Since the establishment of the Administrative Hall, foreign delegations had been hosted and guided by the international department’s staff. However, this was not the case for Saturn’s delegation.

Given their unannounced visit and the Oberon incident along with the surprise attack, the Emperor’s inspector and Prince Robert were assigned to handle them.

On the third day after Saturn’s delegation entered Uranus’s capital, Prince Robert and the Emperor’s inspector escorted them to the Emperor’s presence.

The expressions of those encountering Saturn’s delegation were far from welcoming. This was due to the flood of articles about the delegation. The clandestine communication between Oberon and Saturn, the sudden attack, and the Saturn delegation’s visit within half a day—there was no one in the reception hall unaware of these events.

Naturally, the Saturn delegation was met with hostile gazes.

Sir Enceladus, the head of Saturn’s delegation, stepped forward and presented a personal letter from the King of Saturn to the Emperor, saying,

“His Majesty wished to convey that Saturn had no choice but to feel alarmed as Uranus rapidly expanded its forces after Ariel’s engagement to Prince Robert.”

While the Emperor read the letter, Sir Enceladus continued,

“Since Lady Ariel is engaged to Prince Robert, she will soon become a princess consort. What greater honor could there be? I believe that would suffice for Ariel. The Emperor of Uranus should consider fostering goodwill with Saturn and grant us the Titania salt mines. Doing so will ensure lasting peace at the border between Saturn and Uranus.”

The two individuals claiming to represent Saturn’s delegation were not only suspicious in how they entered Uranus but were now making outrageous demands. The Emperor, the princes, and the nobles all looked at them with expressions of disbelief.

Prince Robert spoke in a cold tone,

“Lady Sophia Ariel and I have already broken off our engagement. It seems Saturn’s delegation has yet to hear the news. Perhaps the King of Saturn’s letter is more outdated than I thought. Moreover, Saturn and Uranus are different. In Saturn, the King may confiscate a lord’s property without justification, but in Uranus, we have laws and procedures.”

Sir Enceladus responded,

“Ah, I thought the creation of the Administrative Hall was a step for the Emperor to directly govern the entire empire.”

The Emperor chuckled,

“No, there are still those in our empire who harbor such misunderstandings. Some even detest the Administrative Hall. And now Saturn shares this misconception. Fascinating. Fascinating indeed. Who knows, perhaps in the future, someone will claim that those who dislike the Administrative Hall are colluding with Saturn.”

A few traditional nobles frowned at the Emperor before turning their disapproving gazes toward the Saturn delegation.

Maintaining a calm demeanor, Sir Enceladus remarked,

“Is that so? It seems that misunderstanding led me to make an inappropriate remark. His Majesty the King desires the Titania salt mines. Should I seek a response directly from Marquis Ariel, the lord of Ariel?”

The Emperor inquired,

“Did you inform Marquis Ariel of the contents of this letter?”

Sir Enceladus awkwardly smiled,

“Ariel did not welcome us. They nearly killed us. If we had asked for the salt mines, Your Majesty wouldn’t even know of our presence here. Doesn’t it seem like Ariel is plotting something sinister, attempting to kill the delegation?”

Gunther stepped forward to the Emperor’s side and presented a report.

As the Emperor skimmed through it, he said,

“So, Saturn’s so-called delegation consisted of over 1,500 armed troops? Crossing Uranus’s borders at night without informing anyone, entering Ariel and Umbriel?”

Sir Enceladus chuckled,

“Well, well! The Emperor has only now seen the report? I’m truly impressed by the efficiency of Uranus’s officials. The newspapers seem to have gotten the news out faster. Perhaps the journalists are more diligent.”

Prince Robert said,

“There are Saturnian soldiers captured in Umbriel. They were armed and loudly proclaimed they were Saturn’s soldiers. Do you truly claim that all this was fabricated by Umbriel? And the soldiers heading toward Ariel were caught in an avalanche, weren’t they? It’s strange to blame Ariel. I’ve heard they didn’t even deploy their army.”

Turning to the Emperor, Prince Robert added,

“I wonder when this alleged near-death incident in Ariel took place. Sir Gareth mentioned that Sir Enceladus himself volunteered to remain in Ariel longer.”

Sir Enceladus feigned disbelief,

“An avalanche? Are you saying it occurred naturally?”

Gunther replied,

“Hundreds of troops moving recklessly on a snow-covered mountain… If this was a diplomatic mission, as you claim, there would have been no reason for such carelessness. I believe the avalanche occurred as a result. Did the soldiers face any attacks before the avalanche?”

Sir Enceladus sighed, holding his palms up.

“Unfortunately, we have no way to prove otherwise.”

Gunther responded,

“The absence of any battle can be confirmed through an investigation of the Titania mountain range. If representatives from both nations conduct the investigation, I believe it would alleviate your frustration, Sir Enceladus.”

Prince Robert sneered,

“If this is how Saturn sends its delegations, please continue insisting on it. Next time, we’ll ensure Uranus reciprocates in the same manner.”

With a smile, Sir Enceladus quipped,

“A declaration of war, then.”

“The envoy’s visit being called a declaration of war… So, the envoy from Saturn has come to declare war on Uranus. Is that correct?”

Sir Dione spoke with a flustered expression.

“Is this how Uranus interrogates envoys upon their arrival? Why don’t you show Saturn’s envoy the laws and procedures that Uranus holds dear?”

Prince Robert retorted.

“To demand the laws and procedures of Uranus, you first need to notify us of the envoy’s visit. Skipping the proper steps and blaming Ariel and Umbriel, then asking us to showcase our laws… How audacious. It seems that the knights of Titan undergo special training to thicken their skins.”

Sir Enceladus remarked.

“Prince Robert, you truly harbor a dislike for Saturn, don’t you?”

Prince Robert smirked as he looked at Sir Enceladus.

“Let me be precise. It is not Saturn I dislike, but the shamelessness of the commander and lieutenant of the Titan Knight. Let us not confuse the two.”

Marquis Kuyper scoffed.

“What country treats ambushing enemies with kindness?”

Gunther nodded in agreement and said,

“There was an ambush, and judging by the presence of Sir Enceladus, the commander of the Titan Order of the Knights, it seems he led the ambush unit. That makes them an invading force.”

Sir Enceladus glared at Gunther and replied,

“An invading force, you say? For Uranus to first call Saturn the enemy… How should we take that?”

The emperor gestured to Gunther, who bowed respectfully and left the hall.

“He’s my auditor. Nobles like to call him my ‘errand boy.’ While you might see him as significant, in Uranus, he’s merely my employee. Control your anger; youth does seem to come with a lack of patience.”

Sir Enceladus forced a smile.

“I am indeed concerned about my lack of patience.”

“Good. Recognizing one’s shortcomings is a commendable trait.”

Sir Enceladus grinned slyly. Meanwhile, Prince Robert was meticulously observing the faces of the other nobles and officials, rather than the Saturn envoy.

“There must be others with thick skin as well.”

The emperor called out.

“Prince Robert!”

The prince stood and approached the emperor.

“Please, command me.”

“Are there damages in Umbriel?”

“There are about fifty injuries.”

Sir Dione spoke as though pleased.

“You see? For an ambush, the damage is far too minimal. That’s proof it wasn’t an ambush.”

Prince Robert replied,

“That’s what one would call a failed ambush—or incompetence, in other words.”

His tone lacked any trace of sarcasm, delivering a purely objective statement.

Sir Enceladus interjected,

“We still insist this was an envoy’s visit.”

Prince Robert stared directly at Sir Enceladus.

“Before sending an envoy, it is customary to announce the visit and obtain permission. To whom in Uranus did Saturn provide notice and seek consent? It certainly wasn’t Umbriel or Ariel. Was it Oberon? Or perhaps another noble house? Maybe Saturn misunderstands Uranus’ imperial procedures—or Sir Enceladus was unfamiliar with his duties and made a mistake. Are there any noble families in Uranus who knew of Saturn’s visit?”

Sir Enceladus’s tone softened as he responded,

“It seems I may have made a mistake, being relatively new to public duties.”

“Then let’s not call it an ambush. We’ll classify it as a personal failure of Sir Enceladus and proceed to discuss compensation for the damages.”

Prince Robert turned to the emperor.

“I formally request, as the lord of Umbriel, that a letter of protest regarding Sir Enceladus’s incompetence and his execution of public duties be sent to Saturn.”

“Very well.”

Sir Enceladus’s face turned bright red.

While the other nobles looked visibly satisfied with Prince Robert’s handling of Saturn’s envoy, Prince Frederick’s face grew tense.

In that moment, Prince Frederick remained silent. Everyone in the audience chamber was witnessing Prince Robert’s assertive performance.

Countess Cressida and the empress showed no particular reaction to the news of Saturn’s envoy arriving in the capital. Instead, they exchanged serious glances in Prince Frederick’s presence.

Judging by their demeanor, it was clear that Cressida had been scheming something in Umbriel, likely in collaboration with Saturn.

“And it failed.”

Prince Frederick suspected that Prince Robert’s bold and aggressive stance against Saturn’s envoy stemmed from believing he had Cressida and himself cornered.

“If Prince Robert thinks I’m aligned with Saturn’s envoy, his unusually proactive and confrontational behavior makes sense.”

Prince Frederick wondered why the emperor, and even the other nobles, seemed to regard Prince Robert’s actions favorably.

“The emperor is finding him praiseworthy? And so are the nobles? Are they all blind?”

Prince Frederick’s eyes betrayed his displeasure. Nervously, he glanced at Duke Wiscombe, but the duke avoided his gaze.

Duke Wiscombe, too, shared Frederick’s unease. For now, Prince Frederick’s plight was not the priority.

Philip, who had returned from Oberon, reported that it seemed Wiscombe had fallen into a trap. He mentioned that Prince Robert and Sir Gareth were suspecting a connection between Saturn and Wiscombe. On top of that, the emperor’s auditor was also involved.

‘Saturn actually dared to invade… At this rate…’

Although it was possible to lodge a protest against the imperial auditor stationed in Ariel over a lack of objectivity, there was no way to deal with the other auditors currently in Oberon.

Despite Philip’s urgings, those inept fools in Oberon failed to destroy things properly. If they were destined to die, they should have all perished together. The Duke of Wiscombe thought bitterly.

‘Those incompetent fools can’t even tie up loose ends.’

The Duke of Wiscombe was also irritated by Prince Frederick, who persistently sought to catch his attention in the reception hall.

‘If Saturn and Cressida truly joined forces, then Frederick’s chance of becoming the crown prince is gone. He can’t even guarantee his own life.’