I am sure, given that this country is your and Iomedae's child, that they have already given you enough shit for that, and I won't add any more.

Oh, he was fairly restrained. He did politely suggest that I run down the list of other things I'm not delegating and consider, instead, delegating some of them. Would you like, for as long as I have you, to be responsible for Drezen's magical defenses.

Have you considered someone who is not, to all public appearances, a swordfighter?  I can help but you might want someone publicly in charge who can be publicly in charge. If the next failure analysis you tell Lastwall that you delegated the magical defenses to the only other person in your adventuring party without a whiff of visible magical talent they will think you are insane and also might look closer at me than I like.

I will lie to them to cover for you should it come up, he says, abruptly serious. ..and I'm going to say publicly it's Nenio, but she declined when I talked to her two months ago to actually take any responsibility for it, on the grounds that she does not think protective spellwork is very interesting and I would not let her build elaborate puzzle hallways that anyone can get through with enough cleverness.

I know you will. Hopefully it never comes up.

…It sounds like Areshkegal may have done more than just erase Nenio's memories - I'll see what I can do for the wards. Do I have a budget?

A spare thousand pounds right now buys a good suit of armor for the baby paladins, and I lose three in ten by second circle instead of five. Figure it out. 

..an option I have been consciously preserving, if Nenio turns out to be somewhat more comprehensively Areshkegal's, is to have you play her when you care to. 

That sounds - potentially risky. Depending on what Areshkegal's play is. But probably better than doing nothing.

Note to self…delegate figuring out what Areshkegal's play is…

… Okay that one's to me too, I guess. Only other option is Derenge and it's not really his strong suit.

There's that azata who showed up and has been managing official crusade reports from surrounding areas. …not going to give him Areshkegal but possibly I should give him slightly more responsibility than that and see if he can handle it.

What else was on your list of shame?

Magic item purchases, intelligence in Ustalav. 

Neither of those sound like Azata tasks.

I would hire Arsinoe to manage item supply except I'd have to explain to her where I'm getting all these Teleports. I might be able to promote one of the archons to handle Ustalav.

What if you hire Arsinoe and don't explain where you're getting all the teleports? Or - say you've got a contract for them from Lastwall. And make said contract, of course, where they offer you teleports at a standard rate provided by a wizard on the Lastwall citizenship rolls. Who is you.

I don't think I'm on any Lastwall rolls.

You are - not the current census, obviously.

Iomedae would be very annoyed about how much lying I do when it's my crusade to lie about. Sure. I'll do that. 

I don't think She can be annoyed, anymore.

I'm not talking about the god that shares a name. Our dead friend would be very irritated with me.

She would. You can take it.

In the early evening, Aarind takes a break from writing his report to go find Irabeth. Can anyone direct him to her?

Irabeth's wife Anevia is in the command office and can walk him out to find her where she's supervising repairs to the fortress. 

"Anevia! All well?"

"As well as you left it, far as I know. This fellow's Captain Aarind and he wanted to talk to you."