As the big day approached, tension continued to rise and Blue Ember soon became like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. Things remained the same on the surface, however.
Guests continued to flow in, both from the Romanos side and from the Stahlwölfes side. The list of invitees quickly shrank, with very few declining to attend, citing unforeseen circumstances that had forced a sudden change of schedule. In such situations, a replacement would be sent to represent the absentees, and when that happens, the Stahlkorps are tasked with vetting them to ensure they aren't a threat in disguise.
Since he was one of the few members capable of using Tongue of Truth, Shirogane Ken had been rather busy as of late. Screening suspicious personalities was slowly getting on his nerves, and with how draining it was on both his mana and mental fortitude, his performance began to decline eventually, giving him the perfect excuse to take some time off.
