"Several small-scale clashes have broken out on the eastern front. The prince's troops have been provoking us frequently lately. It seems they have begun deploying new weapons on a large scale."
"The White Calamity has begun spreading across the sea. This time, its scale is unprecedented. The borders of reality are in turmoil once more, and the White Crow Duchy has already been completely swallowed."
"The investigation of the Northern Territory has still yielded nothing. We have once again lost track of the [Named One]. Occasionally, people from Moth Chasing Flame appear, and there have been several exchanges of blows with no clear victor."
"All right, stop talking about these boring matters." The girl impatiently pushed the documents on the table aside. "Hela, when can I go to the Forbidden Library again?"
The woman with black gauze covering her face stopped chanting. The gears on her face turned, and the glass lenses over her eyes reflected the girl before her.
"Your Holiness, please be patient. The Secret Keeper Council will reopen the restricted archives to you at an appropriate time."
"Ah—then how long will that take?" Beatrice looked thoroughly displeased. Resting her head on one hand, her eyes suddenly shifted. "Hela, do you have anything fun over there? I'm so bored. The Mechanical Cathedral should have some good stuff, right?"
Hela shook her head. "First, I am not from the Mechanical Cathedral. Second, Lady Ruo An, reviewing and approving documents is the Pope's duty. Please fulfill it."
"Fine, fine, I'll sign them!" Beatrice puffed up her cheeks and picked the documents back up, stubbornly refusing to look at the black-veiled woman again.
Hela nodded, turned, and left the room, casually shutting the heavy door behind her.
Bang.
Beatrice was now alone in the room. She slowly lifted her head from