"...The Empire's army lost?"
"The Sword of the Empire was captured? He lost to that Toonka?"
"I don't know for sure either, but didn't you see the notice that was plastered on the walls last night too? They said that the Empire had lost."
"I didn't see it because I wasn't walking around last night. When I went to see it at dawn, the capital guards were ripping them all down."
Confused citizens talked with shaking voices, unbelieving of what had been presented to them. The spectators witnessed people walking by a wall plastered with papers, their eyes squinted into slits as they tried to make sense of what was written black on white.
Women with baskets dropped what they were doing and men ranked their necks, staring with baffled expressions in the way of children, who elbowed their way to the front.
The spectator room was also shocked into silence.
Duke Huten, the Sword of the Empire and bane of every enemy that graced the Empire's shores, had been soundly defeated. His mind had been broken by Cale and Alberu as they held a casual conversation and the rest of his spirit was shattered by the hopeless situation he found himself in.
Cale found the expression the duke made quite pleasing. He resembled a confused cockroach before someone stomped on it with a steel shoe.
Side A was more curious about what was written on the papers. Alberu could guess the main point since the topic of defeat spread far too quickly. The Empire prided itself on its iron-tight reputation, pristine standing, and absolute control of all forms of media. Having their embarrassing, crushing defeat spread like wildfire definitely made them angry.
"How devious," he praised with a low voice that ebbed away into a chuckle.
His counterpart had the time to play mind games with the Empire, making them dance to the music he prepared like a puppet on a string, while Alberu shivered just at the thought of having the focus of Imperial Prince Adin on him.
Talking big about making the Empire pay would do him nothing good.
Naturally, that didn't mean he didn't want to smash Adin's god-forsaken face into the next-best pile of dog shit. Alberu held the pen tightly, feeling the corners digging into his skin.
What did the other world do in preparation so that they could launch such a wide-scale dethroning move? He knew the answers would be given in the next few seconds. Or at least, some hints of them.
Rosalyn wasn't far off with her emotional state either. She watched the screen with pinched lips and the urge to behead a certain imperial prince. Honestly, even having Duke Huten at her mercy would do wonders for her stress levels.
But all in time. She will watch, learn, and gain advantages from the scenes. A quick look to her left and right staved off the harsh tilt of her lips, turning it into a soft smile. Both Lock and Choi Han looked alike, having employed the same pose of clenching a pen in the right hand while their left hand was busy scratching their chin.
How adorable.
Just to be a menace, she voiced her thoughts and watched with amusement as a brilliant blush covered both of their cheeks. Once again in synchrony.
Last night. Each and every alley wall in the capital had a notice posted on it.
< The Mogoru Empire's crushing defeat >
The contents were shocking. It didn't help that the soldiers were hurriedly taking the notices down early in the morning and that the Imperial Palace did not have any official response toward it.

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