A few days ago, Louise von Schwartz sought an audience with the Emperor. She intended to confront him about the decisive blow that had been dealt to the already strained relationships among the members of the Schwartz royal family.0

“Your Majesty, it seems you have an excessive interest in the affairs of the Schwartz royal family,” Louise said.0

“How could I not have an interest in one of the main factions of the Allied Forces?”0

The emperor of the Gradias Empire, Vertus de Gradias… There were emperors who excelled in times of war, and those who excelled in times of peace. 0

Louise von Schwartz did not know on which side Emperor Vertus’s abilities lay. However, she knew that while the Empire could not be said to be thriving, it was still breathing, and it had managed to unite the surviving vassal states to form an allied army. That was certainly a demonstration of Emperor Vertus’s abilities.0

“Surely you must realize that someone from the Gradias family casually throwing out a comment regarding such a sensitive issue is a significant insult to the Schwartz royal family.”0

The Empire was above Kernstadt, but Kernstadt was not a nation to be taken lightly. If the Kernstadt army were to withdraw from the Allied Forces, the army would lose thirty percent of its fighting strength.0

Kernstadt’s forces played a crucial role within the alliance. No matter how powerful the Empire was, referring to the youngest prince of the Schwartz royal family as an illegitimate child, regardless of whether it was said in private, was a serious diplomatic blunder and a clear misstep on the part...0