บท 276: You need to be much stronger for that

As Valeria and Lucavion returned to Mariel's inn, the shift in the atmosphere was impossible to miss. The usually lively space was now bursting at the seams, patrons crowding tables and filling every corner. The hum of conversation was louder, more charged, a tension simmering just beneath the surface. Even the air seemed heavier, laden with unspoken questions and hushed speculation. 

The moment Lucavion stepped through the door, dozens of eyes turned toward him. Some gazes carried admiration, others suspicion. A few burned with anger, and others lingered with a strange mix of pity and curiosity. The once-private world of the inn had become a public stage, and Lucavion its reluctant star.