"Allowed, hmm," Alexander mused to himself with a smirk. "He organized it."
And this was the complete truth. The merchant who had been buying up stolen goods left the steward no chance to defend himself. This schemer, understanding the unique situation the duchy was in, organized the first gangs of rabble on the roads and secured connections for selling the stolen goods.
One such accomplice of the steward was the merchant who had now been sliced into ribbons by the executioners. No questions were asked of him, and his tongue had long been cut out, so he could not betray his partner and leader. Of course, the thieving steward was not the only organizer, but it all started with him.
— Capturing bandits is Captain Vilora's responsibility, — the man tried to defend himself, — He is the one at fault for your sister's death, Your Grace.
— It is for me to decide who is at fault and who is not, — the Duchess cut him off, — and Knight Blood, who is here, cannot be punished for the incident in the blacksmith quarter.
Continuing further argument would only escalate the conflict, and both men bowed and left the room.
— That baseless knight is getting too uppity, — the steward hissed once the door closed behind him.
— He's a strange mage, — his companion said, as if not paying attention to his partner's words.
— Why?
— He didn't get offended by you at all. And you, a baseless scum, herbivore, yelled at him, and he let it slide, — the statement was completely truthful, despite the high position and immense power, the second person in the duchy was not even a noble.
— Many let things slide. He knows exactly who I am, — the steward declared arrogantly, smirking.
— That's not even the point. He…
— What about him?
— He clearly saw that I was standing behind you, covered by a shield, and that I was ready with a combat spell, maintaining my concentration, but he just smirked. He didn't consider me a threat, — the Supreme Mage attempted to approach the situation from another angle, explaining his feelings about the encounter with the knight.
— Are you sure?
— Yes! Of course, for Valerian mages, some level of condescension towards those who did not study with them is common, and learning that I studied in Teshale is a matter of minutes. But there's something else… I questioned the soldiers who went to the pass. The spells he used, their number and frequency… We might be dealing with an archmage…
— Nonsense, archmages don't wander the roads! — the steward said, somewhat frightened, even stopping, — Don't convince yourself of something that isn't true!
— Valeria is a special country… Archmages can be more than just in the council. But in any case, even if this Blood is not an archmage, he is close to that status. It was a mistake not to try to sway him to our side in the spring.
— It would only have made things worse, believe me. I also questioned the soldiers who fought at the Cursed Bridge and my spies. Blood is loyal to that bastard Savoyardi and wouldn't betray him. If I had tried to sway him in the spring, things would have only gotten worse. We need to find compromising material on him! — the man concluded, — Then he will be in our hands.
His interlocutor remained silent, continuing to recall the sly glint in the eyes that promised nothing but death. It was better not to anger such a person. But doing nothing was also not an option.
Meanwhile, the Duchess, left alone with Blood, turned to him.
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