...
...
"Give up, Samir."
Clad in full military dress, Old Count Ernst sat imposing and powerful in the Governor's seat—a throne forged from pure gold in the Council Hall.
By his side were more than ten other nobles in equally magnificent attire, all watching the man opposite them with calm expressions.
But the fervor in their eyes could not be concealed, a mixture of excitement, coldness, and contempt... among other things.
Surrounding them were orderly rows of family guards, flanked by numerous Extraordinaries in the uniforms of the Secret Investigation Department and the City Guard.
"Besides those City Guards behind you, the Secret Investigation Department you're counting on won't be coming. It's impossible for them to come."
"So why not choose a dignified death?"
Old Count Ernst did not have the smug smile of a victor on his face, and his tone was as calm and steady as ever, but his words were a declaration of victory.
