"Fair." They're already so weakened, why beg more? Sure he was still healing faster than a normal person could hope to but it was much slower than he was used to, and that didn't even begin to touch on how frail he felt.

Although this is no mission, as far as he's concerned Noctis is a civilian and to be treated like one; when he finally stops, he looks fairly relaxed but it's no accident he's between the hypothetical prince and the equally hypothetically cursed forest. "It must be relieving to know the reports of his demise were inaccurate." That's what it would be right? Relief?