Meanwhile…
Grand Duke Fiesto took a deep breath and let out an awkward chuckle. "Sir, to be honest, I have no idea who this Astharel is. I didn't quite catch what you were saying earlier, so…"
"You do realize there's no point in pretending, right?" Ethan said with a faint smile, his tone calm but firm.
Fiesto's face stiffened at that—but after a moment, he sighed, his expression turning bitter. "So there's really no other way, is there? Honestly, I don't understand why Astharel would side with you. If that's true, neither the Greenwave Empire nor the Tidesworn will ever let him walk away from this. Unless…"
He paused, eyes narrowing as he stared at Ethan. "Unless you've got someone backing you—someone powerful enough that even the Tidesworn wouldn't dare retaliate."
Ethan just smiled again, not confirming or denying it. Instead, he smoothly shifted the conversation.
"There's something else I'm not sure you're aware of…"
