Who would have guessed that the empire would allow a growing tiger to develop in its backyard? Spade reflected on his intuition that the Empire had been relatively peaceful during his reign; he was always vigilant and didn't dare to take anything lightly, and he still made sure to strengthen his control over his throne and the Empire more than ever in these recent years.
Spade was very different from his father in that he was used to being rational and having complete control over everything. He was a steady ruler who was both compassionate and ruthless. He was not criticizing his royal father, but Spade knew that while the late emperor was a good man, a good husband, and a good father, he wasn't a good ruler.
