Cedric.
The same pompous fool who had been humiliated in the high-class diner.
And judging from the sneer curling on his face, he was here for revenge.
The inn, moments ago alive with clinking dishes and laughter, sank into suffocating silence.
The knights fanned out without a word, steel greaves clanging in rhythm as they positioned themselves at the exits. One squad blocked the door, another lined the windows. No one was leaving without their say-so.
The customers caught in the common room were quick to take the hint. Chairs scraped, coins clinked on tables, and one by one, strangers hurried out with their heads low. Only those who were lodging upstairs remained, peering nervously from the staircase or from the corners, their curiosity battling with fear.
