It wasn't just corruption; it was a slow, calculated bleeding of the city's lifeblood, leaving behind only an empty shell ripe for collapse. Ben's expression darkened as he processed the full extent of the betrayal.
Malvek hadn't merely failed the city, he had gutted it, profited from its decay, and abandoned it the moment it no longer served his interests.
Ben let the report fall onto the table with a dull thud. 'Just what was on Kharvek's mind, keeping a reagent like this around? Was this some kind of trade?'
There was only one possibility. The Malvek family had probably been the ones offering the relic to the old city lord.
To make sure, he'd need to dig through the old archives, checking for anything about Kharvek's combat capabilities, or better yet, maybe Zarnak knew something.
'I can ask him about the difference in the city before and after Malvek came in...'
Ben noted it down in his mind, marking Malvek as a homework assignment for later.
