He opens the letter almost casually, particularly considering it could be literally anything from an invitation to a dinner to a notice that an entire continent had been wiped off the map. It's not that he doesn't give such things the gravity they deserve, it's just that he's so used to both, and there's no way to know until he reads it.

He takes a sip of his coffee as he scans the lines and then, after a moment, drains the cup, setting it aside more decisively.

"Word from some old friends of mine in Gridania. Apparently there's been some issues with some of the wildlife there getting riled up near, but not too near their tower. Krile thinks it would be some easy work while we wait here and I happen to agree," he says all of it in Rael's direction, clearly speaking to him, but after a moment his gaze sharpens on him, with all the weight of a commander, assessing, "You've seen more than your share of combat, have you not?" the expression melts into a smile, warm and a little sly, "She suggests I take you along, which means she either thinks we'll get along or she needs you to stop pacing a rut in the front lobby of the Annex. Or both."