The outcome was clear. The nobles didn’t want the Temple meddling in their affairs, and neither did the Academy. However, the Academy also didn’t want the nobles applying political pressure on them, thus the need to mention the Temple’s name. Now that it had served its purpose, the meeting was effectively settled. The nobles understood—they stood to lose more if they fought this. Thus, they could only grit their teeth and try to make the best of it. Or, in the case of the Fayjoy House, try to minimize their losses. After all, Marcus Fayjoy was the main culprit. Damon suppressed a smirk. Instead, he wore an expression of feigned surprise—as if this was news to him. Lilith noticed. Her sharp gaze flicked toward him. He was clever. The information revealed today had been shocking. If he had acted too calm, too collected, with no prior knowledge, that would have been suspicious. After all, even she hadn’t been told the full details beforehand. ’Damon… your plan worked. Everything went exactly as you imagined…’ She studied him. He had set this all up. After killing Marcus’s group, he had used cursed ore to drive Marcus mad—a ruthless stroke of genius. The sheer viciousness of it—killing one’s own classmates. Devouring them. It was… inhumane. She stole another glance at him. How much denial did he go through before making up his mind? Damon’s dark eyes focused on the nobles, all of whom had now turned their attention to Flick Fayjoy. The Fayjoy House stood to lose the most—after all, the evidence pointed directly to Marcus. It was only natural that they would be the ones to pay compensation. The question now was how much they would have to surrender. That, of course, would be left for negotiations, and from the looks of it, Marabell Defontee had no intention of letting them leave until everything was settled. The old woman glanced at Professor Chrome, who slowly stroked his beard. "Let us sign the Vow of Silence… we can’t risk letting this leak, now can we?" Chrome waved his hand, and space rippled under the influence of spatial magic. A small, weathered scroll materialized before him, covered in intricate runes and arcane seals. It floated gently toward Marabell Defontee, who took it in her hands. "All present will agree to an oath of silence. Under no circumstances shall we reveal what transpired here today." The nobles exchanged cautious glances before nodding solemnly. Flick turned his gaze toward Damon and Lilith, his lips curving into a sly smile. "I assume the two students you allowed in here will also be sworn to secrecy?" Kael’s lips twitched. He would have preferred to keep students out of this, but Marabell Defontee had already accounted for that. "Yes, yes, they will… however, I will sign on their behalf," she declared. "Should they violate the oath, the consequences will fall on me." The nobles’ eyes narrowed. Damon was stunned. This old woman would take responsibility for them? What if they had malicious intentions and decided to leak the information? No—he dismissed the thought. She was too shrewd. There was no way she would risk something like this unless she had a countermeasure. Media Bonaire narrowed her eyes, her fingers filled with beads of sweat. She was considering the repercussions of potentially violating the terms prescribed by the scroll. "What kind of effect does this oath scroll prescribe?" Oath scrolls varied in their punishments. Some imposed death, some drained lifeforce, some inflicted curses—ranging from bad luck to the loss of one’s lineage. The most fearsome ones, often found in ancient dungeons and ruins, could be outright terrifying. There were whispers of oaths that cursed an entire bloodline, turning all descendants into monstrous half-man, half-wolf beasts every full moon. The nobles were right to be cautious. What price would they pay if they broke this vow? Marabell smiled. "Worry not. It is not a curse that will harm your person." Continue your saga on freewebnovel Reinhardt Ambridge finally spoke. "Then… is it one that affects those we love? Our kin?" The room fell into tense silence. She shook her head and unfurled the scroll, allowing all to see the conditions inscribed upon it. "Whoever violates this oath… shall lose half of their material wealth." A chill settled over the room. For nobles, losing wealth was often worse than losing family. Some would rather sacrifice their children than risk financial ruin. The nobles’ expressions varied—some were filled with hesitation, others with silent rage. Damon, however, narrowed his eyes. This oath would not harm Marabell Defontee in any way. She was retired. Her assets had long since been transferred to her descendants. Her son was the current head of the Defontee Household. She had nothing to lose. Meanwhile, the other nobles were signing on behalf of their entire families. This old woman… she played them perfectly. Murmurs spread through the room. After a moment, Lady Margan clenched her jaw. "I need time to make a decision…" Marabell nodded but turned her gaze to Flick Fayjoy. "We could adjourn… but if we do, we risk this information leaking." Flick abruptly stood up, slamming his hands against the table. "I’ll sign." He glared at the other nobles. "What’s done is done. I can’t trust that none of you will slip up and let the Temple find out. If they intervene, we’ll all be finished." That was all it took. Reinhardt Ambridge let out a long sigh. "We don’t have time for this. I will sign as well." Marabell Defontee’s smile widened. It wasn’t long before the rest followed suit—including Lady Margan. With that, the oath was sealed. Now, only one matter remained—compensation. Media Bonaire turned to Marabell Defontee. "I request that Aether Academy act as mediator in this dispute and ensure that all parties adhere to proper agreement protocols when offering and receiving compensation for our losses." Marabell’s expression softened into a polite smile. "We would be honored to assume the role of mediator." And with that, the meeting was adjourned.