As a bureaucrat noble, there was Ivan; and Barosi and Herto, the two Hungarians, had earned the right to attend as well. They had joined the Streit family, so excluding them was out of the question.
Barosi and Herto seemed moved by the gesture. They were outsiders no longer. Ivan served as their interpreter.
"Sir Beort, explain the situation in detail."
"Once we delivered your written request and the commander's orders, the Capital Sentinel Commander publicly announced a full-scale sweep of the slums. The slums could offer little resistance, and we occupied the district without trouble. However—"
"You searched the slum district and still couldn't find Bodo?"
"Forgive me, Master! We couldn't find a single trace of him."
Anton bowed his head, looking ashamed. We had been certain the raid would turn up Bodo, but right up until my arrival, not a single trace of him had surfaced.
"The Viscount Neunil family must have acted first."
