"Kids?" Claude echoed, his fist clenched against his knee. Come to think of it, one of the reasons his mother had gone through with the assassination mission had been to protect a young girl, right? He couldn't exactly blame her for sticking with two children who wanted to explore the basement. And judging by how capable they must have been to help his mom win both the sword and shield without getting left in the dust, it was very well possible they'd decide to go on their own if she backed out now.

It also meant that, if a coliseum battle did take place, his mother would likely be the one to sacrifice herself for the sake of the young civilians with her.

The thought made his eyes sting with unshed tears. Damn, he couldn't just stand back and let her do this, could he?

But what else could he do short of physically blocking their path every night? She had a point about the basement being their only clue so far, and Claude couldn't exactly say it was a dead end as long as he had the caverns to explore. If, by some miracle, they did discover an escape, he couldn't keep it to himself, either.

"And, no, I...really can't talk about it," he clarified, his voice a little tighter than normal.

In the end, he was at a loss for what else to say. Gaze drifting toward the table, Claude lapsed into a heavy silence.