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“I do share your trepidation when it comes to the Vanguard,” said Santos. “I do not think we should blindly trust in Graves.”

“Finally, you are talking some sense,” said Rayen.

An idea struck Diego, and he wondered if Lord Santos was already thinking the same thing. When the man remained quiet, however, along with the rest of the table, Diego felt that it might be his turn to say something.

“Perhaps we could test Graves,” said Diego, drawing everyone’s attention. He tried not to sound too stiff. “If his trustworthiness is the main question, then we should see about finding an answer to it.”

Lady Rayen snickered. “You play with fire, boy. What manner of test would you have us conduct on a Vanguardian field marshal, of all people?”

“Well,” said Diego, “the specific concern seems to be that he is attempting to manipulate us, yes? Moreover, he is notoriously secretive, even for a marshal, and yet we in this room now know more about him and the nature of his power than... just about anyone else in the world, I’d wager. So I’d argue that, if nothing else, he at least has a rather strong motive to not let us leave Vantalay. To keep us close so that we can’t go around spreading information about him.”

Salvador jumped in again. “Wait. You’re saying this is all, what? Just some scheme to keep us here? That he doesn’t actually need our help?”

“The thought has crossed my mind as well,” said Lord Santos. “We do indeed know far more about Graves than most, but in the end, what we’ve learned is still precious little. To my mind, he could have been playing up his disadvantaged position for two reasons. First, because he wants us to underestimate him. Personally, I find this quite believable, though not for entirely logical reasons. He simply strikes me as the type of man to do something like that.”

“A constant schemer,” said Rayen, the agreement strong in her tone.

“Indeed,” said Santos. “And the second reason why he might’ve been playing it up is because of what Diego just mentioned: he wants us to stay of our own volition, rather than having to fight and recapture us.”

Whoa. Diego hadn’t exactly said all that, but he had been intending to go in that direction. And yet Lord Santos just blurted it out like it was no big deal.