Chapter 464: Report

Chapter 464: Report

“A massacre during the commoner festivities, marauding and raping in the streets in broad daylight, half of the Beaver District burned to the ground, all on your watch!” a hunched man dressed in all black rattled off and pointed in accusation at the skinny nineteen-year-old captain who listened to it all on one knee before her lord’s council.

Wearing even more eyeliner and eyeshadow than usual, captain Flavna did a piss-poor job of hiding her contempt for lord Belmot’s trusted advisor, Alfred. On his knee next to Flavna, Gamesh fared much better. Showing neither a hint of anger nor disdain, Gamesh appeared as if he was listening to a sage’s wise advice, taking every word to heart.

“We have not even completed a full accounting of all the brave men and women we lost in the last few days!” Alfred continued, some spit escaping his mouth as he spoke with anger and self-importance. “And now, a captain is dead!”

“May Gods welcome him!” lord Belmot said with closed eyes, lowered his head, and kissed his closed right hand’s knuckles.

“May Gods welcome him!” the others present in their lord’s throne room followed suit and did the same. Some said it louder, some barely uttered the words. Captains Flavna and Gamesh paid their respects to their fellow comrade. The pink hair teenager that sat next to lord Belmot crossed her arms and blatantly ignored the common courtesy.

“And what a captain he was!” Alfred said as he turned to lord Belmot’s council. “A brave man, never hesitating to put his life on the line for both his men as well as the good people of this city. And he died doing the job that Flavna and her cowardly sidekick failed to do!”

Flavna twitched at the word “cowardly”.

“DADDY!” Ophelia jumped up. “You can’t just forgive him like that! The other soldiers will think we’re going soft! Mistakes must be punished!”

“Oh, but how could he have known that one of our fearsome captains would be bested?” Belmot asked. “Even I’m shocked! And he wasn’t the one that lost the fight—”

“Daddyyy!!”

“Oh!” Belmot sighed as if after a long workout he obviously never had and wiped more sweat off his forehead. “Captain Gamesh, what about the fires? I trust that has been dealt with, surely? And the suspects?”

“We put good lieutenant Mimi to the task, and she dealt with the fires successfully,” Gamesh reported. “She is currently performing final inspections and will later inform you in detail of the damage and casualties of the fire. And the suspects were delivered without incident and are being questioned even as we speak.”

“See, my princess?” Belmot smiled at his daughter. “Our trusted captain has everything under control!”

“URGH!!” Ophelia groaned and plopped back into her chair. She crossed her arms and turned away from her father while puffing up her cheeks.