“Ladies and gentlemen, at my invitation, we were joined by the general of the Batro corps of the army of His Majesty King Orma, an ally of His Holiness King Virgil. – Greetings, General Argos!
Argos greeted those present with a subtle nod of his head. He looked very young for such a title. Medium height. Athletic physique. With a direct and firm gaze. It was clear that he was not a bit, was not nervous and was not embarrassed by the attention to his person. Erhard then followed the same procedure as with General Swann. A little courtesy and they went to all the guests to get to know each other as a sign of respect. Athanasius did not take his eyes off them. An explosive cocktail of anger, bewilderment, disgust, and oddly enough interest was seething in him.
Having met half of the guests, Erhard and General Argos retired in some room, judging by the entire personal study of the duke, at the door of which the retinue of Argos remained.
After staying there, they left for a while, and Erhard continued to acquaint Argos with the remaining generals and board members. At the moment when General Swann's turn came, Athanasius was somewhere three steps behind him.
– General Argos, began the Duke, let me introduce you to General Swann, now a member of His Majesty's military council.
– Greetings, General! said Argos, in a calm voice. His hairless face did not produce any emotion, but it was clear that, unlike the others, he had respect for Swann. Only then did Tan notice. Eyes. They were the same as in his dreams.
– I've heard a lot about you and your successes on the battlefield. How you know how to fight, there are legends, even among our soldiers, said Argos.
Swann opened his mouth to respond with courtesy to courtesy, which was required by the protocol of ethics and diplomacy, but Athanasius was ahead of him. Slowly coming out from behind the general and not taking his eyes off Argos, he said:
– Your skills also certainly deserve attention.
Argos's face showed surprise. He immediately looked at the duke.
This confidant of the Swann general, Athanasius Mirra, was pronounced by Erhard, and his speech sparked with irritation.
– You choose the moment to attack very carefully, right?
The Wotan was silent, while it was evident that he frowned. His brow ridges slid down.
“The most favorable time is at night, when there are only unarmed men, women and children in the villages,” Athanasius growled loudly.
The guests who were nearby were silent, watching the scene.
General Swann immediately turned to him. – These are the deeds of days gone by, he said, and began to take his friend away, turning him towards the exit.
– Maybe we should show you our skills, mister Mirra ?! pronounced Argos.
Tan stopped. The general's attempts to move him from his place did not lead to anything. He turned around. There was rage in his eyes. Clenching his hands into fists, he began to approach Argos. But Swann, catching up with Atanasius, whispered: – Come to your senses! What are you doing? And the red veil fell from his eyes. He looked at the duke, who was furious. His nostrils drew in eagerly, his eyes turned red, his lips narrowed into a barely visible line.
– I apologize! Mirra said, then turned around and headed for the exit.
–“How about a show fight before the opening of the celebrations,” Argos called after him.
