The Empress was the first woman to speak.
"Whatever opinions we might have had, Marquis Zeraph has already explained them quite clearly. I don't see any need to repeat his arguments." She glanced toward Darius before continuing. "My vote goes to the Crown Prince."
Alexander's expression remained neutral, but inwardly, he couldn't help sighing.
Of course. Another vote based on someone else's argument.
He turned toward Callista, hoping for a different response.
Callista considered the matter for a moment before speaking.
"Your Majesty, I believe the empire already possesses considerable wealth and enough ether mines to meet its needs. I don't see why we should risk creating a conflict when we could resolve the matter through dialogue. Even if the mine is valuable, that doesn't mean we must claim it by force."
She looked toward Kaelan.
"My vote goes to Prince Kaelan."
Alexander nodded, though his thoughts grew increasingly frustrated.
At least she's explained her reasoning.
