"Oh! Is that your own idea, or Mr. Washington's?" Grand Duke Mora asked without turning around. His tone remained mild, and Clark's attitude had not angered him.
George Washington was the strongest Transcendent in the Rune Federation and its only Calamity Mid-Tier powerhouse.
Clark did not answer. It was not a question he could easily answer, and he could not take a position lightly.
Grand Duke Mora gave a soft snort. "If this is Mr. Washington's wish, our cooperation ends here. You may all go home."
Clark looked helplessly at his twin brother. His expression seemed to say, See? I told you it wouldn't work!
Kelsen rose with a wry smile and bowed to Grand Duke Mora, one hand over his chest. "Please forgive our presumption, Your Grace. Before we left, the Commander-in-Chief instructed us to follow your orders. We acted on our own, hoping to secure more for the Federation."
Grand Duke Mora gave no indication of what he thought. Just then, a Magic Message arrived.
He scanned it quickly, then fell silent. After a moment, he said evenly, "Enough for today. We'll discuss the details tomorrow."
"Uh..." Everyone froze. None of them had expected Grand Duke Mora to end the meeting so abruptly.
Kelsen and Clark were especially anxious. They were about to say more when Tanasova held them back and gave them a look, barely managing to calm them.
A short while later, only Grand Duke Mora and Prady XIV remained in the room. Even Marshal Santos and Cyrabelle had withdrawn.
Grand Duke Mora spoke heavily. "Your Majesty, we may have serious trouble on our hands."
Prady XIV was startled, but years as King had taught him not to show his emotions. He remained outwardly calm. "What happened?"
"Word just came in," Grand Duke Mora said. "In