Newly Town, the Lord's Mansion.
The reception room had been temporarily converted into Caroline's office. A mountain of documents was piled on her desk. The tip of her quill pen hung in mid-air, a bead of ink gathering, about to fall.
But Caroline's eyes weren't on the documents. Her gaze drifted uncontrollably, again and again, to the small badge at the corner of her desk.
It was a badge cast from black iron, engraved with a name in cursive script—Velin.
It represented the highest authority in Newly Town.
On the night before he departed, Velin had found her and placed the badge, still warm with his body heat, into her palm.
"Miss Channing, the crocodile swarms in the Gray Sea Marsh... their movements are unpredictable. This is just a precaution... In case—and I mean, just in case—the crocodiles reach Newly Town before my team does, you must use this to lead the garrison and mount a defense..."
Just in case.
Such a simple phrase, yet so heavy.
