After the urgent meeting concluded, Theo stepped out of the audience chamber, swallowing a stifled sigh. Although the hour-long discussion hadn’t yielded completely satisfactory results, the direction forward remained unchanged.

Still, he hadn’t anticipated such an order from His Majesty. As Theo walked slowly down the corridor, he mulled over the Emperor’s decree and the implications it carried.

His next step was to return to the estate, collect Luke, and move to the Imperial Army headquarters. Since Luke was technically still a civilian, he wouldn’t be allowed past the gates without Theo accompanying him.

“The military's prestige seems to be reaching the heavens; they must be enjoying themselves.”

Just as Theo was about to descend the stairs, faint voices drifted down from above. He instinctively stopped, softening his footsteps, and glanced upward. There, he spotted the Foreign Minister and several other ministers climbing the stairs, deep in conversation.

“Well, still, he is undoubtedly skilled.”

“No matter how skilled he is, how dare he recklessly suspect an allied nation? This is why you can’t trust brutes who rely on brawn over brains. Do they have no idea how critical international relations are to our nation’s prosperity?”

“But Commander Redrick is also known for his exceptional intellect…”

The Finance Minister timidly offered a counterpoint, only to be met with a sharp hiss and a disapproving look from the Foreign Minister.@@novelbin@@

“Sometimes, I wonder if it wasn’t premature to entrust military power to the heir of a ducal family.”

“No, no, Justice Minister. It’s precisely because he’s the heir to the ducal family that he was given that position. From what I hear, he’s also widely respected among the soldiers. And what does that tell you? That they’re all trying to curry favor with the Redrick family, of course.”

“Exactly, Chancellor! A man backed by his family and holding power to boot—no wonder he’s so arrogant. Honestly, what was His Majesty thinking when he issued such an order…”

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