The banquet hall was alive with soft chatter, the clink of porcelain, and the faint rustle of silk. Lanterns swung gently from the ceiling, casting warm pools of light across the tatami mats.
Azzy, seated at the head of the main table as the honored guest, scanned the gathering with a composed but curious expression. Unlike the display earlier in the village, the atmosphere here was quite in contrast, especially the bold thoughts of these noble ladies.
The elders around him bowed frequently, offering him cups of saké and passing dishes of delicately prepared food. Their eyes held admiration, respect, and, in some cases, awe.
But it wasn't only the elders who were captivated. The young ladies of the clan, dressed in fine silk kimonos embroidered with gold and silver threads, whispered in hushed tones among themselves.
"He's… so handsome," one murmured, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her sleeve. "And so young, yet he's the strongest in the world. Not even forty…"
