After Inspector Fred left, Elyon was granted some peace. At noon, his sisters came to visit him, but this time the food wasn't as luxurious as before. Elyon eyed the few rice balls in the basket.
"Is this it? Just these rice balls? And they don't even have seaweed. I want meat."
Nyara rolled her eyes at her older brother. "Don't you have a pretty, rich girl taking care of you? Why did she ditch you once you woke up? You're not even seriously injured this time, so some rice balls and veggies will keep you healthy."
"Well, even for health, some meat is necessary," Elyon replied, sidestepping the question about Emma. It was not wise to argue about a woman in her presence, especially when he was craving meat.
"Eat it or leave it."
"I'll eat it. The rice balls my sisters make are the best." Elyon chose to eat quietly. After a half-satisfying meal, he thought about checking out of the hospital in the afternoon. But then Captain Kappa entered the room with Barbara.
"I'm sorry, Barbara. I couldn't keep my promise to bring little Cor back," Elyon said, feeling he had let down the little girl before him. Barbara didn't cry; instead, she bit down hard on Elyon's arm. Her bite wasn't strong, but it left behind a row of teeth marks, a silent testament to her pain and disappointment.
"Good girl, Barbara. Uncle Elyon did his best. Look, he's been here for over a day and almost lost his life," Kappa said, pulling Barbara away. She then returned to her usual quiet demeanor. "I'm not mad at him for not bringing my brother back; I'm mad because he gave me too much hope."
Elyon sighed deeply, looking at his sisters. "How about Barbara stays with me? I already have two sisters; what's one more?"
His sisters, understanding the situation, chimed in, "No problem. Our brother may be clumsy, but we can take good care of Barbara. If you don't like the city, we have a farm in the countryside where you can live with our parents."
Captain Kappa interrupted, "I came today because Barbara wanted to see you one last time. The Garrick couple has agreed to adopt her. You three siblings aren't married; it's inconvenient and you lack experience. Garrick and his wife have canceled their trip and plan to settle in the Kingdom of Luke across the sea. Barbara is willing to leave this place."
Elyon struggled to sit up. "Captain, after Garrick settles in the Kingdom of Luke, have him send me a letter with his address."
"What for? Are you planning to be pen pals with Garrick?"
"I've made some extra money recently. Might as well give it to Barbara as an early coming-of-age gift."
Captain Kappa looked at the man lying in the hospital bed, who usually just wanted to slack off, and chuckled. "The stingiest man in Aegisburg, no, in the entire Kingdom of Bruge, is willing to spend so much money? Won't you consult your parents?"
Elyon replied with a rogue's grin, "Why should I ask them about the money I earned myself? Some of it I earned with my brains, and some almost cost me an arm. By the way, is there a reward for this case?"
"There is, but since you borrowed firearms and ammunition without permission, your new pistol is deformed, and that shotgun's trigger is broken. Add the flash grenade to that, and let's call it even."
What did he mean by 'even'? Elyon wanted to protest, but seeing Kappa's genial gaze, he swallowed his words.
"Oh, what happened to Monge and those scoundrels? And the little black boy I rescued in the manor?"
"The survivors have been arrested. As usual, they'll likely be sentenced to exile and forced labor in the mines. The boy you saved will probably be taken in by the Special Actions Division's charity school. Don't worry, it's not like the city's poorhouses where you're hungry one meal and full the next. It's more of a preparatory school for the Special Actions Division, ideal for orphans with no ties."
Elyon nodded. Being taken in by the Special Actions Division was far better than living on the streets, especially for a black child in this country, where he would be less welcomed. If not starving on the streets, he'd likely join a gang, die from stray bullets, or end up in prison.
"Oh, and what about Monge himself?" Elyon was curious about the fate of Monge, especially after the attack the day before.
"That young lord in drag? He was beaten half to death on the spot by General Granger when he tried to flee the day before yesterday. Yesterday, during his transfer from the military camp to the Special Actions Division, he was silenced in an attack and died instantly."
Elyon felt like he had uncovered a blind spot. "What do you mean by 'in drag'? And silenced in an attack?"
Captain Kappa explained, "The young lord had some peculiar habits, like dressing up as a woman. So, your deduction had a flaw—you got the gender wrong. And as for the attack, I don't think anyone intended to rescue him by blowing him to bits. The City Guard and the Special Actions Division have been searching everywhere since yesterday; the waters here run deep. There's a guard posted by your room to prevent anyone from silencing you."
"That's quite the operation. To not mention the difficulty of acquiring so much explosive, daring to silence a witness right under the City Guard's nose, that young lord Monge must have known too much."
"Who knows? Anyway, Viscount Aaron has cleared himself of any involvement, and Duke East Island has acted as a guarantor, so there was no further interrogation. A viscount doesn't seem like the type to openly attack the City Guard."
"Did you investigate the black-clothed organization Monge mentioned? Maybe we can start with the source of the explosives."
"Stop there. You can let this go. It's too broad. Unless you want to end up like that young lord, blown to pieces, so much so that the coroner can't even piece you back together."
Elyon shrugged, indicating his preference for self-preservation. After a few comforting words, Captain Kappa prepared to leave.
"When can I be discharged? Honestly, I'm just drained mentally, and my organs were shaken up, but I should be about recovered by now." Elyon was getting bored; in this era, without the internet or computers and smartphones, there wasn't much to do.
"Follow the schedule. The higher-ups want to see if they can bait out whoever's behind this. Plus, you'd be an easy target for General Granger, who's still fuming. Even if he doesn't beat you half to death, a thrashing is guaranteed."
Elyon decided it was best to stay put. A commander of the City Guard, an old general, was likely not far from being a demigod. The day before, a mere glance from a suspected demigod nearly made him crumble. He couldn't afford to provoke such destructive power.
His sisters took care of him at dinner, thankfully including meat this time. After they left with his laundry, Elyon read the day's newspaper again. Beyond the usual political squabbles and noble scandals, there wasn't much of interest. Only the foreign news on the fourth page brought something new, with the most attention-grabbing headline being the Celestine Empire's decision to send a permanent diplomatic envoy to Bruge.