Because I'm going to be thinking about this forever, I do want to talk about how Caleb speaks, because I think there's something to be said for how his protectiveness (in general) actually presents itself.
Caleb uses epithets and allusions a lot. He refers to Nott as "my goblin friend," to Jester as "my blue friend," to Yasha as "my barbarian friend." Yussa is at one point "our wizard friend," and Essek is "my Kryn friend," in the two-shot.
He is also, notably, paranoid about being surveiled. He wears the amulet of nondetection for most of the campaign, and it's not unwarranted, given that Trent locates him and nearly burns down the Blooming Grove the moment he's able to get a lock on them. Trent in fact has been shown to use any and all information he can get ahold of about or from Caleb against him, to a truly extreme level. His seemingly single-minded goal is expressed to be to ensure that not a single aspect of Caleb's life and loved ones is safe at any moment, to perpetuate the threat of harm from any direction in order to essentially control and monopolize Caleb's every thought.
In Echoes of the Solstice, Caleb does suggest that he is not concerned with Trent being able to surveil him any longer, but Trent is not the only threat, and, timey-wimey plot nonsense aside, the Hells' inability to scry on him since then suggests that he is likely wearing an amulet at least by that point in the timeline.
The extent of Trent's focus on him and his ensuing paranoia is extreme, and even beyond when he may no longer feel that Trent is a threat to him, he seems unwilling to allow him to pose a threat to others, and people he cares about in particular.
Within that context, it's not difficult to read his use of epithets, particularly in referring to people who are not currently present (rather than using their name aloud), as a form of protection. Some of his manner of speaking implicitly or explicitly presumes that he is being surveiled, even outside of the context of protectiveness; after Vess Derogna's death, he frequently refers to Lucian only by epithets, most often, "our old friend," and at one point establishes "Lady D," (to Jester's glee) as a code name for Vess Derogna for the specific purposes of countersurveilance.
This method of protection, I would imagine, goes double for Essek; not only does Caleb have the habit of worrying over those who would use his loved ones against him, which is of course borne out in Echoes of the Solstice, but he also must consider that Essek has his own enemies, and a stray mention of his name in the wrong company or setting could get his partner killed. It seems even in that gifset, when Caleb says, "I am worried for Essek," after the encounter with Trent at Vergessen, that he first considers obfuscating, stumbling over allusory phrasing before acknowledging that Trent already has the information he needs, and at that point Trent is their only real concern about who might care, given Lucien is far too focused on reaching the Astral Sea to worry about hostages.
When Caleb answers Jester's, "And he's going to hurt Essek," with a silence and an oblique reply, it feels most to me like a further measure of protection, knowing that knowledge is power that can be used against him and his loved ones, and silence is the weapon he has against it.
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Ride 766: The ones chasing the colored bib!!
Pag 1
1: Those who pride themselves on their speed on flats are jumping ahead one by one!!
Waa
So fast!
2: Their goal is
3: the first result that's 10km ahead of here...
Pag 2
1: The sprint line!!
Pag 3
1: We're done here
On!!
Hurry up, you haven't forgotten anything?
No
2: Damn, road racing is so much more hectic than tennis
3: I-I'll grab that for you!
Thanks
4: We have to take a different route than the race to get to the supply point ahead of time
5: They were saying that a a lot of people jumped ahead earlier right after the start
For that “something line”? Is that thing so important?
On
Pag 4
1: The sprint line is the first title
2: During the Inter High there are three colored bibs you can obtain in one day: the sprint's “green bib”, the mountains' “red bib”, and the one for that day's victory, the “yellow bib”
This for all three days... nine of them in total
3: And among them, the “first day's fast sprint line” is the very first one
4: A flash situation right after the start when no one is injured or had retired yet.... out of the nine bibs that everyone can desire
5: under the same conditions, this, most of all, is the one
Pag 5
1: when everyone has the same chances!!
Gallop!!
2: The green bib
3: has to be mine!!
Ugh!! That guy's fast!!
4: There's a lot of show-offs from Nagoya
They mistake flashiness for strength
Real strength is
Pag 6
2: is “thickness”!!
Th... “thickness”!?
3: I'm Oosumi from Kagoshima's Satsuma Nishi high school!!
In Kyushu “thick” means “big”!! And I won't lose against anyone when it comes to waist circumference and neck thickness!!
Ugh!! He really is huge!
4: Oosumi-kun!!
Kagoshima's Oosumi-kun!!
5: The thickest volcano in Japan is Sakurajima!!
The thickest radish in Japan is the Sakurajima radish!!
Uh... but that has nothing to do with running!!
Pag 7
1: I want to try and see if there's a connection!!
3: If everyone has a chance, then it's not out of reach for anyone
4: That's right... the chances are equal... so
5: of course... in order to take all the bibs and regain the title
Pag 8
1: Kanagawa's Hakone Academy is aiming for the first sprint line too!!
Pag 9
1: “Shoot them down”?
You really wanna go, Bashi-kun?
2: Well...
3: In that case, Jou-kun will rest..
Wha!! wait, Manami, the plan....
4: We can't hold him back.... Bashi-san, please don't break your zipper
5: Even if I break it, as long as I win there's nothing to complain about!!
6: Can you do it?
Who do you think you're speaking to!!
7: I'll take it, 100%!!
My jersey, that was handed over to me by Izumida-san... and that Izumida-san got from Shinkai-san...
Pag 10
1: Is the one with the “bib number 4”, the ace sprinter number of Hakone Academy's tradition!!
2: Ugh!! Hakogaku is moving....
Ugh...
The first sprint.... for Hakogaku, Doubashi is suddenly going for it?!
Pag 11
3: Just now
4: I heard someone say that Hakogaku is moving!!
5: And earlier I got confirmation that Kaburagi moved
Pag 12
1: The third year Doubashi is going?
That Doubashi!!
2: What should our selected team do!!
3: We have no chance of winning
So do we keep going like this and preserve our strengths?
No
Should we send someone!?
4: Good grief.... is there no time to calmly savor the “feeling of running”at the Inter High!! The feeling of running!!
5: Pfui...
Pag 13
1: Of course I'm prepared for it but still!!
2: Kobayashi!! Uchikawa!!
3: You have the chance to test your legs that you've trained on the track field!!
4: Go for the green bib challenge!!
Pag 14
1: Huh.... but
But the first attack is basically already done
If only the two of us jump ahead now from here....
2: One last train is soon coming up from behind us
He has a terrific acceleration, but if you can jump on it you can make it to the front!!
3: Ohh
Waaa
4: He's coming!!
5: Seriously!? If we can then I wanna go!!
What should we do, Sugimoto-san!!
Pag 15
1: He's here!!
5: He's huge!!
Hakogaku!!
Huh!! Sugimoto-san!?
7: Kuaaaaaa!!
Pag 16
1: Doubashii!!
2: Sugimoto-san jumped ahead....
3: and caught up to the Hakogaku guy!?
4: Huh!?
What do you want, you....
Pag 17
1: You're Sohoku's handyman....!?
2: Can you take two people of the selcted team with you!?
I want to give them the chance to experience the sprint
3: Why are you running in the Inter High!!
4: The selected team!? So you're the one they said they called at last minute!!
Please take them with you
5: Ah!? You call that a negotiation!?
Get out of here with that selfish talk!!
6: There's no benefit for me..!! It's ridiculous!! I refuse!!
I'll make up for it!!
Pag 18
1: When Hakogaku is in a pinch somewhere, we'll help you!! I'll take the initiative!!
3: Buah!! Oi, wait-
You!? Helping!? Hakogaku!?
Th-that's right!!
4: Buuah, that's not balanced!!
Please
5: Please!!
Pag 19
1: …. tch, I don't hate earnest people
2: Get on!! Selected team's guys!! But I won't care if you get shaken off!!
5: Handyman!!
I felt your spirit!!
Pag 20
1: I'll take these guys for now
I don't expect anything though!!
Thank you Doubashi!!
Waaa-
He's so fast!!
Pag 21
1: Ah I'm so glad....
Sugimoto-san....
Sugimoto-san is amazing.... he negotiated....
2: Now, we'll run in a formation while preserving our strength
Otherwise, if we're all scattered when they come back, they won't have a place to rest
3: Yessir!!
4: Do your best, guys
5: So fast....
It's hard, Kobayashi...
6: But we'll hold out
This is the road that Sugimoto-san negotiated for us!!
Yes!!
Pag 22
2: Hakone Academy's Doubashi moved, on!!
This.... Issa-kun and Doubashi-san... could it be that it'll be like...
3: last year's matchup, on!!
4: No but, Kanzaki-chan, what you were saying earlier about the colored bibs
5: You said that counting the sprint and the climb, there's three of them for each day
Pag 23
1: And there's no one who wants to take all three of them?
2: Yeah, since climbing and sprinting are fundamentally different running styles, there's no one
5: That is, if you exclude....
Pag 24
1: those out-of the-ordinary people who will appear sometimes!!
Yon
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