Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Goro

The boss smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

Bone Fist remained silent behind Aiden, standing perfectly still. Even so, the pressure he gave off made the woman on the boss’s lap subtly shift away, unease flashing across her face.

Aiden met the boss’s gaze calmly, and pointed the place he wants to buy in the map.

“That’s the place I want.” He said.

The room fell quiet for a heartbeat, the air thick with unspoken tension, as the boss began to seriously reevaluate the masked man standing before him.

The boss leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming lazily against the armrest.

“That location is expensive,” he said. “Two hundred gold coins.”

Reth and Kain exchanged uneasy glances. Even Aiden’s expressionless mask couldn’t hide the weight of that number.

Before the silence could stretch any longer, Aiden spoke.

“How about I give you an offer instead?”

That caught the boss’s attention. His eyes sharpened, and he waved the woman off his lap. She stood and quietly moved aside.

“Oh?” the boss said, interest clearly piqued. “Let’s hear it.”

Aiden’s voice remained calm. “I run an assassin guild. If you agree, you can place an assassination request with me.”

For a second, the room was quiet.

Then the boss burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha!”

He slapped his thigh, shaking his head.

“You’re bold,” he said, still chuckling. “Very bold.”

His gaze shifted to Bone Fist, slowly moving up and down the masked figure’s body.

“Although that man of yours looks strong,” the boss continued, “practitioners of that level aren’t rare in this city.”

Aiden didn’t react.

Instead, he asked evenly, “Did you hear the news about the sect master who was assassinated?”

The boss’s laughter faded.

“Yes,” he replied. “It’s quite the talk of the district. Even if that sect master wasn’t a true practitioner, killing him inside his own sect wasn’t easy.”

He paused, then frowned slightly, as if a thought had just crossed his mind.

His eyes snapped back to Aiden.

“Hmm,” the boss said slowly. “Are you saying… your assassination hall did that job?”

Aiden gave a small nod.

“Yes.”

The room grew noticeably quieter.

Even Reth and Kain held their breath.

Aiden continued, “My guild is new. But we’ve already completed a high-level assassination.”

The boss studied him in silence now. The lazy arrogance from before was gone, replaced by a calculating stare. His fingers stopped tapping. His body leaned forward just a little.

After a long moment, he exhaled.

“Well,” he said, voice lower than before, “that changes things.”

He glanced once more at Bone Fist, this time with clear caution, then back at Aiden.

“If what you’re saying is true,” the boss continued, “then you’re not just some masked man with delusions of grandeur.”

A slow smile crept onto his face.

“You might actually be worth doing business with.”

The boss’s lips curled into a satisfied grin.

“Perfect timing,” he said. “There’s someone I’ve been wanting dead for a while now.”

He reached beneath the table and pulled out a folded sheet of rough parchment. With a flick of his wrist, he slid it across the desk toward Aiden.

Aiden caught it and unfolded the paper.

Inside was a charcoal sketch of a man in his thirties, sharp-eyed, with a narrow face and neatly tied hair. The lines were crude, but the likeness was clear enough.

The boss leaned forward.

“This man is one of my rival’s key people,” he said. “A messenger and accountant rolled into one. He handles money, routes, and contacts. Cut him out, and my rival bleeds.”

He tapped the sketch with a thick finger.

“I want him dead tonight.”

Aiden studied the drawing for a moment, then lifted his gaze.

“If he’s that important,” Aiden said calmly, “he won’t be walking around alone. He’ll have a bodyguard with him at all times.”

“Of course,” the boss replied without hesitation. “One bodyguard. A fairly new body-tempering practitioner..”

That was enough.

Aiden folded the sketch and slipped it into his robe.

“Then we have a deal.”

The boss’s grin widened.

He rose from his seat and spread his arms slightly, as if presenting himself.

“Since we’re working together now, I suppose introductions are in order,” he said. “People in this city call me Master Goro.”

He gestured lazily toward Aiden.

“And you?”

Aiden didn’t remove his mask.

“You can call me by my nickname, Ashen.”

Master Goro nodded, accepting it without pressing further. In this line of work, names were cheap, and secrets were currency.

“Good,” Goro said. “Kill him tonight, I want to hear a news of his death tomorrow.”

His eyes narrowed just a little.

“Don’t disappoint me.”

Aiden inclined his head.

“I won’t.”

Without another word, he turned and left, Bone Fist falling in behind him in silent step, while Master Goro watched their backs with a thoughtful, calculating stare.

—

Aiden now sat inside one of Breim City’s more luxurious restaurants.

Soft lantern light spilled across polished wooden floors. Silk curtains hung between private booths, and the air carried the scent of roasted meat and expensive wine. Compared to the slums and alleyways he’d been walking through lately, this place felt like another world entirely.

The three brothers had already returned to the house as instructed.

So Aiden was alone.

He occupied a quiet corner table near the wall, hood pulled low, mask hiding his face. A cup of untouched tea rested in front of him, slowly cooling. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes never stopped moving.

Across the hall, his target had just arrived.

The man from the sketch stepped through the entrance surrounded by two attendants and a single bodyguard. He wore fine robes trimmed with silver thread, his steps confident, his chin held high. Staff immediately hurried over, bowing and greeting him with practiced smiles.

“VIP guest,” one of them announced softly.

They were led past the main dining area toward the inner corridor, where the private rooms were located. A thick curtain was drawn aside, revealing the entrance to the VIP section before closing again.

Aiden watched every movement.

So that’s where you’re hiding.

He exhaled slowly.

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