The night air outside the food building was cool and fragrant, carrying the faint trace of spices and smoke from the kitchens within. Liergu stepped out first, his cloak catching the evening wind, followed by the shadowy figures of the assassination team. Their boots struck the cobblestones in rhythm as they entered the softly lit commercial street.
"My lord," Nijisha asked, her voice low and respectful, "what shall we do now?"
She tried to keep her tone steady, but her stomach betrayed her with a quiet growl. Watching others dine so lavishly inside that towering food hall had only made her hunger worse. The aroma still lingered in her mind, tormenting her senses.
Liergu's gaze swept over the street—rows of wooden stalls, flickering oil lamps, and a gentle hum of trade even this late at night. "We'll buy something to eat," he said. "Then we'll head back. I want to look through a few of these shops—see what kind of place this really is."
