, for the illusory projected earnings on that report, betrayed him without hesitation.

He laboriously raised his hand to pick up the gavel, but it felt as heavy as a mountain.

"The trial... is suspended." He almost squeezed out these words through gritted teeth. "The issue is converted to a... closed-door hearing on Blackstone Territory's business model. Recess for a quarter-hour!"

"Clang—"

The gavel fell, but the sound seemed so powerless.

During the recess, the atmosphere in the lounge adjacent to the Council Chamber was even more fervent than the trial had been.

Levi didn't, as others expected, try to win over the wavering council members or engage in any private lobbying.

On the contrary, he did something that surprised everyone, including Ella Radiant.

In the center of the lounge, he set up a huge magic crystal and held a temporary "Blackstone Territory Five-Year Development Plan" briefing.

"My lords, please look." Levi held a slender silver pointer, indicating the clear map of the Terrarium Continent projected onto the crystal.

At his signal, Sylvie manipulated the magic, and lines of golden light, representing trade routes, extended from Blackstone Territory, connecting to the Orc Prairies in the north and the Dwarf Mountains in the east.

"These are two new trade routes we plan to open next spring. They are expected to bring at least a thirty percent increase in business volume to our trade system."

"Furthermore, our alchemy laboratory has successfully developed a new product." The screen switched, showing a steaming cup of deep black liquid.

"We call it 'Mana-infused Concentrated Coffee.' It can effectively boost spirits and slightly restore mana, making it an indispensable daily consumable for mages, scholars, and all lords who need to work through the night."

The crystal even showed a powerful visual of a tired mage apprentice's eyes flashing with vigor after drinking the coffee.

The nobles initially watched with a sense of curiosity, but as Levi continuously introduced new concepts and products, their breathing gradually quickened.

When Levi finally displayed the map dividing the Empire into various regions, marking it with phrases like "Exclusive Spice Agency Rights," "Exclusive Jewelry Agency Rights," and "Priority Alchemy Material Procurement Rights," the entire lounge erupted.

"Lord Byron! Our Dupont family wants the spice agency rights for the south!"

"Why? Our family's port is more convenient!"

"The fur trade in the North must be given to us!"

The nobles transformed from initial observers into eager questioners, even arguing heatedly over a lucrative agency right.

Princess Ella Radiant stood in the corner, watching Levi, holding a pointer and speaking eloquently, manipulating a group of the Empire's top great nobles in the palm of his hand. She felt her worldview being shattered and reshaped repeatedly.

Just as the briefing's atmosphere reached its peak, with a "bang," the lounge door was violently pushed open.

Arch-speaker Victor, with a frosty expression, strode in.

Following him was a solemn middle-aged man.

He wore a black and white tight-fitting outfit, with an emblem of scales intertwined with holy fire branded on his chest—the symbol of the Holy Church's Inquisition!

All noble arguments ceased abruptly, and the lounge instantly fell silent, a chilling cold quickly spreading.

Victor ignored the golden-glowing business blueprints. His gaze, like two poisoned daggers, pierced directly at Levi.

He avoided all topics concerning economics and interests, instead, with a slow, clear, and judgmental tone, he threw out a shocking accusation to everyone:

"Levi Byron, you may be able to entice the Council with money, but how will you face the scrutiny of the gods?"

He abruptly pointed at Sylvie, who stood silently behind Levi like a delicate doll.

"You illegally employed and sheltered an abyssal creature—a pure-blooded succubus! The evidence is ironclad. How will you defend yourself against your crime of blasphemy?!"

At these words, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

The greed and fanaticism on all the nobles' faces instantly receded, replaced by deep shock and fear.

The moment Princess Ella Radiant heard the words "succubus," her pretty face instantly turned ashen.