276 First Stop-Tavern 4

[Ren Hilton's POV.]

[Five minutes later.]

I looked at Aron, who held my fist right in front of his face with both hands.

'He has really gotten stronger than last time,' I thought. Last time, the guy couldn't even stand straight with a bit of force, but now he could withhold his feet properly.

For some reason, I felt irritated. I still do. I grabbed him by the neck and dragged him into the room.

His face—at least the visible part outside the mask—was clearly red as he gasped for air. I gradually released my punch's strength, but immediately felt Aron twisting my arm a bit, so I charged it up again until he backed off completely.

There was a long pause before he spoke, "Why did you do that?" he questioned.

"You're annoying," I answered almost right off the bat.

He looked at me while his hand was still shaky and breathing heavily, "You too," he pointed at me.

Since he tried to grab my neck in the carriage, I didn't know what this guy had in mind when he tried to interrupt the conversation with Professor Night or enter the room, but he's getting annoying now.

Sighing, knowing this behavior won't lead us anywhere, being the mature one, I tried to ceasefire the situation. "What do you want?" I asked.

*Silence*

"What do I want? It's more like, what do you want? Why are you so obsessed with me, you commoner?" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Huh?" I was confused. Me... obsessed? With him? What is he talking about?

"You first ambush me at my vulnerable moment, then get close to my... slave, and then disrespect me in public. Ask me about SOMETHING THAT WAS ONLY MEANT TO BE KEPT HIDDEN," he paused and looked at me, "for only specific people."

'Damn,' Blaze gave me the shortest 'damn' possible.

"..." I looked at the prince who was shaking from top to bottom due to anger, as if he had been holding it in for a long time.

"I did not ambush you at your vulnerable moment. More likely, you did. Remember the night you saved me? That's the only reason I tolerated your attitude, dude," I clarified.

'Weak argument, by the way,' Smokeball jumped on the nearby desk.

"Bitch?! How dare you talk like that to the first prince, you fucking imbecile?" he stopped midways as he saw me form a fire bolt in my palm.

"Only I curse," I clarified for him. There was a long pause and a big silence before Aron spoke.

"Listen... Why do you know who the broker is, and if you do know him, tell me where he is right now?" he asked.

"You don't know where the broker is?" I questioned in return.

"...no," he said.

"Why do you want him?" I asked.

He looked at me for a second but then, as if brushing his thoughts, he said, "Nothing. Looks like you don't know. Still, I'd like to know why you are aware of who the broker is."

"And what if I don't tell?" I threw in casually.

"Then... well, we'll see," he muttered.

"Okay, I'll tell you," I was up for some information.

"Really?" he raised a brow.

"Yes, only if you tell me about Silas—the guy that was in the herbal emporium that night—the night you saved me and took me to the healer," I explained.

"He works under the broker. That's the only thing I know about him," Aron answered.

That's weird. Silas, the person I encountered in the herbal shop, worked under... under?

"You sure we are talking about the same guy?" I asked.

"Yes, the same guy that was about to kill you, and you lay down on your face while groaning. I am talking about the same Silas," he emphasized the discription.

'Nah, it's true. You were quite weak in comparison, to be honest,' Smokeball said in my mind.

Aron's revelation about Silas working under the broker caught me off guard. It was a piece of information I hadn't anticipated.

"Now where is The Broker?" He asked.

How can this be? The strength comparison between Silas and the Broker is too far apart. Is it the money? It can be, but still, I didn't see Silas there when I killed the guy...

"I asked where the broker is." As if irritated, Aron stepped a bit forward but stopped as I answered.

"Oh, he's dead." I could see how many times the expression on Aron's face changed from confusion to surprise, to realization, and then to surprise again.

"What do you mean?" He asked this time but took his time pronouncing each word.

"I meant -" I looked around the room, and there was a small basket filled with fruits and a knife. I picked a fruit and knife and gestured, "- He is dead." I sliced the fruit and put a piece in my mouth.

It's juicy.

"Why would I believe you?" He seemed like he really had something to do with the broker.

"Just like I did," I threw a slice towards Blaze, who jumped and took it.

*Tud*

"Eh?" I furrowed my eyes as I saw Aron falling on his butt as if his legs had no strength at all.

"Why are you so sad about him dying? Don't tell me you bought some beast from him, and now it's-" Aron raised his eyes, "...And it's acting weird... really?"

"Ughh," I grabbed his forehead in frustration.

"Damn, way to waste money I guess. Which one was it? A class? B?" I asked, but soon...

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door. I turned and walked towards the door.

"H-hey," said Erik.

"Hey... what happened?" I asked.

"I was just checking up on you..." Erik's eyes went past me, and I turned to see him staring at Aron, who sprawled onto the floor while facepalming.

"Don't mind him at all, and now tell me... what really happened?" I'm sure that there's no way he's here to just chill.

"Nothing, just the President asked me to leave their room as she had something to talk with Senior Stales. I had nothing to do, so I came here, but looks like you are busy." He kept glancing behind me.

"Oh, like I said, don't mind him. Anyways, why the book?" I pointed at the book he was holding.

"Oh, this... it's a summary... more like notes that I took from the Grand Grimoire," he said.

"Grand Grimoire? You are that rich, huh." It's not like those things are cheap by any means.

"Oh no... My cousin had one, I just copied it into my book. It's weird though... I myself don't understand much about it." He gave me an awkward smile.

"Hmm, why not-"

"Kids! Go to sleep!" And who knows from where, but Professor Night spawned at the end of the corridor and yelled.