Sorry for the later post than usual, had a busy day
>>5578925>>5578968>>5579037After all that happened you're not in the best condition. Better than dead like Molyes, but you're battered and bloody from the brawl, in part your own fault for stabbing yourself when you tripped over your own dress and fell on the knife. Something you're much more aware of after than you were when it happened, so you decide not to take action if you can avoid it and not just because Emelie is insistent. Your preference to just sit and eat and watch the aftermath of the brawl, as the castle hall is slowly cleared.
Not much to be done about the bloody mess for now but at least the dead, dying, and wounded can be separated and dealt with appropriately.
<span class="mu-r">"-ow! Be careful!"</span>
<span class="mu-i">"Don't risk your life next time... until we can fetch a healing potion tomorrow, stitches will have to do for now."</span>
Though she's not a surgeon, Emelie is capable of basic care like this and trying to make sure you survive one day to the next. Though you can tell how upset she is with you, in exchange for getting to kill your rival yourself it was worth it. As for the broader implications of this situation, there's the castle staff and garrison to see about. Already you've negotiated with them some, so best to improve the deal to ensure their secrecy.
Because although Countess Naith was responsible for making sure her men kept things civil here, she need not ever know that they were paid off by the guilty party in all this. Same as no one should ever have to know the truth of what really happened here this night, although that truth is not totally against you anyway. After all, you weren't the one to prompt violence, specifically as you had intended the events to unfold.
So then you can work on a story for what took place, between observing the cleanup and being patched up, and asking for the staff and garrison personally to speak with. Those at least, who were actually witness to what happened.
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By the next day the castle is cleared in as much as that there aren't dead men strewn all about, and blood covering the floor and walls anymore. You've also managed to sufficiently secure the loyalty or at least secrecy of the castle occupants as well. Ironically in part because of those among them who tried to betray you during the brawl by involving weapons. Maybe if all the garrison had gone along with your plan then they could share an agreement about spilling the truth, however because there were some who went against you and remained loyal to Countess Naith, then those who didn't run the risk of treason; better to just keep quiet about all that and take your money.
