Rune

"There is, your majesty. The trainees were only following my orders, and as such should not face any punishment." General Zogarth said.

"Your orders? Were you not the one who ordered them to stand down?" King Randall asked with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, officially I ordered them to stand down, but I secretly I gave them the order to pursue their friend and to report any information they uncovered involving the Cult."

"I believed the Cult would underestimate their potential due to their age and as such they were the perfect choice to achieve success. The strength they have thanks to their abilities also allows them to close the experience gap during combat, meaning they had a good chance of surviving if attacked." General Zogarth explained without hesitation.

"I can understand your motivation behind choosing them but why did you keep this mission a secret?" King Randall asked.