Elizabeth slowly set down the report in her hands.
"New Empire Alliance... still unwilling to budge?"
The Royal Palace hall was spacious and bright. Sitting upon the throne, she sighed, handed the report to the attendant beside her, and spoke.
Below, a crimson carpet stretched all the way across the hall. Several respectful figures stood upon it, none of them young. Dressed in standard official uniforms, they looked up with expressions of either helplessness or anger.
One of them stepped forward. "We even sent people to speak privately with Frieden and Caritas. Their stance is exactly the same. There is almost no chance of driving a wedge between them."
At once, Elizabeth felt a headache coming on. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
Things were becoming more and more troublesome.
Frieden, Ikor, Caritas... Since the New Empire Alliance had been established, the ties between those three nations had grown ever closer. They presented a united front and even showed signs of rebuilding the Empire. But Elizabeth knew that once the Empire was rebuilt, the pressure on her side would surge sharply.
—Majik was still a young nation, its foundations unstable. It would be difficult for them to contend with the others.
It was not as though the two sides had to become enemies. Since Majik's founding, its relationship with the New Empire Alliance could even be called good. They had established trade relations and shared magical technologies. In fact, if not for the discovery of the Shalan Archipelago, they might still have been as close as one family.
But... the Shalan Archipelago was also a resource they could hardly give up.
"What makes them so righteous and confident?" A general below said indignantly. "Our fleet discovered that archipelago first. That place should belong to us. They shouldn't be