(Mauriss's POV, Planet Granada)
Mauriss felt no disappointment at the failure of the Juxta campaign, for territorial gain had never been his true aim.
Instead, his true purpose had always been to confirm three particular matters that had weighed on his mind for over a decade, and in that regard, the war had been an unequivocal success for him.
Firstly, he had finally gained a clear measure of Charles's strength.
For years, the subject of Charles's limits had been little more than rumor and speculation, but now Mauriss knew precisely what level of force he needed to deploy to bring the Cult Monarch down.
Secondly, he confirmed that Soron still remained within Cult territory and that he had not departed on an expedition to refine his slab of Origin Metal, which pointed towards one of two possible scenarios:
Either Soron had grown too weak to attempt such a journey… or Leo Skyshard had never given him the metal in the first place.
