Vined stood at the front of the tent, facing more than a hundred and twenty captains.
Their armor clinked softly as they shifted in their seats, waiting.
In front of them sat the three newly promoted vice generals, still stiff-backed and serious, doing their best to look worthy of their new positions.
Beside them, Duke Sant rested in a broad wooden chair.
His posture was calm, his eyes steady, but there was a quiet sharpness in the way he watched the room, like a sword wrapped in cloth, still dangerous even when resting.
All of them were looking at Vined.
He didn't speak right away.
His attention stayed fixed on the large map hanging behind him, a clean, detailed layout of the Tramplin estate.
It wasn't a full map of the northern lands; it was just the estate and the land around it, drawn with tight lines and careful precision.
Even so, it felt heavy. The closer he studied the walls, the more questions rose in his mind.
