It isn't as though he would have been in peril, naturally; he did send off that penguin for a reason (and no amount of bullies can tolerate a small army of shin-level beak pecks. No amount).

But it was an earlier reprieve, and one which for that matter makes a heavy point. The one that Atem has just acknowledged, and cemented if anything.

The tension fills the silence until the pharaoh speaks again, and though the boy's fingers curl into fists in the anxiety, he manages to keep his own level of calm.

Enough that he doesn't take too long to answer at least. "...The classrooms," he replies. "...I only recently arrived- so I wanted to familiarize myself with the rooms I'll need to visit." He wonders if he should mention the penguins he's waiting for, for a moment. Or maybe they'll just find him??

He's not sure how that 'emperor' of penguins manages anything really...