Chapter Thirty Seven
"Kaelen."
I didn't even bother to sit up straight. I stayed right where I was, sitting on the edge of the bed with my feet hanging off the side, kicking the air like a bored toddler.
The scene in front of me was pure high stakes drama.
[Ping!]
[Host can buy popcorn from Trade Shop for a cheap price.]
You can use the trade shop like that?
[Ping!]
[Obviously! Host can buy anything he wants from the trade shop for a whole sale price.]
Then, why is it divided in tiers?
[Ping!]
[The higher the tier the less price you have to pay for lower tier or grade items. It's simple as that.]
I see.
I sighed as my eyes remained locked on Kaelen's blade pressed firmly against Eatassh's throat. One twitch and the carpet was getting a very expensive red makeover.
However, Eatassh didn't even flinch. He just stood there looking profoundly exhausted.
"Master, we need to kill him," Kaelen hissed, his eyes wide and bloodshot. "We can't trust him. He hasn't sworn an oath to you. How can you be so careless!? If the word gets out, everyone will die. Lily will die, Master."
"Put. The. Sword. Away."
I swung my legs a little harder, the heels of my boots thudding against the bed frame.
Thump.
"But, Master!"
He's really dense and irritating during important times.
"Kaelen. Use that lump of meat between your ears for a second. Even if you want to kill him, you can't. Look at him. Really look. He is a 10th Circle Swordmaster. You would be sliced into neatly diced cubes before you could even finish saying 'sorry'."
The air seemed to get sucked out of the room. Kaelen froze, his breath hitching in his throat. He looked at the "Mercenary King" with the expression of a man who had just realized he was trying to make a hole in a mountain with a toothpick.
"Weren't you just Circle 6 during the War, Sir Eatassh?" Kaelen stammered, his sword hand finally starting to lose its iron grip.
Eatassh didn't move an inch against the blade. He just looked at Kaelen with the weary, patient eyes of a man who had seen too many sunsets and far too many idiots.
"Kaelen, a lot of time has passed since then," he sighed as if he didn't even care. "Everyone is bound to grow. Look at you. You've grown quite a bit yourself. You looked a little like me when you were young. Pfft. Now, you look like a exact male version of her. They were good times. Your mother was the kindest soul I could have ever known since academy."
"I..." Kaelen's resolve flickered, his gaze wavering between the legendary figure and my dangling feet. "You knew my mom? Were you friends? Is that why you helped us that day?"
"Yeah. We were really good friends, kid."
I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain. "Kaelen, hurry and put the sword away. There's no need to execute him. It's me who told him about the opium. I have my reasons. What you're doing right now is very disrespectful. He's old enough to be your dad, fucker."
"I have no dad, Master," Kaelen snapped, his voice turning bitter and sharp. "He left my pregnant mother to raise a kid alone. Who needs a dad like that anyway? If I ever met him, I'd give him more than a cold shoulder."
I stopped swinging my legs for a moment and looked at him. The atmosphere shifted from "imminent assassination" to "uncomfortable therapy session" real quick. I leaned forward, resting my chin in my hands.
"I got it," I said, waving a hand dismissively. "However, Sir Eatassh here is the reason you and your mother made it to the North alive in the first place. If he wasn't there, you'd be a skeleton in a ditch somewhere, and you would have never met me. He's also your mom's friend. So, put it away. Okay?"
Kaelen bit his lip, the killing intent draining out of him like water from a cracked vase. He looked at the 10th Circle monster standing before him, then back at me. Slowly, with a defeated click, he sheathed his sword.
"Yes, Master."
"Good boy. I'm sorry about that, Sir Eatassh."
"It's okay, Your Grace. He's a child. I don't take children's tantrums to heart."
Despite the blade having just grazed his windpipe, Eatassh looked more bothered by a fly than by Kaelen's murder attempt. But then, his eyes sharpened. The air pressure in the room suddenly spiked, making the floorboards groan under the weight of a 10th Circle powerhouse's curiosity.
Well, it doesn't frighten me... All these little kids. Tch.
[Ping!]
[Oldie.]
I'm sorry?
[Ping!]
[Oldie.]
You're looking for a fight, aren't you, Sysi?
"But, how do you know that I am a 10th Circle Swordmaster?" Sir Eatassh's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, wiping the little smile on the corner of my lips. "Only three people in the entire Empire are aware of my true standing. I have spent years cultivating the aura of a washed-up veteran."
I stopped swinging my legs and looked at him, my head tilting to the side. I gave him a grin that was probably fifty percent madness and fifty percent 'I know your browser history'.
"Don't ask," I said, popping the 'p'. "Unless, of course, you are going to pay me for the answer."
Hans, who was standing by the door looking like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world, let out a long, weary sigh. He didn't even look up from his little notebook or whatever.
"It is useless to press him, Sir Eatassh," Hans muttered, his voice dripping with the exhaustion of a man who had seen too many miracles today. "Your Grace has some terrifying information channel at his disposal. Even I could not find any link or source. He simply knows things he has no business knowing. But, I can assure you one thing, he's very reliable."
"Yeah! And, his cooking is the best."
I hopped off the bed, landing on my feet with a soft thud, and patted Eatassh on the shoulder. He flinched as if I were holding a live snake.
"Now then," I chirped as I stepped into his personal space, tilting my head back to look him in the eye. "Since we are all being honest and not murdering each other... What's your decision, Viscount? Are you going to rat me out to the Emperor and get rewarded nothing again? Or, are you going to accept compensation and help me take over the Barony."
[Ping!]
[Eatassh's Loyalty: 20]
[20000 Trade Points Awarded!]
"What is the plan, My Liege?"
Bingo!