Chapter 166: Another One (4)

The girl with the black hair cast one last glance at the commotion outside but quickly dismissed it, her expression cold and indiffert. "It is of our concern," she murmured, her voice low and final. The maid, though still curious, nodded in agreemt and followed her mistress into the inn.

The warmth of the Verdant Heart Inn greeted them, a stark contrast to the cold dampness of the outside. Inside, the atmosphere was quiet and modest, with worn wood furniture and a few patrons scattered about, keeping to themselves. The sct of rain and hearth fire mingled in the air.

Behind the counter stood an elderly woman, her hair streaked with gray and her eyes sharp despite her age. She looked up as the two approached, taking in their finely crafted travel cloaks and composed demeanor.

"Welcome to the Verdant Heart Inn," she said with a warm but cautious smile. "What can I do for you, travelers?"

"We need two rooms for the night," the maid said, stepping forward to handle the formalities.

The woman nodded and reached beath the counter, pulling out a large, leather-bound ledger. "Two rooms for just the night?" she asked, flipping through the pages.

"Yes," the maid confirmed.

The woman glanced up at them both once more, her eyes lingering for a momt as if assessing them before she nodded and jotted down their names in the ledger. "That'll be t silver for each room," she said.

The maid reached into her pouch and paid without hesitation, placing the coins on the counter.

The innkeeper gathered the silver and slid two keys across the counter. "Your rooms are upstairs, second and third doors on the left," she said, her tone polite but businesslike. "Let me know if you need anything else."

The maid paused for a momt, leaning in slightly, her voice dropping to a near-whisper as she slid the innkeeper another silver coin across the counter.

"There is one other thing," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "We're looking for someone. A man by the name of Lucavion. Have you heard of him?"

The innkeeper's cautious smile faltered ever so slightly, her sharp eyes flicking betwe the maid and the girl, who remained silt but observant. The question seemed to catch her off guard, and for a brief momt, the warmth in her expression was replaced by something more guarded.

"Lucavion, you say?" the innkeeper murmured, her tone more reserved now. She glanced down at the silver coin resting on the counter before lightly tapping her fingers against it.

"I might've heard the name," she said slowly, carefully choosing her words.

Her fingers drummed softly on the counter, her eyes narrowing slightly as she regarded the maid and the girl with growing suspicion.

"Lucavion," she repeated, her voice low and cautious. "Why, if you don't mind me asking, are you looking for him?"

The question hung in the air, lad with unspok implications. The innkeeper's once warm demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by an alert wariness, as though the very mtion of the name had unsettled her.

The maid exchanged a brief glance with her lady, gauging her response. The girl with the clear black hair, though her expression remained calm, gave a slight nod, signaling for the maid to proceed.

"We have business with him," the maid replied smoothly, her tone measured and controlled. "It's a matter of some urgcy."

The innkeeper didn't seem convinced. She looked the two wom up and down, her eyes lingering on the girl for a momt longer. There was something about their presce that unsettled her, though she couldn't quite place it.

"I see," the innkeeper said, her voice growing colder. "Th you have asked the wrong person."

The girl's eyes narrowed, a sharp flicker of annoyance crossing her face. It wasn't just the refusal to answer—the innkeeper's tone carried a subtle defse, as though she was deliberately protecting the man they sought. A mere innkeeper, attempting to shield him? The very thought sparked a surge of anger deep within her.

The maid, ssing the shift in her lady's demeanor, took a step back as the tsion in the air thicked.

The girl with the clear black hair stepped forward, her posture rigid, her eyes darking with barely contained fury. "Is that so?" she asked, her voice low and hoarse, a dangerous edge creeping into her tone.

Without waiting for a response, she let her mana flare, the air a her becoming heavy with palpable pressure. It was subtle at first, but th it grew, spreading through the inn like a wave. The innkeeper visibly stiffed, her eyes widing in fear as the oppressive force seemed to close in a her, pressing down on her chest and making it hard to breathe.

"You're protecting him," the girl said, her voice cutting through the thick silce, each word dripping with barely restrained anger. "Why?"

The innkeeper, now trembling, tried to maintain her composure, but the intsity of the girl's presce made it nearly impossible. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she struggled to speak. "I… I don't know what you mean," she stammered, her voice cracking under the pressure.

The girl's eyes burned with cold fury as she stepped ev closer, the weight of her mana almost suffocating now. "Tell me. Where is Lucavion?"

The innkeeper's trembling intsified, but her lips remained tightly sealed, her fear evidt, yet still, she refused to speak a word about Lucavion. Her silce only fueled the girl's anger, and the pressure in the air grew ev more suffocating. The flames of her fury flickered just beath the surface, ready to explode. МѴᒪΕƜρΥЯ.ϹΘƜ

But th, in the midst of her fury, the girl suddly ssed something—a presce. No, not just one, but several. People were approaching the inn, their steps steady and deliberate, cutting through the rainy night.

Her eyes wided for the briefest momt. She had made a mistake. This wasn't her domain, her hometown, where she could act freely. Rackshore was an unfamiliar place, and she couldn't afford to attract atttion—not yet.

With a sharp exhale, she retracted her mana, the oppressive weight lifting from the room. The innkeeper gasped in relief, her legs nearly buckling as she clutched the counter for support, but still, she said nothing.

The girl glanced at her maid, who gave a slight nod of understanding. They both knew they had gone too far.

Just th, the heavy wood door to the inn swung op with a loud creak. The sound of clinking armor filled the room as the knights from outside tered, their expressions sharp and wary. The same group they had se questioning the young girl earlier.

One of the knights, a tall man with a grizzled beard and sharp eyes, stepped forward. His gaze flickered to the innkeeper, who was still visibly shak, before settling on the girl with the black hair.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his voice stern. "We ssed mana here…." Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The maid instinctively stepped forward, shielding her lady ever so slightly, though it was a subtle movemt.

"Nothing, sir," the maid replied smoothly, her voice calm and measured. "We were merely asking the innkeeper a question. Perhaps we were a bit too… insistt."

The knight's eyes narrowed, clearly unconvinced, but he didn't press the matter immediately. Instead, he turned his atttion to the innkeeper. "Is everything all right here?"

The innkeeper, regaining her composure as the oppressive pressure of the girl's mana lifted, took a deep breath. Still visibly shak, she glanced betwe the two wom before addressing the knight with a shaky but steadying voice.

"These people… they asked about someone. Th, all of a sudd, they started using mana to pressure me," she said, her voice laced with indignation but tempered by lingering fear.

The knight's eyes narrowed at the revelation. His gaze turned steely as he looked at the girl and her maid, clearly weighing the gravity of the situation. The room tsed, the other patrons falling silt, watching the sce unfold.

Before the tsion could escalate further, the girl with the clear black hair stepped forward, her movemts deliberate and calm. Reaching up, she removed her hood, allowing her black hair to cascade down, revealing her face fully for the first time.

Her striking features were now in full view—sharp, yet undiably beautiful, her noble bearing unmistakable. Her dark eyes, though still hard, softed just ough as she addressed the knight directly.

"I apologize for my actions," she said, her voice steady, though tinged with a hint of regret. "I made a mistake. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. We've be on the road for a long time, and I'm afraid my patice has worn thin."

The knight, though still on guard, seemed tak aback by her sudd change in demeanor. He glanced over her, noting the finely crafted clothing and the unmistakable air of nobility that sured her. This wasn't some common traveler—they were dealing with someone of significant status. His sharp gaze softed slightly, understanding the delicacy of the situation.

He exchanged a brief look with his fellow knights before turning back to her, his expression cautious but no longer confrontational.

"We appreciate your honesty," the knight said, his tone measured. "But be mindful of where you are. Rackshore may be on the border, but that doesn't mean we tolerate such behavior, ev from those of noble blood."

The girl nodded, understanding the subtle warning in his words. "It won't happ again."

The knight, satisfied that the situation wouldn't escalate, gave a short nod. His eyes flickered toward the innkeeper one last time, as if siltly confirming she was unharmed, before he stepped back, motioning to his m.

"Let's go," he muttered to his fellow knights. "No need to linger here."

Without further words, the knights turned and left the inn, the tsion in the room dissipating as they disappeared through the door.

As the door swung shut behind them, the girl remained still for a momt, her expression unreadable. The maid, ssing her lady's thoughts, quietly moved beside her.

"We should go to our room now," the maid said softly.

The girl gave a single nod, her gaze flicking briefly to the innkeeper, who was still standing behind the counter.

With a last glance at the woman, the two turned and made their way upstairs, leaving the tse momt behind, but….

'He was here.'

The fact that Lucavion was here and the rumors about him were confirmed was ough.