>>5209235The Chaplain looks past you, and talks past you, to Roth.
“Have you been tutoring this one?” he asks wryly. “She speaks like a male—no, almost like a real Reptilian.”
The words sting, but they are mitigated somewhat by what Roth says next, surprising you:
“No, Holy One. Her cunning is her own, inborn and innate. Her barbarous blood is clearly no match for the power of our superior and civilized heritage and culture. She is, perhaps, one of the most skilled Infiltrators I have seen in action.”
‘Aww, he does care!’ Irinnile coos.
“…Albeit unconventional, and still in need of supervision at times.”
‘There it is,’ Irinnile pouts.
>20“Regardless,” The Chaplain says, to you this time, “you have made a compelling case. You shall keep your demon.”
“Th-thank you, Holy One,” you blurt, relief sapping the strength from your limbs as all the tension releases.
“I assume you have given as much thought to how to handle the matter of these ‘Edwin of Engel’ and ‘Mina’ creatures, too?”
You think quickly.
“Edwin of Engel does not know that I am a member of the Master Race, or even that we exist. He thinks me a human demonist from distant surface-lands.”
“But he IS loyal to his society, to some degree, and he knows your ‘Ismena Rosgard’ and ‘Kamunu’ identities. If that man lives, with memories intact, those identities are forever compromised.”
This much is… POTENTIALLY true. But this is Edwin, goodhearted Edwin! He loves you… or, well, loved you. He wouldn’t ever give testimony against you, would he?
“And this ‘Mina’, the cat-monster, she has had her memories meddled with by your magic. Yes? But the one you call ‘Bianchi’, his memories returns with a big enough shock. What if hers do? She was actually made AWARE of the nature of the Conspiracy, at least in part, was she not?”
What do you say?
>You are confident that Edwin and Mina are utterly loyal to you, and will never betray you to the authorities>You must, reluctantly, agree—both Ismena and Kamunu are compromised identities, and must be forsaken for the safety of your race and the continuance of the Great Conspiracy>Promise to handle both of them, if you are returned to Hawksong—to monitor the, and to deal with them if it becomes necessary>Propose that they both be detained, and brought here for questioning and thorough mental re-education>Write-in 