"This condition is a little harsh, as you know..."
The Patriarch of the Fawley family still wanted to say something, but Voldemort cut him off with an irritated look.
"You all know what I intend to do."
Voldemort waved his hand, signaling for everyone who was standing to sit down. That way, he could look down on them all.
"It's a battle. It's a change of regime. Some people will gain something from it, and others will lose something."
Many of the heads of the families seated around the long table slowly nodded.
Some of those nodding represented families that weren't Death Eaters.
They weren't nodding because they had chosen to support Voldemort, but because they agreed with his point.
Those who had lived through the changes in the Wizarding World knew how difficult it was for a family to endure over time.
And those difficulties often came from changes like this.
"The Wizarding World must become better, Pure-bloods must gain greater profits, and the Death Eaters deserve rewards for their brave fighting."
Voldemort's gaze turned cold as he looked around the table. "As for those who want to reap the benefits without lifting a finger, I'll show them through my actions that the only thing they can get from me is loss."
This was an outright threat. Lucius looked at Voldemort in surprise.
In his view, Voldemort had become much milder since his return.
Especially when handling affairs, he favored conciliation, unlike the ruthless way he had acted in the past.
But today, Lucius felt as if he were looking at the Dark Lord of old.
No, this was an even more ruthless version of him.
At least before, he wouldn't have threatened the Pure-bloods like this. He had considered them his base of support.
But now, it seemed