"Now this is a pain in the ass!" Rathlos said as he looked at the envelopes spread across the table. He picked up one of them, glanced at the seal, and then placed it back down with a tired sigh. His face looked much more serious than usual, and the usual relaxed expression was nowhere to be seen.
Duke Lancelot's expression was also quite grave. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms while looking at the reports.
"The situation with these aristocrats is worse than we thought. They didn't just take control of the Imperial Capital. They had already prepared for this long before the Royal Family fell."
He tapped his finger against the table as he continued.
"They have people scattered across the Empire, and their influence has reached many different areas. Merchants, nobles, officials and even some military forces have dealings with them. If holding the entire Imperial Capital isn't enough, now they are even negotiating with the Emperors."
