"Supposed to,"
Horse Head echoed bitterly.
"But sending us after you—
knowing we were the ones who failed—
using us as bait...
That's not upholding order.
That's... that's betrayal."
His equine features twisted in something close to fury.
"They used our loyalty.
Our selfless duty.
Against us.
Against the Matron's principles!"
[Host, it seems their tiny brains finally connected a few dots.]
"Or maybe getting beaten senseless by me broke something loose,"
Lu Sheng muttered.
He looked them over again.
Their anger felt real now.
Not performative.
Not exaggerated.
It was the kind of rage that came from betrayal—
not by enemies,
but by the very faith they'd devoted their existence to.
"So," Lu Sheng said slowly, rubbing his chin in thought,
"The Sentinel Council—the big shots back in Hell—are potentially corrupt,
using you two as disposable pawns,
and probably trying to silence me because my existence messes up their narrative.
Is that the gist?"
