"But Lord Treeda--"
"Why are you so adamant on the boy not fighting?" Treeda asked outright. "I assumed it was to conceal his talents from Zrand's view, so I played along during the exhibition. But are you actually trying to conceal him from my eyes as well?"
"... No…"
"Then lead the way."
Taking another drawn-out sigh, Zelsh shook his head and slowly got up to his feet. But one last time, Zelsh looked to Treeda with a bowed head. "Are you sure you want this?"
"Of course."
"So be it…" Out of options and plans, Zelsh couldn't think of what to do next. Apart from caving and do as he was told, Zelsh couldn't imagine any other way to keep his prefecture lord from acting out against him. He had to choose. Face the threat of an anonymous man beyond his perception in the unknown future, or face the two most powerful citizens of the entire prefecture here and now. Neither might end in Zelsh's survival, but one was immediate and the other may be in the future.
