Five of Swords and Seven of Swords

Two ways of winning that leave something behind. The Five is the figure holding three swords with two on the ground and two people walking away: the victory that cost the room. The Seven is the one carrying five swords out of a camp, looking back. The tradition reads the pair as a win obtained at a price somebody has decided not to count.

Associated with arguments won and relationships damaged by winning them, and with things taken quietly rather than asked for.

Competitive advantage with a residue: the deal that soured a partnership, the credit taken, the corner cut.

Neither card judges as harshly as its reputation suggests, and both ask the same question. What did it cost, and is the person who paid still in the room?