The Ace Spy, Karya

When a nation realized it could look around with its sword drawn and find itself without an equal, what would it do?

The answer was not hard. In most cases, expanding its territory was a good choice.

Of course, Ixtal was a special case. As a former autonomous region of the Shuriman Empire, Ixtal had many people well versed in history who held an even more exciting hope for its future—one that went beyond ordinary territorial expansion.

Perhaps, now that the Shuriman Empire's twilight had faded, it would be a good idea to raise the empire's banner once more and restore Shurima to glory.

Though its status as an autonomous region was somewhat awkward, the banner of the Shuriman Empire was simply too useful.

Shuriman legitimacy meant a lawful claim to the entire Shuriman Continent. It meant the right to inherit the whole legacy of the Shuriman Empire. It meant a crown with a glorious history. It meant the nation had a clear purpose and future.

From every angle, it seemed Ixtal had no reason to give up such a precious claim.

But after the Darkin War and the Rune Wars, many Ixtali believed that accepting the political legacy of the Shuriman Empire would also mean accepting a host of thorny problems. That was incompatible with Ixtal's long-standing, glorious independence.

The Conservative Faction and the Radical Faction seemed to be arguing over how to deal with a prisoner, but in truth, the dispute concerned Ixtal's future course.

The Radical Faction believed Ixtal was already invincible. Its past isolation had been for self-preservation, but Ixtal no longer needed to protect itself. The other city-states of the Shuriman Continent were the ones who needed protection now.

The Conservative Faction, on the other hand, believed isolation was Ixtal's proud tradition, one that had