Keeping up the Facade is Difficult

Sometime earlier.

Princess Elara stood beside her father, King Thandor, as they observed the training session from a distance. Below, Vincent was leading the elven soldiers through a series of drills, his voice clear and firm as he instructed them on the use of the M4 Carbine.

"He's very thorough," Elara remarked, her eyes following Vincent as he moved among the soldiers, correcting stances and offering advice. "He seems to care deeply about ensuring our troops understand these new weapons."

King Thandor nodded, his gaze fixed on Vincent. "Indeed. He's putting a lot of effort into this. It's clear he's committed to the task. I must admit, I had my doubts about him after what happened to our scouts, but…" He trailed off, his thoughts lingering on the loss of his people.