"Surely they wouldn't add another for merely getting lost."

It's plain it's none of her doing, after all. Loosing Ifrita might well be more worthy of censure, but he's not yet willing to give her up for lost. Merely surprisingly difficult to locate.

Still, that is a lesser concern. Or is at least now that Ardbert has made a direct request of him.

"He speaks the truth. His kind live shorter lives than ours. Dramatically so."

A century, at best; a life fleeting and fragile compared to what she will have known.

"Although... were one to take that into account, I daresay he would be at least your equal in age. If not older."