Bang.
The heavy wooden door slowly swung shut, hinges grinding with a stiff creak, and the tall figure with dual blades strapped to his back vanished behind it.
The tower returned to its usual silence, countless collectibles resting on the wooden shelves as always.
After seeing Xia Nan out through the gate, Auriye slowly turned and headed toward the stairs.
Perhaps it was a habit ingrained since childhood. Even when alone with no one watching, he maintained a poised and elegant bearing in every movement.
His immaculate, finely crafted leather boots stepped one after another onto the carpeted stairs, his right hand lightly resting on the railing.
Yet his silver-gray eyes, inherited from his elven bloodline, flickered inexplicably, as though tangible thoughts flowed within them.
Xia Nan—"Sea Fang"—"Grey Sword."
Thanks to the information channels he had cultivated over many years in Barracuda Bay, as well as his cautious habits, Auriye had gathered considerable recent intelligence on the adventuring squad and updated his records long before meeting the Oath of Vengeance Blades Fleet and appraising that marble workbench.
He knew that their party had gained two new temporary members, apparently introduced through channels connected to the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern.
One was a Halfling with countless ties to that "Arlene" from years ago. The other was a young adventurer from the inland regions, who appeared to be a greenhorn but had already earned the titles "Grey Sword" and "Sea Fang" in two separate regions—an exceptionally capable fighter.
Before today, he had held no particular interest in either of them—or, rather, in Xia Nan.
His inquiries had merely been out of habit.
Until he saw the other man for the first time in the meeting room of the Adventurers Association.
He had to admit that his instinctive eye for fine equipment, born