"Certainly, it seems like captain Gamesh managed to salvage the situation as best as he could, with the help of the kind and hardworking lieutenant Mimi," Alfred said while walking back and forth. "But it is the failings of captain Flavna that lead us to this situation! Were you not informed of these violent murderers long before they orchestrated the underground massacre?"
"W-what?" lord Belmot shuffled in his seat. "Wasn't that massacre what brought about the disturbances in the city? How could anyone have known before then, Alfred? Did we have an informant?"
"On the day of the massacre, our soldiers encountered a small group of women in the Shadow Woods while chasing a murderer," Alfred said while looking at Flavna. "Those women then joined forces and nearly wiped out a whole squad. Eight men in total were dead."
Steve. Flavna grit her teeth and clenched her fists, imagining the beating she'd give the traitorous bastard if he'd be stupid enough to not flee after this.
"The lone survivor reported to Flavna in detail, hoping for swift justice to avenge the deaths of his comrades," Alfred continued. "Instead, Flavna chastised and beat the man, but did next to nothing to find the criminals until it was too late. Instead of treating the matter with all the seriousness it deserved, she left the search to a few patrols and remained in the barracks to celebrate her birthday."
"Oh, dear!" Belmot, a nervous wreck, barely controlled himself. He grabbed his full cup and downed it in several loud gulps. As soon as he put it back down on the small table next to his seat, an elderly servant filled up the cup to the brim.
"Who won't Steve come here in and retell that story to my face?" Flavna asked.
"Oh, so you could threaten him?" Alfred asked and grinned. "Make no mistake, your so-called 'leadership' methods are well-known. Intimidation, battery. Some of your beatings were so brutal it put soldiers out of commission for months!"
"Oh, those two lazy bastards that searched for any excuse to get out of patrols?" Flavna asked, recalling the duo that broke each other's limbs to stay under the care of healer Jenny longer.
"Why haven't I heard of this before?" Belmot asked.
"Very few dared to come forth for fear of retaliation, my lord," Alfred said with a distraught expression. "Did you notice how captain Flavna immediately asked to bring Steve here? None of our soldiers are under any illusion as to what would await them should they fall on her bad side. And yet, for all the terrorizing of our own men, where are the results?"
"My lord, I do hate to say 'I told you so'," another man spoke up. Sitting further to the left from lord Belmot, this bald man was so bloated that he barely fit in his chair, yet he too bore a captain's emblem on his chest. "But this girl was utterly unworthy of the trust and responsibilities you put upon her. If I had been in charge of the security in the city, I would not have slept until the criminals were found and hanged."
"You haven't been outside these walls for over a year," Flavna said with open contempt.
"Captain Grizwald works tirelessly to protect our lord and his daughter!" Alfred said. "Gods know that his vigilant watch is needed now more than ever with your failings! And we haven't even gotten to the strain you put on your lord's relationship both with the Guild and the royal family!"
"Oh, indeed, Alfred," Belmot sighed again. "Captain, is it true that you arrested someone called Felicia Th-Thundersnuff and hold her in the Pits?"
Gamesh snorted.
"Yes, my lord, we're holding Felicia Thundershnauf," Flavna said. "It seems that everyone has forgotten, so let me remind you that for the first time in over five years, demons were spotted and confirmed within the city walls! And I will not release a single person until we know for sure how this could have happened."
"Bah! Just because you failed to capture the true culprits, you try to save face by torturing not only innocents, but also our allies!" captain Grizwald said.
"The Guild has demanded the immediate release of not only their A-rank member Felicia, but also all other their surviving members," Alfred said.
"I can release you and Grizwald to them this very instant," Flavna said.
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