Duke Tales had been in a bad mood lately.
According to an anonymous source inside Star Lake Fortress from one of the Radiant Star Seven Attendants families (called B.B. here to protect their identity), the Prince found his food tasteless during meals, looked listless in class, overexerted himself during martial arts lessons, brooded heavily when deep in thought, occasionally isolated himself, spaced out, and sometimes even sighed over the meaning of life.
As for the reason, opinions varied throughout Star Lake Fortress. Some said it was his resentment and grief after being exiled. Some said the Duke had quarreled with Lord Marius again. Others guessed that the Logistics Wing's accounts for the past few months looked terrible. But B.B., the reliable informant at Prince Tales's side (a pseudonym), gave the most direct explanation:
On the night Kusta and Morgan were on duty, Duke Tales had been diligently "exercising" in his room, sweating profusely, reaching climax after climax, utterly lost in pleasure and half-dead with desire—only to be disturbed by several rats breaking in.
The Prince, furious at having his mood ruined, drew his sword and hacked away. According to the person who cleaned up afterward, even the poor chair had been split in two. Of course, the exact details still awaited further revelations from B.B. (a pseudonym)—
"Danny Doyle!"
Nun Valencia, newly arrived at the castle, roared so loudly that her voice shook the fortress. She drove D.D., who had been chatting and laughing with the maids, scurrying out of the room with his head covered. "Your duty is to hold a sword, not chat!"
"If I catch you doing it again, I'll castrate you!"
As time passed, Star Lake Fortress grew more complete, from its repairs to its staffing. For example, its newly arrived steward, Nun Ashley Valencia, was