Lord of the Sky City

"Everyone, we may begin."

With a slight smile directed at the group of Elders, Rocky waved his hand, signaling that they could resume the interrupted meeting.

Yet, after he spoke, the room remained utterly silent. The family members present, as mere observers, had no right to speak during such a high-level meeting, while the Elders, who did have the authority to speak, dared not say a word after Rocky had taken his seat.

Say what? Impeach Cyril in Rocky's presence? Even the most foolish person wouldn't do something so reckless.

Thus, the atmosphere became awkwardly stagnant.

At this point, Cyril had already realized that Rocky had come specifically to back her up. Seeing no one else speaking, she took the initiative: "Elders, regarding this family turmoil, why have you not taken action?"

Since the unrest within the family was incited by these Elders, Cyril decided to push all the responsibility onto them. She sternly ordered them to immediately quell all disturbances within the family and demanded the full cooperation of the entire family in the upcoming military operations.

During this time, an Elder instinctively tried to voice an objection, but before he could even utter a word, Rocky shot him a glance, and he promptly shut his mouth.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Cyril announced several major decisions before the entire family. In normal circumstances, these decisions would have taken an exhausting amount of wrangling to get approved during a family assembly. But with Rocky present this time, every proposal passed without exception or resistance, as none of the Elders dared to oppose Cyril in front of Rocky.

By the end, Cyril summoned her courage to declare an even more momentous resolution.

"I've decided to abolish the—"

Taking advantage of Rocky's presence, Cyril had planned to directly abolish the Elders' Council system. Yet, she had barely gotten halfway through her sentence before being interrupted—not by anyone else, but by Rocky himself.

"Cyril, it's getting late. Let's adjourn the meeting for now and continue tomorrow."

Though Rocky had been merely an "observer" at the meeting, he not only interrupted Cyril but also single-handedly ended the entire meeting.

After he spoke, neither the Elders nor the observing family members raised any objections. In fact, many even sighed in palpable relief as if granted a reprieve.

Thus, this family meeting came to a temporary pause and would resume the following day. After everyone else had left the meeting hall, Rocky, accompanied by Liliya, returned to the City Lord's Mansion in Machine City, where they met with Cyril and Atted.

"Rocky, do you think... the family council should not yet be dismantled?"

Rocky's sudden interruption when she was about to announce the abolition of the family council undoubtedly had a reason. As soon as they met at the City Lord's Mansion, Cyril couldn't help but ask him.

"The family council certainly needs to be abolished, but the timing is not yet right."

Casually sitting on the sofa as though he were in his own home, Rocky remarked matter-of-factly, then glanced at Atted.

"Cyril, don't act too hastily."

Meeting Rocky's gaze, Atted smiled and said to Cyril, "If you abolish all the Elders' powers too abruptly, you'll undoubtedly trigger backlash from the entire family. Think of my situation—you should understand."

Hearing this, Cyril gradually came to an understanding.

The family had been in decline. Veterans like Atted, Lexington, and Kelly, emblematic of the old guard, had also been losing influence. Lexington and Kelly were non-issues; as the primary culprits who had crossed Rocky, they were confined to retirement within the family, with no chance of participating in family matters ever again.

But Atted was different. When Lexington and Kelly's forces had been uprooted, Atted had a chance to dominate the family on his own. Yet he hadn't. Why?

Why hadn't Atted resisted outright?

He might lack power now and even need an "outsider" like Rocky to assist Cyril, but back then, he did have enough power to put up resistance. Yet, he refrained. Why?

Was it out of righteousness, fearful that intensified internal strife would further weaken the family?

That might be part of the reason, but the real deciding factor was Cyril herself.

Atted's influence had been significantly diminished, but Cyril had been chosen as the new Clan Leader. That was the true reason behind Atted's concessions.

The same logic applied to the Elders. With Rocky's dominance, Cyril could forcibly strip the Elders of their powers. However, if she did so without providing adequate compensation, the blowback could be catastrophic, potentially leading to the disintegration of the family.

That was precisely why Rocky had stopped Cyril from making the proposal. As Rocky had said, the Elders' powers must indeed be removed—but the current timing was premature.

To ensure that the Elders would not retaliate—at least not in a way that threatened the family's stability—they had to be dealt with using a "slap and candy" approach. Stripping their powers had to be balanced with offering sufficient benefits. Unfortunately, Cyril currently had no "candy" to offer, yet she wanted to start with a "slap." This approach was destined to fail.

"So... what should I do?"

Understanding their point, Cyril appeared somewhat deflated. She knew that Rocky's personal involvement this time was her best chance to consolidate the family. As long as Rocky was present, the Elders wouldn't dare act against her. They'd have to swallow their frustrations in silence. But Rocky couldn't always intervene on her behalf. If she missed this opportunity, it would be much harder to contend with the Elders next time.

Looking toward her father, Cyril then shifted her gaze to Rocky. Atted also turned to Rocky at that moment. Unlike Cyril, Atted had ideas of his own but chose to remain silent. He knew his time had passed, and as one of the family's decayed old structures, he was unwilling to interfere further in the decisions of the younger generation.

Feeling a bit awkward as the focus of their attention, Rocky scratched his head. He had a solution in mind, but it was, after all, an internal matter of the Mairente Family. For him to propose it felt a bit inappropriate.

But since Cyril had posed the question, he finally broke the silence: "Replace the old batch of Elders with a new one. The new Elders could still be affiliated with or even aligned with the old ones—that doesn't matter. What matters is that once the Elders are replaced, the council's power will naturally weaken. This would at least buy you more time."

Turning to Cyril, Rocky elaborated on his idea. His plan was straightforward: a change of personnel. Replacing the Elders could involve individuals directly tied to the old guard. As long as there was a change, the power dynamic would undoubtedly shift, allowing Cyril to strengthen her authority. If she used this opportunity to consolidate her hold on power, it would become increasingly difficult for the Elders to regain their influence—especially with Rocky standing firmly behind her.