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    "So now that you know how broken are our military funds, as always, i think is time to move on the main topic. Before that" said the scornful monster besides me "i would like a recap on your current status. I want to emphasize that if there are some major anomalies it''s better to not keep them for yourselfes"


    We looked at each other and exchanged glances. I locked myself in a staring contest with the spoiled brat in front of me, we both had the highest noble rank in the room so neither of us had the courage to back down, our pride refused it. The one with the mosquito mask, apparently named K''Loth probably understood that this was going nowhere. She exchanged glances with the other muscle head and received a chuckle in answer. Then she looked our way, as if to say "spoiled noble brats", i know that stare too well, then after muttering something akin to insults she decided to start.


    "Same stuff as last month. Mira is in internal turmoil because of the newly estabilished ruling class. If it goes on like this it could remove itself from the empire, we should look into his relationship with the Arrowhead Alliance." then she looked my way "Do you peraphs have news about this?"


    "No milady" i answer "i mainly look into what is happening within enemy lines not ours."


    "Mhpf." she grunted "Stupid of me to expect you to be useful to something. Well you could still do a decent enough job of warming my bed later what about it?" She said while grinning.


    Like i would accept the proposal of any lowly noble twice my age and half my size. My disdain was apparent seeing as she held her sides and doubled over while laughing. The thought of how powerless i was made me clench my fists tightly and the others subtly threw glances at me to see how i would react.


    It was fake, like many of her acts. I knew it, i could fell it deep in my bones. She just wanted to tease me to get a reaction out of me. Yet i coudn''t help myself for filling anger boiling inside of me. Maybe i was a little paranoid but i could swear i could see the disappointment in her eyes any time i didn''t react. I swear, i will either get a stroke one of this days or kill her. Why she wanted me to attack her anyway? Just to have me replaced, with another noble more easily influencable, or to have some leverage to boss me around? The reason didn''t matter, i would not let childish jokes get to me even if she was a disrespecting prick. Damn, i really hate the bloody politics. I kept clenching my fists in rage.


    "Sorry to disappoint, i have someone else." They just wanted an excuse to remove me from this meetings and i would not give them one. "You are not to my likings." What i could give them was a reason to leave me alone.


    "Oh." then she looked at me as if she wanted to excuse herself but then changed her mind. "Whatever, go on with the report then."


    I was already tired of it, so i decided i might as well concede and drop this argument. "No enemy movements. As always some fools tried to corrupt some of our nobles or put spies in our ranks, but we just have to kill the infection before it has a chance to spread. As i was saying before there are no news about contacts with the city of Mira from our enemies. We are checking for secret information channels but at the moment they are still our allies. That is all." The rest is not of any concern for you all.


    There were some movements in the enemy lines in reality but nobody in this meeting needed to know, neither they really cared. With our influence is easy to get any information as long as we pay the fee for it. We all suspected each other and withheld informations as long as they were not directly against this council purposes of detecting and aswering to any immediate threats to our society. Our roots where so deep that in our meetings if there was a concrete argument against the royalty we might have to plan a way to remove it, if deemed absolutely necessary. Well... in theory, because in reality there are too many personal interests involved, making this ancient council close to useless outside of beasts invasions counterplans. I guess is better then nothing. Is my only chance at grasping real power so i will hold it firmly.


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    "Well i have no news either on the Purging Force behalf."


    After the last of us reported it was the turn of the bloodthirsty beast beside me to answer.


    "There is something else you left out?"


    "Yes, traces of an adult dragon."


    "You think another flock of the foul lizards might attack after decades of inactivity?"


    "No nothing points in that direction, there were only traces of one and if there was something huge enough to make them flee from their habitat we would know by now."


    "So what is the problem spit it out?!" Interjected the annoying midget and for once i was with her on this.


    "Well...to begin with why did they flee?" She said as if thinking it aloud.


    "Because is a fucking dragon obviously!" Then she looked her in the eyes. "Why? You have reasons to think it was just an overgrown species of drakes?"


    "No it was definetly a dragon. But why would a fully armed battalion flee that way? As for protocols they should retreat in an ordered fashion and contact us. Besides that, a single adult dragon can easily be killed with a hundred soldiers against him."


    "Soldiers can mak mistakes, especially with how many trainees that battalion had." I pointed out.


    "But the commanding officers surely knew better, then to do that sorry excuse of a retreat. They even had one of our most experienced commanders in their midst i''m sure he knew how to handle even three dragons with their numbers." She had a point.


    "Surely that is not all, is it? You wouldn''t want to share this tale if that was the case." Started again in an annoyed tone K''Loth.


    "Mhhh. There was something else in fact. There was too much blood and very few body parts around. Normally i would think they had some scuffle or fought something else before the dragon, yet several things about the state of the camp rub me the wrong way. I think something else happened and the blood they lost from that was what attracted the dragon in the first place."


    "I think that if the commander was as able as you said then is likely he died even before the dragon arrival, that would explain the rest."


    Something was missing so i also intervened "No you have to consider they were still in training and not experts. They didn''t disperse around but instead all retreated towards the forest in an ordered fashion, this means they either tought it safer or were ordered to do so. Nobody, not even idiots, would think worthwhile the risk of going through the forest as a group, it would only make it easier for the dragon to follow them and hunt them down in a single strike. Besides as we already said they were no experts so they didn''t have the terrain advantage and couldn''t count in their ability to survive the forest even without the dragon."


    "He has a point, nobody would choose to rely on chance instead of going towards civilization. Someone must have ordered them to do so. Someone they would follow even in deadly situations, a trustworth and experienced individual, not a stranger or wannabe leader. The commander must be alive and for reasons unknown to us he thought safer a place full dangers like the forest." She started tapping her fingers on the table. "Why the fuck would he think that? What happened exactly? Was he a spy or did he thought that one of our battalions would ambush and attack him on the was towards the base?" She stopped her fingers. "Did something else happened? Did some unknown beasts capable of killing thousand of our troops suddently decide to stalk them when the dragon appeared and they didn''t want to take them to our base?"


    It was a gloom prospect but a relistic one, we already risked extinction more then one time, this could very well be one of those kind of threats we made the council in the first place for.


    I gulped at the prospect of another Dark Age and then asked what we eventually had to "What do you propose then?"


    She looked away from me and towards the member with the fly mask "With discrection i want your organization to send Purgers to look into it."


    "I will require time to chose some we can trust."


    "I don''t care about trust, it has to be done by tomorrow. Pick expendable pawns if necessary. There will be no need for thrust. I think i can count on you" she looked my way "to notice and silence any traitors right?"


    "Of course. My organization will send a few members in their midst."


    Monsters or traitors, both a pain to deal with, one worst then the other. What a fucking awful day. I really need something to drink. Or get laid. Why not both?