An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

"I..."

Abigail's words left Ruby speechless, and she blushed. Ruby suddenly realized she was too naive.

Grudges and alliances often defied reason in the martial world—either kill or be killed.

If Luke intended to kill Abigail, then it was only natural for her to defend herself by retaliating against him. Her actions were justified.

Furthermore, as Abigail pointed out, those who acted solely for profit were hardly virtuous. Therefore, it was not worthwhile to advocate for justice on their behalf.

"Ruby, judging by your demeanor, you're likely new to the martial world," Abigail began. "Holding onto your good intentions is commendable, but you must choose your allies wisely. Blindly playing the role of a saint will only bring harm to yourself and others."

She offered a knowing smile. "Let's let bygones be bygones. There's no need to let tension brew between us over strangers' affairs. Come, let's continue with our drinks."

Then, she lifted her glass and nodded toward Ruby.

Ruby hesitated briefly before raising her glass and downing its contents.

As the tension dissipated after the brief commotion, the atmosphere in the tavern returned to its former merriment as if nothing had happened. Laughter and chatter resumed, accompanied by the clinking of glasses.

Meanwhile, members of the Mystic Arts Order swiftly cleaned up the aftermath outside the tavern.

With the streets littered with bodies and blood, they worked diligently to erase any traces of the night's violence. Even if their actions were in self-defense, they had to ensure no lingering consequences.

their reputation and ensuring their gambling activities could

to morning, the atmosphere at Sacred

buzzed with anticipation as crowds filled every available space. They

sum to secure a prime spot. She had

extensive range of wagers available, covering everything from match

of celestial stones to be delivered overnight from

contrast to the trivial disputes on the previous day, Abigail appeared

various major sects, gathering at the Sacred Wrym Summit,

gamblers would lead to untold wealth. She

a blind eye to the gambling activities as long as they didn't

provided Abigail with the perfect environment to make

Abigail busied herself with her schemes in the

than joining the crowd at Sacred Wrym Summit,

by a letter he found slipped under his door that morning. The letter's content was simple. It was a

such a request without much thought. However, this time

distinct emblem of the Hall

in their efforts to sow discord and assassinate key figures within the palace. Their reason was to hinder

audacious attempt to assassinate Rufus in Swinton, where they had even deployed the Four Gods and a

failure on that occasion, the Hall of Gods persisted in their clandestine machinations. But their sudden appearance near

members sought him out before he had revealed his identity. To uncover

letter, he arrived at a