Threat

After leaving the bar, Werther slowly walked through the alley. He finally took off that ill-fitting black robe and swore he would never wear that piece of junk again. Kahn followed behind him without a word, looking as though he had something on his mind.

"Senior Brother Kahn, we agreed to split it fifty-fifty. Of the three hundred thousand Beli, should I give you your share now, or after we return to the Sword Hall?" Werther asked after they had walked a short distance.

Kahn froze, then answered stiffly. "No rush. We can divide it later. By the way, Junior Brother, why are you going back to the Sword Hall? Didn't your training start tomorrow?"

"Oh, I went to the Sword Hall to find you, but you weren't there. I didn't know anyone else, so I had no choice but to find Master. After the job was done, Master told me to go back and see him." Werther answered calmly without turning around.

Kahn's expression changed, and he said with some agitation, "You told Master? Why did you tell Master?"

Werther suddenly turned around and stared straight at Kahn.

"What? Shouldn't I have told Master? Oh, right, Senior Brother Kahn. How about we give Master a share too? One hundred thousand each for you and me. What do you think, Senior Brother Kahn?"

Werther narrowed his eyes as he looked at the tall, burly Kahn before him.

Kahn's face darkened further. He hesitated for a long while, as though he had recalled something terrifying.

"Th-then let's give Master two hundred thousand as his share. That's only proper." Kahn replied in a low voice, then fell silent.

Werther smiled and continued walking without looking back at Kahn again. Kahn merely followed silently behind him, his face full of unwillingness.

When they reached the gates of the Sword Hall, Werther asked without turning around.

"Do you want to go see Master together, Kahn?"

"I won't go. I still need to train at the back mountain. Give me the money." Kahn seemed distracted. He did not even notice Werther's change in how he addressed him.

Werther took two hundred thousand Beli from the box and gave it to Kahn before turning around and entering the Sword Hall.

Today had been an especially eventful day for Kahn. Life's dramatic ups and downs had been far too stimulating, and his young mind could not process what had happened.

A newly accepted junior brother had told him about a deal worth hundreds of thousands of Beli. Given this junior brother's age and the sum involved, Kahn had not believed him at first. Yet somehow, this junior brother had actually convinced him.

In the end, he had brought this junior brother to the black market, where they had really sold intelligence for six hundred thousand Beli. Was intelligence really worth that much? Who the hell knew. But at the thought of the three hundred thousand Beli that would soon be in his hands, Kahn felt as though he was walking on air. He had never seen so much money in his life.

Then Kahn suddenly thought of a question. Why not just kill the kid? Wouldn't all six hundred thousand Beli be his? The Sword Hall was no place for good people. Killing someone was perfectly normal to Kahn.

And with six hundred thousand Beli, Kahn could buy a decent sword and greatly improve his strength. By then, even if he stopped following his master, he could still join the military. Becoming a marine would not be so bad. With his improved strength, he might even become an officer.

Just as Kahn was about to make his move, that little bastard told him that Master had somehow learned about him taking on work privately. Kahn felt fear and confusion.

Kahn had followed his master for five years. He knew that he had never earned his master's trust. At the Sword Hall, he usually served as a doorman, errand boy, and thug. Others might not know it, but Kahn knew just how powerful and dangerous his master was.

One senior brother had offended Master, and not long afterward, his entire family had vanished without a trace. From then on, Kahn had become an obedient child in front of Master. Whatever Master said, he listened.

Not only had his three hundred thousand Beli become two hundred thousand, but he had no idea how Master would punish him afterward. Kahn's mood worsened even further.

Leaving Kahn aside for now, Werther entered the Sword Hall and went straight to the central room, where he knocked on the door.

"Master, it's Werther. I need to speak with you."

"Come in," Nisse said softly from inside.

After entering the room, Werther found a cushion and sat down in front of Nisse, getting straight to the point.

"Master, Senior Brother Kahn and I just went to the black market to sell some intelligence. It sold for six hundred thousand Beli. I gave Senior Brother Kahn two hundred thousand as his share, and this two hundred thousand is for you." As he spoke, he directly took two hundred thousand Beli from the box and placed it before Nisse.

"Oh? Since you and Kahn sold the intelligence, why are you giving me a share?" Nisse replied calmly.

"Although Master did not participate, this is your Sword Hall, and Kahn and I are both your disciples."

Werther looked at the old man before him and answered honestly. Werther had always believed that someone who did not know how to conduct himself would never live well anywhere, especially while he was still weak.

You could be greedy, like Kahn.

You could be shortsighted, like Kahn.

But you absolutely could not fail to understand how to conduct yourself, like Kahn.

Nisse smiled in satisfaction. Even if Werther did not have talent in swordsmanship, he would have another assistant by his side in the future. This assistant's background was unclear for now, and he was still young. But there was plenty of time to observe him gradually. Besides, if they were talking about unclear backgrounds, Nisse was undoubtedly Loguetown's number one.

"Mm, I'll accept these two hundred thousand. Since you have earned money selling intelligence, there's no need for you to work for Red anymore. Move into my Sword Hall. Other than the two rooms next to mine, choose any vacant room you like. Starting tomorrow, come to me after dinner, and I'll explain some matters concerning swordsmanship to you."

Werther praised him inwardly. Age really does bring wisdom. Nisse had immediately seen his value. Unlike Kahn, who saw a chicken that could lay diamond eggs and whose first thought was to kill it and cut open its stomach for diamonds.

Naturally, Werther could not disappoint Nisse. He answered directly.

"Master, my mother used to deal in intelligence, so I know many secret pieces of information. How about we sell intelligence together?"

"No rush. Selling intelligence brings enormous profits, but it is also dangerous. We must act within our limits and cannot sell too frequently, or we will easily attract trouble. In the future, I'll have someone else represent the two of us. He gets ten percent, I get forty percent, and you get fifty percent. What do you think?" Nisse asked Werther with a smile.

"No, Master. You should take fifty percent," Werther said without hesitation.

Nisse did not decline. He simply said naturally.

"Mm, all right then. Kahn hasn't returned to his hometown to see his family in a long time. It's about time he took a vacation and went home to visit his parents."

After speaking, Nisse closed his eyes, clearly dismissing him.

Seeing this, Werther bid Nisse farewell and left the Sword Hall.

As he slowly walked down the street, Werther felt that his teacher was no simple man. He did not know whether Nisse was strong, but he was quite reliable in how he handled matters. In any case, he should go say goodbye to Red first.

When he arrived at Red's shop, Red was working on a large component in his hands. It seemed to be broken. Werther walked over and said,

"Boss, I came to resign. Because of some other reasons, I can't continue doing this job. Here are fifty thousand Beli, to repay the five hundred Beli plus interest. Thank you for taking me in. I still have things to do, so I'll be leaving first."

Without waiting for Red to speak, Werther turned and left, waving behind him without looking back.

Red did not react at first. By the time he came to his senses, Werther had already gone far away. Perhaps this merchant did not know what he had missed. Perhaps it was a favor owed by a future great swordsman.