[ Her confidence inspires a little look of interest, but it’s kept purposefully muted. In truth, he’s very tempted to ask for a demonstration, if not to learn from her outright, but… It feels like a bit of an ask from a stranger, and especially one that he’s likely to still be opposed to. It’s nothing personal to him, but his own standards hardly apply to, well. Anyone else. ]

Oh, I do not mean it to say he was kind, necessarily. [ Not… at all… But Sebastian laughs gently. ] More that with perspective, I would interpret his statements through a different lens. You come from a place with a rather complex political situation, clearly.

[ It’s something he means, as well. His perspective on people tended to be more objective just because of how long he had lived and how long he had observed human conflicts. It makes him a truly neutral force in such things, for better and for worse. So he nods agreeably as he gives a warm, easy smile. ]

But I do think the same, genuinely. Granted, I may have a bit more ease in saying so, considering I was not a part of the Regent’s conflict long… But it is certainly far better to not have to cross blades, so to speak.