The departure of Bismarck and Riyatt, two individuals from Phrus, brought a palpable sense of relief to the tense atmosphere around the corner.
Anton, wiping the sweat from his brow, exclaimed with a lingering sense of alarm, "Phew, those people from Phrus are truly intimidating. Just standing there, they exert such immense pressure."
At this moment, Howard found himself able to smile again, reassuring Anton in a relaxed tone, "It's alright, they've already left."
The evening banquet featured a lengthy speech by Frederick, whose words and ideas startlingly echoed those of Cotler.
Given Cotler's current efforts to spread his radical ideas throughout Phrus, Howard had reason to suspect that the upper echelons of Phrus had been swayed by Cotler's rhetoric.
Howard's earlier suggestion to Bismarck to look further afield was an attempt to encourage Phrus to expand their conquests beyond the mainland's periphery.
