"...And then there's the war in the east. Although Fanzan and the Wild Elves of Ailanta have always been on good terms, would it not be too rash to withdraw the barrier protecting the kingdom's eastern regions and send the army into the Great Glacier based on a single prophecy?"
"The situation in the Ten Cities Region has also begun to deteriorate. Barbarians have invaded Golden Anchor Port from the north, and the two dukes of the Hajord Family in Tinor have both expressed concern over the military situation in the north. The Trade Association wants to expand the strength of the Mercenary Legion, but the proposal has been shelved until today..."
The buzzing in the hall rose again. Although the courtiers did not stand up and argue this time, their whispered discussions still reached Petian's ears, causing the Supreme One of the empire to frown.
He turned toward Bishop Jagusti, who had been the first to stand, and replied:
"Ordering the Silver Horse Knight Order south to support the Cruzian people was Lord Asebanthus's idea."
Those words seemed to carry some kind of spell. The entire hall fell silent in an instant. The sudden quiet was even stranger than before, as though a bitter northern wind had howled through the palace and frozen everyone's breath.
As everyone knew, Petian III was the current pope. In Fanzan, the pope simultaneously held the empire's religious and secular authority, making him the most supreme figure of all. But before he had ascended the throne and been crowned, his teacher, Asebanthus XI, had been far more renowned. In front of the previous pope, even the dignified pontiff he had become today was merely a child who had just taken hold of the scepter.
Asebanthus XI had been a pope who had lived through