Silence fell the moment he said that.
The three looked utterly incredulous, exchanging uncertain, startled glances as though wondering whether they had misheard.
It was still the short, stout man who spoke cautiously, his voice even trembling slightly. "You mean-you're willing to accept our allegiance?"
Elliot froze for a moment, vaguely sensing that something was wrong.
"Yes-"
"Without making us surrender everything we own? I mean, we can even keep managing our factories?"
"Uh, that's right-"
"Lord Elliot!" The short, stout man abruptly raised his head, his voice rising with excitement. "We pledge our allegiance to you! We will become your most loyal retainers!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Without hesitation, all three dropped to one knee, their faces filled with excitement.
Elliot's cheek twitched. He had no idea what to say.
This was completely different from what he had imagined!
Weren't the three supposed to look humiliated and indignant, only to discover there was nothing they could do and ultimately have no choice but to submit to his power?
Why did they all look so overwhelmed with gratitude?
No, thinking about it carefully, hadn't something been wrong from the start? These members of the New Nobility had clearly put more effort into optimizing their factories' production capacity and acquiring transport carriages. They had been winning the competition in the first place.
But even then, all they could do was lower their prices to make the Sterling Family abandon the textile industry, a business it had never cared much about anyway.
If Elliot had not come, what awaited the three men, who had no idea the old duke already had his sights on them, would have been actual decrees.
They would have been fined into bankruptcy, saddled with enormous debts, and instantly reduced to rock bottom, left with nothing and forced to