After hearing Cyrabelle out, the others largely agreed with her decision.
Indeed, whatever happened over there, they were too weak to do anything but accept their fate.
They were unwilling to accept it, but none could deny the truth or change it.
The Calamities left one after another, carrying that frustration with them as they went to calm their turbulent emotions.
Soon, only Green and Queen Cyrabelle remained.
Green knew Cyrabelle might bring up Grand Duke Mora. She had just revealed that he was alive, then found an excuse to keep Green behind alone. She could hardly have done so without a reason.
Green waited for her to continue. He wanted to see what that mysteriously vanished grand duke, who had yet to show himself, had up his sleeve.
To Green's surprise, Cyrabelle did not mention Grand Duke Mora. She genuinely began discussing Alsa Province and asked whether Green had any other requirements for his grand duchy's fief.
Green was a little surprised, but he was patient. Rather than press her about Grand Duke Mora, he settled into a methodical discussion of the fief in Alsa Province.
The province had once belonged to the Asgar Kingdom and had now been ceded to the Lorenzo Kingdom. It was among the largest provinces in either country, ranked in the top five for population, and was even larger than many small kingdoms in the south.
Securing it as his duchy's fief was an enormous gain for Green.
But no one in this world gained without giving something up. Once Green accepted this fief, he would bear the full brunt of pressure from the Asgar Kingdom. If the Lorenzo Kingdom marched against Asgar again, his grand duchy would be its vanguard.
Green could tell that this war had given Cyrabelle a taste for conquest.