"He underestimated Damien far too much," the man continued. "He believed his experience alone would carry him through. He assumed there was a gap so wide that nothing a student did would matter."
The instructor shook his head faintly.
"That assumption was his mistake."
He glanced briefly toward the unconscious Lidran on the ground, his expression unreadable.
"To me," he said, "that is the reason he lost that fast."
The training ground remained quiet as the words settled in.
Stanley's frown deepened.
The instructor wasn't finished.
"Losing to a student," he continued, "and a first year at that, is already deeply embarrassing to us as instructors."
There was no bitterness in his voice, only blunt honesty.
"Trying to justify that loss," he added, "or blaming the student by accusing him of cheating, would only make it worse."
Several instructors nearby shifted uncomfortably.
The man's gaze remained steady.
