Mid-September, Royal Capital Prye City, Goldflower Kingdom, main hall of the imperial palace.
Inside the solemn, faintly oppressive main hall of the imperial palace, the Imperial Council was in session.
The young king, Sigmund I, sat upright upon the high throne, wearing a crown that looked somewhat too large for him, nervously gripping the golden lion carvings on the armrests.
Behind him, an exquisite pearl curtain hung down. Beyond it, the vague outline of a graceful, richly adorned figure could be seen, imposing without anger—naturally, it was the Empress Dowager Katerina, ruling from behind the curtain.
Below the throne, civil and military officials stood in ranks on either side, purple robes and jade belts gathered in a forest of caps and canopies.
Yet the atmosphere in the hall today was far from the calm of ordinary deliberations. The air was filled with a hidden restlessness and tension.
Everyone's gazes, whether openly or covertly, were fixed on several officials who had just stepped out to present memorials, their words fierce and sharp.
At the center of the discussion was the Tri-Border Governor far away, a thousand li distant, who was now stirring up storm-tossed waves in Herwenham—Earl Boles von Herax.
"Your Majesty! Empress Dowager!" An official in a dark purple civil robe, his complexion pale and his speech cutting, held a jade tablet and stepped out from the crowd. His voice echoed through the vast hall, carrying undisguised indignation and accusation. "This subject impeaches the Tri-Border Governor, Count Boles. Since taking office, his measures have been improper, and he has failed the sacred grace!"
He cleared his throat and began listing the "crimes" one by one:
"First, after Boles assumed his post, he did not think to pacify the region, organize the army, and prepare for war. Instead, he launched massive