Alix wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, stands up slowly, and walks toward their table. The group goes quiet as he approaches, their gazes sharpening. Without a word, Alix pulls a gleaming gold coin from his pouch and sets it lightly on their table.
"Gentlemen," Alix says smoothly, his voice calm and clear. "Would you mind telling me more about this Lord Astram?"
The gold coin spins slightly before settling. A few of the monsters glance at each other, clearly tempted. But at the same time, they look confused—almost suspicious.
The lion-headed beastman squints at him. "You serious?" he says. "You don't know about Lord Astram?"
Another, a bear-like brute, leans forward, frowning. "Where the hell are you from, stranger?"
Alix offers a faint, easy smile. "Not from around here. Came from the other continent. I don't know much about this land yet."
There's a beat of silence. Then the bat-winged woman laughs softly, a little bitter.
