"Not bad."
"It's fine quality."
"As expected, since it comes from the prosperous Empire."
Was that a jab? Bjorn looked at Ragnar without comment, but Ragnar's face remained impassive, as if he hadn't meant anything by it.
After a short silence, Ragnar emptied his glass and finally spoke.
"Why did you save me?"
"Save you?"
"You pushed me out of the way when the dragon was about to breathe fire."
"Would you rather I hadn't?"
Ragnar fell silent, unable to respond. Bjorn refilled both their glasses, then continued.
"If I hadn't saved you, what would have happened?"
"…"
"You'd have died, and your warriors would have been decimated. The rest of us would have had to face the dragons with a fractured force. Even imagining it is grim."
"If I'd survived just that moment, things would have been easier afterward," Ragnar said, the underlying truth slipping out.
