Everyone in the room began exchanging glances with each other. It was obvious that they were communicating through telepathy.

Grey waited patiently. He wanted to let his words sink in.

These were people who had grown accustomed to control. They were used to bending rules, pulling strings, and shaping the cities the way they desired through Dorian and the old Hale family's influence.

Right now, their entire authority and power were being challenged directly. How could they allow that to happen?

The heads of the Valenford and Langford families both had expressions of neutrality. They did not want to join in on the conversation, because they did not bother pulling strings in the first place. They already had an empire built in the southern region, and it would not change anything if the city lord controlled matters that should already be controlled by him.

As for the others from Ashspire City, they had no say in this. They only kept quiet. This was a battle the other major families had to fight.

Orion from the Dawnflare family remained calm. He did not want to participate in this either. He was a law enforcer, and he did not have time to pull strings from the shadows or control the city. What mattered to him most was the lives of thousands in the cities.

Then, from the Ironveil side, the Moltenfang representative let out a cough and spoke.

"...That is not possible."

His voice was steady, but it definitely was not confident. It sounded more like someone trying to convince himself as much as the room.

He had seen Grey's true combat prowess. It was simply impossible for him to defeat him no matter what.

Even if Grey wanted to try anything, they would not be able to stop him.

There were also the two people behind the city lord. They both had powerful auras.

There was no need to look twice. It was obvious that they were powerful second rankers, far beyond the level of the Moltenfang family head.

"City Lord Grey, the administrative rights of the province cannot be held by a single individual. For decades, they were divided and managed collectively by the major families. This framework was built to prevent any one person from having absolute control."

A few heads subtly nodded.

Hearing his words, Grey did not interrupt. He gave him the cue to continue.

"Even before, when the Hale family held influence, they still required cooperation from the rest of us. No one could make unilateral decisions regarding federal resources or provincial authority. That is how the system works."

The Hale ancestor's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

The representative adjusted his sitting posture, trying to appear composed.

"So... when you say you 'own' the Ascension Province, surely there must be some misunderstanding. The system..."

Grey raised a hand.

The instant he did, the representative of the Moltenfang family fell silent.

So did the entire room.

Grey swept his gaze toward everyone.

Everyone here knew that those words were merely an attempt to keep their status and authority intact.

There was no rule that said one person could not have control over the province.

If that were the case, he would not have become city lord in the first place.

"I am sure you are talking about the old system, family head of Moltenfang," Grey replied in a casual tone.

He feared no one here. He could crush these people with a single move if he wanted to, and nobody would be able to complain. But since he was the city lord, he naturally had to listen to them, or he would simply be a bad leader who ignored his subjects.

He waved his hand, and a faint hum echoed as a holographic screen lit up at the center of the table. It showed the official documents approved by Eterna, and the one in focus was the succession permission.

[Succession Permission Granted to Grey Lockhart]

[Full Administrative Transfer for Ascension Province]

[Effective immediately]

This was an official document stamped personally by Eterna, and it even had her signature on it, represented by the symbol of a red eye.

"The moment the High Order attacked, the provincial chain of command collapsed. Dorian Hale lost his qualification to govern the three cities. It was Eterna itself who decided this, and I am sure everyone present here knows better than to move against her."

Then, a cold smile appeared on his face.

"On the other hand, the old system was complete bullshit. Dorian was an idiot if he actually gave you lots control over things."

"But at the same time, he cannot be blamed either," he added with a thoughtful expression.

"What is the meaning of this, City Lord Grey?" the ancestor of the Hale family asked in a slightly trembling tone.

His own grandson was being insulted in front of him. How could he take that?

"Am I wrong?" Grey said with a sneer.

"Do you know why Dorian gave these people that much freedom in the first place?"

No one answered, but several family heads had a change in expression.

"Because he was afraid of them," Grey said with a chuckle.

Hearing this, the Hale ancestor was petrified.

"He was afraid of the backlash that would come with defying these prominent families that had stood for countless years."

He turned his gaze toward the family heads. "You families controls the population."

"Public sentiment, merchants, city infrastructure, and labor. Everything is effectively controlled by the families. Even the local media and information networks are practically your private properties. I know that much."

It did not take Grey even a second to pull this information out of the local database. To him, these people could hide nothing. Every dirty deed done would eventually leave some kind of trace, and he specifically targeted those traces.

He then finalized his words. "So tell me, ancestor Hale, in this situation, would Dorian dare act against you? What city lord would act against people who can cripple an entire city's economy overnight and change the public opinion on him to the point he gets mass reported to Eterna, and she personally decides to take action?"

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