Cerebus had moved into the Prime Minister's offices and Astoria was working as his secretary. I'm sure her title was something else, but she was filling the role of secretary. She had to be planning something. Astoria was the Duchess of Parnoc, she had planned Cerebus' campaign and pushed him into the Prime Minister's office, yet she was working as his secretary? I didn't buy that.
As feared, power goes to Cerebus' head. He bullies people into doing what he wants, and immediately launches military action against Lower Felda. This again illustrates that as a military commander Cerebus is perfect, but a failure as a political leader. He doesn't understand diplomacy, he understands that a blunt or edged weapon nearly always gets you what you want. Nearly always being the key words there.
Cerebus' intention is to use the money he plunders from Lower Felda to pay his mercenary forces. Unfortunately when he takes Lower Felda he finds out that the entire country is broke, and he now owes Lord Julius more than he can ever pay back, as well as owing his own mercenary forces about half again what he promised them in the first place. To add insult to injury, Lord Julius sends some cigars with his demand for payment and one of them explodes in Cerebus' face while he is smoking it.
It's hard to see how the aardvark is going to get out of this. He successfully manages to alienate nearly every useful ally he has, except for Astoria. His inner circle is comprised of Henrot and the Elf. Henrot's powers only work part of the time and the Elf seems to regard membership as being like part of a child's gang.
Cerebus is in way over his head.
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