Leo studied the group standing over them, his sharp gaze scanning their faces. He quickly recognized so of them.
They were the sa beastkin they had encountered the previous day. His fingers instinctively curled against the wooden table.
This wasn't just a random encounter.
They had co here for sothing.
Leo turned his head slightly, catching Tatiana's expression. She was calm, unreadable, but the flicker in her crimson eyes told him she was thinking the sa thing.
He exhaled, pushing his chair back as he stood up. If these guys were here to pick a fight, he'd rather deal with it now than later.
But before he could say anything, sothing unexpected happened.
The leader of the beastkin group—a broad-shouldered feline with dark stripes along his arms—bowed his head deeply.
Leo blinked, stunned into montary silence.
The others followed suit, lowering themselves into a respectful bow.
Mia, who had been gripping her utensils tightly, looked just as shocked. "Uh… what?"
The beastkin leader straightened, his blue eyes filled with sothing unexpected—genuine remorse.
"We ca to apologize," he said, his voice steady but filled with regret. "For what happened yesterday."
Leo narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected this.
The leader turned slightly and yanked the wolfkin from the previous night's encounter to the front. The wolfkin resisted at first but was quickly overpowered, forced to his knees.
"You shad us," the leader growled, his tone turning sharp. "Apologize. Now."
The wolfkin's ears flattened, his expression shifting between sha and frustration. But under the weight of his leader's presence, he relented.
"I… I'm sorry," he muttered, barely above a whisper.
"Louder," the leader demanded.
The wolfkin gritted his teeth, then bowed his head lower.
"I am sorry for our actions yesterday," he said, this ti his voice clear, carrying over the quiet hum of the inn. "We should not have tried to intimidate you."
Leo exchanged glances with Ves and Miguel, both of whom looked equally puzzled.
The leader, satisfied, released his hold on the wolfkin before turning back to Leo. "I hope this will clear any hostility between us."
Leo nodded slowly. "It does… but why the sudden change?"
The beastkin leader smiled and then turned his attention toward Tatiana.
Leo imdiately noticed the shift in his expression.
There was reverence there.
Tatiana raised an eyebrow. "You know ?"
The beastkin nodded. "I returned to Yllandor recently, and naturally, but before that, I had learned about the tournant and those on the leaderboard."
Leo stiffened slightly, sensing where this was going.
To confirm, the beastkin waved his hand and a leather back book materialised in his hand, and he gave it to Tatiana.
"This book contains detailed information on every contestant ranked on the leaderboard," he explained. "Their known strengths, weaknesses, and affiliations."
Tatiana picked up the book, flipping through a few pages before pausing, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"The demons aren't listed," she noted.
The beastkin nodded. "The demons' identities are still unknown. No one has been able to gather information on them. Sothing I find natural as the Infernal Realm isn't a place suitable for other races besides demons."
Leo frowned. "And what about the last person on the ranking?"
The beastkin hesitated.
Then, with a serious expression, he looked at Leo.
"There is no information on the one ranked last."
Leo's stomach twisted slightly. "None at all?"
The beastkin shook his head. "None. Every single person on the leaderboard has a known history, except for the demons… and Leo Astranox."
Mia's grip on her drink tightened. Miguel's brows furrowed, and Ves remained silent, her expression unreadable.
But before Leo could process the implications, the beastkin continued.
"There's a bounty of 100 million gold coins on any verified information about Leo Astranox."
Silence fell over the table.
Leo felt Tatiana's gaze shift to him, and he knew she was trying to gauge his reaction. But he could also see the shock in he eyes and he knew that the amount was enough to make everyone move.
Ves's expression turned dark. "That's not just a bounty. That's an open invitation for the entire multiverse to start looking for him."
Tatiana set the book down, tapping a finger against the wooden table. "And where did this bounty co from?"
The beastkin shrugged. "No one knows. But if I had to guess… soone wants to know who he really is. And they're willing to pay a fortune to find out."
Leo exhaled slowly.
He had always known that his past was a mystery, but this? This was sothing else entirely.
Tatiana leaned back, folding her arms. "And what about you? Are you here to claim that bounty?"
The beastkin let out a short laugh. "If I were, I wouldn't have brought this information to you."
Tatiana tilted her head. "Then why tell us?"
The beastkin's expression grew serious again. "Because I've seen enough in my life to know when soone is being hunted. And whether you like it or not, Leo Astranox is being hunted."
Leo felt a cold weight settle in his chest.
Tatiana studied the beastkin for a long mont before exhaling. "You said you just returned to Yllandor. Where were you before?"
The beastkin smiled faintly. "Fighting in so minor pocket dinsions. My group traveled from world to world, taking contracts, learning new battle techniques. But when I heard about the tournant… I knew I had to return."
Tatiana narrowed her eyes. "To compete?"
The beastkin nodded. "To prove myself. And to see if the nas on the leaderboard are worthy of their ranks."
Leo smirked slightly. "And what do you think so far?"
The beastkin chuckled. "I think so of you are full of surprises."
Leo leaned back, letting the conversation sink in.
A bounty on his na. No records of his past.
And now, even strangers were recognizing Tatiana from the leaderboard.
Things were escalating faster than he expected.
Tatiana stood up, stretching slightly. "Thank you for the information. I'll take a look at this book later. But for now, we'll eat."
The beastkin leader nodded, stepping back. "Then I won't take up any more of your ti."
He gave them one final respectful bow, then turned and left, his group following.
Leo exhaled as they disappeared from sight.
Mia let out a low whistle. "So. That was a thing."
Miguel crossed his arms. "That bounty is going to be a problem."
Tatiana picked up the book again, flipping through more pages. "Everything is a problem," she muttered.
Leo sat back down, rubbing his temples.
He had no answers. But one thing was certain.
He had just beco a target for sothing much bigger than he could have imagined.
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