Tristan doesn’t begrudge him the first move, in any case. That is what men like Tonbokiri are born for, and Tristan always knows his place.

“It will be over soon,” he adds, as if to reassure both Ryan and the guards. Then he plucks at his harp, sending invisible arrows flying after the other guardsmen converging around Tonbokiri and their quarry.

One snow knight attempting to swipe at Tonbokiri instantly gets pincushioned and crumples into a pile, its companion collapsing not long after while Tristan stays in the rear, strumming peacefully away without so much as a glance at the carnage.