Kiara answered almost immediately.
"There are no guarantees in anything, Crown Prince Darius. Isn't that why NET exists in the first place? To keep an eye on people who might pose a threat to the empire? If the crown decides to grant mining rights to private organisations, then naturally, it should appoint observers to monitor their activities."
She tilted her head slightly, her tone remaining matter-of-fact.
"Besides, if we demand absolute loyalty before trusting anyone with responsibility, we'll never get anything done. You can't even guarantee that every prince in this family will remain loyal to the throne. Why should a merchant be any different?"
Kaelan nodded, crossing his arms.
"She's right. You can't guarantee a prince's loyalty to the throne, let alone a merchant whose primary interest is profit."
Darius's expression tightened, but before he could respond, Zeraph spoke.
