The conversation began as Rainer let out a slow breath and bent down to pick up the wooden chair that had fallen during the earlier tension. The sharp scrape of wood against stone echoed in the now-empty bar, its once-rowdy customers long gone. He adjusted the chair with care before slowly taking a seat, while Pastor Hongward stood behind him, expression guarded.
In front of them stood a man wearing a thin smile that never quite reached his eyes. His gaze was sharp, but not aggressive—more like someone accustomed to reading others' every twitch and shift.
"I'll ask again," Rainer said coldly, cutting straight to the point. "Who are you, really?"
The man leaned casually against the table behind him, his shoulders relaxed despite the suffocating tension that filled the room. He rolled down his sleeves slowly, then answered with a flat but clear voice.
"Well… I'm the owner of this bar. Ethan Marshal."
