Portraits revealed through your current reading position.
Ruler of the Skull Empire, named by Quasar as the most likely party to try bribing him against Carl.
When Carl asked what would stop the Skull Empire from bribing his lawyer to sabotage him, Quasar laughed and admitted nothing formally stops an interested third party from trying — to ruin Carl he would only have to do nothing at all. His proof of good faith is that if he is putting in only the bare minimum, that is when Carl should suspect King Rust has been whispering sweet into his ears.
Quasar disdains him on principle: the day he takes a bribe from some pig-faced imperialist fuck, he says, is the day he withers.
Imperial ruler whose interest in Carl's case shadows the negotiation.
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings: