Hard boot soles crunched through the Snowdrifts and stopped before the gate.
"Glutton, a pleasure to meet you."
"I... I'm the butler." The butler, who had come out to buy Glutton time, stammered, "The master isn't home..."
"How can that be? One of my men saw him at the window just now." With a young man's swagger and pride, Young Miss Olmedo tilted his head. "Let's go in and say hello to Glutton."
"You... you can't go in!" The butler tried to block Annan's path, but Annan shoved him aside.
Just as they were about to storm the Manor, a shout rang out:
"Young Miss Olmedo!"
"L... Kyle?" Annan watched Little Bat descend from the sky, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "Mr. Kyle, you know Glutton?"
"Glutton is the Grand Duke's man. You dare cause trouble for Lord Babatod?"
"Mr. Kyle, I'm only following orders."
Annan still showed him a measure of respect. Reassured, Kyle was happy to play along.
"Whose orders?"
"The Council Chairman's."
"Impossible!"
Annan took out the Amulet the Council Chairman had given him. "The Council Chairman authorized everything I'm doing!"
Kyle's pupils contracted. The Amulet was real... What was going on? Why had the Council Chairman sided with Annan?
Wait...
Kyle vaguely recalled that the Council Chairman's surname was Augusta. Annan's deputy city lord was also named Augusta...
Lost in thought, Kyle told the ashen-faced butler, "Tell your master Grand Duke Babatod can't intervene in this matter."
"Lord Kyle..."
Kyle ignored whatever came next and took flight like a great bat... Wait, where was his black Cloak?
Annan looked away and gave another order. "Search the place. Kill anyone who resists!"
Even a Legendary Mage had been scared off. The butler and Guards couldn't muster the will to resist as the Purification Court's people