Macaco allowed the silence to linger for a few moments before clapping his hands together once, as though the matter had been settled.
"Well then, I suppose that brings us to the unpleasant part."
His cheerful tone immediately drew everyone's attention. He adjusted his spectacles and glanced around the devastated battlefield before continuing.
"You have completed the Trial of the Twelfth, which means there is nothing more for any of you here. The trial has acknowledged your success, the Twelfth is no longer imprisoned, and I have fulfilled the purpose for which I was left behind." He smiled pleasantly.
"Under ordinary circumstances, this would be the point where I congratulate you, open the way home, and wish you a long and prosperous existence."
The way he emphasized ordinary made me narrow my eyes.
Macaco noticed and pointed at me with an approving smile. "Exactly. Lord Billion understands that our circumstances are unfortunately anything but ordinary."
