In the elegant and tranquil villa, Robert sat upright in a comfortable chair on the balcony, holding a cigar and watching Ma’ad, who sat to the side with a sycophantic expression. Seeing this display of groveling for favor, a trace of disgust stirred in Robert’s heart, though he didn’t show it on his face. He continued to speak calmly to Ma’ad. “Indeed… We had some investments and interests in what was once Addus, but since it’s an investment, there are always gains and losses. With someone like Shadi now in charge, it’s inevitable we’d lose some money.” “Profit and loss are normal in investment, but the key is whether you can stop the loss in time and turn it into a gain, Mr. Robert. Right now, the rebels led by Shadi occupy Addus and harm the interests of your great nation. If you don’t take action now, many losses will become unrecoverable…” Ma’ad continued to speak, taking on the tone of someone concerned for Robert’s sake. Hearing this, Robert gave him a sidelong glance and continued speaking. “It seems… Your Highness is quite concerned about the current situation in Addus. Are you perhaps homesick?” “Ah… but of course. I, along with the other royal kin still residing in Kankdal, think of Yadith every day,” Ma’ad said, now dropping all pretense and openly admitting his purpose. Robert, in turn, tapped the ash from his cigar into the ashtray, took another puff, and replied in a deliberately relaxed tone. “As one who is far from his homeland, I can understand the feeling of longing. But please, be patient. Didn’t the newspapers report that the Church’s envoy delegation and Shadi’s negotiations didn’t go well? Trust between them will soon collapse, and once the Holy Army from Holy Mount arrives, all you have to do is wait for restoration.” “Ah… Mr. Robert, those newspapers are just for the common folk. We both know they can’t be trusted! Now that Muhtar, Shadi’s main rival, is dead, the rebels are entirely under his control. With his godless and faithless attitude, there’s no way he would risk his life for a heretical creed. He’s currently putting on a show, purging the heretics within his ranks, and once he’s done, he’ll undoubtedly kneel before Holy Mount. At that point, expecting Holy Mount to intervene militarily will be impossible!” In a moment of panic, Ma’ad blurted this out, finally laying bare his worries and the purpose of his visit. “Mr. Robert, I know the great powers have been reluctant to act against Shadi because you’ve been counting on the Church to take the lead. As long as Shadi fails to resolve his internal religious issues and leaves Addus’s mainstream faith unclear, the Church will inevitably intervene, helping us restore the kingdom, and your nations won’t have to sacrifice troops to reclaim your interests. “But now… everything has changed. Who could’ve expected Muhtar to die so suddenly? With that, Shadi now has the opportunity to consolidate his control. If he formally denounces the heretics and pledges loyalty to the Three Saints, the chances of a Holy Mount intervention will drastically decrease. In that case… only your great nations can help us reclaim our homeland! Mr. Robert, for the sake of all the cooperation we’ve shared in the past, please, help us now!” Ma’ad pleaded with an almost tearful voice. Robert remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking. “If you understand the situation, then you should realize that now that things have developed as they have, it’s difficult for us to make a decision to deploy troops.” “But… Mr. Robert, if your nation feels that what you once gained from Addus wasn’t enough, we can offer more! If we succeed in restoring our kingdom, we guarantee your nation will gain even more than before—be it in taxes or military agreements! Even the legal excavation rights to all ancient ruins and tombs within Addus… these are all negotiable!” Ma’ad continued desperately, tossing out one outrageous promise after another in an attempt to persuade Robert—or more precisely, the mainland powers he represented—to support their restoration. But Robert remained unmoved, calmly puffing his cigar and replying. “Can’t you see yet, Your Highness? This isn’t a matter of interest—it’s a matter of circumstance. That little nun went to Yadith and actually pulled off the negotiation… Once both sides announce the results, it will mean the Church officially recognizes Shadi’s revolutionary army. The Church will spin this as a shining example of successful evangelism—a trophy of their effort—and they’ll use that narrative to shield Shadi’s regime. If we intervene in Addus at that point, we’ll be slapping Holy Mount in the face. No amount of benefit from Addus can make up for the fallout from that.” Robert’s voice rang with firm clarity as he laid bare the political reality. Ma’ad was momentarily stunned, left speechless in his seat. In truth, the predicament Robert and his kind found themselves in was of their own making. When the Addus Revolution had gained momentum but hadn’t yet fully overthrown the Baruch monarchy, the Baruch nobles had already sought help from the mainland powers, requesting military intervention to protect their interests. The great powers all gave verbal assurances, but none actually moved. Each one hoped the others would go first and bleed for it, while they’d arrive later to reap the benefits. Once it became clear that the revolutionary army had strong ties to the Savior’s Advent heresy, those powers were even more reluctant to act. They figured that once a heretical regime took hold, Holy Mount would inevitably declare a crusade. So they all decided to let the Church fight the war while they came in afterward to claim their lost interests—without paying the cost of bloodshed. Thus, during the entire Addus civil war, none of the foreign powers lifted a finger to help the faltering Baruch Kingdom. Their hope was that the revolution would succeed just enough to force Holy Mount’s intervention—then they’d ride in behind the crusaders and restore Baruch, wringing a few more concessions from the weakened monarchy. But no one expected a sudden thunderstorm would completely shatter that plan. Muhtar was struck down by lightning, and the nun miraculously succeeded in her negotiations. The revolutionary army went from heretical target to celebrated success story, and instead of Holy Mount declaring a crusade, the powers now found themselves unable to move—lest they offend the Church. This unanticipated twist left the great powers at a loss, realizing too late they should have acted when Baruch first begged for help. Now their losses in Addus were likely unrecoverable. The mainland powers—so full of schemes and calculations—had eaten a bitter loss due to someone else’s behind-the-scenes interference. Worse yet, they couldn’t even complain about it. Now, despite all the promises Ma’ad could make, Robert refused to budge. He knew it wasn’t worth angering Holy Mount just to salvage their lost investments in Addus. “Well then… I think it’s getting late. Your Highness, you should be on your way. That war chariot you brought may be a precious relic, but I’m afraid I’m not worthy to receive it… Take it back with you. Consider it part of Baruch’s legacy. Though your nation may have fallen, with the things you brought out of Yadith, I’m sure your descendants can live in wealth and honor for generations to come.” Waving his hand, Robert made his meaning plain. His words were blunt, clearly dismissing his guest. Hearing this, Ma’ad sat in silence, unable to speak. Although Robert had already shown signs of wanting to end the meeting, Ma’ad did not leave immediately. He remained seated in his chair. Seeing this, Robert glanced at him twice, and just as he was about to speak further, Ma’ad turned to him and spoke directly. "Mr. Robert, actually… I brought something else with me that I’d like you to take a look at." "What is it?" Robert asked curiously. Ma’ad fumbled around inside his robe for a moment before pulling out an envelope and handing it to him. "Please take a look, Mr. Robert." Robert accepted the envelope, opened it after a brief inspection, and examined its contents. After a few glances, his brow furrowed. "This is…?" "This is a joint letter," Ma’ad explained. "It bears the signatures of several kings—Harij, Najis, Kuria… and more. These countries, like Addus, are all North Ufigan kingdoms. Your great nation also holds various interests in each of them. "As you can see in the letter, these kings sympathize with Baruch’s tragic downfall, and they’re concerned—deeply concerned—that what happened to Baruch may soon happen to them. And this isn’t unfounded paranoia, Mr. Robert. Many of the countries that signed the letter reported a noticeable rise in rebel activity. The difficulty of suppressing them is increasing, and it’s all because of Shadi’s success. Shadi has become a symbol—a hero—to their internal rebels. They’re modeling themselves after him and pushing their agendas even harder now. "Mr. Robert, please don’t think that losing Addus merely means your great nation lost some investments. The power of an example is immense. If Shadi’s story is allowed to become a success—if the Addus revolution is fully victorious—then all of North Ufiga will be thrown into unrest. If you don’t act to stop this now, the losses your nations will suffer could go far beyond Addus." Ma’ad’s tone remained deeply respectful as he continued. "Look, Mr. Robert… the kings and nobles of these countries—they’re all afraid. They fear that the chaos in their lands will escalate into another Addus. They’re worried whether your great nation can really offer them protection. They’re anxious that their futures might end up like ours. That’s why this joint letter exists. I think… your great nations owe them some kind of reassurance.” Looking at the various signatures and royal seals in different styles and handwriting, Robert fell silent. It wasn’t until long after, when his cigar was nearly burned out, that he finally spoke again. "This… I’ll have to report it. I need to consult with those above and gather opinions from my colleagues before a decision can be made… It may take some time." "Then… I leave it to you, Mr. Robert. The future of Baruch is in your hands..." Hearing Robert’s response, Ma’ad immediately stood up from his chair, knelt down, and offered a deeply grateful bow. … That night, still in the outskirts of Kankdal, within Robert’s villa. The luxurious villa was still brightly lit in the deep of night. Inside its opulent reception hall, Robert, dressed in formal attire, sat at the host’s seat. Before him, several semi-transparent silhouettes were seated in the guest chairs—spectral images of men dressed in the refined attire of mainland gentlemen. Each man sat in his place as they engaged in intense discussion. Their language was mostly a formal version of Falanoan, though their fluency varied. At times, they slipped into other national tongues—clearly, their countries of origin were not the same. Seated at the head of the room, Robert listened attentively to the debate, occasionally intervening to steer the conversation, appearing more like a moderator than an active participant. This heated discussion lasted for several hours. During that time, some of the phantoms disappeared and reappeared, with participants rotating in and out. Finally, as dawn approached, the meeting seemed to reach a conclusion. Once the final speaker had finished, Robert rose from his seat and addressed the assembled figures. "Well then… it seems we’ve reached some common ground tonight. What Mr. Watt said earlier is true. The Baruch people want to use us to restore their kingdom. While their motives are self-serving, their appeal cannot be dismissed entirely. The kings and rebels of other North Ufigan nations are already watching closely. No matter what the outcome is, it will ripple across all of North Ufiga. "Addus will serve as a precedent. That precedent could be positive… or negative. What we must do is ensure it remains a positive one. For the sake of regional stability in the future, we must take action." Robert’s statement earned nods from most of the phantoms, though one asked. "But… siding with Baruch in the Addus matter also means going against those zealots from Holy Mount…” “No, no… not yet. Until both sides officially announce their statements, Holy Mount’s position isn’t firmly on Shadi’s side. That gives us a window—some room to maneuver.” Robert responded immediately. After hearing his reply, another phantom spoke. “Room to maneuver? Mr. Robert, do you mean on Shadi’s side… or?” “Shadi is too far from us,” Robert said plainly. “Naturally, I mean the little nun… the one about to arrive in Kankdal.” ======================== TL Notes: Poor Vania… She never got a break.