John was in the inner residence when Robert found him, sitting across from Mary at the evening meal with the particular unhurried quality of two people who had learned not to treat quiet evenings as something to fill.
Robert sat down.
He made it all crystal clear, just like he did with everything important—how the information building collected data, Victor Ashford's identified force, the thirty-day timeframe, and the gap in resources between what was on the horizon and what the Osborn Clan had at their disposal right now.
He did not soften the numbers. A Soul Manifestation Level 5 Mid-Stage cultivator leading two Level 3 elders and four Level 2 senior members was not a force the clan could meet directly with what it currently fielded, and John deserved to understand that clearly before any planning began.
John listened through all of it without interrupting. When Robert finished, he was quiet for a moment, looking at the table between them.
