“Money becomes a form of power, and it’s more insidious than a sword at the throat. Everyone has their price.”
As Lucavion spoke about money’s power to influence, Valeria couldn’t help but recall the registration day. She had waited in that endless line, diligently following every rule, only for Lucavion to casually stroll up and cut in front of her without a hint of guilt. She’d been fuming when she realized he’d bribed the officials to jump ahead, and now, a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
‘Karma,’
she thought, pleased by the thought.
‘Serves him right.’
Lucavion glanced at her, picking up on her smug expression. He raised an eyebrow, his smirk sharpening. “Ah, so you think this is my karma, huh?” he asked slyly. “If that’s the case, then explain something to me, Valeria: why are
you
out on the streets with me?”
Valeria’s smirk vanished as she shot him a glare, her face flushing in irritation. “Because
you’re
the reason I’m out here, you idiot!” she snapped, her voice dripping with exasperation.
She turned sharply, striding ahead, eyes scanning the streets for any sign of another inn. But before she’d gone more than a few steps, Lucavion’s voice stopped her.
“I wouldn’t waste too much time looking for another inn if I were you,” he called, his tone casual but certain.
She paused, turning to give him a skeptical look. “And why’s that?”
Lucavion took a step closer, folding his arms as he met her gaze. “Do you really think the Cloud Heavens Sect would limit their influence to one single inn?” he asked, his voice smooth, almost taunting. “If they’re trying to make a statement, they’d make sure every innkeeper in Andelheim knows about it.”
The realization hit her like a wave, the pieces falling into place in a way she couldn’t ignore. Her shoulders stiffened as the full weight of their situation settled over her. “So… they’ve barred us from the entire city?” she muttered, disbelief and anger simmering in her voice.
“Now you’re seeing the full picture,” Lucavion replied, watching her reaction with wry amusement.
Valeria’s thoughts churned as the realization settled heavily in her mind
. ‘So this is how it works,’
she thought, her gaze hardening.
‘The big sects, the powerful houses, they don’t just rely on brute strength or open conflict. They can control people with influence alone—force you out of places, make it so you have nowhere to turn, no one to trust.’
A quiet anger simmered within her. The implications of this tactic became all too clear:
this
was how they kept anyone new, anyone rising, from ever challenging them. By cutting people off, making them feel small and isolated, they forced rising stars into submission—either they joined the ranks of the powerful, or they were swiftly crushed beneath them.
It was no wonder there weren’t many figures like Lucavion in the world, she realized. Anyone with ambition and promise who refused to bend to their rules would face a wall of obstacles and threats
. ‘Join us, or we’ll break you,’
she imagined them saying, the shadow of their influence always looming over those who dared to defy them.
She stole a glance at Lucavion, his expression relaxed and unbothered, as though he were simply amused by the situation.
‘And yet, he’s never bent to their will,’
she thought, a strange sense of respect growing within her.
‘No wonder he doesn’t care about their rules, their traditions. He knows how quickly they’d turn on him if he ever showed weakness.’
The weight of this new understanding sank deep, yet at the same time, a fierce resolve ignited within her. “So that’s why people like you stand out so much,” she murmured, the words more to herself than to him.
Lucavion raised an eyebrow, catching her words. “Hmm? Stand out? I suppose that’s one way of putting it,” he said with a smirk.
“Then…..Now, what? What are we supposed to do?”
“Well…..What else? We are going to trouble our Miss Little Bear.”
Valeria frowned in confusion at Lucavion’s cryptic words. “Miss Little Bear?” she echoed, glancing at him with a puzzled look.
Lucavion merely winked at her and gestured toward the direction they’d come from, his expression unreadable. He strode off with an air of confidence that left her little choice but to follow, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was up to something—something more than he was letting on.
As they walked through the dimly lit streets back toward the Iron Matron’s inn, Valeria’s thoughts raced, and suspicion began to gnaw at her.
Iron Matron
, she thought, the title solid and commanding. It seemed impossible that Lucavion, of all people, could casually refer to Mariel as “Miss Little Bear.” Did he have a death wish?
Her confusion deepened as they arrived at the inn. But before she could ask him what he was thinking, the sight of Mariel sitting at the inn’s entrance silenced her. The Iron Matron herself was perched on a sturdy wooden chair, arms folded, her expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation. She raised an eyebrow as they approached, her gaze moving from Lucavion to Valeria, lingering a moment longer on the latter.
As Lucavion and Valeria stepped into the inn, Mariel was already waiting for them, seated near the entrance with an air of calm defiance. Her arms were crossed, her gaze steady as it swept from Lucavion to Valeria, a flicker of amusement mixed with exasperation in her eyes. She didn’t look surprised to see them—if anything, she looked as if she had anticipated their arrival.
Lucavion’s smirk widened as he took in her expression, a knowing glint in his eyes. “I take it you already know why we’re here, Miss Little Bear?”
Enjoy more content from m-v l’-NovelFire
Mariel’s lips twitched, and she gave him a slight nod, her hand extending with her palm up, fingers curled in a gesture that unmistakably demanded payment.
Lucavion chuckled, pulling out a small leather pouch and placing it into her hand. She took it, feeling the weight, her fingers closing around it with a practiced motion. Turning her attention to Valeria, she arched an eyebrow, giving her a pointed look before repeating the same gesture, palm open.
Valeria blinked, momentarily puzzled. Her eyes darted from Mariel’s outstretched hand to Lucavion, who merely raised an eyebrow and gave a small, amused nod. Realization dawned, and her cheeks colored slightly in irritation, but she dug into her satchel and retrieved her own pouch, placing it into Mariel’s waiting hand.
Mariel’s eyes flicked to the contents of both pouches, her face impassive as she did a quick count. Satisfied, she gave them a curt nod and stood up, her gaze as commanding as ever. “Well, now that you’ve both settled your ‘registration’ fees,” she said dryly, “your rooms are ready.”
With that, she pulled two keys from her pocket, holding them out to each of them. Lucavion took his key with an appreciative nod, his smirk unwavering, while Valeria accepted hers with a mixture of relief and suspicion. Mariel shot them a final look that carried both warmth and the slightest hint of reproach.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” she said, her tone softer but resolute. “And remember, whatever business you’re stirring up out there, you’re safe here as long as you’re in my care.” Her gaze lingered on Lucavion, a quiet reminder of the trust she had placed in him.
Lucavion gave a slight bow, his expression light but respectful. “Much appreciated, Iron Matron,” he said, slipping into his usual casual demeanor.
Mariel watched as they turned toward their respective rooms, her gaze lingering on their retreating figures. Though she had received the ‘request’ to blacklist them from every inn in the city, her loyalty to her word outweighed any outside influence. She had given Lucavion her protection, and for better or worse, she intended to honor it.
‘Well…..this was bound to happen…’
Knowing what kind of sect the Cloud Heavens Sect was, she knew this was bound to happen.
‘Though this kid…..he really is irresponsible….’
Her gaze drifted to the empty hallway where he had disappeared, and she couldn’t help but shake her head.
Irresponsible, reckless.
Lucavion hadn’t once considered how his actions might affect those around him. First, he’d come to her inn with those two young beastkin children, leaving her to provide care and protection, and now he was stirring up trouble with one of the most powerful sects in the city.
‘He truly is a worrisome guy,’
she mused, an exasperated smile pulling at her lips. He reminded her so much of
him
—the same audacious disregard for the rules, the same unwillingness to bend to authority, and the same frustrating tendency to burden others without a second thought.
But then, her expression softened.
Gerald,
the one who had saved her, who had seen something in her when she had been lost. Lucavion bore an uncanny resemblance to his master, both in his courage and in his thoughtlessness. He was the same kind of wild spirit, bound only by his own ideals, even if it meant pushing people like her to pick up the pieces.
A faint, almost wistful smile crossed her face as she thought of it. Perhaps that was just how things were meant to be. Life had a way of repeating itself, passing down legacies through unexpected hands. She had made a promise to Gerald, and now, in a way, she was fulfilling that promise by helping Lucavion.
‘This is just how things are supposed to be, I guess,’
she thought, her smile lingering as she moved back to her tasks. And though it felt a little like being pulled back into her old life, into a world of battles and risks, she found herself strangely content. Lucavion might be reckless, but he carried the spark of something rare—a spirit that could shake things, maybe even change things.
And so, as Mariel returned to her work, her heart felt lighter. She would watch over him, just as she had once been watched over.