In the end, the wide and well-lit meeting room was left with only three people: Welt, the patriarch of the Perros family, and the so-called "son" who shared a father-son relationship with him, Mr. Perros Jr.
"Ah…"
Mr. Perros Jr. let out a long sigh, picked up the cigar he had extinguished earlier, lit it again, and began puffing on it.
After a moment, he glanced at the elder Perros.
"I understand what you mean now. So, Little Lorna and Little Roger will be safe, correct?"
"Mr. Welt has assured us that, as children, they will not meet a tragic fate. They'll be sent far away, where they will neither enjoy the wealth of the Perros family nor bear its sins. Like any ordinary children, they will be cared for by Anti-Entropy, attend school, grow up, and choose their own paths in life."
"I see… In that case, I have nothing more to say. Mr. Welt's methods today are truly merciful."
Mr. Perros Jr. looked at Welt and gave a calm smile.
Compared to others who had been strung up on lampposts to face the fury of the masses, their treatment today was indeed remarkably gentle.
Welt, meanwhile, was idly examining a fork he had picked up from the table.
"Pure silver?"
Welt tapped it against the plate, producing a crisp, pleasant sound. He looked intrigued.
Of course he was intrigued—he'd never used such high-class tableware before. In his various missions, he'd seen plenty of treasures, but this sort of exquisite cutlery was a first for him.
The elder and junior Perros exchanged a glance before the latter shook his head with a wry smile.
"Yes, pure silver. The top and middle sections are inlaid with gold and fine gemstones. To be honest, the fork in your hand alone is worth a lifetime's income for many common folk. If you like it, you're welcome to take it—no one would object."
"No, it'll be confiscated. It's too expensive for me to use, and besides, gold and silver are useful in many precision instruments," Welt replied, setting the fork down without a second thought.
It was only then that Mr. Perros Jr. found the time to properly observe Welt's attire—simple trench coat, dark blue scarf, devoid of any decorative accessories. Even the watch peeking out from his sleeve was a standard electronic device commonly used in Anti-Entropy.
To put it bluntly, a random scrap of fabric from Mr. Perros Jr.'s suit would likely be worth more than Welt's entire outfit.
Yet here they sat, and all the wealth and eloquence of Mr. Perros Jr. now meant nothing, while every word Welt spoke determined his and the elder Perros's fate.
Mr. Perros Jr. sighed again, then spoke with a hint of complex emotion:
"Mr. Welt, I believe I've actually seen you before."
"Really? When? I don't seem to recall."
"A year ago, during a Honkai incident in New Zealand. Because we had a plantation there, I went over after the conflict settled. On a remote path, I saw you from afar. Of course, like a mouse seeing a cat, I left quickly and didn't dare greet you."
"Is that so? It's fine—I know you now," Welt said with a calm smile. His tone was polite, but the cold sharpness in his eyes showed no trace of warmth.
Mr. Perros Jr. chuckled bitterly.
If he could, he'd much rather they never knew each other at all.
"Mr. Welt, surely you must know that with your abilities and status, if you were willing to make even the slightest compromise, we'd all bow at your feet, raise you up as an emperor, and offer you the most supreme power and the rarest treasures in the world."
"Not interested."
Welt's response was flat and succinct.
Mr. Perros Jr. sighed deeply.
"Yes… I realized that the day I saw you kneeling in the mud, soaked with animal manure, holding a child in your arms. You spoke with him as tears ran down your face… That's when I understood—you're fundamentally different from people like us. After that, I began searching for a new path, but sadly, it was too late."
"So that's when you saw me? Haha, that boy's name is Belbert. He recovered and is now studying at Anti-Entropy's school in New Zealand. He even wrote to me recently to say he won the school's top scholarship! A remarkable kid!"
Welt chuckled, and for the first time, his habitual polite demeanor gave way to a genuine, warm smile as he spoke of Belbert.
As for Mr. Perros Jr.'s hypothetical offer?
Welt had no interest whatsoever.
"Alright, let's leave it here. Out of respect for Mr. Perros Sr., I'll give you two some time to say your goodbyes," Welt said, placing a handgun on the table. "By the way, here's the handgun you requested earlier, Mr. Perros Sr. How you use it is up to you."
Welt rose to his feet, casually grabbed a handful of nuts from the snack tray, and left the room.
The expansive meeting room quickly became silent and empty.
Mr. Perros Jr. stubbed out his cigar on the table, picked up his glass of wine, and took a sip.
"Father, I understand your decision. This was the best choice. Securing better treatment for Lorna and Roger was worth it."
"No, you don't understand."
"Father?"
Mr. Perros Jr. froze as he watched the elder Perros pull out a crimson shard of gemstone from his pocket.
"Take this. Hide it well. Avoid Welt and any major figures you know. When Anti-Entropy's enforcers find it during inspections, tell them it's my keepsake and that you wanted to hold onto it until your execution. Anti-Entropy will accept such a request."
"Father, what exactly are you—"
"Ha! I should have made up my mind sooner, but I was one step too late and dragged you down with me. Take it, wait for the right moment, and you'll have a chance to regain your freedom. When that day comes, start fresh. Lorna and Roger are headed to the Americas—find them and be a proper father. As for me… paving this road for you is the last thing I can do."
"Father, you—"
A gunshot echoed through the room.
Blood and brain matter splattered onto Mr. Perros Jr.'s face.
He stared blankly at the unrecognizable elder, slowly clenching the shard of gemstone in his hand. After a long pause, he placed the gem inside his coat pocket and turned toward the door.
<+>
When Welt stepped out of the room, two Anti-Entropy soldiers in black armor were standing guard.
The two immediately snapped to attention and saluted, but Welt held out two fists filled with nuts.
"Have some. Rich people's snacks—surely they must taste better," Welt said with a smile, opening his hands to reveal a handful of plump, glossy nuts.
The two soldiers exchanged glances before shaking their heads in unison.
"Commander, we're on duty!"
"The mission's almost over. Don't be so rigid—there's no one else around," Welt replied, still smiling.
After some hesitation, the soldiers each took a few nuts from his hand.
Welt patted their shoulders approvingly. "That's more like it. One of you just turned 19, and the other's 19 and a half. Don't walk around with such stern faces all the time. Anti-Entropy isn't some grim, joyless organization. Alright, I've got other matters to attend to. Later, one person should walk out. Regardless of how many, take them all back for judgment. Finish your snacks—until next time."
"Yes, sir!"
As Welt walked away, the two guards began munching on the nuts.
"Hey, how did the Commander know I just had my birthday yesterday?"
"Are you serious? The Commander practically knows every Anti-Entropy operative by heart. Birthdays, hometowns, even your entrance exam scores—he's got it all memorized."
"That's incredible. His memory must be insane!"
"Well, how else could he keep all those intricate machine schematics and his Herrscher powers straight?"
"Wow… these nuts are amazing."
"Not gonna lie, they are. So rich and flavorful! Wealthy people sure know how to live."
"Ugh, but it's all blood money. If the Commander hadn't handed these to me, I wouldn't even want to touch them—who knows whose blood is on them?"
"True enough. The alliance between gangsters and capitalists has gone too far. Even Sir Siegfried was alarmed. This trial is going to be something to watch."
A gunshot suddenly echoed from inside the room.
The two guards hastily swallowed their snacks and snapped to attention.
Shortly after, they escorted a blank-faced Mr. Perros Jr. out of the estate and joined the larger convoy heading to the nearest Anti-Entropy base.
The once-grand estate was soon deserted. The staff and guards were sent to designated locations to await the investigation results. As for the estate itself, a specialized team would later arrive to catalog and handle the wealth contained within.
The lights eventually dimmed completely.
<+>
Welt climbed to the rooftop of the estate and opened a communication channel.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. Stop nagging already— Oh, it's you? I thought it was that brat Sigurd pestering me again!"
"Pfft! Tesla, sounds like things are rough on your end too?"
"Cut the sarcasm! Even geniuses need rest, but that punk doesn't care—one project after another. Damn it, I'm a genius, not a machine!"
"Haha, as tired as you sound, you seem to be enjoying it. You're smiling, Tesla."
Welt's voice softened into an almost imperceptible fondness.
Tesla blushed briefly before leaning closer to the screen with a scowl. "Mind your business! What do you want?"
"Well, during this mission, I came across something odd," Welt said, holding up a shard of crimson gemstone.
It was the very shard elder Perros had tried to pass to his son. Before the exchange could take place, Welt had silently swapped the real shard for an ordinary ruby he had conjured on a whim.
"There's a Honkai energy response from this. My core even seems to resonate faintly with it. Feels like there's more to it. Sigurd's on leave, so I wanted to run it by you—"
Welt abruptly stopped mid-sentence.
From Tesla's perspective, Welt vanished into thin air.
"Hey? Yang? Is this some kind of joke? Stop fooling around—it's not funny!"
"Yang?"
"YANG?!"
"Oh no! Mophead! Something terrible has happened!"
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Patreon[1], just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 314: Still Just a Child[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359[3]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed