"Good," Ludwig said as he recognized the spirit of the warriors who were willing to risk their lives for a chance at a better life.
The words came out simple, but the moment carried weight. In the Safe Lands, people had learned to smile at the edge of a cage and call it freedom. This, this restless readiness, the way hands tightened around weapons and eyes stopped drifting toward mugs, meant the lie was breaking.
Ludwig could read it in their posture: orcs rolling shoulders like they were waking up from a long boredom, ogres standing straighter as if they'd remembered what their bodies were built for, goblins fidgeting with tools and dart tubes, pretending they weren't afraid.
Even the lizardmen, usually cautious in groups, looked less like prey today and more like something that had decided it would bite first if cornered.
