Tales sat in his seat, yet felt as if his body did not belong to him.
He realized that, at that moment, he was the only one in the Imperial Council chamber facing the king.
He could neither pretend not to hear nor lower his head to hide.
"This morning, when the military situation from the north arrived, concerning Dragoncloud City..."
King Kessel's voice rang out in the cramped room, stripped of the echo and spaciousness of the Council Hall.
Yet that only made it feel more stifling.
"Gilbert insisted on bringing his student to sit in on the meeting, saying this was the Prince's 'practical lesson.'"
"Yet even here before the throne, when he was arguing over your antics last night, he wasn't this eager."
Tales thought of Gilbert, gratitude and melancholy surging through him at the same time.
"Today, Bob Cullen specifically mentioned that the pirates coming from the north were growing increasingly rampant. He said he intended to reorganize the Bright Harbor Navy and protect the trade interests of the seven ports along the Eastern Sea."
Kessel sat in the principal seat, and even the Eternal Lamp could not illuminate the darkness within his silhouette.
"Kosted's men, meanwhile, went to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry first thing this morning. Under the pretext of preparing to purchase seeds for spring planting, they investigated the volume of grain exports from here to Cliff Territory—most of those crops are also grown in the Northern Land."
Tales forced himself to draw in a breath.
Prime Minister Cullen and the One-Eyed Dragon of Cliff Territory.
"As for Exeter..."
The king snorted coldly, contempt evident in his words:
"The delegation from Elk City has been in Everstar City for quite some time, but they remained remarkably composed. It was only after