Evaluation

But now, the old man was saying that he almost failed the test at the first step already?

How could he not feel dejected?

The old man did not use any soft words to cajole him.

Instead he calmly continued, "but your reaction later surprised me."

Flare's lowered head suddenly rose as he looked at the old man in surprise.

The old man did not smile at him. Instead he looked serious.

This seriousness made Flare happy actually. If the old man smiled at this point, then he would definitely feel that whatever words he just used were nothing but to cajole him.

Instead when he looked so serious now, Flare can see that the old man was now his master. Not just a random old man who was crazy and pretentious. Not the old man who would never back down to fight against a small raccoon kit.

He thus sat down seriously too so that he could continue listening to the old man's serious evaluation of his test.