Annan couldn't understand how he, the victim, had ended up at a disadvantage.
"Only a Ratfolk died... If you keep pressing the matter, people will think you're making a fuss over nothing," Olmedo said bluntly. "That's the reality. They won't care that you've been wronged. They'll think the culprit apologized, so you should know when to stop. If you don't, you're just being greedy."
"They'll think you're breaking the nobles' Rules."
"The Mad Dog Duke did far worse back then."
"And that's why everyone accepted 'Mad Dog' as his derogatory nickname," Olmedo said meaningfully.
The Saint Laurent Calendar marked the age of humanity, and the age of humanity was the age of nobles...
One obvious example: mages were regarded as uncrowned nobles, not nobles as uncrowned mages.
"Can he speak for the Orr Empire?"
"No, but you're an outsider. Like you once said, 'I stand against my brother. My brother and I stand against our cousins. My brother, our cousins, and I stand together against everyone else.'"
If Annan clashed with another faction, the first thought of Free City's people would be, How dare they provoke Lord Annan! Even if Annan was in the wrong, they would think, How dare they make Lord Annan angry!
"Back down. There's no shame in it. At least we made an empire ruled by one of the Thirteen High Kings back down too. No one will dare look down on us again," Olmedo urged. "We're still young, but we'll grow..."
The Tartun Empire might even have been working behind the scenes to make the Orr Empire back down. If Annan still refused to let it go, he would seem far too unreasonable.
"What time is it now?" Annan suddenly asked, lifting his head and narrowing his eyes.
"Afternoon."
"Afternoon?" Annan narrowed his dark eyes.