The sound of bootsteps clicking against the stone was too deliberate to be a passerby. As Ludwig and Celine stepped out of the Adventurer's Guild into the midday haze of Peltora, they found themselves approached by a figure draped in a tattered hood, the fabric worn enough to blend with shadow, yet not so worn to seem destitute.
"Psst."
Ludwig turned, recognizing the familiar but unwanted voice. His brow furrowed slightly, an eyebrow raising in skeptical irritation. "Didn't you say you wanted to disappear?" he asked, his tone more exasperated than accusatory.
The hood shifted slightly as Redd shrugged, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his lip. "Things changed," he said quietly, scanning the street behind him before leaning closer. "I have some news… from a few acquaintances."
"Of course you do," Ludwig muttered, arms folding across his chest as Celine arched a brow beside him. "What's going on?"
