Part 2: Centum (2)

“Ugh! Thanks for the help.”

Carl grasped Aiden’s outstretched hand and rose to his feet.

He loosened his body slightly.

It felt so refreshed and light that the fact he had been afflicted by high-grade paralysis poison seemed like a lie.

Their eyes met.

Despite the mercenaries’ ambush, Aiden’s gaze remained calm, his blue eyes as tranquil as a still lake.

Carl had countless questions about the recent events but decided against asking them.

Even though they’d only met and exchanged a few words today, Carl understood one thing: Aiden was not one to talk much.

And when Aiden didn’t want to speak about something, he never did.

“What do you plan to do with them?”

Aiden gazed at the collapsed mercenaries. Carl turned his attention to his former comrades—or rather, the traitors they had become.

All of them were slumped on the ground, groaning in pain. Whatever injuries they’d sustained, they were now incapable of fighting.

“Haah…”

Carl let out a deep sigh.

Something hot surged through his body.

Betrayal and fury stormed within him, mingled with a small dash of sorrow.

The memories he had shared with these men would no longer bring him joy.

The moment of betrayal…

It tainted all the time they’d spent together.

“What would you do in my place?”

“These are people who tried to kill us. Obviously, they should die.”

“With the skills you just displayed, you could’ve dealt with them immediately. Why spare them? Are you not as ruthless as you claim?”

“I simply gave them a chance. Besides, their original target was you.”

“Well, aren’t you the compassionate one.”

Carl chuckled bitterly.

He hadn’t expected Aiden to consider such details.

“Are you sure you don’t lack the resolve? I could take care of them for you.”

“No. I’ll handle it. I sowed the seeds, so I’ll reap them.”

Carl unsheathed his sword and approached the traitors who were once his comrades.

The first target was Jaxen.

Jaxen glared up at Carl with a twisted expression.

“You’re lucky, old man. If not for that guy, you’d be dead by my hand.”

“A mercenary’s survival is half skill and half luck—your words, not mine.”

“I won’t beg for my life.”

“Good. At least you’re consistent.”

Swing!

In one swift motion, Carl slashed Jaxen’s throat.

Along with Jaxen, he severed all the memories they had shared.

Blood spurted from Jaxen’s neck, splattering Carl’s face and clothes, but he paid it no mind. His clothing felt less tainted than his heart.

“We’re sorry, Sir! Please forgive us!”

“It was Jaxen! He manipulated us! He bought the paralysis poison, and he planned everything! We had no choice!”

Peter and John begged for their lives, their faces pale as death.

They were likely telling the truth.

Among the three, only Jaxen had the greed and determination to orchestrate such a betrayal.

Perhaps that’s why…

Unlike with Jaxen, Carl hesitated briefly as he raised his sword.

“We had no choice…?”

Carl repeated John’s excuse, tightening his grip on the hilt of his blade.

“Sorry, but I have no choice either.”

Swing! Swing!

Carl’s blade cut twice through the air, sending Peter’s and John’s heads tumbling like ripe fruit.

The cave now held three corpses.

The stench of blood filled the space.

Even though Carl had dealt with the traitors, he felt more bitter than relieved.

Had he not withdrawn his retirement funds early, perhaps they wouldn’t have betrayed him.

It occurred to him that his actions might have awakened their greed.

He also realized how difficult it was to find trustworthy companions.

The world was growing harsher.

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it,” Aiden said, stepping closer to Carl.

Despite witnessing the killings up close, Aiden showed no reaction.

As Carl suspected, Aiden hadn’t spared the mercenaries because he couldn’t kill them—he simply chose not to.

“I’m not that soft. If I were, I wouldn’t have survived this long.”

Aiden nodded without a word.

He gathered the corpses and gripped their collars with one hand.

Carl watched, puzzled, until it dawned on him: this place was their sleeping area.

“I’ll handle the bodies. You take care of the heads,” Aiden said, dragging the corpses away.

His strength was astounding.

The combined weight of the three men easily exceeded 200 kilograms, yet Aiden pulled them with one hand.

Carl couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of life Aiden had lived.

*  *  *

Outside the cave in a clearing, Aiden stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the corpses.

He had already absorbed all of their Death Qi.

Meanwhile, a raven pecked voraciously at the corpses’ hearts.

“Disgusting. These aren’t mana hearts. One of them’s a fake, too,” the raven suddenly said, lifting its head to speak in human words.

Aiden didn’t so much as bat an eye.

The raven’s name was Mugin—a divine beast.

Aiden had received it as a gift from Sapientia, the God of Wisdom, during a past visit to the divine realm.

“If you want to keep me happy, bring me a Swordmaster’s heart next time.”

“Not happening. I’ve retired. Don’t expect gourmet meals anymore.”

“If it stays like this, I’ll run away.”

“To where?”

Mugin frowned at Aiden’s sharp retort. Grumbling, it continued devouring the hearts.

“Are you sure about this?” Mugin asked after a while.

“About what?”

“Living among ordinary people. You’ll find it boring and tedious.”

“Probably.”

Aiden didn’t deny it.

Since leaving the Thieves Guild, he had often missed his missions.

The world without missions felt too quiet, too peaceful.

The kind of world most people dreamed of was, for Aiden, uncomfortable and alien.

In that sense, the recent rebellion by the mercenaries was a welcome distraction.

The battle itself was dull, but…

Fighting against violence and malice had been Aiden’s daily life.

“You like this world more than the divine realm, don’t you?” Aiden asked Mugin.

“If I had to choose, yes. The gods are dull. They lack the vibrancy of humans. And it’s harder to find delicious hearts.”

Mugin’s thoughts always circled back to hearts.

“What’s so special about hearts?”

“They’re packed with mana and emotions. A delicacy, really.”

“And the ones you just ate?”

“Low-grade mana, low-grade emotions. Even despicableness has its levels. A truly vile villain—one of real caliber—has depth to their wickedness.”

Mugin cited Emperor Carlos as an example.

Carlos, once a revered warrior, had harbored secret ambitions to become the next king.

But five years ago, Aiden had ended Carlos’s life.

Aiden recalled the look of ecstasy on Mugin’s face as it devoured Carlos’s heart back then.

“I’ve always been curious,” Mugin said, changing the subject.

“What about?”

“Why do you obey people weaker than yourself? Across the continent, the demonic realm, and the divine—you’re the most—”

“Enough.”

Aiden’s sharp glare silenced Mugin immediately.

Even a divine beast wouldn’t dare provoke the wrath of the Godslayer.

*  *  *

Aiden and Carl climbed the mountain side by side.

Thick snowflakes were falling steadily from the ashen sky. The snow that had started last night showed no sign of stopping even by this afternoon, leaving a thick layer that reached up to their ankles with every step.

“Did you already know my comrades were going to betray me?” Carl asked, glancing at Aiden.

Aiden only nodded. As expected, he had no intention of revealing how he had known.

“Is that why you asked about the meaning of friendship?”

“Yes. Do you want to rest for a bit?”

“Sure.”

The two found a spot under a tree by the path and prepared a small resting place.

“Did you have nightmares last night?” Aiden asked first.

He wasn’t much of a talker, but he sure liked to ask questions.

“How did you know?”

“You were tossing and turning, shouting in your sleep.”

“Guess I must’ve woken you up. Sorry about that,” Carl said with an awkward laugh.

It seemed the aftermath of killing his comrades still lingered within him. Even if they had been the ones to betray him first, it wasn’t easy to shake the heavy feeling of cutting down people he had once shared meals with.

Reflecting on the nightmare, Carl realized something. The ghouls he had slain in his dreams had the faces of Jaxen, Peter, and John—those very comrades he had cut down himself.

“You’re a good man, you know,” Aiden said, his tone detached. “You’re tormented by guilt that you don’t even need to feel.”

“I hear that a lot,” Carl replied.

“I didn’t mean it as a compliment,” Aiden retorted coldly.

“You can’t be betrayed if you don’t trust anyone.”

“That might be true, but can you really live without trusting anyone?”

“It’s easier to doubt than to trust, isn’t it?”

“For me, trusting comes easier,” Carl said with a chuckle. “When you doubt someone, it feels like a rat is gnawing away at your heart.”

“Doubt may gnaw at your heart, but at least it spares your life.”

Carl fell silent, studying Aiden’s profile. There was definitely a story behind his words.

“Have you ever been betrayed before?”

“I have.”

“You’re not going to tell me the details, are you?”

“No.”

“I might look pathetic in your eyes, but here’s what I think: in the end, people have to believe in others.”

“……”

“You can’t let the fear of one betrayal keep you from making ten friends, don’t you think?”

“You’re right,” Aiden replied flatly. “It’s because of one betrayal that you lose those ten friends. Betrayers will eventually get you killed.”

“Then let me ask you this instead—have you ever trusted anyone?”

For once, Aiden didn’t have an immediate answer.

His master came to mind, but could he say he truly trusted the man?

Their relationship wasn’t something that could be neatly defined by trust alone.

“I’ll tell you this,” Carl said, breaking the silence. “I’ve had my life saved by trusted comrades more times than I’ve been betrayed.”

“……”

“If I count, the number of times I’ve been saved far outweighs the betrayals. So you see, sometimes, trusting others can be worthwhile.”

With a hearty laugh, Carl ended the discussion, as if he no longer wanted to argue.

Aiden watched Carl quietly, a strange feeling stirring inside him.

Carl was his polar opposite, a type of person entirely unfamiliar to him.

And yet, he felt a peculiar pull toward the man.

“Just sitting around like this is making me restless,” Carl said suddenly. “How about we build a snowman?”

“What’s the point of that?”

“Not everything needs a point. Sometimes things are just fun. Or is it that, despite your strength, you’re all thumbs?”

“Fine,” Aiden replied. “I’ll take that challenge.”

Over the next five minutes, the two worked on their snowmen, with Mugin watching from a nearby branch, thoroughly entertained.

When they finished, the snowmen stood side by side on the ground.

In terms of craftsmanship, Aiden’s snowman far outshone Carl’s. Its body and head were perfectly round, and its limbs were made entirely of snow.

Carl’s snowman, on the other hand, was rough and crude. Its arms were made of twigs, and its overall appearance lacked refinement.

“I won,” Aiden declared confidently.

“Is that so? Want to put it to the test?”

Carl grinned as he waved down three travelers approaching from the direction they had come.

“Excuse me,” Carl called out cheerfully. “Would you mind playing a little game with us?”

“What kind of game?” one of the travelers asked.

“Just tell us which of these two snowmen you like better.”

It seemed obvious who the winner would be. The craftsmanship of Aiden’s snowman was clearly superior.

And yet, all three travelers pointed to Carl’s snowman before continuing on their way.

Aiden was stunned. For a moment, he wondered if Carl had somehow bribed them.

“I find this result hard to accept,” Aiden said flatly.

“Want to know why you lost?” Carl asked with a smirk.

“Yes.”

“Your snowman is missing the most important thing.”

“And that is?”

“A face.”

Carl chuckled as he pointed at the two snowmen.

For the first time, Aiden noticed the key difference.

Carl’s snowman had pebbles for eyes and a crude smile drawn with a finger, while his own was utterly expressionless.

“So what?” Aiden muttered. “Mine is more perfectly formed.”

“You know why it’s called a snowman? Because it has a face. Without one, it’s just a lump of snow.”

Carl’s voice softened as he added, “I’d like to see a little more expression on your face too.”
 

To be continued

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