Part 7: Candid (1)

“Who’s Master? Are you sure you haven’t mistaken me for someone else?”

The young man blinked as if he had no idea what was going on.

“Your voice.”

“……”

“That voice—lively, youthful. The first person who taught me that voice was you, wasn’t it, Master?”

Aiden’s voice had already shifted to match the young man’s perfectly.

At that, the young man—no, the master—let out a small chuckle.

Rip.

He tore off the mask covering his face in one swift motion. Then, he stuffed it into the pocket of his robe.

“Unbelievable. You still remember a voice I used just once, back when you were ten?”

“My memory is just that good.”

“Tch! I can’t even argue with that since it’s true.”

“Give me a moment, I need to speak with Mister Carl.”

Aiden approached Carl, who was at the bar table, and informed him that he had a visitor. Then, he returned and sat across from his master.

By the calendar, it had been about a month or two since he left the Thieves Guild.

Yet, in Aiden’s mind, it felt like ages ago—long enough for the memories to fade.

The master had his usual smirking expression, the one that deceived everyone.

But Aiden knew better.

The master was never a lighthearted man. Even Aiden himself couldn’t fully grasp what lay beneath that exterior.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I have my ways.”

“Care to share those ways sometime soon?”

“That’s my livelihood—no can do. It’s one of the few skills where I’m better than you.”

The master had always been eerily good at tracking people down.

No one had ever truly escaped his sight.

“And between the two of us, you’re the one with more secrets.”

“I’ll admit that. So, what brings you here?”

“Come on, we haven’t seen each other in a while, and you’re jumping straight to business?”

“You’re not the type to waste time, Master.”

“I was just curious about how an SSS-rank assassin is spending his retirement. Sounds like a better story than your average pulp novel, don’t you think?”

“Then allow me to report.”

Aiden briefly summarized everything he had experienced since retiring.

His meeting with Carl.

His encounters with Lucy, Lyra, and Cheese.

The scuffles with mercenaries and gang members.

Taking down the dark mage, Jack, and more.

As he spoke, he realized just how many people he had met and how much he had gone through in such a short time.

The master listened with keen interest.

“As you can see, I’m gradually completing the mission objectives. I’m living without a mask, working at a tavern, and even making friends.”

“As expected. I knew you’d do well.”

“Weren’t you expecting me to fail? That’s why you came looking for me, isn’t it?”

“That was Ego Dagger’s opinion. I bet on your success.”

“That thing has always hated me.”

Aiden glanced at the dagger sheathed at the master’s waist.

He, too, had once used the Ego Dagger.

“And? How does it feel, living without a mask?”

“Surprisingly not bad. Turns out, life is easier when you’re good-looking.”

“Ugh, damn looks-based society. But I can’t even argue with that.”

The master let out a hearty laugh and took a swig of his beer.

“Master. Did you retire me because you wanted me to be ordinary?”

Aiden finally asked the question he had been saving for their reunion.

The master remained silent for a moment, simply gazing at Aiden.

“To think you figured that out already. I thought you’d never realize it. Honestly? I was worried.”

“……”

“I wondered if you’d think I just used you up and discarded you.”

“I never thought that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’d need a lifetime to use me up.”

“Hah. Fair point.”

The master nodded in agreement.

Aiden gestured toward Carl with his eyes.

“That man is my new master now.”

“What? You’ve already moved on?”

“He’s my Master of the Ordinary. Thanks to you, I’m where I am today.”

Aiden had saved Carl.

But Carl had saved Aiden, too.

Would he have been able to adjust to an ordinary life without Carl?

Not a chance.

“How’s the Thieves Guild doing?”

“Thriving. The guild isn’t going to collapse just because you’re gone.”

“That’s good to hear. I found out recently that Abaris Shop is in this town.”

“……”

“I went to give them a warning, just in case they caused trouble.”

“Smart. They haven’t caused any major incidents yet, but there’s no harm in staying cautious. Shady goods always bring shady business.”

“Want a tour of the town?”

“Oh? You can be a guide, too?”

“It’s not difficult.”

Aiden turned to Carl again, asking for permission to step out.

Carl nodded without complaint.

The first place Aiden took the master was the alleyway beside the tavern.

When he called out to Cheese, the cat trotted over, tail swaying. The moment Cheese spotted Aiden, he flopped onto his back, exposing his belly.

“The first thing I want to introduce you to—the strongest cat on the continent.”

*  *  *

That evening.

After Aiden’s town tour ended, the master remained at the tavern.

He sat there, silently watching Aiden work.

As a tavern worker, Aiden was just as exceptional as he had been as an assassin.

Serving.

Cleaning up.

Handling transactions.

Not a single aspect was lacking.

Which, honestly, was to be expected.

If one were to describe a person’s abilities in a hexagon, Aiden was at the peak in five areas.

Strength, agility, endurance, reflexes, and intelligence.

If there was anything he lacked, it was the heart of an ordinary person.

Yet, seeing him now, it seemed only a matter of time before he honed that, too.

— “See? Told you worrying was pointless.”

— “It’s actually irritating how well he’s adjusting.”

The master sent a soul telepathy message, and Ego Dagger responded.

— “Is this even possible? That cold-blooded killer is now taking care of a stray cat, enjoying desserts, and working at a tavern? And so quickly, at that?”

Ego Dagger’s tone was one of disbelief.

— “I’ll admit, even I didn’t expect this level of change. But I always knew he’d pull it off.”

— “Why?”

— “Aiden’s heart wasn’t broken from the start. I was the one who broke it. Do you know what his only hobby was? Listening to a music box. Any idea what that means?”

— “A music box? Does that even matter?”

— “Of course, it matters. Being able to enjoy music means his emotions were never truly barren.”

— “Hmph! Useless sentimentality.”

Their conversation ended there.

The tavern owner, Carl, approached the master.

He bowed respectfully and politely asked if they could have a brief conversation.

The master granted permission, and Carl took a seat across from him.

“I am honored. I never imagined that a retired third-rate mercenary like me would have the chance to meet the master of the Thieves Guild in person.”

At Carl’s words, the master was visibly startled. It had been years since something had surprised him this much.

‘How does he know my identity?’

‘Did Aiden tell him?’

‘That can’t be right.’

“I took a wild guess, and it turns out I was right,” Carl said.

“You dared to use leading questions on me? Not bad.”

“Reading between the lines is part of my job. I heard Aiden is an exceptional assassin. If someone were to personally seek him out, I figured it would have to be someone of your caliber.”

The master was taken aback once again.

First, by Carl’s sharp analysis.

And second…

“Did Aiden tell you himself that he was an assassin?”

“Yes. Shocking, isn’t it?”

Aiden was never one to talk about himself.

The fact that he had confided in this man—even revealing such a crucial truth about his past—was simply unbelievable.

The master almost wondered if he had misheard.

“Aiden may have made a name for himself as an assassin, but when it comes to everyday life, he’s practically like a newborn, isn’t he?”

“That’s true.”

“He seemed to have a lot on his mind. One day, he came to me for advice. That’s when he told me.”

“Hah… I should have been there. I missed a good show,” the master sounded genuinely regretful.

At the same time, he felt a pang of envy toward Carl, who had witnessed a side of Aiden that he himself had never seen.

“So, what is it you want?”

Carl’s expression turned solemn as he said, “I’m risking my life to say this.”

“Go on.”

“I humbly ask that you stop visiting Aiden from now on.”

“And why is that?”

“He’s just beginning to adapt to a normal life. If you keep showing up, he might feel tempted to return to his old ways.”

“……”

“He could get entangled with the Thieves Guild again.”

“……”

“If you truly wish for Aiden to retire, the best thing you can do is stay away.”

Carl’s entire body trembled as he spoke.

He was clearly terrified of the master.

As he had said himself, he was putting his life on the line by saying these words.

After all, what kind of tavern owner had the guts to tell the master of the Thieves Guild not to step foot in his establishment?

It would take the courage of ten men to pull that off.

“I… I apologize for overstepping. Someone as insignificant as me daring to speak to you like this—”

“No.”

“Sorry?”

“You’re right. Right now, I’m not helping Aiden at all. I won’t come here anymore.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Yes. You have my word. Now go.”

“Thank you! Truly, thank you!”

Carl bowed several times before rushing off.

The master watched him leave, lost in thought.

Now that he had spoken with Carl, he finally understood why Aiden followed him.

Carl might not be strong, but he was astute.

More than anything, he loved Aiden.

A person who didn’t love Aiden could never have done what Carl just did.

Perhaps Aiden had changed because of that love.

After all, in the Thieves Guild, Aiden had never once been loved.

For decades, all the master had given him was hardship and adversity.

“I really have wasted my life, huh…”

*  *  *

That evening.

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Aiden was in his lodging, writing in his journal.

After finishing, he closed the book and stood up.

He walked to the door.

The moment he opened it, the master was standing there.

“Your ability to sense a presence hasn’t dulled.”

“I learned from the best.”

“Come on. Let’s go get some fresh air.”

“Alright.”

The two slipped out of the tavern, moving swiftly.

Like two gusts of wind, they left Centum behind.

As they walked, following a footwork technique, Aiden’s thoughts raced.

‘Did the master really come all the way here just to see me?’

The master is wearing the Ego Dagger.

He only carries it when he has a mission.

Which means…

There’s a task urgent enough that he has to handle it personally.

But what could it be?

Despite his curiosity, Aiden didn’t ask.

The master wouldn’t answer anyway.

Keeping silent about anything disadvantageous—Aiden had learned that from the master himself.

Near the outskirts of Centum, in a clearing on a small mountain—

The two faced each other.

Spring had arrived, but the evening wind was still chilly.

Their robes fluttered in the breeze.

A full moon shone in the dark sky, with stars clustered around it like an honor guard.

“Shall we do that again, for old times’ sake?”

“The outcome is too obvious.”

“I need to knock you down a peg. If only I were ten years younger.”

“It wouldn’t have made a difference. I started winning ten years ago, and since then, my record has been fifty matches, fifty victories.”

“You damn brat. You actually kept count?”

“Yes.”

“But today will be different. I’ve been hiding a trump card.”

Shhhk.

The master drew the Ego Dagger.

The usual sly smirk on his face had vanished.

His eyes were cold and sharp.

It was the same gaze Aiden had once feared more than anything in the world.

“Stay on your toes. From this moment on, I’ll be treating you as my target for elimination.”
 

To be continued

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