"Your Holiness," Soleno began, "while it's true that Captain Vito cannot be absolved of all responsibility, it would be unjust to lay the entire blame on him. The Celeste Empire is far from our reach, with many kingdoms between us. Information may have been miscommunicated or delayed. It would not be wise to punish him excessively under these circumstances."
Allegro III's frustration erupted in a loud, angry exclamation. "How did the sacred Radiance come to this? Once we ruled the entire Rubel Continent, and now we cower before the Celeste Empire!"
His voice was laden with a mix of disappointment and anger. The Papacy, which had once dominated the continent, had devolved into a shadow of its former power, forced to watch its actions and defer to lesser kingdoms. This was the reality Allegro III had inherited—a crumbling institution riddled with internal decay.