「"S-save us…"

"Do something!"

"Protect us!"

"Help! Help! I don't want to die!"

"You immortal-like bastard!"

"Rhodus…you killed all of us. So…die for our sake."」

"Argh!" Rhodus jolted awake almost instantaneously, a cold sweat breaking over him as he gripped tightly on the white sheets of his bed, crumpling it.

"Ha…ah…ah…"

His body shook uncontrollably, sweat cascading down his figure, vividly recalling the faces, the voices and the dying words of his comrades. A crestfallen look was scattered across his face as he murmured beneath his breath in a solemn tone.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He repeated continuously, each apology redirected to all and every individual ally he ever had, before they all met their demise on the battlefield.

His mind was in a daze, remembering all the lives that had been stripped away. He gasped desperately for air, his breathing erratic as if something was lodged in his throat—preventing him from breathing properly. Rhodus's fingers dug deeper into the sheets, tearing it apart slightly.

After taking a few deep breaths, Rhodus gradually composed himself. His breathing no longer uncoordinated, his expression no longer bearing the same grief-stricken look it had earlier.

"Ha…ah…ha…" He panted, his vision slowly readjusting to the darkness in the room. Rhodus was the only one awake, while other fellow soldiers were dead asleep—snoring loudly and sleeping in some of the most bizarre positions one could think of.

A smile crept up onto his face, staring at the inexperienced soldiers with a mixture of fondness and regret in his eyes. Rhodus then proceeded to get out of bed and quietly exited the barrack, making sure to be as soundless as possible to ensure he would not disturb the others.

He roamed the vacant and eerily quiet training ground with a heavy heart, gazing at the ever so mesmerising, iridescent moon that looked so small, yet shone so brightly—casting a soft, sheen onto the world, giving Rhodus an odd sense of relief as if a small portion of his burden had been relinquished.

He continued to wander across the spacious training grounds, his steps steady and his condition seemingly ever better than before with his mind no longer in a daze but rather felt clear. Amidst Rhodus's night walk, he caught a glimpse of a peculiar, and hard to miss shade of colour that belonged to a certain someone unique—a certain "witch" disciple.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You shouldn't be out this late at this hour, soldier." Rhodus confronted Jeongeun who was seemingly absorbed by the unique ways the bricks were stacked on top one another to create the sturdy wall that surrounded the area.

"Yeah…perhaps I shouldn't. Then, what about you?" Jeongeun replied, turning his back to face Rhodus with an expression that was neither of concern or worry but rather conveyed an odd sense of calculation.

"I suppose both of us are breaking the rule. That said, you should really return back to your own barrack…you are one of the personally handpicked slaves to be nurtured and grow to become a powerful soldier for the House of Altifirma after all. The lady would definitely hate it to see her favoured soldier not getting enough rest."

As those words left Rhodus's mouth, he soon turned around—prepared to head back to his own room but felt a hand gripping his right shoulder in a vice grip, halting him from moving any further.

"Yeah…let's cut to the chase. Lend me your brain, Rhodus." Jeong ordered, a hint of malice and authority tinted his voice.

"Huff…soldier. I won't ask how you know my name…but since you already do, I suppose you should also know my title. 'The Immortal-like Bastard'. So…why should I lend you my intellect? Just head back to your barrack…because you'll soon undergo a torturous training regime. Salvage all the happiness you still can acquire, before being put through hell."

"Pft! Ahaha!" Jeongeun laughed at Rhodus's adviced, causing him to let out a despondent sigh as he recalled a few people who also laughed out of pride, but were soon left broken by the gruesome trainings they had to endure.

"Ahaha…what's with that look? Pity? Regret? You're misjudging me a bit…I'm not scared of what type of training I will be forced to go through. It's not my first rodeo undergoing whatever kind of hell this place has to offer. In any case, what I want from you…is simply some information. You, who lived through countless wars that ended up killing your comrades, must be the most knowledgeable amongst everyone else."

"...So, basically, you want the knowledge I can offer?"

"Bullseye. I want the information lying inside of your mind." Jeongeun said, a small smirk splattered on his face.

"And? What do I get in return? What can you even do…if I give you information on things that I personally know?" Rhodus asked, skeptical of Jeongeun's proposal. "A mere pawn has nothing to offer in the first place." He added.

"You're right. To be perfectly honest with you, nothing. Right now, you have nothing to gain, but in the future, your investment will be worth it."

"...Such a foolish deal. Go back to your barracks now, and I'll pretend this conversation never happened in the fi-"

"You didn't let me finish yet. You won't be getting anything right now…but you also have nothing to lose. What I plan to do with the information provided…is none of your business. But I can guarantee that in the future, it will come to help you.

Besides, even if you lend me the knowledge you have right now, you wouldn't lose anything at all. Either you get back what you have invested in me, or you'll lose nothing at all in the first place. It's a pretty sweet deal, isn't it? An investment without too many drawbacks, just either you'll become more powerful, or nothing changes."

"And what if I still refuse?"

"So be it. I also have nothing to lose in the first place. Still, don't you want to escape from this suffocating life as a plaything? I'll be perfectly honest, I can't guarantee a perfect freedom but lending me some knowledge to have the chance of being unrestrained, is better than not lending me anything at all, isn't it? You got nothing to lose, and at best, you might finally be able to pursue whatever goals you have "

"...Fine. But tell me one more thing…to see whether it truly is worth making this deal with you, soldier. Are you doing this for the greater good…or bad?" Rhodus inquired, staring deeply into Jeongeun's eyes to discern any possible lies that may come out of his mouth.

"Neither. This deal is solely for my survival and yours. I'm not even going to bother sugarcoating my intention. Depending on what information I receive, and the situation at hand, it can be both good and bad. So, what do you say? Will you make the trade with me?"

"...You're a madman, soldier." Rhodus sighed, offering a handshake.

"I've always been one." Jeongeun smiled confidently, shaking hands with Rhodus.

"But first…before I share anything. It wouldn't hurt to know your name."

"My name, huh?.. Just…call me Park. That's all you need to know for now."

"Park…I suppose that is fine. It's a pleasure to do business with you, Park."

"It's a pleasure too. Anyways, let's not waste anymore time. Give me everything that you got to offer. I'll make sure your investment wasn't all for naught. Have faith, Rhodus."

…