[ Claude rubs at his forehead. He's not too good to poison people to death. He truly isn't. Not if he felt that was the correct course of action. It is more circumstance than ethics that drive him to poison people to the latrines instead of to an early grave. If he had the ability to poison Edelgard and end the war that way, he would. In a heartbeat.

He likes to think that Ethlyn would understand that, as one noble to another, as one leader to another, as one soldier to another. Why is it that to kill someone at the end of your sword is noble, but to kill someone with a sip of wine is ignoble? He knows there's no good answer for that anyone can tell him beyond it's how things are done. ]

I have no enemies here, [ he says instead. ] None that I wish such harm on, anyhow. But it's important to learn about such things to develop antidotes, too, or to recognize the symptoms when they come. So I prefer to broaden my understanding.

[ He drums his fingers against the counter. ]

I've spent most of my life with people attempting to poison me, you know -- I'm not about to let a silly little thing like an entirely new ecosystem stop me from maintaining some poison resistance.

[ Nobody here is going to try to assassinate him. But it makes him feel better all the same. ]

But I'm skilled at what I do, and I can assure you I'm in no danger, and I'm not in the habit of endangering others, so let that put some of your fears to rest.