The debriefing with Draveth and Mordain happened six hours after Amaron's return to Thornhearth.
All three of them sat in a secure conference room reviewing Amaron's field documentation — the cathedral chamber, the S-rank combatant, the combat exchange, and the message she'd delivered before withdrawing. Draveth had the expression of someone who'd hoped this situation would resolve simply and was now facing confirmation that it wouldn't.
"S-rank combatant," he said, reviewing the combat analysis for the third time. "Female. Mid-twenties. Guild-trained technique with irregular modifications. Deployed as a guardian for network infrastructure. Engaged you directly, fought for six minutes, then withdrew when she assessed that victory wasn't guaranteed."
He looked at Amaron. "You fought an unknown S-rank to a stalemate on your first solo deployment. That's either exceptional capability or exceptional luck. Which was it?"
