Zaber left the tavern and headed toward the merchants' guild. The noise lingering behind the door gradually faded, and in his ears remained only the breath of the city—the footsteps of people, the rumble of wagon wheels, and distant calls of traders.
He did not look back. As if that place, that conversation, and that catgirl had already been left behind.
Back inside, Shoyu's companion rebuked her in a nervous tone. His voice was low, but the sharpness in it could not be hidden.
"Miss, you cannot cause trouble here. You did not come on a journey," he said, barely containing his anger.
Shoyu walked toward the table. Her steps carried not anger, but deep contemplation. As she sat, her eyes fixed on a single point.
"That man was not ordinary," she said slowly. "He has a powerful presence… but his aura is extremely weak, almost like a beginner at level 3."
Her companion fell silent for a moment. He could not dismiss the words as a joke.
