Part 2: Centum (1)

“You know, this lamp has its flaws.”

Carl said, looking at the magical lamp that emitted light and warmth.

“What flaws?”

“It lacks romance. If we had a campfire, we’d hear the crackling of the flames and see the flames dancing.”

“Isn’t it more convenient without the acrid smoke and the need to add firewood?”

Aiden logically countered.

“Romance usually comes from a bit of hardship.”

“Then I guess I can’t get close to romance.”

Their rare conversation ended shortly.

Carl gave a wry smile and then glanced at Aiden from the corner of his eye.

Aiden was handsome, even from a man’s perspective.

His face and features were like those of a finely sculpted statue. Carl had assumed Aiden was from a wealthy noble or merchant family and might be difficult to deal with, but that was a misconception.

Aiden was serious and polite.

If there was one thing that could be considered a drawback, it was that he rarely talked about himself.

His name and that he was traveling.

Apart from these two facts, Carl knew nothing about Aiden.

He had tried to get Aiden to open up during their conversations, but Aiden had always slipped away like an eel.

“By the way, wouldn’t it be dangerous to wander alone? There’s a group of bandits active around here.”

“Not particularly scared.”

“Does that mean you’re fearless, or does it mean you’re strong enough?”

Aiden didn’t respond.

It had been like this from the start.

Carl’s questions about things he was curious about were always met with silence or avoidance.

“You said you’re traveling, right?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s your destination?”

“I don’t have a specific destination. I’m just wandering for now.”

“Then how about coming to my hometown? There’s a small town called Centum. It has mountains and a beautiful lake.”

“Traveling with someone doesn’t sound bad.”

“Well, you’re good at answering questions.”

Carl chuckled.

“By the way, you don’t dislike me, do you?”

“No, not really.”

“Good. Since we’re traveling together, should we settle on a way to address each other? You can just call me ‘Mister Carl.'”

“Sure.”

At that moment, the companions who had gone out for a smoke returned.

“Are those your friends, Mister?”

Aiden’s question came out of the blue, and it was unexpectedly serious.

“Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“I’m curious.”

“Friends, huh… yeah, I suppose I can call them friends.”

Carl nodded as he answered.

Although they’d only known each other for about six months, the three of them had been through countless battlefields together.

They had cried together.

They had laughed together.

Endured hunger together.

And sometimes stayed up all night.

Carl considered the three of them special and regretted the fact that they would soon part ways.

“What does ‘friend’ mean to you, Mister?”

“A person you can trust with your back in battle. Does that sound too grand? I’m a mercenary, so I find it hard to put it in other words.”

“……”

“Then, what does ‘friend’ mean to you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had someone I considered a friend, and I’m not sure anyone would consider me a friend either.”

There was something heavy in Aiden’s words.

It seemed like there was a hidden story there.

But just then…

“Sir, let’s have a drink.”

Jaxen, sitting across from him, threw a hip flask over.

“What? You still have some left?”

“I was planning to drink it in secret, but my conscience got the better of me. Since we’re parting soon, Sir, you drink it all by yourself.”

“Then I won’t refuse.”

Carl opened the cap of the flask he caught.

He drank a third of the liquor in one go.

Gulp! Gulp!

The sharp heat of the whiskey passed through his throat and down into his stomach.

There was something artistic about drinking after finishing a mission.

“Would you like a drink, too?”

Aiden was staring intently at him as he drank, so Carl offered him some.

Aiden nodded.

Aiden took a moderate amount and then handed the flask back.

“You must have been tired. The alcohol seems to be hitting you quickly today.”

Carl leaned back against the cave wall.

His limbs were growing colder, and at the same time, they were stiffening. It was becoming increasingly hard to keep his body upright.

“That’s not the alcohol. That’s poison.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“It’s poison spreading through your body.”

Carl chuckled at Aiden’s words.

“You’ve got a subtle sense of humor, but your jokes aren’t funny at all.”

“The poison in the drink was extracted from the venomous snake called a cassava. The price of the poison is probably more than double that of the alcohol.”

“Then why did you drink poison?”

“Because it doesn’t affect me.”

Aiden had an unexpectedly quirky side.

Talking about poison in the drink, saying it didn’t affect him… it was hard to tell whether he was drunk or just boasting about it.

“If there’s poison in this drink, then Jaxen must have poisoned it. Jaxen, want a sip of poison too?”

Carl laughed as he threw the flask to Jaxen.

To his surprise!

Jaxen didn’t catch the flask.

Clink!

The flask fell to the ground with a metallic sound.

“You… no way?”

Carl’s pupils widened.

*  *  *

At Aiden’s remark, Jaxen was caught completely off guard.

That the drink had been laced with paralytic poison.

That Aiden had accurately identified the type of poison.

That he was unaffected by the poison.

Aiden had astonished Jaxen in three different ways.

How could this be?

Jaxen was confused, but the damage was already done.

He quickly jumped up from his seat, drawing his sword. Peter and John followed suit, drawing their own swords.

The sound of swords being drawn from their scabbards was as chilling as the consciences they had just discarded.

The atmosphere in the cave became tense in an instant. The shadows of the three men cast by the lamp light seemed like those of demons.

“That young man is right. The drink was laced with high-grade paralytic poison.”

“Wh… why?”

“Why are you acting like an amateur? Obviously, it’s to snatch your retirement fund.”

“Are you betraying me for just a little bit of money?”

Carl’s voice trembled with anger and betrayal.

Jaxen might not have felt completely guiltless, but guilt didn’t bring in gold.

Greed was more important than cheap friendship.

“You should say it right. It’s not for just money, but because of money. Nothing is more important than money in this world.”

“I saved your lives during this mission.”

“Since you’re in the giving mood, why not give some more? I’ll pray for your soul.”

Jaxen smirked maliciously.

“You think I’ll just let you get away with this?”

Carl tried to rise, but then he collapsed backward with a thud.

He hadn’t finished drinking, but the effect of the paralytic poison was already overwhelming.

It was a good decision to buy the expensive poison.

“You bastards… you…”

Carl muttered with gritted teeth, but his voice grew weaker and weaker.

The paralysis was reaching his face.

“Who are you, really?”

Jaxen glared at Aiden.

Aiden was already standing, blocking Carl’s body.

Given that Carl had collapsed, the poison’s effect was undeniable. Yet Aiden remained unaffected, still standing strong.

“Are you a wizard? Did you use an antidote spell?”

“Why should I answer your questions?” Aiden responded coolly.

“If you don’t answer, I’ll kill you.”

“You’d kill me even if I do answer.”

“By the way… you’ve been speaking informally since earlier, haven’t you?”

“I don’t show respect to targets.”

Aiden’s attitude was excessively confident.

Given that he remained unaffected by the paralysis poison and traveled alone, it seemed like he had something to rely on. But still, they had no reason to lose.

Upon closer inspection…

He appears to be a mage.

However, there’s no way a mage can handle three mercenaries in this cramped cave.

And with that delicate face, how much battle experience could he possibly have?

He’s just pretending to be tough.

Inside, he’s probably already burning with anxiety.

“Take care of that brat first!”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Peter and John rushed toward Aiden like the wind.

But the real wind was Aiden.

With a remarkable agility, Aiden evaded all of Peter and John’s combined attacks.

Whenever it seemed like something was cut, it was always a shadow or just empty air. The swords they swung never even grazed Aiden’s skin.

Aiden appeared to have no space to dodge, yet he created space out of nowhere and evaded them.

What was even more surprising…

Was that despite his swift movements, there wasn’t even the slightest sound of his footsteps.

“Damn it! What the hell kind of guy is this?”

“It’s like we’re fighting a ghost. Damn, we can’t catch him.”

The swords missed time and time again.

Peter and Jax grew visibly flustered.

It was obvious their stamina was fading. Their breaths were becoming ragged, their steps slower, and their strikes lost their power.

Thwack! Thwack!

Without even realizing what hit them.

Peter and Jax were flung into the air and slammed into the cave wall. The swords they were holding clattered to the ground.

The two were busy groaning, sprawled on the ground.

Jaxen, who had been mesmerized by Aiden’s incredible martial arts, snapped out of his trance.

He tightened his grip on the sword with both hands.

This damned kid is ruining my plan.

I’ve already sold my conscience, so I can’t back out now!

“You must’ve learned some martial arts. But you won’t stand a chance against me. I can wield mana.”

Aiden didn’t respond.

He just motioned for him to come at him with a simple flick of his palm.

What an arrogant brat!

“I’ll split you like firewood!”

Whoosh!

Jaxen charged forward like a gale.

He wrapped the meager mana that existed in his Mana Heart around his arm.

With all his strength, he swung his sword downward.

Screeeech!

He imagined Aiden splitting from the crown of his head down to his groin, but his imagination remained just that—an imagination.

Aiden vanished without a trace.

Clang!

“Ughhh!”

Jaxen bit his lip.

What he struck with his sword was nothing but the empty ground.

Then came a violent recoil.

His shoulder felt like it was going to dislocate.

His wrist felt like it was shattering.

Thud!

Not knowing what had hit him, Jaxen, like the other two, was slammed into the cave wall.

Debris fell from above his head.

His waist jolted painfully.

He couldn’t move a finger.

A completely undeniable defeat.

‘What the hell is that guy…?’

Jaxen’s eyes locked onto Aiden.

His eyelids twitched violently.

His life was now in Aiden’s hands.

*  *  *

Aiden glanced indifferently at the fallen mercenaries.

He had noticed the signs of betrayal earlier.

While conversing with Carl, Aiden had kept a close eye on the other three.

They hadn’t engaged much in the conversation.

They were busy looking for an opening to betray him.

They whispered among themselves.

A betrayer keeps their distance from the one they plan to betray—that was the behavior Aiden had picked up on.

Then, the Divine Beast—the Raven, Mugin—summoned for reconnaissance outside the cave, delivered crucial information.

Mugin could share what it had seen and heard with Aiden.

When it came to poison, explanations were unnecessary.

The types of poisons, how they were made.

Resistance to poisons and antidotes.

Aiden was the continent’s leading poison expert. For assassins, poison was their best friend.

Step. Step.

Aiden approached Carl, who had been struck by the paralysis poison.

There was no particular reason to save Carl. They had just met today and exchanged only a few words for about half an hour.

But Aiden was curious about Carl’s life after retirement.

Maybe if he watched him, he could get a sense of what retirement was really like.

Aiden knelt down and placed his palm on Carl’s chest. A soft glow, like moonlight, emanated from his hand.

Whir…

Whir…

The poison circulating in Carl’s body was absorbed into Aiden’s own.

With his mere existence, Aiden was the best antidote on the continent.

“Whew. I feel much better now. Thank you. Thanks to you, I’ve got my life back.”

Carl propped himself up and offered his gratitude.

“But what exactly are you? You took the paralysis poison and remained fine. You can cure it, and what was that trick you used to take down those guys? I couldn’t even figure it out just watching.”

Aiden, now standing up, extended his hand to Carl.

“Sometimes, it’s better not to know.”
 

To be continued

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