The Cunning Treasure Hunter

There was a small pond nestled within the peaks of Suncrest. Like any mountain pond, it seemed unremarkable, a place where even the youngest third-generation disciples could play without stirring up murky waters. Its clarity earned it the name Eternal Clarity Pond.

Other than its perpetually clear water, the pond had no distinctive features. It wasn't large enough to be considered a lake, held only a few small fish, and wasn't particularly beautiful. When Aiden chose this place as the backyard for his hut and declared it a place to train disciples, even Gideon did not object. After all, it held no strategic or practical value—perhaps only suitable as a source of drinking water.

Yet there stood Aria, gazing out over the pond.

A gentle mountain breeze swept through, scattering the eternal cherry blossoms of Suncrest, which had bloomed undisturbed for thirty years. The delicate petals danced across the pond's surface, creating an understated elegance.

Though most would call this scenery unremarkable, Aria found it sufficient. For her, it was beautiful.

But she was no welcome guest at this secluded hut.

From behind her, Aiden emerged.

"What brings you here, Lady Everstone?" His voice was calm but cold.

"Oh, nothing special. I simply came to enjoy the view of Eternal Clarity Pond and soak my feet, as I often do."

"…Go back," Aiden said, his tone sharp and unyielding.

Aria lowered her gaze but remained rooted in place. While Aiden's strength far exceeded her own, there was no way he could physically push her away.

Aiden let out a long sigh. "I have nothing more to say to you."

"I stayed behind. I remained," Aria replied.

"That was seven years ago. Seven years since Leora died. And every year, during the Peak Assembly, you come here. How much more is there to say?"

"You never listened. Not once," Aria said, meeting his gaze directly.

For a moment, Aiden's cold eyes wavered.

"I… I never had the chance to apologize."

"Do you not understand that I don't want your apology? Leave now."

"But, I—"

A Heart Demon stirred within Aiden. He had worked tirelessly to bury his rage, vengeance, and murderous intent. He had sought to suppress it, knowing that nothing would corrode faster than rust buried beneath the weight of unfulfilled revenge.

"Enough." Aiden raised his hand, pressing his fingers to his temple and shaking his head.

"Please stop testing my patience."

"Leora—"

"I told you to stop."

In an instant, Aiden's gaze transformed. The warmth, the compassion, the tenderness—gone. What remained were the eyes of a demon, filled with murderous intent, summoning even the heavens' wrath.

These were the eyes of the Demon of Vengeance.

"So, tell me. What forgiveness are you seeking? For following the words of your master and offering up my lover as bait for the Demonic Cult?"

"I didn't know! Aiden, I swear I didn't know—"

"Didn't know?" Aiden threw his sword, still sheathed, to the ground. It clattered away from him, as if casting off the temptation to strike her down.

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms until blood dripped from his hands. His voice was strained, venomous.

"When you parroted the instructions of Master Valen, like a puppet, you didn't know? When you left the injured tacticians at the rear of the group, instead of helping them, did you truly not foresee the outcome?"

"…I suspected," Aria admitted, collapsing to the ground under the weight of her guilt. "I suspected that the remnants of the Demonic Cult would attack the rear, looking for one last victim. But…"

"Go on. Make your excuses," Aiden growled.

"I thought Valen had accounted for it. I believed he had prepared for such an eventuality. That's why I followed his orders."

Aria's voice cracked as she sat on the ground, clutching her knees. Her guilt consumed her, leaving her defenseless against Aiden's fury.

"Leora was precious to me as well," she whispered.

"And yet, you followed the orders," Aiden said coldly.

"Because it was Master Valen!" Aria cried out, her voice breaking. "Because he had reached the Kingdom of Harmony, because he was the revered Master Valen! I thought he would protect them, even if they were wounded… even if they were left behind…"

"You trusted him?"

"…Yes. I trusted him."

"Then that is your sin, Aria."

Aria looked up, her face pale. Her gaze met Aiden's eyes, which burned with the intensity of an avenging spirit.

"Trusting him was a sin? Believing in him was wrong?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"And you think it wasn't?" Aiden's voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

"How can you say that so coldly? I… I…"

"You think I'm cold?" Aiden knelt down to meet her at eye level, his expression devoid of any softness.

"Aria," he said slowly, his voice low and filled with a chilling finality.

In those eyes, there was only one emotion: Resentment.

"If I were truly heartless, would your tears have dried up this way?"

Aiden reached out, lightly lifting Aria's chin.

"Look at yourself. You can't even cry anymore. It's as if you've poured out all your tears for a lifetime, leaving you broken."

"You… you're…"

"If I were heartless, I would have forgiven you. Why would I gain anything from treating you, the Lady Aria, the youngest daughter of the mighty Everstone Clan, so harshly?"

"That's…"

"I am not heartless. I was once someone who loved deeply, who knew warmth and compassion," Aiden said softly as he stood up.

His voice, dry and cracking, carried the weight of a man struggling to speak past the thorns lodged in his throat. He ran a hand over his face, as if trying to wipe away his anguish, before continuing.

"...That is why I feel so cold, so sorrowful now."

When his hand fell, his eyes were bloodshot, as if they were moments away from bursting into tears of blood.

"And for the same reason, I cannot forgive you."

Aria no longer pleaded for forgiveness. Deep down, she understood why. She had known all along.

Leora had been her handmaiden, born of humble origins yet as brilliant as any scion of the Everstone Clan. When Leora turned twenty, she crossed the family's rigid social boundaries to accompany Aria to Suncrest. It was there that she met Aiden.

At the time, Aiden and Leora had become everything to each other. Aiden had even resolved to renounce his status in Suncrest if the sect forbade their union. As one of the main disciples of Suncrest, his decision to lower himself to marry a handmaiden of the Everstone Clan, the lowest-ranked among the Five Noble Clans, was an extraordinary act.

Aria herself had once asked him if he could endure such a fall.

Aiden had answered, "It wouldn't be a fall. It would just be a flight to a different branch, to a gentler cradle of my choosing. No one calls a bird's flight from one branch to another a fall."

But when Leora died, the Everstone Clan had not supported Aiden as he condemned Master Valen's actions before the martial Unity leader.

Inside the tent, the third-generation disciples trained under Aiden were now staring at Vera. Or rather, they were staring at the Black Steel Sword in her hand.

"...Gulp."

"Ethan, stop swallowing your saliva," snapped Noah.

"But, senior brother, aren't you curious? That's a Black Steel Sword. A Black Steel Sword!"

From its balance to its weight, how could one not be curious?

Yet, surprisingly, Vera didn't seem particularly impressed with the sword. In fact, she appeared slightly dissatisfied.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Noah asked, his merchant instincts unable to ignore her expression.

Vera nodded slightly. "...It's too heavy."

Jace chimed in, nodding in agreement. Black Steel was indeed a dense material. Even swords mixed with only a fraction of Black Steel were significantly heavier.

"Doesn't it strain your wrist?"

"Not yet, but if I wield it for an extended period, it certainly will," Vera replied as she compared the weight of the Falling Blossom Sword in one hand and the Black Steel Sword in the other. The Black Steel Sword was noticeably heavier, despite both blades being of similar size.

"This sword… doesn't feel like mine," Vera said softly as she placed the Black Steel Sword on the table.

The sword, with its silver sheen and ebony wood hilt, exuded an understated elegance. It was the epitome of a weapon designed for practicality and durability.

"What will you do with it, then?" Marcus asked quietly.

In response, Vera handed the sword to him.

Marcus's eyes widened in surprise. He accepted the sword but couldn't take his gaze off Vera.

"...Vera?" His voice trembled slightly, betraying his confusion.

After all, a sword forged entirely of Black Steel was a rarity in the martial world. It wasn't something just anyone could carry. For the Everstone Clan, even as the lowest of the Five Noble Clans, to offer such a gift to Suncrest, it was undoubtedly a treasure of immense value—likely worth its weight in gold.

"You should keep it, senior brother," Vera said calmly.

"But I—"

"You're the largest among us, senior brother. It suits you better."

It was true. Marcus, at seventeen, was taller and more robust than the others. While Vera was only fourteen, and Ethan and Noah were fifteen, Marcus's height already exceeded six feet.

"Besides, there's another reason," Vera added.

Her gaze remained steady, leaving Marcus no room to refuse.