Chapter Text
Emily had pardoned Daud.
The news hadn't been made public-all of the officials involved in the legal channels through which the pardon had to pass were unfailingly loyal to Emily, a requirement this early in her reign, and not a word had leaked.
Daud had looked shocked when Corvo had delivered it, although it was hard to tell whether that was due to being granted a pardon, or whether it had to do with the Lord Protector tracking him down again for non-lethal purposes. Probably, it was because of both.
When Daud had said he was retiring, Corvo had taken that to mean that he would be returning to Serkonos, doing whatever it was retired assassins did. If Corvo had thought about it more, he probably would've come up with the vague impression that Daud's retirement would involve cigars and alcohol. Possibly even a beach and bright floral shirts.
It wouldn't have involved staying in Dunwall, and it certainly wouldn't have involved children. And most of all, he wouldn't have foreseen the supernatural Whaler assassins staying on to help Daud with a profession that should be just about as far from killing as one could possibly get.
The newly opened Kaldwin Home occupied the former Whaler base in Central Rudshore. Children, solemn and quiet orphans of the plague, were running about under the watchful maskless eyes of the Whalers. Others were playing more quietly, reading or drawing. And still more were inside, attending classes in basic maths and reading.
Corvo had been keeping tabs. It was surprising that a gang of killers could be such caring and efficient childcare providers, but the facts spoke for themselves.
Originally malnourished and wary, the children were now healthy and vibrant with life. The traumas from their experiences with death and anarchy were still fresh, but healing. The Whalers themselves were no stranger to trauma and it was weirdly heartwarming to see hardened killers empathizing with and comforting kids.
Daud's office had been refurbished with a ceiling, and as Corvo walked through the doors, Daud himself looked up, a child clinging to his back.
“Corvo,” Daud greeted evenly. His stoicism was ruined when he winced, the little girl tugging on his short hair.
“More piggyback!” she demanded.
“Daud,” Corvo returned. He didn't even fight the smile that spread over his face, and he laughed as Daud glared.
“Did you actually need something? Or are you just here to make my life miserable.”
“A little bit of both to be honest.”
Daud grumbled then knelt down. Reluctantly the girl stepped down and before she left she admonished Corvo. “You better be nice to mister Daud!” she pouted.
Corvo stared in shock. When he turned around, Daud had a shit-eating grin on his face, the bastard.
“Consider us even,” he said, and well, that was fair enough.
With one last glare, Corvo nodded before heading over to the desk. Bureaucracy waited for no one, not even Marked agents of the Outsider.