As Rion walked away with happy steps, they remained frozen in their places for heavy seconds, watching his back as he covered the distance step by step until he finally disappeared from their sight.
Only then did Silfar turn slowly.
His gaze fell on Kar, who was standing right beside him. Kar's body appeared stiff, a faint tremor running through his limbs despite his efforts to hide it. Silfar stopped in front of him and spoke in a calm voice.
"Not bad… you did your job well."
He paused briefly, then added in a lower, colder tone
"But you disappointed me a little. You could have done more… much more."
Kar's body shook involuntarily, as if the words had struck him directly. He swallowed hard before replying in a low, hesitant voice
"I… I was surprised by his strength. I wasn't properly prepared, and that's why I only brought a group of failures with me."
He paused for a moment, then continued, trying to justify himself:
