Petrov Odimar was some summers older than Ciro's grandfather, but the commander had to question whether the emperor accurately predicted his timely death. The chief was greying, certainly, and his face bore the wrinkles that came with such a long-endured life, but he was also undeniably sturdy. Tall and broad, like any healthy Winterlander, the chief seemed not only lively enough to persist another decade - at very least - but also take up arms and fight, if need be.
Ciro wondered if that would bring trouble to his grandfather's plans – underestimating an ally could've been just as detrimental as underestimating an enemy. On the other hand, so long as Casteria remained on the favored side of Petrov – and, in turn, Vukland – an ally mightier than expected wasn't going to pose as a problem. Ciro just had to be watchful and vigilant.
