Chapter 64 – Aftermath (IV)

After speaking with the old smith, Aiden and Lia followed a servant to the room assigned to them.

On the way, Lia was able to notice the awful mood of Aiden. After speaking with the old man, he had maintained it.

Lia could understand the reason of it, though. After all, the old man admitted that he used her life and Aiden’s to plot against the different forces currently in town.

Of course, Lia felt a bit depressed too. But her emotions could not be compared to Aiden’s.

After all, though she had a good relation with the old man, Lia never trusted him completely. For Lia, no one but Aiden was worthy of trust.

However, it was different for Aiden.

Aiden considered the old man like one of the few people who helped him after losing his spirit. Though he didn’t know the true identity of the old man, the fact that he taught him all his knowledge about blacksmithing without hesitation back then was enough to make Aiden think of the old man like a valuable friend, a teacher.

But because of it, when he learned that the old man didn’t hesitate to put their lives in risk only to warn a few people, Aiden could not help but feel disappointed.

Of course, Aiden knew that the old man didn’t have any reason to save or help him. But even with it, Aiden felt a bit betrayed when he learned that the old man didn’t protect them even though he had the power.

Seeing the conflicted emotions in Aiden face, Lia put her hand in Aiden’s back softly. Then, with a soft voice, she spoke while walking.

“Don’t worry young master, I will never betray you…”

Hearing such words, Aiden smiled softly.

Then, with a quick movement, he grabbed Lia’s hand, ignoring the quick blush that appeared in her face.

…

After walking around the mansion, the servant girl guided the pair to a habitation in the second floor and bowed slightly before departing.

Opening the door, Aiden and Lia entered to a well decorated room.

Filled with curtains and a great amount of furniture, the habitation seemed more like the hall of a mansion than a habitation. However, something inside it made clear the purpose of the room.

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A two-people bed.

Seeing the lavishly decorated bed, both Aiden and Lia blushed simultaneously understating the purpose of such piece of furniture.

Aiden could not help but curse the old man after imagining his thoughts when he prepared this room.

Gazing the blushing face of Lia, Aiden tried search for a topic of conversation to alleviate the awkwardness caused after seeing the bed. Fortunately, it seemed that Lia was thinking the same because she spoke to Aiden quickly while stuttering.

“Y-Young master, h-how was it that you were able to breakthrough without a spirit?”

Hearing Lia question, all the awkwardness in Aiden’s face disappeared almost immediately. Instead, a focused and complicated expression appeared in his face.

“To be sincere, I’m not completely sure… When I was fighting against clearance, the youth of my clan, for some reason I thought of using saber manifestation on place of a spirit. When the idea appeared in my mind, I had the feeling that it was right so I tried. After all, I had nothing to lose back then.

“However, now I think about it, I could not help but find the process too smooth… It was almost like if something was guiding me in such direction…”

Aiden spoke to Lia about the things he lived that night, including his encounter with the strange man and the words about cultivating without a spirit. Aiden had the feeling that the man was related to his smooth advancement, but he was unable to prove it.

Lia was surprised when she heard about the man and his words about it being possible cultivate without spirit. After all, if someone knew about being possible to cultivate without a spirit beforehand, why nobody else had tried it?

But at the end, she could not answer such question.

Looking towards Aiden face, she noticed that he seemed a bit lost. Worried, she called to him.

“Young master, is something wrong?”

Hearing Lia’s words, Aiden smiled slightly before answering with a vacant gaze.

“Don’t worry. It’s only that that I dreamed about breaking through for many years. But now when it happened, I find it hard to believe.”

Holding Aiden’s hands, Lia looked silently towards his eyes and touched his face softly.

“Is it not good? It was young master wish, right?”

“You are right, though now I must figure how to breakthrough to the next realm…” Smiling slightly, Aiden spoke self-deprecatingly.

However, it didn’t take long for his smile to crumble.

Feeling the hand of Lia in his face, tears began to fall from his eyes before long. Aiden tried to hide it, but the more he tried, the more tears flowed.

“S-Sorry. I didn’t want show you something unsightly…”

“Don’t worry young master, I don’t mind it…” With a soft smile in her face, Lia hugged Aiden’s head.

This time, it was her turn to console Aiden.

For a time, silent tears continued falling in the room.

…

When Aiden finally calmed down, it was already afternoon.

Fortunately, Aiden skin was thicker than he expected and he was able to speak with Lia normally after it. However, he was dying of shame inside him.

Of course, he wasn’t going to admit it.

After eating lunch, the pair began to pack the things they were going to need in the travel. The old man ordered the servants to help them with the things they needed, so they were able to get everything without leaving the mansion.

But when the pair was ending their preparations, an unexpected guest appeared before them.

Dressed in a gray robe, the sleepy youth from Heavens’ Secrets appeared before Aiden and Lia and smiled slightly towards them.

“My master says that he wants speak with you. If it’s possible, can you come with me?”

Aiden was doubtful about the old man’s reason to see them. But remembering the words of the old smith, he decided to visit him.

After all, he also knew the secret of his spirit.