The end of Ephesande’s games, the transfer of the owner of Babel, and the arrival of Flamelle cast a somewhat eerie pall over the entire imperial capital.

While the lives of the majority remained unchanged, for those extraordinary beings perched at the apex, a single misstep could see them engulfed and torn asunder by the roiling undercurrents, leaving no trace of their once lofty existence.

“Mr. Ansel,” Marlina said, approaching with haste and whispering something into the ear of Ansel, who was dining.

“… Is that so?”

Ansel set down his cutlery and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Inform them that the population from the Spirity Lake Territory is sufficient, and Hydral’s domain need not expand for now. As for the rest of his legacy…”

The young Hydral pondered for a moment before responding with a light chuckle, “I shall discuss this personally with Her Majesty.”

“Yes, I understand,” the girl replied, bowing slightly and preparing to depart with efficiency, only to be stopped by Ansel’s grasp on her wrist.

“Please, join me for lunch first,” he offered, and the waitress in the corner of the dining room promptly departed, while Marlina hesitated before obediently taking a seat beside Ansel.

Lady Annelisa, who had been conversing with Ansel and had scarcely touched her lunch, now turned her attention to the poised and virtuous young woman, whose beauty could easily lead one to mistake her for the daughter of a grand duke.

“Are you… Marlina?” the mature Lady Hydral inquired, her eyes gleaming slightly.

“The sister of little Seraphina, now assisting Ansel in his affairs?”

“It is I, my lady,” Marlina responded, rising to curtsy to Annelisa before sitting down again, her head bowed in respectful acknowledgment.

“It is an honor to be remembered by you.”

“Oh, we’re not too formal in our household, and that’s just Ans… but if you’re accustomed to it, that’s fine,” Annelisa said, leaning forward with curiosity.

“What were you discussing just now?”

Before Marlina could answer, Ansel spoke calmly, “The grand duke of the Luminaris family has been stripped of his title and executed. Her Majesty inquired whether I wished to incorporate his lands and people into Hydral’s domain.”

As the appointed head of mechanical armor construction by empress, the unfortunate Duke of Luminaris became the most suitable scapegoat for the Etheric Academy after such a significant malfunction.

“Duke of Luminaris… Nasema?” Annelisa paused, then sighed, “So he has perished, a man of some capability.”

The territories of Hydral and Luminaris both lay in the southern region, and Annelisa had some recollection of that shrewd and diplomatic grand duke.

“He’s gone then…” she murmured with a hint of sorrow, “The south is bound to become chaotic.”

During the waning days of Ephesande’s reign, the political climate of the empire could only be described as a complete mess.

Her erratic and extreme emotional state, exacerbated by the abyssal information erosion, led to capricious bestowal of titles, entirely dependent on her mood. Moreover, she often secluded herself within the Source Flame to resist the chaos eroding her soul, thus rarely involving herself in political affairs.

Although the grand dukes were unlikely to wage outright war against each other, the turmoil and breakdown of order were just short of actual conflict.

In the north, where only two grand dukes resided in a less hospitable environment, the situation was somewhat better.

The eastern port, rich in resources and the sole passage to the other side of the Celestial Path mountains, was the scene of overt and covert struggles among three grand dukes; the western lands, known as the adventurer’s paradise, were on the brink of military conflict among its four grand dukes; even in the southern region where Hydral’s domain was located, the three grand dukes — now two — were uncompromising, only deterred by the fearsome devil that dwelled there.

The most tranquil place was perhaps the imperial center, overseen by the empress and the last grand duke.

The last grand duke was selected from the empress’s siblings, serving as a way for the empress to anchor humanity, offering a path for those of royal blood with divine lineage, other than the sole qualified individual, ensuring that the act of producing offspring was not merely for that one person.

However, most of the royal descendants were indifferent to this, as their roles were predetermined at birth—to be mere foils and footnotes to their qualified siblings. Let alone empress… even most grand dukes care nothing about them.

Under decades of silent oppression from the empress, their siblings, and other powerful extraordinary beings, the spirits of most royal descendants had long been worn down.

Only the younger members of the royal family still harbored ambitions for power, and even entertained some… rebellious thoughts.

“It has been quite some time since I last ventured beyond the imperial capital,” Annelisa lamented with a sigh, “I wonder what the state of the empire is now.”

“When was the last time you traveled with father?” Ansel asked as he accepted the meal a maid brought for Marlin, his expression unchanging.

“Two months… Oh!”

The stunning beauty Annelisa suddenly covered her mouth with both hands, then huffed, “How could you trick me, Ansel!”

“I was merely inquiring,” he replied.

“I told you I’ve never left the capital!” she protested.

“I don’t believe father would leave you here,” Ansel countered.

“…” Annelisa rested her chin on her hands, turning her face away in displeasure, “Mel is too predictable, it’s no fun.”

“You are the same, mother,” Ansel said, shifting his gaze from Marlina’s blushing face to meet his mother’s eyes. “You cannot deceive me, so spare yourself the frustration.”

“What’s wrong with feeling frustrated?” she suddenly smiled, as if her displeasure had never occurred, “It doesn’t mean I can’t be happy… You’re playing along with me, aren’t you, Ans?”

She playfully poked Ansel’s cheek, who stiffened slightly but did not pull away.

“Nevertheless… don’t treat me like a child. If you’re bored, you don’t have to bother with me. I refuse to be seen as an annoying nuisance,” Annelisa declared, crossing her arms with mock seriousness.

“I am deeply moved,” Ansel sighed, “If only you could remember this sentiment ten minutes from now.”

–>