Lord of the Sky City

Rocky's sudden appearance caused an uproar among everyone!

His strength, his status, everything about him now looms as a tremendous shadow over the entire Mairente Family. Especially considering everything he had done to the family in the past—when any member of the family sees him, they can't help but feel a surge of fear, even though the family has reconciled with him now.

Likewise, the elders who had originally prepared to impeach Cyril turned their attention to Atted the moment they saw Rocky, clearly indicating that his arrival must have something to do with him!

Of course it did.

How shrewd and cunning was Atted?

He was acutely aware that his daughter was still too young. Her ideas were good, but she remained far too naïve in front of those seasoned elders. Cyril, no matter what, could never outmaneuver those elders. As her father, how could Atted possibly stand by and watch as the old fossils of the family bullied his daughter?

In reality, Atted didn't even need to spy or inquire to guess what the family elders wanted to do—he could predict it easily. And the only solution he could think of was to leverage Rocky's power to eliminate all the obstacles in Cyril's path!

The decline of the family indeed caused power figures like Atted, who represented the older generation, to lose ground. This was actually a good thing. As the saying goes, destruction breeds creation; only by dismantling the old, decaying structure within the family could the Mairente Family truly revive.

But unfortunately, judging by the current outcome, the destruction had not been thorough enough. And since Cyril's new generation was not yet strong enough to counterbalance the old guard's grip over the family, the best way forward was to rely on external intervention—a force powerful enough to uproot the entrenched rot within the family.

That external force was Rocky.

Thus, when divisions arose between Cyril and the family elders, Atted appeared indifferent on the surface. In truth, he had already paid a visit to Rocky, asking him to step in and help Cyril sweep away the toxins festering in the family.

That's why Rocky appeared today.

"So this is a family meeting… It's my first time experiencing one."

Standing at the entrance of the conference hall, Rocky smiled faintly before walking into the hall with Liliya by his side.

This meeting, after all, had gathered the vast majority of the family's upper echelon. As a result, the room was crowded, with only a select few having seats while most others could only stand to the side and listen. But when Rocky stepped into the conference hall, everyone subconsciously parted to create a path for him; not a single person dared to block his way.

"Rocky, you're here…"

When Rocky walked to the central round table and stood, everyone in attendance turned their eyes toward him. Their gazes were a mix of confusion—though fear predominated. Even Cyril wasn't exempt, which was why she immediately questioned him after he stopped.

Atted hadn't informed Cyril about any of these arrangements. He knew his daughter's temperament too well: Cyril would never agree to such a move. There was partly a concern about not troubling Rocky, partly a desire to keep family matters private, and partly a subtle worry about letting Rocky gain too much control over the family. All of this Atted understood, but it only underscored Cyril's immaturity.

In such moments of difficulty, wanting to reorganize and restore the family without drastic measures—without thunderous tactics—was absolutely impossible. Such actions naturally came with costs, sometimes substantial ones. But this is what happens when one shoulders the burden of an entire family. If Cyril truly wanted to lead the Mairente Family forward, she had to mentally prepare herself for this reality. In this regard, she needed to learn from Rocky.

As Thunderhawk City's City Lord, Rocky had carried the weight of his city on his shoulders to this day. To ensure his city's growth, he had allied with the Sky Alliance, betrayed the Alliance, and had even dared to defy global expectations by refusing to join the counterattack campaign. Were those decisions without danger? Were those decisions without consequences?

Of course, they carried risks and repercussions. Yet Rocky bore all those dangers and consequences entirely on his own shoulders. This was precisely why he had gotten to where he was today—and these are the lessons Cyril had to learn. But those are matters for later, to address after surviving today.

"For such an important meeting, I thought I'd sit in and listen a bit."

Standing by the immense round table, Rocky glanced at Cyril before sweeping his gaze across the elders seated around him, ending with a smile as he spoke.

The moment Rocky finished speaking, several elders frowned. The purpose of this family meeting was to impeach Cyril and elect a new Clan Leader. But with Rocky here, how could Cyril be impeached? Everyone knew that among the family, Cyril and Rocky had the closest relationship. Given Rocky's current dominance, his presence meant that choosing a new Clan Leader would require his explicit approval. How could that be allowed?!

Thus, as soon as Rocky finished speaking, one of the elders immediately stood up and addressed him: "Lord Rocky, your esteemed presence is an honor. However… this meeting is an internal family discussion, so we beg your understanding…"

When faced with Rocky, even the most stubborn elder remained extremely polite. These elders might be inflexible traditionalists, but they weren't foolish. They knew exactly what kind of power Rocky held. Forget Thunderhawk City—just that alone could obliterate the entire Mairente Family. Right now, they were deep within Backhill Village, Rocky's well-established territory, with Karina also nearby. Under such circumstances, even the most spiteful elder had to show deference when dealing with Rocky. Bowing and scraping were acceptable if it meant they could get him to leave.

"Oh?"

However, after the elder finished speaking, Rocky merely raised an eyebrow at him. "Elder, are you suggesting that I am not a member of the family and therefore unqualified to attend this meeting?"

Rocky could certainly grasp the elder's meaning, but he couldn't care less. Walking to Cyril's side, he addressed everyone present: "The reason you are all alive is that I am part of the family."

After saying this, Rocky arrived at Cyril's side. The elder seated to Cyril's left, who was part of Atted's faction, quickly stood up and respectfully offered his seat to Rocky.

As Rocky settled into his seat, the atmosphere inside the conference hall became exceedingly strange.

Was Rocky a member of the family?

In terms of blood ties, undoubtedly. But emotionally, he had almost no connection to the family. Even if there was any, he had stripped it away. Therefore, while no one questioned his qualifications to sit here, they couldn't shake the sense of awkwardness.

Rocky, however, seemed entirely unconcerned. After sitting down, he smiled faintly at the group of elders. "Elders, the meeting can start now."