Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

Looking at the "lady" sitting in front of him, still maintaining an elegant posture and quietly savoring her black tea, it's hard to imagine that this woman is one of the behind-the-scenes forces behind the Mond Winery bubble incident.

Although she wasn't in charge of leading it all, she was certainly one of the people who pushed it to happen.

The reason why they gathered here again after the last negotiation meeting is quite simple.

The other party came to him, in his capacity as the official representative of Mondstadt, to demand the compensation that the Northern Bank was owed to him.

Although the Northern Bank could forcibly collect all of this, given the enormous amount involved, it was natural to consult him, as the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt, for the sake of easier handling of the matter.

However, this kind of thing doesn't make him happy.

Compared to Falgar's terrible mood, the other side was behaving quite differently.

Anastasia, who was originally the advisor of the Fools' delegation, is now standing next to "Lady" and has transformed into a receptionist at the Northern Bank, handing a summary bill to Grand Master Falga.

"Now that the Monde Wine Alliance has declared bankruptcy and is unable to repay its debts, all of the Monde Wine Alliance's assets will be used as compensation to pay off the debts to the Northern Bank."

"In addition, among these compensations, the property in Mondstadt and all the property and everything owned by Mondstadt nobles such as Lawrence are also compensations from the Northern Bank."

"In addition, here is a bill regarding the Mond Wine Alliance, its default in this incident, and the huge debts it needs to pay. Please take a look."

Looking at the bill in front of him, Falgar was clearly not in a good mood.

But thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. No one can remain cheerful when a creditor presents them with a bill for hundreds of billions of Mora.

Especially when the person in question is oneself.

For Falgar, even if he sold the entire Knights of Favonius, he still wouldn't be able to repay this enormous debt.

Just as Falgar was in a bad mood, the "lady" put down her teacup and said calmly.

"So, how does the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius intend to pay this enormous sum in compensation?"

Chapter 38 Grand Master Falga, you didn't want this either...

The lady's words were undoubtedly a heavy blow to the silent Falga.

In this Mondstadt bubble, almost half of Mondstadt's wealth evaporated, but the compensation that Mondstadt will have to pay next is the most fatal blow.

Now that half of Mondstadt's wealth has evaporated, what if the remaining half of Mondstadt's wealth were added in?

Even if Mondstadt could afford the exorbitant compensation, it would still be a devastating blow to their economy.

While Falgar remained silent, Anastasia offered an alternative solution.

"Of course, as Mondstadt's ally, considering Mondstadt's inability to pay such compensation, we have provided a more humane assistance plan to help Mondstadt overcome its difficulties."

"The Northern Bank can waive these debts and provide assistance as a friendly nation, provided that Mondstadt sells all the bankrupt merchants involved in this incident to the Northern Bank as assets."

"The Northern Bank was able to use its debt to buy up Mondstadt's collapsed wine industry chain, thereby stabilizing Mondstadt's collapsed prices. It was a win-win situation and a great benefactor who saved Mondstadt's economy."

Anastasia said with a smile.

This made the already dark-skinned Grand Master Falgar's face even darker.

This may seem like they're helping Mondstadt through a crisis, but anyone with eyes can see what the Fools are really up to.

This is clearly an attempt to seize control of Mondstadt's economy. The wine industry, a pillar of Mondstadt, is of paramount importance to the city. If it falls into the hands of others, it means that the lifeblood of Mondstadt's economy is in someone else's hands.

However, even Falgar had to face the fact that this was indeed the only way to stabilize Mondstadt's prices and allow the Mondstadt economy to recover quickly.

If Mondl chooses to refuse, he will not only have to pay such an exorbitant compensation.

Even a paralyzed economy will take at least several decades to recover.

This seems to be giving him a choice, but he knows he has no choice at all.

Anastasia, standing next to the "lady," smiled slightly and pushed a contract in front of her.

"Grand Master Falgar, you should think this through. This is humanitarian aid provided by us, Winter, as an ally of Mondstadt. After all, even our Northern Bank has suffered losses."

“Unless you intend to break the contract, then our Northern Bank can only regard Mondstadt as a country that has lost credibility. Grand Master Falgar, you don’t want Mondstadt to become a country that has lost credibility, do you?”

"If Mondstadt becomes a country that has lost credibility, then I believe that people from other countries will no longer be willing to do business with Mondstadt, which would be a huge blow to Mondstadt's economy."

"If you've made up your mind, then sign this contract."

Falga ignored Anastasia's attitude and instead looked at Archbishop Simon of Westwind, trying to get help from his friend.

But the archbishop of the Church of the West Wind could only sigh helplessly.

This made him realize that even his friend had no better solution.

Ultimately, Northern Bank could have easily acquired these assets by force; everything they did was in accordance with legitimate business practices and contracts.

The reason they inquired about these matters was simply because it was part of the contract, which is why they sought permission from the Knights of Favonius, who were in charge of Mondstadt.

The reason he didn't agree to all of this right away was simply because he wanted to see if there were any other options.

Left with no other choice, Grand Master Falgar signed the contract, granting the Knights of Favonius permission. After Grand Master Falgar signed the contract, Anastasia properly retrieved it.

“A wise choice. You are a wise man who knows when to act, Grand Master Falga.”

"I hope so."

Grand Master Falgar let out a helpless sigh.