(Thanks to Son of Round Clam Peter Griffin for the bonus chapter, 7/50)
Having said everything that needed to be said, Li Qinwu asked with utmost seriousness:
"Now, I'll ask one more time. Inquisitor Thraxol is dead. I'll carry the banner from here on out. Who supports this, and who opposes it?"
The people below fell into silence. After quite a while, several nobles muttered something incomprehensible and turned to leave.
Within minutes, a soldier reported to Li Qinwu:
"My lord, four Armed Merchant Ships have departed. They vanished into the depths of the Milky Way Galaxy."
Li Qinwu nodded and told them to let them go. He had said all there was to say. Since they still intended to carve out their own path to survival, no one could stop them. Until they met again!
More than three hundred nobles and fifteen ships remained at the scene.
In truth, the nobles' ownership of those merchant ships was divided according to their shareholdings.
When the ships were built, one family might have contributed more and taken twenty percent, while another contributed less and took fifteen percent. They were true patchwork vessels.
The expressions on those people's faces were deeply conflicted. Finally, one noble stepped forward and said:
"My lord, could you give us some time to consider?"
Li Qinwu nodded. He knew that the nobles aboard those Armed Merchant Ships all held roughly equal decision-making power. Faced with such an upheaval, they needed to hold a meeting before deciding.
"Fine. Then let's all go our separate ways and return to discuss it among yourselves.
"No one knows when Terra's envoy will arrive. Before the Stargate restarts and we depart for Terra, you can take your time thinking it over."
Thus, the nobles gradually dispersed, taking Shuttles back to their Armed