The fifth cycle arrived in the blink of an eye.
Within this fleeting interval, many widely known events transpired, such as the Pelican Trading Commerce's announcement that it could fully supply all the grain for the Watson territory within the coming month, astonishing the entire empire; such as the grand dukes of the southern border formally cast their gaze, indicating their major trading houses' contact with the Pelican Trading Commerce, only to mysteriously vanish without a trace thereafter.
Yet, the most sensational was the Elder Princess's casual mention of this matter during a conversation with her ministers, referring to it as "an object of intrigue."
It is common knowledge that once the Elder Princess finds something intriguing, it is not long before it falls into her hands.