The Cunning Treasure Hunter

"Try this. It's seriously good!"

Harmony Blossom Village, located deep inland in Silent Frontier Province, was not a place where seafood was readily available.

Fish was usually preserved in salt, making fresh seafood a luxury that locals could scarcely dream of.

Yet, the dish Theron offered was shrimp dumplings.

"…Fine."

Vera sighed as she accepted the dumpling he held out.

She bit into it, and her eyes widened. The salty and rich flavor spread throughout her mouth, along with a smooth, savory texture.

"See? Delicious, right? Marcus, you try one too. Come on!"

"Alright, alright. Stop nagging. I'll eat it."

On their way down to the town, Theron had taken the liberty of speaking informally to everyone, even insisting that Marcus do the same to him.

His relentless energy had swept Marcus along, whether he liked it or not.

"Wow, meeting peers in a place like this! My luck is incredible."

"Sure, sure…"

After barely escaping Noah and his father, now they were dealing with the unbridled enthusiasm of the Akrest Clan's heir. Even Marcus couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Still, the dumplings were delicious beyond words.

Sharing a lavish meal in a grand room, it wasn't something Marcus had planned, but…

'…At least she's eating well.'

Marcus glanced at Vera as she carefully picked at the food.

She tried each dish cautiously, taking small bites and blinking in surprise at the flavors.

It was a sight that brought him quiet satisfaction, though he couldn't entirely shake his unease.

'I still don't know why he's being so generous.'

His gaze shifted to Theron, who was eating with a carefree expression, almost as if he were harmless.

Occasionally, if Vera didn't touch a dish, Theron would serve it to her instead.

"Your name was Theron, wasn't it?"

"That's right. Theron. Call me whatever you like."

"…I can't imagine you're doing all this for us without wanting something in return."

Marcus cut straight to the point.

After all, this was no ordinary peer.

He was the heir of the Akrest Clan, the direct descendant of Sword Sovereign Zephyrion—a family at the pinnacle of the martial world.

"Ha."

Theron glanced at Marcus and smiled, a hint of mischief in his expression.

He swallowed the food in his mouth and pointed his chopsticks at Vera.

"I want her."

"…You've been saying strange things all day. She's a disciple of Suncrest, my junior sister—"

"What are you thinking? I mean I want to fight her."

At those words, Vera's chopsticks paused mid-air.

Her dark, unfathomable eyes turned to meet Theron's.

Perhaps it was the weight of her gaze, but Theron instinctively moved his hand toward his waist before stopping himself.

Then he chuckled.

"Wow… Truly incredible. Just now, was that killing intent?"

"…I won't answer that," she said softly.

Marcus had felt nothing, which meant Vera had directed her killing intent with such precision that only Theron experienced it.

That wasn't a matter of martial skill.

It was mastery of oneself—of one's emotions, gaze, and presence.

"Fascinating. Amazing. I knew my eyes weren't deceiving me."

Theron stood and walked behind Marcus, resting his hands on the back of his chair and gesturing toward Vera.

"Look closely, Marcus. Do you see those eyes? Your junior sister's eyes?"

"They're the same eyes I always see. Nothing unusual to me."

"No, no. Look deeper. Can you see it?"

Marcus cast a sidelong glance at Theron and shook his head.

By now, Vera had resumed eating her dumpling with a calm demeanor.

"See? You can't see it, right?"

"…Isn't that obvious?"

"It's obvious to you, but not to me."

With that, Theron drew his sword in a single smooth motion, so silent that the blade made no sound as it left its sheath.

Marcus didn't even have time to react.

"…I have no desire to fight here."

Vera spoke plainly, not even looking at the blade.

And for a moment, Marcus was frozen, unable to do anything.

Theron's hand gripped Marcus's shoulder, pressing down with crushing force.

No, it wasn't just his hand.

The sheer aura radiating from him enveloped Marcus's entire body, suffocating him and rendering him powerless to even speak.

It was an overwhelming presence, the kind that demanded complete submission.

"Let go of my senior brother," came Vera's calm voice.

Her eyes remained fixed on the blade pointed at her.

The sword tip hovered dangerously close, yet her cold, black gaze didn't even blink.

At that moment, the oppressive killing intent radiating from Theron became palpable, shocking Marcus into realization.

The aura felt like it could crush his soul.

How could such overwhelming malice come from a mere fourteen-year-old girl?

"If you promise to fight me, I'll let him go," Theron said.

"As a disciple of Suncrest, how could I cross swords with an outsider without permission?" Vera replied.

"Then your senior brother might faint soon."

It was no empty threat.

Marcus could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness under the weight of Theron's aura.

But showing weakness now would mean burdening his junior sister, something he could never allow as her senior.

Suddenly, an overwhelming energy began to surge from Vera's small frame.

She had awakened her inner strength to match Theron's crushing aura, her long black hair rippling as if caught in a storm.

Marcus's face turned pale.

Even though he could barely speak, he forced himself to grit his teeth and uttered through sheer willpower, "D-don't… Vera…"

"You can still talk? Impressive," Theron remarked, his tone filled with amusement.

This was the aura of someone standing at the threshold of mastery, a peak-level expert.

To speak while under such pressure was no small feat.

Swallowing his instincts, Marcus clenched his jaw, silencing himself to prevent further harm.

"You mentioned earlier that the winner of the Peak Assembly would duel with you," Vera said.

"Yes, I did. Are you promising to win now?"

"Yes. I will reach the top and face you. So…"

A flash of light cut through the air.

In the next instant, Vera's sword was pointed at Theron's chin.

The entire blade glowed with radiant energy—Sword Radiance, the mark of a peak-level master.

In such a short span, she had summoned her inner strength flawlessly, without the slightest disruption.

"…Fine. I'll see you at the summit," Theron said, sheathing his sword and withdrawing his aura.

Only then did Marcus gasp for air, his chest heaving as he clutched at a nearby cup of water with trembling hands.

It was pure survival instinct.

"Senior brother…"

Vera lowered her sword and stepped closer to him, her gaze steady.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Gently, she began guiding his disrupted meridians back into balance.

Marcus's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Stay still. Don't make a sound," she instructed softly.

It was a technique Aiden had once used on her.

If the chaotic energy coursing through him could be calmed with the Inner Strength of the Harmony Stage, it could also be done in reverse using Suncrest's Clear Mind Technique.

A cold, soothing energy coursed through his body, quelling the turbulence and restoring control.

Marcus closed his eyes and surrendered to the process.

The foreign energy felt alive as it pacified the raging forces within him, leaving behind a calm stillness.

The process didn't take long.

In half the time it would take for a cup of tea to cool, Vera removed her hand.

The entire scene had been observed with great interest by Theron, who couldn't hide his amazement.

"Impressive. You've even learned a skill like that?"

"It's the method my master once used to calm my turbulent energy," Vera replied calmly.

"…What?"

That meant she had not only experienced the technique once but also mastered it to the point of using it on others.

Even Theron, with his Heavenly Martial Constitution, couldn't do such a thing.

To guide another's meridians required mastery born of repeated practice and failure.

For Vera, it had been a single observation.

"Now I understand why I couldn't see anything," Theron muttered.

"I don't know what you mean," Vera said as she helped Marcus to his feet.

He gently brushed her hand away, signaling that he was fine, and patted her head with a soft smile.

"…Your inner strength is indeed formidable," Theron remarked.

"I am the heir of the Akrest Clan, after all."

"But this is Harmony Blossom Village, at the base of Suncrest Mountain," Marcus interjected, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"So I suggest you refrain from pointing your sword at my junior sister in my presence again."

"And what will you do about it?"

In the Akrest Clan, strength was absolute, their King's Sword Technique representing the pinnacle of dominance.

For Theron, arrogance wasn't arrogance; it was the confidence of a born ruler.

"What will I do?" Marcus asked, drawing his sword.

To someone like Theron, it wasn't even a threat.

But Marcus's resolve was genuine.

His body radiated an unyielding determination as he fixed his gaze on Theron.

"If it means severing one of your fingers in exchange for my life, I'll consider it enough."