Lynn looked at Hill in silence.
Hill could only give his friend an innocent smile.
He had never outright said he did not want the people of his territory to worship Lathander, but his choice made it clear. Hill truly dreaded the Lord of Dawn.
He could not help it. Lathander's warmth and guilelessness were far too enticing to young people. It seemed that simply by following the energetic Lord of Dawn, they too could have a bright future.
At first, Hill had only planned to have Martha direct the puppets to deal with the merchant caravans passing through. He had not expected Lynn's first instinct to be organizing a garrison.
Hill had no objection.
He knew he looked down on those merchants who doubled as bandits, so it had never occurred to him that their first thought upon seeing the puppets would not be how powerful the lord was, but how much the puppets were worth.
For people who lived by the sword, risking their lives for something valuable was only natural. But even if dragons came to rob him, Martha could command the puppets to kill them.
That was why Hill had been so casual about it. If they wanted to die, they were welcome to try.
Lynn, however, thought like a conventional administrator. His first instinct was to prevent trouble in the area under his control.
Since Hill had entrusted the management of Aglaia City to Lynn, he would not overrule his friend unless necessary.
What Hill truly had not expected was that the Elven City Guard—who, in his eyes, were the least likely to follow Lathander after being battered in turn by Evermeet and Myth Drannor—would react to the Lord of Dawn like startled birds.
What was he supposed to do?
He could not very well