A faint threat lingered in the old woman's words.
Previously, the Judgment Squad had not dared to confiscate the house, simply out of fear that Westbin would completely lose his mind.
By leaving the house and his family untouched, Westbin might remain somewhat docile out in the wilderness. Later, once he thought things through, he might even choose to turn himself in.
Pushing him into a corner would only cause far greater problems.
Nemus paid her no mind. He merely urged them to hurry up and pack their personal belongings; once the time was up, he would drive them out.
"Lord Nels, are you not afraid of stirring up an even bigger mess?" Krew asked from the side.
If a crazed Iron Rank Knight slipped under their radar for even a moment, he could easily slaughter thousands in a short span of time. Given a bit more leeway, massacring tens of thousands wouldn't be out of the question.
If Westbin was truly pushed to the brink and caused such massive devastation, then Nemus's position as a Great Knight would become highly unstable.
"Nobody has died yet, have they?" Nemus stared at Westbin's family as they packed. They were practically pricking up their ears to listen, but Nemus didn't care. In fact, Krew's question had actually been asked on their behalf.
And Nemus's response was meant for them as well, conveying his unyielding will.
"If Westbin can be pushed to the brink, why can't I?"
"If he dares to kill a single person and affect my plans, then naturally, others will die tomorrow as a direct result."
"People are just people. If he can kill them, so can others."
Beside them, Purr was not a man of many words, but right now, he too was glaring coldly at the family.
Because others had lost everything, they had no scruples—but did that mean he had any?
Purr had never possessed anything resembling morality!
If these people truly didn't know what was good for them and dared to ruin Lord Nemus's affairs, he would personally torture this entire family, one by one, that very day.
After all, whoever cared the most would hurt the most.
A family of old women, youths, and children was far too easy to manipulate.
The old woman wanted dignity, the young boy wanted a future, and the wife and mistresses wanted their reputation and the rest of their lives.
There were far too many ways to make these people wish they were dead before actually killing them.
If it truly came down to fighting dirty, it would just be a contest of whose heart was more ruthless, whose methods were more venomous, whose bottom line was lower, and who cared about fewer things!
In that regard, Nemus and his current batch of subordinates were lacking in absolutely none of those traits.
Listening to these words from the side, the old woman turned her head and stared blankly at Nemus.
She had originally been a maidservant, of a similar standing to the few mistresses her son currently kept in the house.
After giving birth to Westbin, whose innate talent proved quite good and who eventually gained the family's recognition, she had finally acquired some status.
Later, she followed Westbin to Tail Fin Town, where they established their household and enjoyed a decent level of wealth and luxury.
Although her worldview wasn't particularly broad, she still had some ability to read people.
'There are no normal human emotions in this man's eyes. Though he looks human on the outside, he is absolutely something else on the inside!'
The old woman's body stiffened as she closed her eyes.
In this very moment, she clearly understood that her son was in grave danger.
If the person they encountered hadn't been a ruthless character like Nemus, Westbin's future might not have been glorious, but he probably could have forged a new identity elsewhere and lived out the rest of his life.
If Zoven proved capable enough to complete his own transformation and reach the Iron Rank, the family might have even been able to secretly stay in touch in the future.
After escaping, Westbin hadn't ventured too far into the wilderness.
He just wanted to drag things out, maintaining a looming threat so that the incident would eventually be smoothed over.
Others wouldn't dare to silence him, nor would they dare to seize the property he had left for his family.
As time dragged on, the matter would simply fade into ambiguity.
When that time came, he could find a village or travel to another Whaleback, while his family guarded their remaining wealth and lived comfortably.
But now, that was no longer an option.
Nemus's current actions completely shattered their delusions of an optimal outcome.
Now, the only choices left for Westbin were grim. Soon enough, the family finished packing their personal belongings and were escorted out of the mansion by Nemus.
It wasn't as if they would truly have to sleep on the streets.
By casually selling off a few of their personal items, they could still obtain a substantial amount of money.
Nemus's goal wasn't to force them into homelessness, but to use this to completely compel Westbin to show himself. That was why he hadn't deprived them of every last coin.
Moreover, letting them step out from under surveillance also allowed them to more easily pass information along to Westbin.
"The primary issue that needs solving right now is the Floating World Society."
"They are occupying the exact same ecological niche as the Religious Order I plan to establish."
Tail Fin Town wasn't particularly large or small, but fitting two religious orders inside it was still a bit too crowded.
Besides, as a Great Knight, it was his undeniable duty to strike down heretical cults.
Previously, when Opper and the others had traded with the Floating World Society, and the old pastor had been exposed, clerics from Sky Spring City had accompanied them here.
Together with Tail Fin Town's Judgment Squad, they had struck a severe blow against the Floating World Society.
During that operation, the Floating World Society lost its leader, several elders, and a massive swath of its members.
Yet, some key figures still managed to escape, going entirely off the grid and hiding out in other parts of Tail Fin Town.
Cult members were truly worth learning from in this one regard: a cunning rabbit has three burrows. They could flee anywhere and easily conceal their identities.
These cultists all held official identities within Tail Fin Town; it was almost certain that there were even nobles among their ranks.
They lived normal lives during the day, only disguising their identities in secret to join the cult, acquire heretical secret arts and resources, and elevate their own power through illicit means.
This was exactly why striking down a cult was easy, but completely wiping these people off the map was an incredibly difficult endeavor.
"So the key still lies with Westbin."
"If I catch Westbin, given his cooperation with the Floating World Society, I might be able to gain a much deeper understanding of them."
"Once I have that information, I can let the Church suppress them for a wave, and the Religious Order I secretly established can slowly swallow the Floating World Society whole."
When establishing a faction and expanding its scale, what was the absolute fastest method? Annexation.
Nemus understood this perfectly, which was why he was busy plotting exactly how to absorb the Floating World Society next.
In truth, only by devouring the competition within the same ecological niche could a faction like the Floating World Society be completely eradicated.
As Nemus continuously formulated his plans, noon eventually arrived.
After finishing his meal, Nemus briefly practiced the Breath of Holy Precepts cultivation.
A short while later, he abruptly snapped his eyes open, called out to Purr and Krew, and dashed out of the Cathedral.
Just a moment ago, Westbin had appeared.
He had gone to meet his family, who were currently staying in a local inn, before swiftly fleeing again to an unknown location.
At this moment, however, Nemus wasn't heading toward the inn.
Instead, he was sprinting rapidly in a completely different direction.
His formidable Attribute Value granted him tremendous speed.
Nemus soon arrived at a specific zone.
The southernmost part of the South District.
"Just as I suspected, there is something wrong here at the Dung Path." Nemus immediately noticed the anomaly.
This was the exact area where the Whale Dung Beetles crawled down, only to climb back up one side carrying spheres of Whale Dung.
This pathway was known as the Dung Path, and it was strictly regulated by the Church. The area surrounding the Dung Path consisted entirely of slopes and narrow trails, heavily overgrown with grass and other vegetation.
Usually, there would be people lingering around here, cutting grass to use as fodder.
And secretly collecting whatever scraps of Whale Dung they could find.