The training grounds were quiet when Aiden arrived. Dew still clung to the short grass, and the rising sun stretched shadows across the open space. No one else was there yet, just the faint smell of earth and the distant rhythm of the village waking up.
Garron was already waiting.
He stood near the edge, practicing slow swings with a wooden sword. His grip was uneven, his steps awkward, but he wasn't slacking. He paused only when he noticed Aiden approach.
"You came," Garron said, wiping his forehead.
"You said you wanted to train."
Garron nodded, looking down at the weapon in his hands. "I've been practicing since dawn. Not sure if it's helping."
Aiden took a moment to watch his stance.
"Move your front foot in. You're leaving your chest open."
Garron adjusted, then tried another swing.
"Better. Now keep your arms lower. Don't fight the weight, let it guide the motion."
Aiden's words came out firm, but his mind was elsewhere. The council room still echoed in his thoughts. Lyanna's support, Zane's silence. Ro's unreadable stare.
He folded his arms, observing Garron as the boy repeated the strike. Still off-balance, but improving.
"You thinking about earlier?" Garron asked.
"A little."
"Did it go bad?"
"Not exactly. But it wasn't good either."
I wanted stronger reactions.
Garron didn't push for more. He kept swinging.
Aiden waited a beat, then added, "You've thought about what I asked?"
Garron lowered his blade slightly. "Yeah. I did. I'll do it. But only to watch, not to hurt him."
"That's all I need," Aiden said.
Garron nodded once, more serious than before. Then he raised the blade again and went back to his drills.
Minutes passed. Aiden corrected small mistakes. Garron listened, asked few questions. He wasn't a fast learner, but he was persistent.
The steady rhythm was broken by another presence.
"Didn't expect to see you two already here."
Selina stepped into the clearing, hands behind her back, a long sword strapped to her back. Her hair was tied up. She didn't wear armor, just a tunic and training trousers.
"Looking for more practice?" Aiden asked.
"I didn't exactly have other plans."
She walked over and set her sword down gently.
"I figured if I'm going to get better, might as well be consistent."
Garron looked between them. "You're training too?"
"Why not?"
Aiden stepped back. He looked at the two of them, then at the open space around them.
"Actually," he said, "I've got an idea."
They both looked at him.
"You two should spar."
Garron blinked. "Seriously?"
Selina tilted her head. "That's not going to be fair."
"Exactly," Aiden said. "I want to see how both of you move under pressure. How you think, not just swing."
He gestured to the cleared patch in the middle of the field. "No Marks. No real weapons. Just wooden swords."
Selina shrugged. "Fine by me."
Garron hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."
Aiden handed them each a training blade from the rack.
They stepped into position, standing opposite each other.
Aiden raised his hand, then dropped it. "Begin."
Garron charged first, too eager. His swings were wild. Selina sidestepped easily, blocking once, then backing off. She didn't press, just waited.
"Don't waste your energy," she said.
"Trying not to," Garron muttered.
He swung again, this time lower. She parried, stepped in, and tapped his shoulder with the flat of the blade.
"Point."
They reset. Garron looked more focused this time.
The second round was longer. Garron stayed lighter on his feet. He feinted once. Selina nearly fell for it but recovered quickly. They exchanged two blows, then three. On the fourth, Selina twisted her body and disarmed him.
The wooden blade hit the dirt.
"Match," Aiden said quietly.
Garron let out a breath, rubbing his wrist. "She's fast."
Selina stepped back, catching her breath. "You're not bad. Just too... open."
Aiden walked over. "That's why we train."
He looked at Garron. "You've got instinct. But she has form."
Garron turned to Selina "You was trained before, weren't you?"
Selina nodded. "A little. Years ago. When I still had a title."
"It shows." Aiden said, "Garron, you're learning from scratch. Don't let it discourage you."
"I'm not," Garron said, picking up his blade again. "Just means I've got more to work on."
"Good. We'll work on it. Both of you."
He looked at them, one after the other. The noble and the volunteer. Opposites, but both willing.
And both useful.
He stepped back and let the morning light stretch across the field.
Training had begun.
Aiden watched them return to drills. Garron's movements were rough but determined. Selina's corrections were subtle, but present. They weren't wasting time.
Behind him, footsteps approached.
Aiden turned to see Lyanna walking toward him, hands behind her back, gaze flicking between the two trainees.
"Looks like you've become an instructor for teenagers," she added.
Aiden didn't respond immediately. "That wasn't the plan."
"Doesn't have to be. Still suits you."
She stepped up beside him, watching Garron clumsily block one of Selina's strikes.
"He is stubborn. But Selina has control"
"She's had some training," Aiden said. "Old habits don't fade fast."
"I know, I helped her train back when we were considered nobles, but I don't think she is ready for the next part."
Aiden glanced at her. "What does that mean?"
"Next mission's already being planned," Lyanna said, arms now crossed. "Ro gave us something useful. A location, we are unsure of what it contains, but this times, its at the edge of the forest."
Aiden kept his eyes on the spar.
"You're telling me early. Why?"
Lyanna didn't answer right away. "Because Zane hasn't."
That made him pause.
She continued, "We need to talk later, In private, about Zane... and the mission itself."
Aiden exhaled slowly. The morning breeze shifted around them.
"Let me know when they finalize it," he said. "I want in from the start this time."
"I figured you would."
She turned, leaving without another word.
Aiden stayed by the edge, watching the two continue their drills in silence.
Then he stepped away.
He walked through the village, reaching a quiet alley where no living soul could see him.
He exhaled, steady.
"Soul Gallery."
The light appeared instantly. A translucent window pulsed softly into view.
Souls Collected: 35
Total: 37
Conversion Rate: 35 = 1 Coin per soul
He stared at it.
All of them came from the last mission. Kills made by his own hands. Others had fallen when he collapsed the bridge, killed without even realizing what was happening.
Those lives... reduced to numbers.
He clenched his jaw.
"Is this all those lives were worth?"
The window flickered.
"Do you think all people share the same values?"
Aiden closed his eyes.
"Tell me... do you even know the value of a single life?"
The window paused. Then a single line shifted into view.
"The only valuable one is yours."
He stared at it.
"Why? Did you choose me?"
Nothing else appeared. The blue window dissolved into nothingness.
"You bastard..." Aiden whispered.
He stood there for a long moment before opening the Soul Market.
Thirty-five coins glowed faintly in the corner of the screen.
If those lives are worth so little... then I'll make the most of them.
His finger hovered over one of the options.
Core Memory 2 = 5 Coins
It's time.
He tapped the selection.
Core Memory 2: Acquired
Gathering Mana: Ready
Choose: Now / Later
Gathering Mana?
Like in the first prison?
...No. Not here.
Aiden looked around.
Is it really a good idea to use it here?
Last time it ended badly.
Maybe I should go outside.