William walked through the halls of the imperial palace with a long, exhausted sigh escaping his lips every few moments.
His hand kept drifting toward the back of his neck, rubbing the sore muscles there as he tried to shake away the fatigue settling into his body.
The ceremony had dragged on for hours, drowning him beneath endless declarations, oaths, applause, and formalities that seemed designed solely to test the patience of everyone involved. Even now, after it had finally ended, the murmur of voices and the blaring sound of horns and drums still rang in his ears.
After his mother had officially granted him the title of Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military, three entire ministries had been placed directly under his authority.
The army, the intelligence, and public home affairs, meaning internal conflicts of the empire, were now to be overseen and dealt with by him.
