HN Starcrest

After an unknown amount of time, the suffocating silence in the tavern only slightly receded when one of the oil lamps on the wall began to flicker.

"Damn it, Prince..." Tampa let out a pained sigh. "Why have I been so unlucky today..."

"Crap, uh, this isn't a good sign..." Kuaishang lowered his head and muttered something under his breath.

"You..." Marina stared at Tales with wide eyes, her palm pressed tightly against her sword hilt.

The mercenaries also began whispering among themselves.

"Quiet."

Clay issued the order calmly. His eyes never left Tales, while his longsword remained pressed against Dean's chest.

Tales cast aside all his reservations, leaned back in his chair in relief, and calmly faced everyone's gazes.

Things had come to this point. What else could he do?

He might as well think about what came next...

"Did you really think you could smuggle the spoils out right under our noses, Dean?"

Russell Vida, Exeter's former envoy and no longer a baron, snorted through his nose. After glancing at Tales, he said coldly to Dean, "Especially such a large haul?"

Dean curled his lip disdainfully. "You were just lucky, King's lapdog."

Russell answered him with a contemptuous smile.

Ricky slowly walked over and stopped in front of Tales, staring straight into his eyes.

"Tales Starcrest?"

Ricky's lips curled upward, but his gaze as he sized Tales up was somewhat unfocused. "You really exceeded my expectations."

At that moment, his gaze turned sharp.

"Just like the other Starcrests."

Tales was somewhat taken aback.

Whether it was Nikolai, Monty, Dean, or even Fuse and Russell just now, whenever they sized Tales up, it was often as if they were looking at prey or valuable treasure.

Strangely, however, Ricky's gaze held none of that meaning. Instead, it carried a faint