The war with the external enemy was over, and the Toscan Empire''s army returned home.

    Even the cooks, who had spent the war at the rear preparing meals, acted as if they were war heroes, basking in the joy of their return.

    Meanwhile, Marquis Ragusa, the commander-in-chief of the war, found himself busier now than during the war itself.

    But both the gift-givers and Marquis Ragusa knew the truth—these were bribes thinly veiled as petitions.

    Rejecting these requests risked souring relations with nobles, which could lead to political traps. Yet accepting them meant succumbing to corruption.

    In the end, the best strategy was to accept the gifts, evaluate contributions fairly, and then insist it was all handled properly.@@@@

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