"And now you've sacrificed a lot to save her. Probably more than she'll ever give you in return." Anna fixed him with her gaze. "Don't lie to me. The soldiers said that Fei practically had to carry you up to the wall. Vera even admitted you couldn't fight when you helped her. What happens if the Federation arrives here in the morning?"
August finished his cup and placed it on the table. Unlike with Anna's coffee, Kuda didn't instantly whisk his away for a refill.
"Let's lay this on the table then," August said, his tone serious. "First, the Federation probably won't march on this fortress straight away. They have no way of knowing that we've been seriously weakened by the demonic invasion. What they do know is that we showed up in Vera's tower despite that invasion. A normal Bastion would assume that means I crushed the invasion without any real difficulty and play it cautiously."
Anna nodded, her eyes bright and expression focused.
