The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Aiden's complexion turned pale.

Vera thought it was quite amusing to see him like that.

"Wh-who called for me?"

"Master Damien requested your presence," she replied with a neutral expression.

"My goodness. Why does it have to be my master of all people?"

"Is there a problem, my lord?"

Aiden let out a deep sigh and shook his head with resignation.

"Master Damien... To you, he'll be your senior grandmaster. Just avoid him if you can."

"May I ask why…?"

"I was hit. A lot. That man loves hitting people," Aiden said with a grimace.

"Ah," Vera blinked in understanding and nodded slowly.

"I will be cautious," she said.

"Alright then, let's hurry. If we're late, he might strike my head again..."

As expected, bad premonitions never miss their mark.

The moment Aiden faced Master Damien, the latter struck the top of his head with a sharp hand chop.

"Aiden, you fool!"

―Bang!

The sound that echoed couldn't have come from a simple hand strike.

Aiden clutched his head and groaned in pain.

"Master! Is this how you treat a disciple returning after six months?"

"I should be asking you that, you fool!"

Aiden, the second elder disciple of Suncrest, was one of the two disciples brought in directly by Great Master Thorne during his time as the first elder disciple of the sect.

That moment had thrown the entire Suncrest Sect into an uproar.

Normally, the sect's master and elders are elderly. The first elder disciple is usually in their forties or fifties. The second elder disciples are in their twenties or thirties. And it's only by the time of the third elder disciples that teenagers are admitted.

But to appoint two youths barely in their mid-teens as second elder disciples?

The dissatisfaction of the third elder disciples was easy enough to suppress. But how could anyone justify this to the existing second elder disciples?

In the end, Master Damien, one of Great Master Thorne's disciples, became the nominal master of the two.

However, Aiden and his junior disciple Kael proved themselves.

Kael defeated all his senior brothers within three years and won the Skyward Assembly five years ago, becoming one of the most promising talents among the advanced disciples.

Now, Kael was the rising star of Suncrest, admired and respected by all.

Aiden, for his part, contributed to the sect as well. His skills in interpreting martial arts techniques and identifying hidden talents were on par with his master,Great Master Thorne.

The problem, however, lay in the nature of the talents he sought to recruit—young children, much like how Thorne had brought in him and Kael.

"Three third elder disciples—Marcus Reid, Ethan Vale, and Noah Gale—have already been placed under your care! Have you lost your mind, taking in another one?"

"But what could I do when I saw her talent?"

"And so you just picked her up?"

"She's not just anyone…"

At Aiden's feeble excuse, Master Damien erupted in anger again.

"Do you dare call that an excuse?"

This time, Master Damien shouted so loudly the entire room seemed to shake. Fortunately, this wasn't happening in the Entrance Hall, or it would have been a spectacle for everyone to see.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. A loud, deliberate sound echoed.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Face red with fury, Damien strode to the door and threw it open, yelling as he did so.

"Who's the idiot knocking at a time like this—!"

"Oh dear."

Damien froze, his words catching in his throat, while Aiden let out a sigh.

The visitor was an elderly man with a long beard.

"Your master must be the idiot you're referring to, eh?" the old man said with a dry chuckle.

It was Great Master Thorne himself.

Everyone knew that chuckle wasn't from genuine amusement. Years of experience had taught them that much.

Damien immediately dropped to his knees.

"I… I have committed a grave sin, Master!"

"I, however, have not sinned, Grandmaster," Aiden said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Great Master Thorne's eyes gleamed sharply. Beneath his snow-white brows, his gaze shifted to Vera, observing her from head to toe.

The girl stood straight and unwavering, her small, delicate frame exuding quiet resolve.

"…Interesting," Thorne murmured.

He kicked Damien aside, the latter groaning in pain as he rolled across the floor.

Unfazed, Great Master Thorne turned his full attention to Vera.

"You are the disciple Aiden picked up, are you not?"

"…That is correct," she replied without hesitation.

"You have cold eyes," he remarked.

'Cold eyes.'

Vera accepted the evaluation without reaction. She wasn't so unaware as to misunderstand herself.

"And you're an unusual girl, standing by while your master gets beaten. Do you not care for him?"

"Are you referring to my lord?"

"Your lord?"

The peculiar title drew Great Master Thorne's attention. He glanced at Aiden, who sighed and explained the situation: how Vera was the daughter of a subordinate sect leader who had been executed for treason, how she was born under the Celestial Blade Star, and how she couldn't call him 'master' until she was officially accepted into the sect.

The explanation was enough to make Damien, who had just risen, collapse again with indignation.

"Master, as a harmony, I must say, accepting her would be a mistake," he said seriously, seated on a chair.

Great Master Thorne appeared deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Vera, watching the three of them, turned to Damien and spoke.

"May I ask you a question?"

Her quiet, measured tone made Damien frown.

"You're speaking to me?"

"Yes."

"Hah. Speak, then."

"Do you hate me that much?"

Damien's eyes widened. So did Aiden's. Only Great Master Thorne found the situation amusing.

"It's not that I hate you. I'm saying you don't belong in Suncrest."

"What kind of person belongs in Suncrest?" she asked softly, her voice that of a fourteen-year-old girl who had yet to fully grow.

"…Well…"

"Must one not be born under the Celestial Blade Star or have a criminal for a father to be eligible to seek Suncrest's teachings?"

There was no bitterness in her voice—only deep, unshakable resignation, as if she had never expected anything to begin with.