“What you see is what you get. Do you think dishonesty is more respectful than the truth?”

Vincent was rolling his eyes, while Elspeth Arella’s eyes twinkled with amusement. The woman asking the questions remained stony-faced.

“How would you rate your performance in the group contract you undertook two days ago?” the woman asked, the others still silent.

“Critically poor.”

“Explain.”

“My inability to keep my big mouth shut cost the team thirty percent of its personnel, including the healer. As such, we engaged in multiple combat situations with crucial absences.”

“You acknowledge responsibility for the altercation with Thadwick Mercer that led him and his team to refuse the contract at the last minute?”

“Yes.”

“Full responsibility?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t lay any of this on Thadwick Mercer?”

“Thadwick is what he is, and doesn't know any better. I do, which made it my responsibility to be the bigger person for the sake of team cohesion. Instead, I chose to be small and petty.”

The woman looked at the other two. The way they conversed with glances alone showed their close working relationship. The woman turned back to Jason.

“How would you rate your performance on this mission otherwise?” she asked.

“Adequate.”

“Explain.”

“We encountered multiple combats and the team handled them effectively. There weren’t any shirkers; everyone did their part, myself included.”

“You argued against eliminating the threat posed by the Ustei tribe.”

“The job was to deliver coins, not get in a fight against unknown odds.”

“Overcoming superior numbers is a specialty of yours, is it not?” she asked. “You are aware of a widely disseminated recording of you in the Geller family’s mirage arena.”

“If you thought that edited recording was a valid basis on which to assess me,” he said, “then you wouldn’t be qualified to assess me at all.”

Again the three of them shared a conversation of glances.

“You were recently assigned a contract to clear out an infestation of rats in Old City,” she said.

“Stone-chewer rats, yes.”

“Your report stated that you killed all the rats.”

“That isn’t accurate,” Jason said.

“Your report wasn’t accurate?”

“No, your characterisation of my report wasn’t accurate,” he said. “My report stated that all the rats were killed, not that they were all killed by me. A number were killed by an additional monster, a rat gorger.”

“But you are certain all the rats were killed?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I have an ability that helps me keep track of certain aspects of my activities.”

“What is the nature of this ability?”

“My own business.”

They locked eyes as he felt her bronze rank aura press down on him. He held her gaze as his own aura was completely suppressed.

“What if I told you that there were still stone-chewer rats being found in Old City?” she asked.