Prime Minister, Emperor

Crash!

Late at night, six hours after the vote in the Empire's parliament, in the Prime Minister's Office on the Cabinet's second floor.

For once, Wolf Caster was not at his desk reviewing documents. He stood quietly by the window, gazing out at the Royal Capital at night. Distant lights shimmered like a river of stars reflected on the moat.

To the east, the palace towers rose in silhouette against the darkness, mysterious and magnificent beneath the magical lights. Wolf watched in silence, an unreadable glint in his blue Magic Eye.

Behind his back, he held a copy of the voting record.

The creases from repeated folding said it all: since receiving the copy, the powerful prime minister had read it countless times. Four hundred and three votes in favor. Four hundred and twenty-eight against.

All nearly four hundred Old Guard Party legislators had voted in favor, just as he had expected.

The Reformist Faction's fewer than two hundred legislators had all voted against. That, too, was within his calculations.

What had left him standing there in thought—even unease—was something else.

Thirty-six votes against from the Demon King's Army legislators, and one hundred and thirty-seven unanimous votes against from Moses's faction. The Demon King's Army.

Moses.

Those two names should never have appeared on the same side.

What on earth had happened?

Only after an unknown stretch of silence did Wolf slowly come to himself. He turned, walked back to his desk, and sat down.

The black tea on his desk had long gone cold, but he did not call for a fresh cup.

Instead, he unfolded the list, laid it across the desk, and slowly ran an aged finger over it.

He traced the thirty-six names of the Demon King's Army legislators, one by one.

Even before he had