Gaspard's POV
"You useless bastards! You should have captured him, even if it meant dying in the process!"
My voice tore through the chamber like a blade. The torches lining the stone walls flickered from the force of my mana surging with my anger. The knights before me flinched.
The captain stood at the front, rigid as a statue. His jaw was tight. His eyes were fixed somewhere slightly above my shoulder, as if staring at me directly might get him vaporized on the spot.
Smart man.
For a long moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched. I could hear the faint clink of armor shifting as someone swallowed nervously in the back.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"You witnessed his power yourself, Sir Gaspard," he said, steady but careful. Not defiant. It was just stating a fact. "There wasn't anything we could have done. Even the Vice Commander of the Magic Knights couldn't stand against him. How are we supposed to compare to someone like that?"
