"You need to pay the price for your actions."

As Lucavion said that, a sudden pressure enveloped Ragna. It was something primal, something that he had witnessed before.

The same feeling when this young man before him first made his appearance.

Bloodlust.

"Haaaaah...Haaaaaah...…"

It was getting hard to breathe for every second, as if his lungs were getting crushed. But just as it happened, it disappeared at the same time.

"Haaaah…."

Lucavion ignored Ragna's heavy breathing as he continued with his words.

"The damage you've caused—especially to people like Greta—is not something that can be forgiven just because you've had time to think."

Ragna's eyes flickered with discomfort, his shoulders tensing slightly at the mention of Greta. He knew what Lucavion was referring to, and the weight of his past actions seemed to settle heavily on him.

Lucavion didn't soften his gaze. "You've harassed people, taken advantage of your authority, and caused harm to those who couldn't defend themselves. If you truly want to make amends, you'll show it through your actions. You'll compensate for the damage you've done—especially the emotional damage. People like Greta and others in this town have suffered under your arrogance."

Ragna swallowed hard, his face paling slightly. He had expected a cold acceptance, maybe even some form of relief, but Lucavion's words cut deeper than he had anticipated. There was no escaping the consequences of his actions, and Lucavion wasn't about to let him walk away so easily.

"I… I understand," Ragna muttered, his voice wavering slightly. "I'll do what I can to make things right. I never realized—"

"You knew," Lucavion cut him off, his tone firm. "You just didn't care. But now that your position has changed, you think an apology is enough. It isn't. You'll need to prove yourself, not to me, but to the people you've wronged. And if you think for a second that I'll tolerate any more of your behavior, you're mistaken."

There was no mistaking the threatening tone underneath Lucavion's calm facade. Ragna could feel the weight of his words, the unspoken warning that hung in the air. He knew that if he faltered again, Lucavion wouldn't hesitate to step in.

"I will," Ragna said, his voice quiet but resolute. "I'll do whatever it takes to make amends."

Lucavion leaned back slightly, his expression still unreadable, though the tension in the room was palpable. "Then start right now."

"Right now?"

"Right now," Lucavion repeated, his voice unyielding. He didn't move, his gaze steady on Ragna, but the weight of his demand was clear.

Ragna's breath hitched as Lucavion continued. "You will kneel before Greta. You'll put your head to the floor and apologize. A true apology, one that reflects your understanding of the damage you've done."

The color drained from Ragna's face, his eyes widening in shock. For a moment, disbelief flickered in his expression, followed quickly by a flash of anger. "Kneel? You're asking me to—" His voice was thick with indignation, and his eyes flared with a fierce, dangerous glint.

Lucavion leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips. "I'm not asking, Ragna. I'm telling you. If you're truly sincere in making amends, if you really want to become a better person as you claim, then kneel before her and show it. Let's see if you have the strength to face your actions head-on."

Ragna's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. His pride, already hanging by a thread, was being trampled. He stared at Lucavion, the anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Do I really have to do that?" he asked, his voice low, almost growling, as if he were trying to cling to whatever dignity he had left.

Lucavion's smile widened, though it held no warmth. His gaze bore into Ragna's with a calm intensity that was far more unsettling than any outburst could have been. "Of course," he said softly, his voice laced with quiet menace. "That's how I'll know you mean it. How else can you prove your sincerity? Or is your pride more important than making things right?"

Ragna's breathing became labored again, the suffocating weight of Lucavion's presence pressing down on him once more. His anger warred with the fear coursing through him, but it was the next words that truly shattered his resolve.

"What do you think Greta felt," Lucavion said, his voice now chillingly calm, "when you touched her in all those places? How disgusted she must have been, how uncomfortable, how powerless she must have felt. Do you think an apology alone will wipe that away?"

Ragna flinched visibly at the mention of his actions. His face twisted with a mix of shame and rage, but he said nothing, his fists trembling at his sides. The truth of Lucavion's words was undeniable, and the pressure in the air was suffocating.

"You want to make amends?" Lucavion continued, his gaze never wavering. "Then kneel. Show her that you understand how low you made her feel, how much you've taken from her."

The tension in the room was unbearable, the silence stretching on as Ragna's inner battle raged. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ragna's shoulders slumped, the fight leaving him as he lowered his gaze to the floor.

"I'll do it," Ragna muttered, his voice hoarse, broken.

"Good," Lucavion said, his voice calm but cold. "Then do it now."

Ragna's knees hit the floor with a heavy thud, the sound echoing in the inn's quiet space. Greta stood frozen behind the counter, her eyes wide with shock and confusion as she watched the man who had once tormented her kneel before her.

At first, Ragna trembled, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. The shame, the humiliation—it was all too much, weighing on him like a crushing force. His head bowed low, his face nearly touching the floor.

"I'm sorry," Ragna began, his voice low and thick with emotion. "For everything."

He paused, the words sticking in his throat, but he forced himself to continue. "I acted out of impulse. I thought I was someone important—a big shot, someone who could do whatever he wanted just because I had a bit of power." He squeezed his eyes shut, his body still shaking as the weight of his confession pressed down on him.

"But I was wrong," he said, his voice growing stronger. "I was nothing but a frog in a well, thinking the world revolved around me. I took advantage of people, used my position to make others feel small… to make you feel small."

Greta's hands trembled as she listened, her eyes darting between Ragna and Lucavion, unsure of what to do. Lucavion stood silently, watching the scene unfold, his expression unreadable but his eyes keen, observing every detail.

"I'm sorry, Greta," Ragna continued, his trembling slowly subsiding as the words flowed out. "I hurt you. I made you feel like you had no power, no control. I know an apology can't erase what I've done, but… I want to make things right. Somehow."

There was a long pause, the air thick with the weight of his words. Greta remained silent, her face a mixture of emotions—disbelief, fear, but also a glimmer of something else, perhaps relief.

As Ragna continued, Lucavion noticed the change. The trembling that had overtaken Ragna at the start was now gone, replaced by a steadiness that hadn't been there before. His voice, though still strained, was sincere. There was no arrogance left in him, no pride.

'He's changed,' Lucavion thought to himself.

He had been skeptical at first, thinking Ragna's actions might be out of fear or desperation, but now… now he understood that Ragna saw something different.

'The fight with the bandits, the near-death experiences….It must have taught him a lot.'

And just as he thought, that was the case. While Ragna did not fight the lieutenants or Korvan, he did participate in the battle.

And there, he almost lost his life. At that time, he could not do anything. Previously, he thought he was strong, but as he felt the death coming for him once again, just like his colleagues from the garrison, he understood.

He had been foolish.

There were countless different people who could kill him: the city guards that he relied on, the leader of the guards, Roderick…

None of them could stand. He was just an ant in the face of the world.

Vitaliara's soft voice echoed in his mind. [He's broken, but sometimes, people need to be broken before they can change.]

Lucavion's gaze remained steady on Ragna. The former bully was still kneeling, his head lowered, waiting for some kind of response. There was no need for more words from Lucavion; the sincerity of Ragna's apology spoke for itself.

Finally, Greta took a small step forward, her hands gripping the edges of her apron tightly. "I…..I….."

She could not say anything. Confronting the person that terrorized her many times was not easy, even for her.

"I am sorry! Please, I will pay for my mistakes….Until you forgive me, just give me the word!"

Greta stood frozen, her fingers trembling as they clutched the fabric of her apron tightly. The weight of the moment pressed down on her, and the words she wanted to speak seemed stuck in her throat. Ragna's plea for forgiveness hung in the air, echoing with a desperation she had never expected to hear from him.

She had been terrified of this man for so long, but now, seeing him kneeling before her, broken and begging for a chance to make things right, it stirred something within her—a flicker of courage that she hadn't felt in a long time. Still, the pain he had caused her couldn't simply vanish, and the fear lingered in the corners of her mind.

Slowly, Greta managed a small nod, her lips pressing into a thin line as she swallowed hard. She couldn't bring herself to speak, not yet, but her nod was enough—a silent acknowledgment that she had heard him, that she understood his remorse.

Lucavion watched the exchange closely, his sharp eyes noticing the shift in Greta's demeanor. Her fear hadn't disappeared entirely, but there was something else now—a quiet strength, a small but visible sign that she was beginning to reclaim the power she had lost under Ragna's torment. It wasn't much, but it was enough for now.

Vitaliara's voice purred softly in Lucavion's mind. [She's finding her way, slowly. That's the first step.]

Lucavion nodded ever so slightly, agreeing with her. It didn't matter that Greta couldn't find the words yet. The fact that she stood there, facing the man who had terrorized her, with her head held a little higher, was a victory in itself.

"That will do for now," Lucavion said calmly, his gaze shifting back to Ragna. "You've made your apology, but it will take time to earn back any trust. Continue to show that you've changed, not just with words, but with actions."

Ragna bowed his head low again. "I will. I promise."

"Now, let's talk about the real reason you came here."