in this sort of conversation with the Guard.
‘No, I didn’t know him.’ Bleist understood the lieutenant’s surprise perfectly well. Nor was he surprised by his lack of interest in the matter. After all, the officer had far more important and urgent matters on his mind. Judging by the state of the entrance to the enclave, not everything was going in the right direction. ‘It's no secret why I'm looking into this matter. News of the murder has caused some... tension in the capital. I won’t hide the fact that both the Marshal and the Grand Master are keen to see the matter resolved swiftly and thoroughly. So they sent me.’ He pulled two official documents from the pouch on his belt. ‘Along with authorisations confirming my authority over both the military and the administration.’ He didn't really need the first one, because his very membership of the Guard guaranteed him authority over soldiers of equal or lower rank, which for Darius meant he could freely command the entire army general staff at headquarters in Alexandria. Essentially, only the generals of the Guard and the Crown Marshal ranked above him. However, having an additional document could make things much easier.
The lieutenant, however, must have interpreted this declaration somewhat differently. He turned pale and trembled like a leaf. The sight of the official seals made a greater impression on him than the heavily armoured Ruby Guard.
‘Getting back to the reason I’m here,’ Bleist put the documents away. ‘I’d like to speak to the medic who examined the body, look through the evidence, and check the documents in your files.’
‘O-of course, Colonel.’ Al-Satar quickly stood up and walked over to a bookcase piled high with papers, from which he pulled out a rather thick file. ‘Here are all the papers.’ He sat down nervously on the edge of an old armchair. ‘You will find our surgeon in the temple, Colonel; his name is Erthvat Oxern. When there is nothing urgent in the citadel, he helps the poor at the Maratias' sanctuary. He also has all the evidence we’ve gathered.
