Gray followed Maelis toward the entrance, the stone floor shaking lightly under the weight of the people gathered there.
Everyone around them kept their faces hidden behind masks, but their aura leaked despite their efforts.
'...All of them are above the Grandmaster stage.'
Maelis giggled softly beside him, completely unbothered. She reached into her small silk purse and pulled out something thin and black.
A token.
It shone with a faint red glow and had a small rune carved into it.
A VIP Token.
The guards at the door stiffened instantly.
"O–One of the honored guests… please, this way."
Their heads lowered deeply, and the crowd shifted away without resistance.
Maelis smiled proudly, looping her arm tighter around Gray's.
"Let's not sit with the common crowd, big brother~," she whispered, tilting her head as she guided him into a private corridor.
Inside, the air felt different and scented lightly with cold incense.
A maid in a fox mask bowed.
