"Conrad, has there been any news lately?"
"Yes, Young Master. There have been quite a few rumors in the Empire's upper circles lately, but most are rather bizarre. It's hard to tell which are true."
"Go on."
"First, there's a rumor that appeared out of nowhere. Supposedly... Emperor Trist has returned."
"???"
"They say he lost the gate to the Boundary of Life and Death, so he came in person to take his gate back... Sorry, I find it baffling too, but that really is what people are saying."
Conrad looked somewhat embarrassed. The Sterling Family had already fallen into decline, and obtaining this news had been difficult enough. He no longer had the means to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Fortunately, his young master did not blame him much. For some reason, though, the hand holding his fork was trembling a little.
"What else?"
"Supposedly, Tobias suddenly went mad, shouting and screaming at home. He also demanded that all the armor be waterproofed and that every soldier learn to swim."
Elliot took a deep breath, struggling to maintain his expression. "Anything else?"
"There are also some scattered reports. For example, the Imperial Capital has been short on energy lately. The gas lamps are no longer lit collectively at night; each district has to pay for its own. The dome over the Dome District is no longer opened regularly either. There are reports that the entire Dome District might not receive heating this year."
Elliot froze. As though something had occurred to him, he asked, "Where did the energy for all those things come from before?"
"Well..." Conrad paused, then gently shook his head. "The Royal Family handled all that, so I don't know either. Perhaps the nobles who took over from the Royal Family want to save money."
Save money?