The small conference room didn't empty immediately after the report on the branches and the nobles concluded.
The lamp at the center of the table continued to glow steadily, casting a warm light over the polished wood and scattered documents that detailed growth, profit, influence, and rising power. Outside the closed door, the Guild Hall buzzed with life even at this late hour.
The celebration had slowed but not ceased; voices floated up through the floors, boots echoed against stone tiles, and occasional bursts of laughter rang out before fading away.
Sage sat at the head of the table, fingers loosely interlocked and posture relaxed yet deliberate. To his left was Boren, serious and contemplative, while Lyana organized her papers into neat stacks with her usual composed expression.
Although their talk of branches, nobles, and Stonehelm had ended, an unspoken tension lingered in the air.
