--
"There are more of us; unfortunately, they can't come because there is a lot of work left in the office. Please excuse them," Cassandra of the Southern Defense Wall politely informed Cedric.
The Young Sage felt a bit surprised and frightened by her politeness, so he hurriedly said, "That's quite alright, ma'am. It's already presumptuous of me to occupy some of your valuable time. I'm already thankful that some of you are able to come."
"You can speak more comfortably with us, Young Sage." Filius of the Eastern Defense Wall smiled at him. "Don't let our status make you uncomfortable."
"What he said, Young Sage," Anthony of the Western Defense Wall chimed in. "Besides, we actually have to thank you instead. If you hadn't called for us, we'd still be swamped with mountains of paperwork. It feels rather nice to stretch our legs and take a breath of fresh air instead of being stuffed inside a small office."
