Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Episode 78: The Boy Doesn’t Smile (1)

At the same time.

Wattsbell.

Early morning, at a warehouse in the wholesale market.

Whack!

“Ugh!”

Ironius, a wholesale merchant, was beaten so badly that his face was unrecognizable.

The ones assaulting him were none other than a cell from the Fogus network.

Three men mercilessly stomped on Ironius.

“Hey, hey, move aside,” said one of the men, pushing the others away and crouching down to lift Ironius’s chin.

“Wow, you’re tough. I just asked who supplies these black beans. Is that so hard to answer? You’re not good at taking hints, are you?”

They’d heard that black beans were rare and fetched a high price, so they approached Ironius, hoping to steal the cultivation method.

Spit!

Ironius spat blood in the man’s face.

“Get lost, you bastards! You think I’d tell you just because you beat me up?”

The man stood slowly, wiping the blood-stained spit from his face.

“Guess we’ll have to leave just your mouth alive and beat you to a pulp.”

“Let’s see how long he lasts.”

Thud! Thud!

“Argh!”

The brutal beating resumed, but Ironius clenched his teeth, enduring the pain in silence.

The warehouse was filled with workers, but no one dared intervene, knowing full well what could happen if they did.

They could only fidget, hoping the men would eventually give up.

But these men had no intention of letting go.

“We brought them, Captain!” a man shouted, entering the warehouse with two women who appeared to be a mother and daughter.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Bound and gagged, the two women cried as they were dragged in.

Hearing the muffled cries, Ironius, with half-swollen eyes, forced himself to look at them.

They were his wife and recently-of-age daughter.

“You filthy scum!”

The man, called the captain, sneered as he grabbed Ironius by the hair.

Then he pulled a knife from his back pocket and licked the blade.

“Well, what do you think? Ready to talk?”

“If you touch my family, I’ll make sure you pay, you dogs!”

“Oh, so now you react. Let’s see, your daughter has grown into a pretty one. Maybe I’ll have some fun with her and leave a few marks on that pretty face. Heh… Pick her up.”

The captain approached the two captive women.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

“Looks like the daughter’s just as fiery as her father. She’s got spirit.”

The captain twirled his knife, bringing it closer to her face.

“All I’m asking is the name of the supplier. Tell me, and you won’t have to see this get ugly. Doesn’t that make sense? Do I need to spill blood before you get it?”

“I….”

“Guess I have no choice.”

As he moved the knife toward her cheek—

“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Just don’t touch my family, you bastards!” Ironius shouted, veins bulging on his face.

The captain smirked, pulling back the knife.

He moved closer to Ironius, getting right in his face.

“See? If you’d just talked from the start, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Right? Isn’t that right, guys?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Absolutely, Captain.”

His subordinates responded promptly.

The captain turned around, thinking for a moment, then pointed his knife at Ironius.

“We’re taking him along as a guide. If he leads us to the wrong place, it’ll be a mess. Keep the two women here while we’re gone. Just in case this old man tries anything funny.”

“Yes, Captain!”

“Let’s go.”

“Bring the horses!”

Before long, the remaining Fogus members mounted up and quickly rode out of Wattsbell.

***

Meanwhile,

Karon’s group and the Imperial soldiers only set off for Wattsbell around midday, having spent time rescuing the captives and securing the Fogus members on board.

It would take some time to return to base by ship.

However, the mood on board was brighter than ever.

They had taken down not only the Fogus leader but also the entire base, uprooting the organization.

Karon had cleaned up and changed back into his usual clothes.

“Thank you so much, Sir Karon. You’ve accomplished in one day what we’ve struggled with for a lifetime!” Sylbella expressed her gratitude earnestly.

But Karon, as always, sat silently at the edge of the deck, gazing back at the fading island.

He didn’t seem inclined to respond.

“Haha, looks like Karon’s tired. He hasn’t slept since yesterday,” Shong said with a laugh.

“We should be thanking you, Lady Sylbella. Without your help, we couldn’t have planned this,” Hinshan added.

Sylbella, understanding Karon’s nature, took the hint and tactfully stepped back.

“Everyone must be hungry. Why don’t you have something to eat?” she offered.

“Oh, that sounds good. A little wine would be perfect, too,” Shong replied.

“Sorry, I didn’t think to bring any,” Sylbella apologized.

When Sylbella spoke with an apologetic expression, Shong quickly waved his hand.

“Haha! Just kidding. Who’d think to bring wine on such an important mission?”

As the others withdrew, Karon opened his hand and stared at it, lost in thought.

These hands had taken countless lives by now.

Yet, he still felt no remorse or guilt in taking lives.

At first, he hadn’t realized it, but now he understood—he was different from others.

Even a quick glance at his surroundings confirmed that fact.

The Imperial soldiers on the deck occasionally glanced at Karon, their eyes filled with fear.

After all, he had emerged covered in blood, holding the head of the gang leader. It was only natural.

He clenched his fist once more.

For a brief moment, he had felt the power of the gem slip beyond his control.

If he could make this power truly his own and wield it freely, he knew he could grow even stronger.

Although he couldn’t sense the aura of the Black Blade, he could feel it calling to him, awaiting his return.

Leaning quietly against the deck, he reached into his inner pocket for the herbs.

But the herbs were nowhere to be found.

Karon’s brow furrowed slightly.

Reluctantly, he left the deck and headed to the cabin, where Shong and Hinshan were eating.

An empty seat was available, with a plate of meat and vegetables set before it.

“Stop chewing on those herbs and eat something real, or you’ll waste away,” Shong said, gesturing to the empty seat with his fork.

Karon stood silently for a moment before sitting down and beginning to eat from the plate.

It seemed Shong had purposefully taken the herbs away.

A few hours later.

As the sun dipped low and the sky turned orange, Karon’s group arrived safely at Wattsbell Harbor.

Before they could even share the good news, they were met by Ironius’s workers and Imperial soldiers.

The soldiers quickly explained what had happened that morning at the warehouse.

Knowing that the elderly man and his granddaughter were associated with Karon’s group, the Imperial soldiers had been waiting for the ship’s return to deliver the news.

The first person who came to Karon’s mind was Andrew.

The three exchanged glances almost immediately, and Hinshan quickly turned to Sylbella.

“Please prepare three fast horses.”

“I understand. I’ll have them ready right away. Just give me a moment.”

Sylbella hurriedly left the dock and headed toward the Imperial Bank.

Fortunately, they kept a few horses ready for urgent dispatches.

***

The log cabin where Aldrich, the elderly man with white hair, and his granddaughter Lara lived was in an isolated spot away from the village.

Though humble enough to be called a hut, it had everything they needed.

A clear stream flowed in front of the house, and a dense forest lay behind it.

The cabin faced southwest, offering a perfect view of the sunset each evening.

Aldrich sat by the window, gazing at the sunset as usual.

Nothing was better than this moment, especially with a warm cup of tea in hand.

Watching his granddaughter playing in the yard filled him with a sense of warmth and contentment.

Since yesterday, Andrew, who’d quickly become Lara’s close friend, had been a pleasant addition. Although he wasn’t very talkative, he was attentive and played well with Lara.

There was something bittersweet about his maturity, which felt beyond his years, but Aldrich treated him like any other child, never letting his concerns show.

He recalled the incident on the steps of the Imperial Bank’s main entrance.

“That boy isn’t ordinary.”

When Andrew had appeared, he’d held a metallic object in his hand.

Though Aldrich hadn’t seen it clearly due to the speed, Karon had likely stopped the boy from doing something drastic.

But now, watching Andrew, such thoughts seemed far away.

If the three of them could live together like this, perhaps Andrew would grow up to be just an ordinary man, Aldrich thought wistfully.

But that was merely the wish of an old man.

As dusk settled in, casting long shadows, Andrew’s face hardened as he stood up from where he’d been stacking stones with Lara.

He turned, staring intently in a direction, then spoke to Lara.

“Lara, let’s play hide-and-seek with Grandpa.”

“Huh? Now?”

“Yes.”

“Okay! Grandpa! Grandpa!” Lara ran into the cabin.

She wrapped her arms around her grandfather, pleading for him to play.

At that moment, Andrew entered the cabin, meeting Aldrich’s gaze.

A shiver ran down Aldrich’s spine.

There was an intensity in Andrew’s eyes, a contained ferocity that struck him.

Aldrich’s instinct, honed over a lifetime, couldn’t ignore what he sensed in that gaze—something he’d never seen in Andrew before.

“Grandpa, is there a place to hide?” Andrew asked, his voice calm.

“Y-yes, there is,” Aldrich replied, caught off guard.

There was a cellar not far from the cabin where they stored grain.

“Then, I’ll be the seeker. Hide there. And don’t come out until I find you.”

Realizing the seriousness in Andrew’s tone, Aldrich quickly picked up Lara and forced a smile.

“Shall we? It’ll be fun. Let’s hide, Lara!”

“Okay! Andrew, make sure you find us! I’m getting hungry!”

“I’ll find you soon.”

“Then we’ll hide.”

Aldrich responded, understanding Andrew’s intent.

Andrew nodded slightly.

Once the two left the cabin, Andrew walked out and retrieved a dagger hidden beneath the cabin steps, slipping it into his belt.

Then he slowly walked to the front yard.

The sun had disappeared beyond the hills, and the area was now shrouded in darkness.

Thud, thud, thud!

Barely had he stepped outside when armed men on horseback stormed into the yard, kicking up clouds of dust.

The horses were foaming at the mouths, evidence of their hasty ride.

The men circled Andrew, checking the surroundings, and, seemingly satisfied there was no threat, began dismounting one by one.

The only person who didn’t dismount was an elderly man, bound and bruised, with his arms tied.

One of the men drew his sword, scratching his forehead as he approached Andrew.

“Hey, kid. Have you seen an old man who lives around here?”

Despite the question, Andrew merely stared at him in silence, as if mute.