"I will have him ready for interrogation by the time you are finished with this meeting," John said, bowing low before turning to leave.

"Take extra care of him for me," Ravenna instructed, her voice soft but carrying that familiar, dangerous weight. John inclined his head once more before departing.

"Well then," Ravenna leaned back in her chair, her dark black gaze sweeping the chamber like a raven surveying its domain. "For our next matter…" Her eyes landed squarely on High Priest James.

He straightened at once, folding his hands over his lap. "The festival," he began gravely, "will need to be altered. Its grandeur must rise to match the moment. With the Saintess revealed, her announcement must be the centerpiece." His words slowed as his gaze drifted meaningfully to Marie, who shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.

Sarah adjusted her newly acquired spectacles, her tone careful. "Is it truly necessary that we announce her identity so directly?" She cast a glance toward Marie, as if weighing the risk against the young lady's timid frame.

"It is unavoidable," Ravenna said smoothly, her voice firm as stone. "The rumors are already spreading like wildfire. The Herptian Church will not sit idle, they will expect us to stand with them publicly if we wish to secure their full support. To shy away now would be weakness… and I do not intend for Kim Dukedom to be seen as weak."

Aurora, lounging elegantly with her usual air of practiced grace, interjected, "Then announcing her during the Festival is our best chance to control the narrative. If we let the world speculate without our guidance, we lose authority. Better to wield it openly."

Alice, ever the efficient maid, placed a stack of ledgers upon the desk. "Our expenses from the war are negligible, Your Highness," she reported crisply. "Most of it will be recovered in the coming months. The city's economy has already begun stabilizing."

Ravenna flipped through the records, her eyes scanning with calculated precision before she nodded. "Good. We will also be opening more branches of the Ravan Casinos, with the support of the Imperial Merchant Association. That alone will keep the treasury swelling."

Sarah shifted to her next report. "As for the Trains and Railways project: we will not be able to launch it during the Festival. We still lack—"

"—manpower," Ravenna finished for her, tapping her nail against the wood of the desk. "Yes, I am aware. That will be solved once we annex Otto City."

The words carried so casually, so matter-of-factly, that it sent another ripple of silence across the chamber. Ravenna continued unfazed, her tone unyielding. "I will leave for Otto City immediately after the Festival. Have a magic ship prepared and fully stocked."

Sarah dipped her pen and quickly noted the command.

"Now, onto Marie." Ravenna's gaze slid toward her disciple, sharp and unrelenting. "Her training must intensify. She needs to be able to defend herself more effectively."

Alice nodded with practiced obedience, already considering revisions to Marie's schedule. Marie, however, looked at Ravenna with a pair of wide, pleading eyes, her lips parting slightly as if to protest. "Master! I already do nothing but train!" her expression screamed, though she dared not voice it aloud. Ravenna met her look with calm indifference before moving on.

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"With that," Ravenna said at last, clapping her hands softly against the desk, "I believe we have covered most of what needed to be addressed."

No one spoke. No one dared. The silence stretched as Ravenna's deep black eyes moved from one face to the next.

And then, with the sharpness of a blade unsheathed, she declared:

"Well then… I suppose this is the time to say it plainly. I will be playing into the game. Since I have returned to the succession struggle, my aim is clear.I will aim for the Throne."

Her words echoed through the chamber, heavy with inevitability.

One might expect shock, protest, or even fear. Yet not a single soul reacted with surprise. Instead, the silence was filled with something else entirely, an acknowledgment. A shared thought reflected in the eyes of her followers: Of course she would. How could she not?

Even Hughes, seated with battle reports still in his hands, gave Ravenna a look that seemed to say: You mean you weren't aiming for it already?

The corners of Ravenna's lips curved into a smirk at their unspoken acceptance. "Well then," she said, her tone casual again, as if she had not just declared war upon her siblings and her Empire. "If that is all, you are free to leave."

Chairs scraped softly as her council began to rise.

Marie, relieved, was the first to stand, only to freeze when Ravenna's lazy dark gaze flicked toward her from the corner of her eye.

"Not you, Marie," she said nonchalantly, almost offhandedly.

Marie sank back into her chair with a defeated sigh, her chestnut hair bouncing with the movement. Her cheeks puffed in mild frustration, her whole demeanor like a chastised child caught sneaking sweets.

"Alice," Ravenna said, tapping the table lightly with one finger, her dark eyes gleaming with intent. "Let Nille in. We have much to discuss."

"As you command, Your Highness." Alice gave a curt bow and left swiftly, her heels clicking smartly against the polished stone floor. A short while later she returned, ushering in Nille, the burly head blacksmith of Kim City, whose soot-stained tunic and calloused hands bore testament to countless hours at the forge.

"Your Highness." Nille bowed deeply, his gravelly voice carrying both respect and exhaustion.

Ravenna gestured for him to rise. "Nille. How is the project progressing?"

The man shifted his weight awkwardly. "I hate to keep repeating myself, but…"

Before he could finish, Marie cut in with a mischievous tilt of her head and a knowing grin. "You lack manpower, Master. You really are terrible at solving this issue, aren't you?"

Ravenna sighed, caught between amusement and exasperation. A wry smile tugged at her lips as she shook her head slightly. "Cheeky disciple," she muttered before turning her gaze back to Nille, her expression sharpening into something far more commanding. "The manpower problem will be settled soon, once the Festival of Lust is concluded. You need not lose sleep over it any longer."

Relief flickered across Nille's features. He bowed his head. "As you say, Your Highness." He straightened and continued, his tone shifting to one of pride. "Most of the steam-engine powered factories are operating smoothly. The construction of the railways is also on course. If there has been any delay, it is solely because of the war. Our resources and men were diverted when the fighting began."

Ravenna steepled her fingers beneath her chin, her deep dark eyes thoughtful. "Then now that the war is behind us, you can resume work unhindered, correct?"

Nille nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, Your Highness. We are already picking up pace." Then, hesitating, his expression clouded. "But… there is a small issue."

Her gaze narrowed, sharp as a knife sliding free of its sheath. "What issue?"

The blacksmith's throat bobbed as he swallowed nervously. "My… apprentice wishes to meet you." He paused, shifting uneasily under Ravenna's piercing eyes before lowering his voice. "He has a rather bizarre idea. Foolish, perhaps. I dismissed him several times, but he insists, he truly wishes for you to hear him out."

Marie leaned forward curiously, her eyes sparkling. "Bizarre idea? That already sounds fun."

Ravenna, however, did not smile. She studied Nille for a long moment, as though weighing not his words, but the weight of his caution. Finally, she leaned back, resting one arm lazily against her chair, her tone smooth yet resolute.

"Very well. Bring him in. Let us hear this apprentice of yours." Nille bowed again, relief softening his shoulders. "At once, Your Highness."

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