1. No... My uncle?
  2. My own brother... I feared as much.
  3. I'm afraid so. Among the rebels are Houses Mateus [cdb]and Gideon...
  4. And all the other western lords from whom I've [cdb]stripped power. They appear to have appointed Baron Dominic as their leader.
  5. I'm so sorry, Annie. What could he be thinking?
  6. But he's one of the least significant nobles in the [cdb]region. Why would they give him that role?
  7. But he's one of the least significant nobles in the [cdb]region. Why would they give him that role?
  8. House Dominic may be a mere barony at present, [cdb]but they're a storied family whose lineage traces all [cdb]the way back to the Ten Elites.
  9. Centuries ago, when the wise King Klaus passed [cdb]beyond the veil of death, he did so without naming [cdb]a successor to the crown.
  10. And so, the three regions of the Holy Kingdom— Faerghus, Mach, and Leicester—were divided among [cdb]the three royal princes.
  11. House Dominic chose to side with the prince ruling Mach, who was eventually defeated by the forces of Faerghus.
  12. Leaving the once vast Dominic territory to be [cdb]whittled down, meted out to the neighboring lords.
  13. I know they held a grudge about that in the past, [cdb]but surely it's ancient history at this point.
  14. Tons of people from House Dominic, my father [cdb]included, have devoted their lives to serving the [cdb]royal family.
  15. It makes me wonder if my uncle's heart is really in [cdb]this fight.
  16. As they stand now, House Dominic lacks the [cdb]influence and might necessary to defy their [cdb]surrounding lords.
  17. So when pushed to join the uprising, they would've [cdb]had little choice but to go along. But that lack of [cdb]strength might just be the key to our victory.
  18. How do you mean, Gustave?
  19. If we could only convince my brother to change sides, [cdb]the western territories would lose their leader.
  20. And if we were to follow that up with a decisive [cdb]victory against a demoralized army, it would likely [cdb]cause their military effort to collapse entirely.
  21. Perhaps, but it'll be difficult to pry the baron away [cdb]without first eliminating those surrounding him.
  22. Indeed. If nothing else, we'll need to turn the tide of [cdb]war in our favor if we ever hope to empower the [cdb]baron to defect.
  23. For now, we must consider how best to break through [cdb]their front.