[Getting down to exactly nine people to win seems like a DANGEROUS GAME!! He sighs, pressing his fingers to his lips before speaking again.]

I've seen the numbers before, but I wasn't aware of what they meant back then. I assume this person you spoke with has your trust?

[Because he feels a big ol' Unsure here, but... who knows. Maybe that's just him not wanting to accept that they'll need to shave off over half of their remaining fellows to be successful.]