Dawn of Vengeance — Chapter 60

YOU FILTHY...

...WENCH.

WHAT ON EARTH POSSESSED HIM THAT DAY?

IT WASN'T JEALOUSY.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH I GROVELED FOR HIS APPROVAL, THE BASTARD ALWAYS TREATED ME LIKE I WAS INVISIBLE.

TRIGGERED BY A SPILLED BOTTLE OF INK, THIS SUDDEN MEMORY...

...TORMENTED ME ALL NIGHT LONG.

CONSIDERING HIS USUAL LUNACY, IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF HIS MILDER MOMENTS...

...SO WHY CAN’T I SHAKE IT OFF?

...IT'S SERIOUSLY GETTING ON MY NERVES.

YOUR MAJESTY. IT'S WALTER.

OH, RIGHT!

DIDN'T HE SAY WE WERE LEAVING EARLY THIS MORNING?!

W-wait a second!!

IT'S MIDDAY?

BEDHEAD

PILLOW MARKS ON CHEEK

PAJAMAS

GOOD MORNING...

WAIT, NO, IT'S AFTERNOON. WALTER.

FORGIVE ME FOR DISTURBING YOUR REST.

DON'T BE.

I'M THE ONE WHO INSISTED ON SEEING YOU OFF WHEN YOU SAID YOU'D BE LEAVING AT DAWN.

SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT.

I TOSSED AND TURNED LAST NIGHT AND ENDED UP OVERSLEEPING.

IT IS PERFECTLY FINE.

I INTEND TO COMPLETE THIS MISSION AS SWIFTLY AS POSSIBLE.

WHILE I AM AWAY...

...THERE IS A PLACE THE GRAND GENERAL MUST VISIT.

YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A TRIP TO ANTEBASILA.

DO YOU INTEND TO ORDER A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE MINE?

EXACTLY. DOPANE WILL CONCENTRATE THE BULK OF ITS AVAILABLE FORCES FOR THE FOUNDATION FESTIVAL...

...SO THEIR DEFENSES ALONG THE ANTEBASILA BORDER WILL BE LAX.

THE EMPIRE WILL LOWER ITS GUARD AS WELL.

GO AND INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE CONFLICT YOURSELF.

WILL YOUR MAJESTY BE DEPARTING FOR DOPANE IN THREE DAYS?

YES.

I INTEND TO PERSONALLY ESCORT YOU ON YOUR RETURN JOURNEY.

I WILL BE ON STANDBY AT SOUTHERN COMMAND.

VERY WELL. WE'LL MEET ON THE WAY BACK.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF OUT THERE.

I TRUST IN YOUR MAJESTY'S FORESIGHT.

THE STRATEGY AND YOUR ORDERS ARE ENTIRELY SOUND.

HOWEVER...

I HAVE A TERRIBLE FEELING ABOUT THIS.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO LEAVE YOUR GUARDS BEHIND.

YOU MUST NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN FOR EVEN A MOMENT.

HONESTLY, HE WORRIES TOO MUCH.

ALRIGHT, I UNDERSTAND.

DON'T WORRY SO MUCH.

LEAVING A CHILD BY THE WATER'S EDGE WOULDN'T MAKE ME THIS ANXIOUS.

YOUR MAJESTY, YOUR HAND.

MAY THE BLESSING OF THE NAMELESS GOD...

...ALWAYS REMAIN...

...BY YOUR MAJESTY'S SIDE.

For lunch today...

Nothing beats chilled seaweed salad, though.

Are you crazy? Jellyfish is where it's at!

G-GRAND GENERAL, SIR!

SCOUT SERGEANT GERALD

WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR, SIR?

GERALD. THIS IS A SPECIAL DIRECTIVE.

AWAITING YOUR COMMAND, GENERAL.

IN THREE DAYS, HER MAJESTY WILL DEPART FOR DOPANE.

GUARD HER MAJESTY'S SAFETY IN SECRET.

ISN'T CAPTAIN WHIS ALREADY ASSIGNED AS HER ESCORT?

KEEP THIS A SECRET—EVEN FROM YOUR SQUAD LEADER.

KEEP CLOSE WATCH OVER THE SITUATION...

...AND SHOULD ANYTHING GO AWRY, FLY STRAIGHT TO ME AT ONCE.

UNDERSTOOD, GENERAL. BY YOUR COMMAND.