Silas came to a complete stop.
He adjusted his posture, then gave a light bow—polite, measured.
"Yes," he replied calmly. "I did visit that field earlier."
Aldric crossed his arms over his chest. "What were you doing there?"
Silas smiled faintly. "Just making sure of one thing," he said smoothly. "That small merchants weren't being inconvenienced by the Young Master's behavior."
A brief silence followed.
Then Aldric laughed.
Not a friendly laugh—more like a heavy mockery.
"Hah."
He lowered his head slightly, staring at Silas from beneath the shadow of his helmet.
"You're like a lizard," he said flatly. "There's no way you'd care about tiny flies that become your prey."
Aldric snorted. "Don't lie."
Silas let out a short laugh as well. His voice was low, controlled.
"If that's how it sounds to you, I don't mind," he said, still courteous. "But my intentions remain the same, and…"
