"...And that concludes Count Li Wei's report."
The Old Butler lowered his head before the Queen.
Before the Old Butler, Victoria II still wore her military uniform. She sat on the throne in silence. Though Her Majesty showed no expression, an imposing authority radiated from her without any need for anger.
After a long while, the Queen gave a soft snort.
"It seems that place is still as rotten as ever. I'd thought they would have learned to behave a little better."
The Old Butler said nothing, and Her Majesty fell into thought again, merely tapping a finger against her armrest.
For members of the younger generation like Li Wei, the situation in Casablanca was still not entirely clear. But for the Queen, the Old Butler, and others like them, that place was genuinely troublesome.
Casablanca was the former capital.
What did that mean? It meant countless buildings, houses, and secret passages.
It was not as though Her Majesty had never considered a thorough purge of Casablanca. The problem was that it would be very difficult to carry out.
Casablanca was not Mericia. Mericia was a rebellious province; she could simply send an Air Fortress over and bomb it.
Casablanca, however, had once been the Empire's capital. The Queen certainly could not raze it lightly. Destroying the Royal Capital was something rebels did, and a large-scale attack on Casablanca might well have an adverse impact on other territories.
Besides, Her Majesty could not be bothered to expend her energy on it. Strengthening the Empire was her main priority, after all. In Victoria II's eyes, a cesspit did not warrant any special attention.
It would have been a complete waste of time.
But now, things had changed.
Mysterious incidents were gradually emerging, and the Empire needed further internal consolidation. More importantly,