The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Chapter 40 The Gamble of Masters

The tent belonging to the Akrest Clan stood second only to the towering tent of the Sect Leader.

This meant that with a little focus, one could catch a glimpse of what was happening between the tents of Aetheris and Aiden

Ebon sat inside the tent, sharing drinks with Gideon, the Sect Leader, and Magnus, the head disciple.

But Thorn was different.

he sat upright, his gaze firmly fixed on Aiden's tent.

And then, purely by coincidence, he saw something intriguing.

Jace quietly entered Aiden's tent.

Shortly after, Aiden emerged just as discreetly.

"Well now, things are getting interesting," he muttered with a smirk.

* * *

"Senior Brother, are you here?"

"That voice... it's you, Aiden. What brings you here?"

The response was curt and icy.

Aetheris had clearly not forgotten the incident in which he had been humiliated after Aiden refused to hand over his disciple.

Aiden chuckled lightly, his tone teasing.

"Are you still upset about that little incident?"

"...No."

But he was.

Aiden lowered his voice into a conspiratorial whisper.

"How could I simply hand over my disciple like that? Imagine what people would say about me if I did."

"It almost sounds like you're saying you would give them up if the conditions were right."

"Why don't we discuss this inside?"

There was a moment of silence before the sound of a chair scraping the ground was heard.

Moments later, Aetheris opened the back flap of his tent.

"What do you want to say, Aiden?"

"I understand your perspective, Senior Brother. Everyone wants a talented disciple, after all."

"Hah, isn't that natural? Which martial artist in the Martial World doesn't desire success?"

"I'm no different, am I?"

Aiden's eyes gleamed, his expression masking his true intentions behind a veneer of calm and friendliness.

"Seeing Jace earlier, I must say, he is overflowing with talent."

"You think so too?"

"Yes, in my eyes, he's truly extraordinary."

A faint smile tugged at Aetheris's lips.

Although he disliked Aiden, he couldn't deny the younger man's sharp judgment.

Aiden returned the smile.

He had already resolved to crush the Sword Sovereign.

If he couldn't do it himself, he would use his disciples.

And if such schemes and manipulations were what it took, so be it.

If he couldn't mask his intentions or play the role, how could he ever achieve such a lofty ambition?

"So, Senior Brother, how about a deal?"

"A deal? What kind of deal?"

"You know Vera's skill far surpasses that of Dylan, don't you?"

Aetheris bit his lip, his pride stung.

But he couldn't deny the truth.

"...I do."

"In that case, if Dylan withstands three strikes from Vera's sword... I'll give her to you."

"That's absurd. She'll shatter his sword with her sword Radiance before he even survives the first strike."

"Then I'll make sure she doesn't use sword Radiance."

The hand Aetheris had been waving in dismissal paused mid-motion.

Under those conditions, there was a chance.

Still, he couldn't agree to the deal too hastily.

He needed to understand what Aiden wanted in return.

"And if he fails to withstand them?"

"Then you'll give me both of them,"Aiden said with a sly smile.

Aetheris's eyes widened in shock.

"You must have endured a lot," he said quietly.

"The pain of the Bone-Cleansing Rituals is akin to grinding one's bones and breaking them repeatedly. I can endure it, but Dylan..." Jace trailed off, lowering his head.

"Yes, it must be unbearable for her," said Marcus sympathetically.

"Not long ago, I had an argument with Dylan," admitted Jace.

Vera nodded silently; she had witnessed the argument herself.

"In the end, she couldn't take it anymore and told me to abandon the sect and run away with her."

"She must have been at her limit," said Marcus.

"Yes... but I stopped her."

Ethan frowned, unable to comprehend.

"Why, Senior Brother? Wouldn't that have been better?"

"You don't understand our master's feelings toward Aiden. It's not simple rivalry—it's a deep, bitter inferiority complex."

"...And so?"

"Even if she wanted to leave, do you think he'd let her go? He'd probably say, 'If you don't want to lose your limbs, obey my commands.'"

It was true.

Magnus himself had been petitioned to allow the monthly Bone-Cleansing Rituals, orchestrated by none other than Aetheris.

"Would he really go that far?" muttered Noah, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"He already has, Noah. He made a request to Magnus, and it was granted."

"But why is he so desperate to surpass Aiden?"

Before anyone could respond, Vera, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.

"If that's the case, leaving the Mount Suncrest Sect might make things even more dangerous."

"Why do you say that?" asked Jace, startled.

"Because outside, even Master Aiden wouldn't be able to protect her," she replied simply.

Her small head tilted slightly as she pondered potential solutions.

Seeing her, Jace felt a pang of guilt.

He had teased, provoked, and mocked this girl when they first met—how petty that seemed now.

"...Do you hate me?" he asked hesitantly.

"I don't," replied Vera.

"Why not?"

Her answer was astonishingly simple.

"Isn't that just how people are in their teens?"

For a moment, everyone—Jace, Marcus, Ethan, and Noah—was dumbfounded.

Did she realize she was the youngest among them?

"...Vera," said Marcus, finally recovering.

"Yes, Senior Brother?"

"You really do seem like an old soul," he remarked with a chuckle.

Vera blinked a few times before scratching her head sheepishly.

"Maybe it's because I worked as a maid for so long," she said.

"A maid?"

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Her unexpected revelation drew everyone's attention.

Vera, before joining the Mount Suncrest Sect...

"After my family fell, I was sold to the Storm Clan as a maid," she explained.

"You're still young now, Vera," said Marcus, his tone gentle.

"I was even younger then," she replied, her voice steady.

"...I see," said Marcus, nodding slowly.

She shared her story without emotion, offering only a brief glimpse into her past.

But she hid her true pain—the details of her family's fall, the reasons and events that led to it.

No one asked.

Among them, no one was tactless or heartless enough to pry.

"While I was working there, my master visited as a guest," she continued.

"And then what happened?"

"Nothing much..." Vera trailed off.

She couldn't share the story of how she had been drawn into the plot against the Sword Sovereign, not here.

"I was invited to join the Mount Suncrest Sect as a disciple. So, I came."

"I see," said Marcus.

As her story ended, the flap of the tent opened, and Aiden stepped inside.