The Old Duke and the others returned from attending the festival.
Elliot was summoned to the study for questioning.
He had thought it would be difficult to handle. After all, the Old Duke had told him to stay home and not go out.
As far as appearances went, he had disobeyed the Old Duke's instructions and gone to the factory in the Hearthfire District himself.
Although that had been a duplicate controlled through a Difference Engine, he could not explain that. The Machine Priests had all seen him there.
Yet the Old Duke never asked about it. He merely held Elliot's gaze meaningfully for a long while, then skipped the subject entirely.
Thinking it over, if the Old Duke had wanted to, he could have stopped Elliot from leaving.
But he had done nothing, allowing Elliot to mobilize the priests of the Reforging Flame.
Elliot could not help narrowing his eyes slightly. He had a vague sense that the Old Duke seemed to be plotting something.
"There were some complications with this year's sacrifice." The Old Duke withdrew his gaze and spoke as though making idle conversation while looking through the documents awaiting his attention. "Complications? Didn't everything go as usual?"
"There were several tenths fewer sacrificial offerings than expected, and some disputes broke out during the distribution... Do you have any idea about that?"
Elliot looked bewildered. "How would I have any idea? I didn't even take part in the sacrifice."
"True." The Old Duke did not press him. He nodded and continued, "Third Prince Sidney has been confined."
"Huh?"
That really did catch Elliot by surprise.
Was Sidney that close to me? Did he get jealous when he saw me confined?
"He openly questioned the meaning of the sacrifice before His Majesty, and said a great many... unbecoming