[The soldier tumbles off the ledge, and Ardyn watches, laughter bubbling out unbidden and unrepentant both. He doesn’t bother hiding a sincerely knife-edged smile, amusement gleaming across a row of white teeth, when Prompto declares that he should’ve acted differently.]

And have done what instead? Let you struggle with him more? You’re right, maybe I should have — at least then I wouldn’t be standing here, awaiting a well-earned thanks from someone so—

[Stepping forward, eyes alight with terrible delight.]

—ungrateful.