The words spilling from Varug's lips pierced Kaelith's chest like an ice dagger. Despite the ache within him, he didn't let his indifferent and noble mask slip for even a moment. He stood tall in the dim ship's hold, surrounded by the heavy breathing of the captives.
Crazy Heart Varug stepped forward, his jaw twitching with rage. "He said the captain wouldn't interfere with us, that he wouldn't let anyone down here, damn it! What kind of stunt are you pulling?" He was just about to reach for his weapon and lunge at Kaelith when a firm hand raised in the air stopped him.
Sharp Sword Valit had a disdainful curl on his lips as he placed his calloused hand on Varug's shoulder. "Come on, Varug," he said in a rough, mocking tone. "Don't act like you don't know what happens when you attack a scrawny snob like this. These types don't understand the law. They believe they can solve everything with their family's surname and the gold in their purses. Let it go, this young lamb isn't even aware of who he's trying to lecture."
Kaelith let out a soft, smooth laugh that echoed off the damp wooden walls. His eyes remained on Valit, as attentive as a predator sizing up its prey. "Finally, someone who listens to reason... Since you're so bothered by the loss of coin, tell me; what is your true purpose on this ship? Why is the value of these captives so high? Or is your intention to smuggle illegal goods into this kingdom under the guise of the slave trade?"
The amused expression on Valit's face vanished instantly, replaced by a dark seriousness. Lowering his voice, he hissed, "Listen here, brat! Just because you have money doesn't mean you can demand bold answers from me. If you don't want to lose your tongue, don't test our patience."
Kaelith shrugged. The smirk on his face widened, showing not the slightest hint of fear in his stance. "I don't know your name, forgive me. You are, of course, free to make such attempts... But aren't you a little too brave for just two or three ragtag mercenaries?"
At these words, muffled, mocking laughter rose from among the captives cowering in the corners, their chains rattling. Kaelith's fearless arrogance had given the desperate souls a momentary thrill. Kaelith joined them, smiling.
"That's enough! Go straight to hell!"
The roar erupting from the crowd belonged to a massive mercenary named Bulgen. Blind with rage, he lunged forward, throwing his entire weight into a clumsy but deadly punch aimed at Kaelith's face.
But his move was as slow as a gentle breeze in slow motion to Kaelith. With an elegant and flawless reflex, he tilted his head slightly to the side, evading the punch. In that very same second, using the momentum of his body, he spun around and drove his elbow into Bulgen's temple with ruthless force.
Before he could even comprehend what had happened, Bulgen hit the rotten wooden floor with a heavy crash. As he dazedly felt his face, he felt the hot blood oozing from his split eyebrow. His eyes widened in shock. This brat... he thought in horror, How could he pull off that move so effortlessly?
Kaelith pursed his lips as he looked down at the hulking brute sprawled on the ground. "What happened? Guess you didn't see that coming?"
Valit spoke through gritted teeth as his hand slowly drifted to the hilt of his sword. "Things are going to get ugly, brat..."
The air in the hold was so tense that it was certain blood would be spilled at the slightest spark. But at that breaking point, a shrill and frantic cry from the upper deck cut through the silence of the hold like a knife. The helmsman's voice, screaming at the top of his lungs, shattered the entire focus of that deadly tension in a single second