The morning mist slowly dispersed between the stone roads of the Imperial Capital.
Eleanor Calvin sat upright inside her carriage, her fingertips resting on the wooden window frame, tapping lightly with the gentle jolts of the wheels.
She had been stationed in the Imperial Capital for more than ten years and knew its turbulent undercurrents all too well.
Yet the Dragon Throne Conference scheduled for that day brought her a sense of calm she had not felt in a long time.
It was more the ease of knowing that, however fiercely this storm blew, it would never reach her.
Last night, Kite Tower Estate had received a secret letter from the southeastern coast.
It was a personal directive from her elder brother. Its contents were as brief as ever, roughly amounting to: "Do not take the lead. Do not declare a position. Watch how the others move."
There was not a word about supporting anyone or securing anything.
There was not even a single precaution, as though the struggles throughout the Imperial Capital had nothing whatsoever to do with the Calvin Family.
Eleanor had closed the letter. Having served as the family's representative for years, she already understood her brother's true meaning.
Far from the Imperial Capital, Southeast Province was connected to the Theocracy and the overseas trade routes. The central government's disputes had long since ceased to be its foremost concern.
Whoever ended up on the throne would still need the Southeast's control of the ports and its merchant caravans to keep the Empire's arteries flowing.
They therefore had no need to choose sides, compete for influence, or take the lead.
The Calvin Family of the Southeast had always acted this way. They never fought for fleeting glory, maintained contact with multiple sides, and backed the winner only at