The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Chapter 60 A Journey Entwined

It was the night before Vera departed on her journey.

At the second guest house of Suncrest,

where Aria was staying.

Valen saw Caleb, sitting in the front yard on a wooden chair.

A master of the deadly Cloud Piercing Sword Technique,

a man who had reached the peak of martial arts alone.

Although he was in the Kingdom of Harmony, he was not someone to be underestimated or taken lightly.

"Good to see you. It has been a while."

"Your name was Caleb, yes? Where is my niece?"

"The young lady is inside."

But Valen found himself disliking Calebl.

The killing intent in his martial arts was too thick.

After all, even his nickname was rooted in his violent deeds.

A Sword That Splits Skulls—how could he be anything but dangerous?

"I see."

No matter how loyal a vicious dog may be to its master…

Could the master's uncle not feel uneasy about it?

Valen clicked his tongue and knocked on the door.

"Aria. Are you there?"

Aria quietly opened the door.

"Uncle, what brings you here…?"

"Traveling to Suncrest with only one bodyguard? Have you forgotten you're the youngest daughter of the Everstone Clan?"

"And what should I do if you show up here, Uncle? Especially when the Heavenly Net is watching?"

Her words were soft, but her gaze was not.

Her expression made it clear she wasn't pleased.

Valen sighed deeply and spoke.

"I've resigned."

"…What?"

"I've left the Heavenly Net."

Aria knew he had recently lost his only son, whom he cherished deeply.

She suspected it had something to do with the Reverse Heaven Unity,

but the exact culprit remained unknown.

Perhaps someone within the Reverse Heaven Unity,

or perhaps another martial artist entirely.

"Does this have to do with… what happened recently?"

"You mean losing Darian?"

Aria nodded quietly.

Valen sighed again, even more deeply.

"Yes. I've come to understand. Everyone I've killed up until now… they were someone's sons and daughters."

"…That's true."

"So, if you're asking whether that's why I resigned, yes."

It was unexpected.

The Valen she knew wasn't this kind of person.

Had the death of his most cherished blood relative changed him this much?

Or… had his spirit simply been broken?

"…What about revenge?"

"I will take it. That will be my last act of killing."

"To be honest…"

Aria let out a long sigh.

"After killing so many people, it's a bit much to have this realization only now."

"…That's a harsh truth."

"Uncle, you're just overwhelmed by grief right now. Your 'last act of killing'? Really?"

She stood up.

Her eyes were full of anger.

It was only natural.

She hadn't forgotten the gruesome massacre of the Strategists' Corps she once led.

Valen had saved only himself, using everyone else as bait.

There was no gratitude to be found for that act.

Leora, after all, wasn't just Aiden's lover.

She was Aria's childhood companion.

Like a younger sister, like family.

"And now you're ready to lose more people around you just because you can't kill anyone else?"

"That's…"

"You once told me not to make promises I couldn't keep, didn't you?"

Aria shot him a sharp glare.

As someone who had witnessed Valen's actions as part of the Reverse Heaven Unity,

she knew what he was capable of.

He had burned people alive,

executed parents in front of their children—

all under the pretext of breaking the Blade Clan's laws.

What was that, if not the behavior of a demonic cult?

If he truly belonged to a righteous sect, as the Blade claimed,

shouldn't justice have been served with at least a shred of humanity?

This was why Aria didn't trust him.

His current behavior was nothing more than a passing wave of sorrow.

Once the grief subsided,

when the 'true desire for revenge' emerged again…

He would become the Flame Dragon once more, burning everything in his path.

He would set ablaze anything and anyone that dared to stand before him.

That was who he was.

As long as he could find a justification for his actions—

no matter how horrendous—

he would carry them out.

That was the Valen she had always known.

"Just go back, Uncle."

It was an outright dismissal.

Blooming Peak Pavilion.

The afternoon of the day Vera was set to embark on her journey.

Vera returned to her room to retrieve her swords.

She carried two spares: the Sleeve Blossom Sword, issued by her sect, and the one gifted to her by her master, Aiden.

Considering the possibility of selling one, she chose to bring the issued Sleeve Blossom Sword.

'…But still, it's the first gift I ever received.'

She wanted to treasure it.

It wasn't made of Heavenly Steel or Black Iron, the finest metals for forging treasured blades,but to her, it was second only to her cherished Falling Blossom Sword.

In the room, she wasn't alone.

Dylan was there, her gaze filled with unease.

After a moment of hesitation, Vera picked up the sword gifted by her master.

"Dylan, Sister."

"Y-you called me? Huh? What is it?"

Her startled reaction as she turned to look at Vera made the latter's heart ache slightly.

After a brief pause, Vera stepped forward and hugged her. Then, she placed the sword in Dylan's arms.

"This is a sword I hold very dear."

"W-why are you giving it to me…?"

"I'll be gone for two or three months. During that time, I'd like you to keep it safe."

Her tone was softer than usual, almost tender.

For a moment, Dylan blinked, alternating her gaze between the sword and Vera.

"Are you sure…? Can I really take care of it?"

"Yes. I trust your abilities, Sister."

Abilities.

At that word, Dylan recalled the moment she had clashed with Vera.

Her junior disciple's overwhelming martial prowess and inner energy had been utterly unmatched.

And now, this same disciple was entrusting her with something precious.

"…Alright."

Those trapped in fear often lose their self-esteem.

To break free, they need purpose.

And someone's trust.

Being believed in is a far more powerful force than one might think.

It allows people to support themselves through the weight of expectation.

A child raised as a genius might reach great heights,

but one dismissed as a fool may never even achieve mediocrity.

"I'll count on you, Sister."

Vera bowed with the proper fist-and-palm salute.

For a moment, Dylan, who had been staring blankly at her, stood up and returned the gesture.

"Don't worry."

Her gaze was resolute.

Of course, this alone wouldn't banish all of Dylan's fears.

After all, she had been subjected to near-torturous punishments every month,

threatened with the idea of killing her own senior brother—the only person she had a bond with.

But now, with Jace's support, things would likely become easier.

She had a clear goal now.

Knowing someone trusted and relied on her, she wouldn't simply crumble anymore.

"Then, this unworthy junior will take her leave."

With those words, Vera left Blooming Peak Pavilion.

At the training grounds, Marcus and Ethan were already prepared and waiting.

They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with someone.

"Senior Brother, I'm ready?"

Vera froze in place, as though rooted to the ground.

The gaze directed at her.

That burning beard and eyebrows.

Those gleaming eyes and the massive broadsword slung over his back.

It was Valen.

The very man who had beheaded her father and burned her mother alive.

"Ah, Vera! Let me introduce you. This is the esteemed warrior, Valen."

Vera couldn't respond.

She stood there, blinking and mouthing wordlessly.

Ethan chuckled and approached, lightly patting her on the shoulder.

"What's wrong? Don't freeze up—say hello!"

Only then did Vera come to her senses.

She couldn't let anything slip here.

Not before she'd even taken the first step of her revenge.

"…I am Vera, third-generation disciple of the Suncrest Sect."

With a small, delicate fist, she offered the customary fist-and-palm salute,

gritting her teeth to keep her expression neutral.

"So, you're Vera. The gatekeepers mentioned you. They say you defeated the young master of the Akrest Clan?"

"…It was sheer luck."

"The others say it was a decisive victory. Excessive humility doesn't suit you."

Valen didn't recognize her.

No, he couldn't.

He might have heard her name once before.

Her father, Victor Blackthorn, the lord of Bloomspire Sect, was known as the Black cherry Sword Lord.

And she, his daughter.

Darian, his son, had recognized her from her eyes alone.

But Valen was not as perceptive as his son.

At fourteen, a child's baby fat disappears, and their frame begins to take shape.

Moreover, Vera's current slender and delicate figure was far removed from her younger self.

"Thank you for your kind words," she replied.

"Good. So, you're heading to the Eastern Mountain Fiery Blade clan, I hear?"

It seemed Marcus and Ethan had already spoken with him.

Marcus nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, that's correct."

"I was just about to return to the Fiery Blade clan myself. While the main and branch houses are separate, they aren't too far apart…"

This was bad.

The principle of Wandering Trial was to avoid relying on others.

To roam the world, receiving all kinds of aid, and learn from both people and experiences.

But if Valen decided to join them…

"It would be great if we traveled together."

It was the worst possible outcome.