Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Three Cities

Packed tightly together, filling the entire chest. The light from the torches reflected off their surfaces, casting a faint golden glow across the hall.

“…Five thousand gold coins,” Caelus said.

His voice was steady, but quieter than before.

“As requested.”

Aiden didn’t move immediately.

He looked at the chest for a moment, then let his gaze shift slightly, taking in the reactions around him. The tension. The unease. The quiet resentment that no one dared to voice.

Then he stood.

Slowly.

He stepped down from his seat and walked toward the chest, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor.

When he reached it, he looked inside.

A faint smile appeared.

“Not bad.”

He crouched slightly, picking up a single coin between his fingers. He turned it once, examining it under the light, then let it fall back into the chest with a soft clink.

Satisfied.

He straightened.

“This is a good start,” Aiden said.

Then his eyes shifted to Caelus.

“Make sure the next one comes on time.”

There was no threat in his tone.

Caelus lowered his head again.

“It will,” he said.

The gold was taken away not long after.

Aiden didn’t stay in the hall.

Once he got what he wanted, he moved to a quieter part of the estate, a smaller chamber that Caelus had prepared for him. It was still well furnished, but simpler. A wide table stood at the center, its surface already cleared.

Now, it was covered again.

Maps.

Rough ones, hand-drawn, but detailed enough. Roads, rivers, towns, and cities marked in ink, some areas darker than others from repeated revisions.

Aiden stood over the table, one hand resting on its edge as he studied everything in silence.

Across from him, Caelus stood straight, his posture respectful. A few others were present as well, elders of the Zephyr Clan, though none of them spoke unless needed.

Graveknit lingered near the corner, its stitched body unmoving, while Carrion stood behind Aiden like a shadow.

“Start from the beginning,” Aiden said.

His eyes didn’t leave the map.

Caelus nodded.

“In this region, there are three main cities,” he began. “Ours is one of them.”

Aiden’s finger tapped lightly on the map. “And the other two?”

Caelus stepped closer, pointing at two marked locations.

“These,” he said. “Both are about two days away from here by normal travel.”

Aiden followed the direction of his hand.

One to the east.

One further north.

“Names,” Aiden said.

“The eastern one is Breim City,” Caelus replied. “The northern one is Valen City.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Which one is the strongest?”

Caelus didn’t hesitate.

“Breim.”

The answer came clean and certain.

“Stronger defenses. More people. More resources,” he continued. “Their leader is also… not easy to deal with.”

Aiden let out a quiet breath.

“And yours?”

There was a brief pause.

Then Caelus answered honestly.

“Ours is the weakest.”

No excuses, and no attempt to soften it.

Some of the men in the room shifted slightly at that, but none of them spoke.

Aiden glanced at him for a second, then gave a small nod.

“Good,” he said.

That single word confused a few of them.

Caelus noticed, but he didn’t ask.

Aiden straightened and looked back at the map.

“Cities aren’t everything,” he said. “What else?”

Caelus continued.

“There are ten towns scattered across this region,” he said, pointing at smaller markings around the map. “Most of them rely on one of the three cities for protection or trade.”

Aiden’s gaze moved across each one.

Counting.

Measuring.

“…Ten,” he repeated.

Then, after a short pause, he added, “Only seven left now.”

Aiden leaned forward slightly, his finger now resting on the remaining towns.

“Seven towns. Two cities. And this one.”

His finger tapped lightly against Caelus’ city.

Then he looked up.

“You know what that means, right?”

Caelus met his gaze.

“…You’re planning to take control of all of it.”

It wasn’t a question.

Aiden smiled faintly.

“Of course.”

He straightened again, folding his arms.

“If I’m going to build something, I’m not stopping halfway.”

Silence followed.

The weight of those words settled over everyone in the room.

One of the elders hesitated, then spoke carefully.

“My lord… Breim City won’t be easy to deal with.”

Aiden glanced at him.

“I didn’t say it would be.”

The officer lowered his head slightly and stepped back.

Aiden’s gaze drifted back to the map.

Breim City.

His finger hovered over it, but didn’t touch.

For a brief moment, his expression didn’t change.

But something in his eyes did.

The memory came back without warning.

The way they chased him like he was nothing.

Like prey.

Like a stray animal that needed to be put down.

He could still remember the feeling. Running, wounded, barely holding on. Every step heavier than the last while people hunted him through the city like a wild dog.

Aiden blinked once.

The memory faded just as quickly as it came.

His expression returned to normal, calm.

He didn’t say a word about it, he didn’t need to.

In the end, he would go back there. And when he did… things would be different.

The room stayed quiet for a while.

No one spoke. Even the elders seemed to sense that something had shifted, even if they didn’t understand what it was.

Then Caelus broke the silence.

“My lord,” he said carefully.

Aiden didn’t look at him. “What is it?”

Caelus hesitated for a brief moment before continuing.

“If you don’t mind me asking…”

That alone made a few of the others glance at him.

Questions like that were dangerous.

“…are you in the Qi Sense Stage?”

The question settled into the room.

Heavy.

The elders straightened slightly, their attention shifting toward Aiden.

Qi Sense Stage.

A realm beyond Body Tempering.

A level that most people in this region would never reach in their lifetime.

In fact, it had been so long since anyone broke through to that stage that it almost sounded like a legend now.

Aiden went still.

For the first time since the conversation started, he didn’t answer immediately.

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