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Chapter 125: Caliburn’s Military Merchant (4)

“Freeze.”

Crackle!

Henry froze the Palegon alive in order to put it in the Subspace Pouch. He checked the time.

‘I still have some time.’

He had more time than expected even if he returned and organized the items he needed for trading.

‘There’s still time. I’ll just collect some materials.’

Henry decided to use his spare time to collect materials for the Black Tear experiments.

‘And also collect some materials for the new cigarettes.’

Henry had requested a new type of cigarette from Herarion. He had also explained to Herarion how they could use the cigarettes to defeat Arthus by strengthening the psychotropic substance in them.

Psychotropic substances produce intense pleasure at the moment of ingestion. However, they were forbidden to the general public because of how addictive and harmful they were, and only high-ranking people such as nobles and royalty could smoke them.

Only very weak types of scented candles or cigarettes were allowed to the rest because the empire had a strict drug policy. Henry intended to take advantage of the nobles’ tastes and the popularity of Shahatra’s goods and slowly eat away at the nobles’ lives.

‘After all, nothing’s easier to handle than a weakened mind.’

He wasn’t sure whether Arthus smoked since he cared about his health to the extreme, but as soon as the foolish emperor was addicted to the cigarette, Henry intended to use Eisen to eliminate Arthus, just as he had done with Aubert.

‘Shall I start choosing?’

Henry already knew dozens of recipes for harmful drugs. Since he was planning to use a drug as part of a plan, he needed one that wouldn’t be detected in the cigarettes. They couldn’t allow any suspicions about its presence.

‘Well, there are enough lab rats, so the important thing is how well I can make it.’

Henry smiled as his alchemy knowledge surfaced in his mind for the first time in a while.

* * *

“Ahh…”

Iselan stood up from his seat, holding his forehead.

As soon as he opened his eyes, the resentment that he had lost to Henry when it came to alcohol rose.

“Damn it, this is why young people are the best.”

Iselan didn’t have a single stitch on when he got up from bed as he had taken off all his clothes under the influence of alcohol. Iselan put on a gown and went out to the living room. Henry was there, drinking his morning coffee and reading a book.

“You’re up.”

“...Why does it look like you\'re fine?”

“Of course, I’m fine. I’ve also prepared the documents needed for trading.”

“...Already?”

Iselan scratched his head and picked up the document.

“I’ve listed the items that I’m asking for along with the official items. You can send the items whenever you have time since there’s no rush,” continued Henry.

“When’s the trade date?”

“The regular trading day is designated as the first day of every month, but if you need me before then, let me know and I’ll make time.”

“Good.”

Henry had prepared the trading documents after collecting the Palegon and all the other materials the night before.

It was a perfect and clean end.

“Is that all?”

“For now, yes.”

“Why don’t you check out the special team or visit Ronan while you’re here?”

“Should I?”

Henry hadn’t heard Ronan’s name in a while.

Ronan was the adopted son of the Foram family. He was talented and the first person Henry had become friends with.

At Iselan’s suggestion, Henry decided to have a cup of tea with Ronan.

“He should be here soon,” said Iselan.

“What?”

Knock knock!

Just as Iselan was checking the time, there was a knock on the front door. It was Ronan.

“Did you both have a good night’s sleep?”

“As expected, you’re always on time.”

Iselan had not invited Ronan to drink the previous night because the conversation was going to be confidential. Instead, he had ordered Ronan to visit early in the morning. Ronan was on his monthly leave and he appeared in his work attire.

Henry and Ronan made eye contact and smiled.

“It’s been a while.”

“You haven’t changed a bit.”

He was the only person who had pushed Henry to his limits after Henry had learned swordsmanship from Hector.

Ronan looked the same: tall, blond, and fair-skinned, and his attire did not mask all of his scars. However, his eyes had changed.

‘His eyes look lively.’

Ronan had always been skeptical, competitive, and had a strong fighting spirit. All of these qualities were necessary in order to be useful to the Foram family.

Henry had seen those traits in him immediately when they had first sparred, but now, Ronan\'s eyes were lively; he was relaxed and laughing happily.

“If you have nowhere else to go, rest at my place since it will be empty all day anyway,” Iselan said.

“You look tired and hungover, why don’t you just rest today?” asked Henry.

“Haha, Tini is waiting for me at the office so I can’t do that.”

Iselan seemed carefree, but he always fulfilled his duties, which made him a good superior and a good soldier.

Before long, Iselan put on his uniform, waved goodbye, and left, holding the document Henry had prepared.

When Iselan’s carriage left, Ronan said, “I heard that you became a vassal of Marquis Eisen?”

“You know about this too? Well, of course, you would know since even the deputy commander knows about it.”

“How did you do it? It’s not an ordinary family either. Eisen has a fierce personality.”

“I just have skills, I guess.”

“Well, you did have the best grades in the education corps. Anyway, your skills… Since we’re on the topic, do you want to spar? We haven’t done that in a long time.”

“What, just like that?”

“Why not? You don’t have anything to do, plus, I’m also curious about how good you’ve become. Oh and! Don’t tell me your level, because I want to experience it myself.”

“Okay.”

An officer led them to the training room in the basement of Iselan’s house. They picked up wooden swords since it was a simple sparring match and both of them had already mastered Aura.

Ronan gripped his wooden sword and his blue Aura started to sway around him.

Shhhh.

Ronan’s Aura was reminiscent of a snake. As he released it, it enveloped him.

‘As expected, I knew that he would achieve the master level.’

Ronan was a genius, so Henry had assumed that he would have reached the level of Master easily even though only half a year had passed since they had last seen each other.

Henry also started to release his Aura.

Tzzz.

“Huh?”

Ronan looked curious when he saw Henry’s Aura. He had never in his life seen a green Aura before.

However, Ronan didn’t ask questions like a child because he knew that experiencing it directly was much more useful than just asking.

‘As expected, you’re special.’

Ronan had always thought of Henry as special because he had never beaten Henry. Henry was a friend, a rival, and a mountain that he had to overcome someday.

‘Don’t disappoint me.’

Ronan was full of expectation, and he attacked first.

‘Here he comes!’

The Foram Step was a method that only the Foram family knew and passed down from one generation to the next.

Like the Hector Step, it was aggressive but was focused more on closing distance rather than deception.

Clank!

The swords collided, however, they didn’t sound wooden at all.

‘As expected! He seems to be an intermediate-level Sword Master.’

Henry felt the numbness in his fingertips and the corners of his mouth rose involuntarily. It was the same for Ronan as well.

‘This feeling… so you\'re at this level too!’

Henry’s Aura didn’t have the characteristics of the Master level, but Ronan knew the moment they collided that the strength of Henry’s Aura was similar to his own, and he was an intermediate-level Master.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

The strikes were so fast that they were hard to follow. However, the two countered each other’s attacks without a single mistake.

‘As expected!’

As time passed, the corners of their mouths rose higher and higher.

When their warm-up had reached its climax, Ronan swung his sword and distanced himself from Henry.

“I’ll show you my real abilities now,” said Ronan.

“There’s more to show?”

“Of course. I’ve also been training all this time.”

Ronan placed the back of the hand holding the sword on his forehead.

Swoosh…!

A breeze blew into the windless training room and rushed toward Ronan. He slowly gripped the hilt with his left hand as well.

The wind blew even more.

Henry could clearly see the Aura neatly coating Ronan’s wooden sword, gradually getting bigger, all the way until it reached the size of a greatsword.

“...!”

“Block it as best as you can because I don’t plan on going easy on you,” said Ronan.

Whoosh!

Ronan closed the distance between them in an instant.

The massive Aura blade left afterimages in the air as it swung at Henry.

Henry didn’t avoid it. Since he had confirmed the power of Ronan’s Aura, he thought it was a good opportunity to use his own Aura as much as he wanted.

‘Come!’

Tzzzzzz!

Henry’s heart started beating quickly and his green Aura erupted like lava from a volcano.

As Ronan’s sword fell like a meteor, Henry swung his own sword widely to block it head-on.

Clankkk!

There was an ear-splitting sound. The collision caused a massive shockwave that spread around them, and powerful winds started to blow.

Buzz.

Their wrists trembled, but neither backed down. With their Auras burning, they glared at each other as if they were enemies.

Crack. Crackk.

Crackkkk!

“...!”

They pushed against each other for a long time, and cracks started to appear in their wooden swords. However, neither gave in.

Crack!

Whoosh!

The two swords split down the middle at the same time. They weren’t completely split apart, but the fighters had to end their match.

“...Ha.”

The wind was dying down, and the two stopped their Auras at the same time, panting heavily.

“Not bad,” said Ronan.

As soon as Ronan stopped his Aura, he threw the sword on the ground and approached Henry to shake hands.

Henry also put down his wooden sword and grabbed Ronan’s hand.

“You too.”

They were surprised by each other. Although they had expected progress, neither had expected the other to improve so much.

However, Ronan also felt very proud.

‘My sword has less damage.’

As they shook hands, Ronan couldn’t help looking at Henry’s wooden sword. Even in one glance, he could tell Henry’s sword was more damaged than his own.

Ronan was now in a good mood. He put his arm around Henry’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go. This is enough sparring.”

“Okay.”

The two left the training area.

Crack!

Right after they left, Ronan’s sword shattered like a collapsing sandcastle.