In Trier, Intis, inside a conference room in White Maple Palace.
Hiri Soren, the current head of the Soren Family and a "War Bishop," sat at the head of the table. He glanced at the two family elders and more than ten elites present, then sighed.
"Looks like we'll have to move out of this palace that carries our family's glory once again."
Since the Grand Archon of the Fules Family had been assassinated at the beginning of last year, the Soren Family had negotiated terms with the two major Churches and seized the opportunity to rise to power, taking the position of Intis's highest leader.
The post had been filled by Harrison Soren, a senior councilor within the family and an experienced Conspirer.
However, the current Grand Archon—no, the former Grand Archon—Harrison sat dejectedly at the end of the conference table. Even his originally fiery red hair had dimmed considerably.
Just one day ago, pressured by several major Churches and Loen, he had been forced to sign a humiliating treaty of defeat, ceding Dillis City, the largest metropolis along the Sonia Sea coast and known as the "City of a Thousand Castles."
The citizens and ordinary civil servants of Intis did not know that the divine war had taken a sudden turn. They only believed that the current Archon was incompetent, that despite holding such an overwhelming advantage, he had somehow been defeated by Loen and had even signed a treaty ceding territory so quickly...
Someone naturally had to bear that anger, and someone naturally had to shoulder the responsibility for defeat. The Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery refused to take the blame, so Harrison, as the "Grand Archon," and the Soren Family behind him could not escape