The rumors started three days after Silas's departure.
Quiet at first. Whispered conversations in the dining hall that stopped when outpost recruits walked past. Meaningful glances exchanged between noble students during Combat Fundamentals. The kind of social signaling that was designed to be noticed without being directly confrontable.
By the end of the week, it had escalated to actual words.
"I heard some Silas guy killed that Gregor in the Shroud deployment," someone said just loud enough for Duncan to overhear during morning training. "It was a clean execution though. I mean, I get we're combatants and all, but that was just straight up murder."
Duncan had turned, ready to confront the speaker.
The noble student—a second-year from House Marlowe—had simply raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just repeating what I heard. If it's not true, maybe your squad should address the rumors."
