Part 6: Master (3)

The situation flared uncontrollably, as if someone had set fire to a jar of oil.

Aiden and the mercenaries stood facing each other in front of the tavern, locked in a standoff.

Sensing a fight, passersby began forming a circle around them. Among the spectators were patrons of the tavern, including Carl and Lyra.

“Honey, shouldn’t you stop this right away?”

Lyra stomped her feet anxiously, clasping her hands over her chest.

She didn’t know Aiden’s true strength, so it was natural for her to worry.

However, Aiden was the one who had single-handedly dealt with Jack, the dark mage. There was no way he would lose to these mercenaries.

The real issue was their affiliation with the Cross Mercenary Corps.

If a confrontation escalated into a vendetta with the mercenary corps, how could they possibly handle the consequences?

Even if Jack was formidable…

Could he possibly compare to the Cross Mercenary Corps?

But Aiden was certain.

He declared that these men weren’t part of the Cross Mercenary Corps.

What had he seen to make such a judgment?

After all, the mercenaries were wearing badges prominently displaying the cross emblem, the unmistakable mark of the corps.

“Let’s trust Aiden for now.”

“Trust? Is this something that can be solved with trust? You were a mercenary yourself—shouldn’t you be helping Aiden?”

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mentioned that Aiden saved me twice.”

“Yes, I vaguely remember you saying that…”

“Actually, even if I wanted to help Aiden, I couldn’t. Because Aiden is absurdly strong. Let me say this now: worry about me if you must, but don’t waste a second worrying about him,” Carl spoke with conviction.

*  *  *

Meanwhile, Aiden stood there, expressionless, staring at the mercenaries.

There wasn’t a trace of tension in him—not even the size of a speck of dust.

“Living in such a tiny, insignificant town must have dulled your senses. You have no idea who you’ve just provoked, do you?”

The leader, a man with beady eyes, ground his teeth.

“The only one lacking sense here is you.”

“What did you just say?”

“I’m alone, and there are seven of you. Why do you think I’m even bothering to face you?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Because you’re a fool.”

“No. It’s because I’m stronger than you. Nobody willingly fights a losing battle.”

“Hey, this pretty-faced bastard says he’s stronger than us! Should we drop to our knees and beg for forgiveness right now?”

“Haha! The kid’s got guts. I might piss myself at this rate.”

“Enough talk. Let’s crush him.”

“Yeah, let’s beat him just enough to make the dust fly in this rain.”

The mercenaries laughed and openly mocked Aiden.

Aiden’s brow furrowed.

They still hadn’t grasped the situation.

Centum was Aiden’s hometown now.

Carl was a precious companion.

The tavern was both his workplace and his sanctuary.

These mercenaries had chosen the worst possible person to provoke.

‘I guess there’s no helping it this time.’

Aiden scanned his surroundings.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on him.

He didn’t want to reveal his true abilities during a fight, but the situation left him no choice.

There were simply too many witnesses.

Even pulling his hood up wouldn’t make much difference now.

This was a profoundly unfamiliar feeling for Aiden.

He had been an assassin, someone who always hid his identity when fighting.

“Look at this guy. All talk, and now he’s frozen in fear. Boys, teach him a lesson.”

“Yes, boss.”

Two of the mercenaries charged confidently at Aiden.

One of them swung a fist the size of a cauldron lid toward Aiden’s face.

Whoosh!

Aiden caught the incoming punch with his palm.

Thud!

Crunch!

The sickening sound of bones shattering echoed as Aiden clenched the man’s fist.

“AAAAARGH!”

The man dropped to his knees, screaming in agony.

Meanwhile, the other mercenary attempted to ambush Aiden from behind.

Through the mana that spread out like a spider’s web, Aiden sensed his movements.

The man was reaching for Aiden’s waist to grab him in a hold.

Aiden spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick.

BAM!

The man took the blow directly to his face and bounced off the ground like a skipping stone, flying nearly 10 meters away.

“……!”

“……!”

The mercenaries were stunned.

The onlookers were equally shocked.

Even a child could tell that Aiden’s combat skills were exceptional.

“Don’t underestimate him. All at once! Pound him into mush!”

The beady-eyed leader shouted.

He and the rest of his men lunged at Aiden together.

But of course, numbers alone weren’t enough to overcome him.

Aiden dodged every punch and kick with ease.

He was like a mirage—visible but untouchable.

With each counterstrike, mercenaries dropped like autumn leaves in the wind.

Thwack!

Noses crunched.

Crack!

Leg bones snapped.

Gasp!

Groans escaped bloodied lips.

It didn’t take even ten seconds for Aiden to incapacitate them all. The mercenaries lay sprawled on the ground, writhing like worms.

“You… you bastard…”

“What? Were you about to ask if I’m not afraid of the Cross Mercenary Corps?”

Aiden approached the beady-eyed leader.

The man, sitting on the ground, glared up at Aiden.

“Faking allegiance to a mercenary corps isn’t going to cut it.”

From a hidden pocket in his robe, Aiden pulled something out. He discreetly revealed it to the leader.

It was… the genuine badge of the Cross Mercenary Corps.

The leader’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

“You can imitate the design, but not the material. Genuine badges are made of cronium—not cheap copper.”

Aiden crushed the fake badge pinned to the leader’s chest.

“Y-you… are you a Centurion?”

The leader stammered, his breath ragged.

The badges of the Cross Mercenary Corps always featured a cross. High-ranking officers’ badges also bore stars.

The badge Aiden revealed had three stars—marking him as a Centurion capable of commanding a thousand mercenaries.

Having spent his days boasting and bullying others with a counterfeit badge, the leader recognized the real one immediately.

“How could someone so powerful be in such a backwater town… and working as a tavern staff…?”

“Do I really need to explain that to you?”

“Ah… N-no! Please, we’re truly sorry! We’ve committed an unforgivable sin.”

Beady Eyes, now fully aware of the situation, threw himself flat on the ground.

He repeatedly banged his forehead against the floor.

“I failed to recognize someone as great as you. Please, just this once, have mercy! I swear I’ll never act out again—I’ll live an honest life!”

“Hand over all the money you have and get lost.”

“Y-yes, sir! You maggots, what are you standing around for? Pay up and get out of this town!”

“Understood!”

The wounded mercenaries groaned as they struggled to approach Aiden, placing their money before him.

Then, after gauging his expression, they turned and fled at full speed.

The situation was resolved in an instant.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Tavern patrons approached Aiden, offering words of admiration.

“Aiden, that was amazing. You’re not just a pretty face—your fighting skills are insane!”

“Watching those bastards get beat to a pulp was so satisfying!”

“Hey, could you teach me how to fight?”

The flood of admiration left Aiden slightly overwhelmed.

He had expected to be treated like a monster for revealing his strength, yet people were actually celebrating him.

‘What in the world is going on?’

*  *  *

“People don’t actually hate fighting as much as you’d think. And, in a way, they don’t even hate death itself,” Carl said to Aiden at the tavern’s bar table.

Aiden, seated across from him, sipped his beer.

“Why is that?”

“Because if violence and death feel justified, people will cheer for them.”

“There’s such a thing as justified violence and death?”

“Of course there is. People feel a sense of satisfaction when evildoers are punished. Those mercenary bastards? Anyone could see they were bad news. You put them in their place, so naturally, the customers are happy……”

Aiden nodded instead of responding.

He had lived his entire life as an assassin. He had never displayed his fighting skills so openly before.

Even when he took down Jack.

His hood had been up.

Technically, he hadn’t exposed his identity.

His master had always said this:

“We must be shadows.”

“Everyone knows we exist, yet no one should ever be aware of us.”

But in this fight…

Aiden had become ‘the light’ for the first time.

He had drawn the attention of many.

It was an unfamiliar experience—something he had never done before.

And yet, surprisingly, it didn’t feel bad. If anything, it felt like he was finally being accepted by the world as he was.

“I think it’s fine to show off your skills from time to time. It was exhilarating to watch.”

“Maybe… you’re right.”

“What are you saying?! You should avoid fights whenever possible!”

Lyra suddenly burst out from the kitchen, storming over to Aiden with a concerned expression.

“Aiden, you’re not hurt, are you?”

Lately, Lyra had started speaking to Aiden more casually, dropping formal speech.

“No, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Yeah, the only ones who got hurt were those rude bastards.”

“You stay out of this!”

Lyra shot Carl a glare.

Carl shrank back, looking sheepish.

“I’m grateful that you saved my husband and dealt with those mercenaries, but from now on, try not to fight.”

“Why not?”

“Because you mustn’t get hurt.”

“There’s no one who can hurt me.”

“Ugh, you just don’t get it. There are so many powerful people in this world—so many monsters.”

Aiden was speaking the truth, but Lyra refused to listen.

Carl, finding the exchange amusing, simply chuckled.

“Health is the most important thing. First, second, and third.”

“……”

“Fighting once or twice out of youthful recklessness is fine, but if it keeps happening, you’ll eventually suffer a serious injury. So, as much as possible, avoid fighting. It might sound like nagging, but I’m saying this for your own good.”

Touched by her sincerity, Aiden nodded.

Since retiring, he had experienced many firsts.

And just now, he had received something he never had before: concern.

Until now…

Not a single person in this world had ever worried about him.

During his assassin training, his instructors never cared whether he lived or died.

Once he became a full-fledged assassin, no one needed to worry about him. He was stronger than anyone.

But Lyra…

Even after watching him demolish the mercenaries, she still worried for him.

The feeling of being cared for was warm and soft.

‘Is this why people seek relationships, love, and connections with others?’

Even if, in the process, they experience betrayal…

And pain…

“Can you promise me, Aiden? That you’ll avoid fights as much as possible?”

“As long as you and Carl aren’t in danger, I won’t fight.”

“Thank you for understanding. That’s enough nagging for now. Before your ears start bleeding.”

Lyra flashed a grin and returned to the kitchen.

“By the way, how did you know those guys weren’t actually from the Cross Mercenary Corps?”

Carl changed the subject.

“Their badges were counterfeit.”

“Really? They looked real to me.”

“It was a well-crafted fake, so it would have been hard to tell.”

“But if you could recognize a fake… that means you’ve seen the real thing before, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Were you ever part of the Cross Mercenary Corps? I could’ve sworn you said you were a retired assassin.”

Carl tilted his head, unable to make sense of it.

There were still so many mysteries surrounding Aiden.

“Why don’t you figure it out yourself?”

“Oh? So, you’re giving me a quiz now? Don’t underestimate me.”

Carl rolled up his sleeves, ready to get serious.

But at that moment…

Jingle!

The doorbell rang as a new customer entered the tavern.

Without hesitation, the visitor walked straight toward Aiden.
 

To be continued

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