Chapter 857: Here Comes the Father!

Henwell walks slowly into the light. Everyone watches in terror as his blood-soaked cloak trails across the floor.

To them, he seems to drag a river of blood behind him, drawing closer with each step.

Even Archbishop Ashiburn and Luke, marshal of the Western Federation, feel immense pressure from Henwell.

Henwell stops at the table. "Get lost. Give me your seat!"

The man slams the table and stands. "Henwell! This is Holy Lake City, not your Peace Haven!"

"Representatives from other countries are here. This is no place for you to do as you please!"

Even as he speaks, he has already backed away several steps.

Henwell tilts his head at him. "Oh? Talking back?"

The Lumir marquess, who opposes Obilian's reforms, bolts for the door, afraid Henwell will actually strike him.

Henwell ignores the coward, pulls out the chair and sits. He looks around the table.

"Go on. You were all talking quite eagerly a moment ago. I'm joining in now. Don't be shy."

Archbishop Ashiburn clears his throat. "Henwell, I understand how you feel. There were mistakes in planning the operation."

"But you cannot blame the representatives at headquarters. We'd never planned a joint operation on this scale before. Some oversights were inevitable."

Henwell taps the table with a finger. "So it's my son's fault for being too stupid to run away and become a deserter?"

"His fault for fighting bravely and sticking to the plan to stop the enemy?"

A Lumir count gives an awkward smile. "Of course not. General Pabos fought bravely."

"He did a great deal to protect Lumir's people, and all humanity!"

Henwell stops tapping. "Then it's my fault for coming here and making a fuss?" he sneers.

The count shrinks back. No one dares meet Henwell's eyes.

Henwell turns to the silent Obilian. "This is your territory. I won't take over. Tell me how you intend to handle this."

Obilian answers calmly. "Investigate it. Thoroughly. No one responsible gets away."

Prince Oniro, the Ika Kingdom's representative, tries to smooth things over. "Henwell, it's over. Things didn't go exactly to plan, but the outcome was good."

"The battle's results are excellent. We trapped a great mass of enemy troops with no way out and destroyed many of their elite forces."

"Their force of spellcasters took an especially heavy blow."

"They lost a great deal of high-level combat strength. This is our most brilliant victory since the war began."

"We owe that to cooperation between all sides, and above all to the courage of General Pabos and the others!"

Henwell stares at Oniro until the prince's scalp prickles. Only then does he speak. "I've heard a few things."

"When the Mobile Strike Group's Ninth Warband asked the First Warband for help, someone was hinting that General Whistler should stand by and watch!"

Prince Oniro's face turns solemn. "Impossible. This must be a misunderstanding."

"We're allies now. How could we ignore an ally in danger?"

"Someone is trying to break the alliance and destroy our trust in one another. Probably another Veil scheme."

"Henwell, you're a wise man. Surely you won't believe rumors meant to damage relations between our two countries."

Henwell laughs. "You still don't understand why I came in person."

"I'm not here for excuses. I want a solution!"

"All right!"

"Everyone's time is valuable. Ika owes me an answer!"

Prince Oniro narrows his eyes. "If the lord of Blood Hill chooses to believe malicious rumors, I have nothing more to say."

"As for the answer you want, I don't understand. Tell us plainly."

Henwell nods. "Good. Go kill that mouthy military recorder."

"Do it in front of every officer and soldier of the First Warband. Tell them why you're killing him."

"And to prove Ika was also kept in the dark, you must do it personally. That's the most important part!"

Oniro's eyes turn cold. "Henwell! You're interfering in our internal affairs. This violates the alliance agreement!"

Henwell does not argue. With a turn of his hand, a stack of cards appears on the table.

"Of course, there is another option. Here. Draw five cards!"

Henwell sees Oniro's puzzled look and helpfully explains, "These are the principal members of Ika's royal family."

"Go on!"

"Pick five unlucky souls. I'll pay them a visit later and kill them myself. Then we'll call it settled!"

"But I'd advise you to choose carefully."

"King Baleqi of Ika is in there. So are you, Your Highness, and your children."

Prince Oniro erupts. "Henwell, are you provoking the Ika Kingdom? Do you want a war?"

Henwell nods. "Fine! If that's what you want, I can declare us at war right now!"

Marshal Luke speaks. "Henwell, do you intend to violate the alliance agreement? Does Peace Haven intend to become every nation's enemy?"

Henwell turns to him in surprise. "The alliance agreement? I thought that was a worthless scrap of paper!"

His expression turns mocking. "What kind of damned alliance is this? What did the agreement say?"

"Watch over one another. Cooperate. Set aside our grudges for the time being."

"And what happened?"

"Someone's clearly used it as toilet paper, and treated the Western Federation's word as so much hot air."

"Look!"

"They're walking all over you, and you're still talking about the agreement?"

"Does it actually mean anything?"

"Someone deliberately plotted against the Mobile Strike Group's troops and tried to use the chance to get rid of a rival's son!"

"Is that what the agreement allows?"

"Did I miss a clause?"

"Or does no one care about the agreement, so everyone keeps doing as he pleases?"

"Or are the lives of Ika's royals worth more than my son's?"

"Come on!"

"Marshal Luke, tell me. Is this agreement binding?"

Marshal Luke's face darkens. "Of course it's binding. We all agreed to it!"

Henwell pushes back his chair and rises. "Then prove it! Show me our alliance agreement can't be ignored!"

Luke frowns and glances at Archbishop Ashiburn, who gives a slight nod.

Luke speaks loudly. "Prince Oniro, you will act for Ika. Personally execute that Veil infiltrator who tried to divide the alliance!"

"Lumir will investigate the whole affair. Find every noble who had a hand in it and punish them severely."

Henwell smiles. "Severely? How severely? Set a standard!"

Under Henwell's pressure, Luke says in a low voice, "Execute them all!"

Henwell claps lightly. "Very good! How clever of the Western Federation. Everyone else does the dirty work while you watch from a safe distance."

"If that's how things work, what's the point of having the Western Federation arbitrate the alliance?"

"If the Western Federation doesn't want to get its hands dirty, let me be the arbiter."

"I like killing people. I don't mind dirty hands. I'll do it quickly and cleanly, and I don't fear reprisals!"