"So... You aren’t from here, right?" Siderius said.
"Who told you so?" Bas’ eyebrows shot up.
Siderius pointed at Quinlan.
"Quinlan of Everia was what he introduced himself at."
"Ah! This goddamn noble! Never knew how to keep his mouth close. Eldoria isn’t on good terms with Everia. But he never stops announcing where he comes from."
"A noble? He seems to me like a merchant."
"He’s both. Quinlan of House Carlisle. His house is in one of the noble houses in Everia. Not a large one but they are wealthy enough. Then came this little mummy. He really has a knack for trading, you know. He had a whole fleet of traders under him back in Everia.
House Carlisle became much richer thanks to that guy."
"And why are you guys coming to Eldoria?" Follow current novels on novel·fire.net
"Personal business. Any more than that you have to ask Quinlan yourself. It’s HIS personal business after all."
"I see. I do have another question. A very sensitive one."
"You and all your questions. Ask away. Then I will ask you."
"Sure. What was the light on your fingers back then?"
Bas’ fingers lit up and it even transferred to the weapon he held. It was a completely different power system from the magic of the witches Siderius knew so well about. It was a power that he did not know and was unique in this world.
Bas held up his index finger. A burst of white light emanated from his flesh and wrapped around the finger.
Suddenly, he thrust the finger into one of the wooden bed frames in the room. His finger broke through the wood unharm while leaving a clear finger-shaped hole on the wood surface.
"You don’t know about this?" Bas slowly removed his finger and with it, the light disappeared.
"What is it? That doesn’t seem like magic."
Bas shook his head. "It isn’t magic. Eldoria might think highly of magic but the people of Everia know better.
We train a much higher form of power. The power from within ourselves. Our WILL."
A higher form of power, huh? Siderius silently contemplated. He wouldn’t argue about which power was better. It was never about the power but the people who used the power.
However, this power did interest Siderius a lot. It was something he knew nothing about.
Bas nodded. "The rich bastards in my kingdom call this power the Will of Spirit. The commoners call it simply as willpower.
By training your willpower, you can make yourself stronger, your weapon sharper and the enemy weaker. People who train willpower in my kingdom are called Spirit Swordsmen. They infuse the sword with their willpower and in turn, making it way more deadly than a piece of steel could be.
But not every piece of steel can withstand the power of will. Most of it will crumble after a few uses. You must have heard about Petrinium before, yeah?
It’s a special type of Steel that can hold willpower extremely well. Most well-known swordsmen in my kingdom have one."
"Do you have a Petrinium sword?" Siderius asked.
Bas let out a chuckle. "I don’t mean to be brass but Petrinium Steel isn’t something you can buy. You must have power and influence in order to have one.
I’m not trying to brag but I am a fairly capable fighter. But even I can only dream of having a Petrinium Sword."
"I see." Siderius squinted his eyes.
From what he had heard, he interpreted that this power system relied on a person’s willpower, or more precisely, their spirit.
Witch Hunter’s mutation trained the Body. Alchemist’s Truth-Seeking Path trained the soul. But what trained the spirit?
It was long theorized in Siderius’ old world that for humans to elevate to a higher realm, they must all raise their body, spirit and soul to the pinnacle of the human race.
However, no spirit power system was born even for thousands of years in Siderius’ old world.
Maybe this is the answer for the two-hundred years lifespan limitation? Maybe with this, I can finally find a path to immortality? I must have this. Siderius thought.
"How do you achieve this power?"
Bas raised his hand immediately to stop Siderius. "I’m going to stop you right there. I might be a brute but still I am not stupid. I am an Everian. You are an Eldorian.
Our kingdoms might be at peace for the moment but we are mortal enemies. I can’t share its secret with you."
"Not even for a large amount of coins?" Siderius said.
Bas’ face stern. He voiced his decision very clearly. "Not for anything."
Siderius laughed. "I didn’t anticipate you to be such a patriot, Bas. I respect it. Keep your secrets."
"I am definitely not a patriot. But I’m not a fool either."
Siderius didn’t answer and went away. He laid on one of the beds. The soft mattress and cushion was a luxury compared to the road the last few days. His back thanked him for it.
"If anything comes close, the barrier will scream right away. Wake me up if you need me." Siderius said.
Bas went and sat at the wall next to the door. He was doing his job and making sure to guard the entrance well.
Siderius didn’t worry Bas would do anything in his sleep. Both him and Quinlan needed him to survive. But for precaution, Siderius silently tapped on his chest.
A small head emerged out of his collar. The baby wolverine from before. It had been hiding inside his clothes for the journey, only getting out at meal time.
"Keep an eye out for me, will you?" Siderius whispered.
The wolverine climbed out of his shirt and stood tall. It raised its hand to do a salute, an unnatural behavior and too intelligent for its kind.
Siderius had been feeding it all kinds of tonic experiments. The wolverine became taller and bigger for its age. It looked like a full-grown wolverine even though it needed at least five or six more months to reach adulthood.
Its mind was especially sharp as well, much smarter than it needed to be. Siderius might have triggered some kind of mutation that he didn’t know about.
The wolverine climbed away and hid itself behind a counter beside the bed. Now with a pair of eyes watching over him, Siderius finally rested his.
He didn’t know how long he had slept. Bas didn’t wake him up either for his shift. The bodyguard thought to let him rest as a thank you for his help.
"Wake up, Sid!" Bas roared.
Siderius’ eyes shot open. The sound of the barrier exploding filled his ears.