What Nonomi didn't know, however, was...
She had once again become a Prophet in the true sense of the word.
Just as she was controlling her character to advance towards the mission objective, a conspiracy targeting Claude was brewing in a high-end apartment.
The man Paimon had called "Big Grey Wolf" was squinting at the contents of the letter in his hand, a strange look flashing in his small, beady eyes.
"So... what exactly do you want to do? Do you want me to do something for you? Or..."
"Do you want to use me as an excuse to spur Claude on? But he doesn't have a conflict of interest with you, does he?"
"I remember... the Noclan Family doesn't seem to have a habit of running theater troupes, do they?"
"Big Grey Wolf" placed the material on the table and looked deeply at the man sitting opposite him, seemingly a little... hesitant about his suggestion.
The man with the gold-rimmed glasses scoffed, then continued:
"My dear Mr. Nelson, you don't think... this action is aimed at Claude, do you?"
"If you do... then you are greatly mistaken."
Nelson frowned slightly at this, a hint of impatience appearing on his face, and then said:
"Mr. Khaerts Noclan, if you're going to speak in a lot of ambiguous riddles when you choose to cooperate with someone... then why bother finding someone to cooperate with?"
"I know your Noclan Family still has some power, but... if we're going to cooperate, please correct your attitude."
"If it's full of riddles, even if things fall apart... I, Nelson, can't be blamed."
Nelson crossed his arms, striking an arrogant pose, as if at this moment he were the true noble.
But then again, it's true, compared to the Noclan Family, who were selling off their mansions and properties to seek a glimmer of hope...
In terms of living comfortably, he was indeed more like a noble than any member of the Noclan Family currently.
Whether it was asset disposal or the sale of ancestral homes... these contents, even if you picked apart the words, wouldn't reveal the word "comfort."
Looking at the arrogant Nelson before him, Khaerts gently shook his head, then said:
"Alright, Mr. Nelson, I want to tell you straightforwardly that the family simply wants to open a path in this untouched cultural market."
"And now... the cultural market has entered a new phase, other nobles are rushing to enter this industry, and we naturally cannot fall behind."
"As for why Claude was chosen as the target... isn't the reason simply because the scripts he holds are detrimental to the long-term development of this industry?"
At this point, Khaerts's lips curved into a smile, as if he had already grasped Nelson's Achilles' heel.
"What's more... eliminating Claude, for a playwright like you... isn't that a better thing?"
Hearing this, Nelson lowered his head slightly, an indescribable look flashing in his small, beady eyes, as if he was truly considering Khaerts's proposal.
For a so-called "playwright" like him, who only rehashed old material... he had no chance against Claude, who had already gained support and appreciation.
But he was not convinced.
Why should he just admit defeat? He could clearly make money by rehashing old material, so why did this Claude have to come out and disrupt things?
How was he inferior to him?
Thinking of this, an inexplicable anger surged in Nelson's heart, and he had already made up his mind.
If he didn't act now... once Claude truly gained support from Palais Mermonia, he would have no chance at all.
The money he had now was not enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life; to survive, there was only one plan:
—Fight Claude.
If he won, he could continue to live comfortably on the surface;
If he lost... he might still be able to find a glimmer of hope in Meropide with his own strength.
That place is not directly under the jurisdiction of Palais Mermonia, even if Yuto wanted to act against him... it would be impossible.
Thinking of this, Nelson raised his head slightly, and he said in a deep voice to the man in front of him:
"Deal."
Khaerts, hearing this, smiled softly, then tossed a check from the Northland Bank onto the table and got up and left without looking back.
"Wait for my news, Mr. Nelson."
With that, he closed the door and completely left the apartment.
"Idiot."
Khaerts softly uttered these two words, then skillfully walked towards the current Noclan Family's residence.
Not a word he said was true.
...
Rats in the gutter will always be rats; they can only conspire their dark plans in dark corners, even when discussing cooperation.
Compared to the lives of these rats in the gutter, Yuto and Furina's lives were simply too leisurely.
After getting off work at Palais Mermonia, Yuto immediately took Furina back to their warm little home.
As soon as they entered the door, Furina leaned tiredly on the sofa, and after a few breaths, she said with a hint of reproach:
"Why did you directly write in how we met? It's so embarrassing..."
Hearing this, Yuto smiled softly, then leaned down and rubbed Furina's little face, saying softly:
"Because that's how the story begins, my dear Lady Furina."
"People who appear in the first act of an Fontaine Opera... often play a very important role in the entire play, don't they?"
Feeling the warmth on her face, Furina did not stop Yuto's seemingly endless face-rubbing, but said quite naturally:
"Alright, alright~ Who told you you're the Assistant Administrator~"
Furina said, while reaching out and rubbing Yuto's face, then continued:
"But if we start the story from when we met... won't it be a bit too long?"
"I've tried my best to reduce Claude's workload, don't worry~ As a professional playwright, he knows what to do~"
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