"What? What are you talking about, boy?!" The man that was actively reporting to Sarah and acting as their recon group's senior immediately turned towards the boy and whilst looking suspiciously at him.

Sarah, on the other hand, understood more of Aiden's capabilities, somewhat believing him. Still, just to make sure, she decided to ask for more information.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't really need to prove my point, that man's life has nothing to do with me anyway."

Shrugging his shoulders, Aiden turned around and began walking away from the forest, back to the side of the girl. He had a nonchalant, aloof look, totally uncaring if there was a potential human life at danger at all. His demeanor only made him look even more suspicious. The acting senior emboldened by the boy's actions decided to throw a jab at him.

"Yeah sure, like you would know. If you are just trying to appeal to the young miss, lying like this is not the best way to go! What would a rookie like you know about how recon missions work anyway?!"

Then turning to Sarah, he continued.

"Miss, excuse me for my words, but why would you bring such a boy as him along with you? He would just pull you back and cause more issues in the future. I can tell from experience, that the boy is just a big pile of problems on your journey ahead!" Revealing a professional smile that just turned his face all the more uncomfortable to look at, he went on. "If young miss needs a reliable second hand, let me offer myself instead of him! I can guarantee you, that I will be much more capable than a no-name like him!"

Sarah was thinking about how she should handle the situation the best, but before she could respond, Aiden's voice once again abruptly interrupted them. He sounded cold, emotionless as he curtly spoke.

"No need to hurry anymore."

After that, he averted his attention from the forest and glanced at the man speaking with Sarah once more. He donned his usual friendly smile, but his golden eyes told no tales of friendship at all. They looked cold, calculative as they pierced at the man as if he was trying to look into the very depths of his shady soul.

Startled by the potential grave meaning of his words, Sarah turned to face her companion. With a slightly worried expression, she asked for confirmation.

"What do you mean, Aiden? Please, don't worry about these men, just tell me what you see." She asked in an honest, worried tone.

"Miss, don't listen to him, how could this boy see or know anything?!" The senior threw another jab at the boy, not believing him a bit. To him, this was an opportunity he would not let go of. Being able to accompany the young miss, would be an achievement that could propel his stature forward by a great deal. Even so, being alone with her could give him ample opportunity to get closer and propel himself even higher, as the official man and future lord of their household! He could be the next-in-line once the Mistress steps down, and nobody could stop him! historical

With these greedy thoughts of the future clouding his mind, he listened to no reason and got more and more convinced as he looked at him, that the boy was just there to take his rightful place from the young miss.

His face turned uglier by the second as he eyed this frail-looking, bronze-skinned, long-black-haired peasant in front of him. He was no real threat in terms of power, at least from the outlook.. than what could have been the reason for him to be able to accompany the young miss? Could it be that he was a potential lover?!

Slowly, he reached toward the left side of his belt where his short sword rested. His hands grabbed the hilt of his weapon as if it would be a drug with some calming effect. Suddenly a wide grin began to spread on his ugly, deceitful mug. He did not speak or act yet, he decided to listen more to the boy's attempts to woo the young miss and see what more lies he had in store. He wanted to crush the boy on all fronts and wake the young miss from the thread of lies this boy had most likely had sewn around her.

Aiden obviously noticed the change in demeanor on the man's face as it turned more and more grotesque. He also saw as he slowly reached for his sword, but he still couldn't care even for a bit. Even without looking at him in a more focused manner, just by the lack of intent, the aura of a skilled fighter surrounding him, was enough to tell him that he wasn't any real threat at all.

Turning towards the forest, his smile did not fade even for a bit, as he answered the question.

"You know what I meant, Sarah. He just died, not too far from our position, as we were arguing." Then turning toward the senior man, his friendly smile morphed into a slight grin. "It's not that I care about these four.." Realizing his 'mistake', he coughed lightly and corrected himself. "Sorry, three, but I figured I would let you know."

"You!" The senior man, unable to hold it in any longer, suddenly unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards the boy. "Stop deceiving the young miss with your petty lies! While we are trained for reconnaissance, we were also trained in the art of combat! We are all capable fighters, unlike you, we could protect ourselves against a couple of measly monsters!" He exclaimed with a frowning, contemptuous expression as he uttered the words 'measly monsters'.

Looking at her own subordinate, suddenly trying to attack Aiden, Sarah didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She didn't even understand how the situation turned so out of control! They just wanted to get an update on the situation from her own men!

Turning towards the senior, her expression soured. Her mother strictly forbade her from using her abilities against their own, but she seemed no other 'peaceful' solution to this situation.

She took a deep sigh, and as the outline of her irises began to light up, she was about to speak, when she was interrupted by Aiden as he raised his hand motioning for her to not do anything.

He turned towards the senior warrior, who was pointing the tip of his blade against him. With a still uncaring, and calm tone he spoke.

"Which word of mine was untrue?! Tell me, why are you so agitated? Do you not believe me? Then tell, where is your missing fourth?"

"Hmpf! He is on his mission, scouting the enemy patrols, for the young miss! Obviously!" He responded with a haughty attitude, looking at the boy as if he just caught a lying thief. The senior was delighted inwardly, thinking that his plan had worked, and he would be able to convince the young miss to let him accompany her on her mission instead.

"Really? Hmm... that's interesting.." He looked towards the forest once more, his friendly, aloof smile turning into a smirk as if he noticed something. A moment later he turned back facing the agitated 'captain of the bunch'.

"What if I tell you that he is already dead, and his body is being chopped to pieces just now by a large robust creature?"

Before the man could respond, Aiden looked at Sarah, his smirk vanishing, the friendly smile returning to his face. "Want me to bring his body back to you?"

Startled by his words, Sarah could only nod and stammer out a short response.

"Y-yeah... Please."

Nodding, Aiden turned towards the forest. In the next instant, before the senior man had any chance to blurt out anything or act on his impulses, Aiden's figure suddenly vanished from their sight, startling all of them except for Sarah as she already witnessed his incredible speed.

A few seconds later before the group had a chance to calm down, his figure reappeared in front of Sarah. He dumped a dead, mutilated body, missing his legs and one of his arms. The body was dark red with all the blood it lost. While the body still had its head, it was almost impossible to tell who he was, from the state of his brutally bashed-in face. The top of his head was cracked open, and a mixture of the white, yellowish mushy liquid has dried on the top of the figure's destroyed face.

Looking at Aiden, he was completely unharmed, the only change was the dark, the almost black, oily substance still dripping from his right hand. He looked at Sarah with the same, friendly demeanor as he usually did, and walked back to his spot on her right side, silently, without saying any word.

Still, as the group noticed the body, it was the senior once again, who acted, although with much less determination behind him than before. He pointed his still unsheathed sword towards the youth and exclaimed with a wavering voice.

"W-what did you just do to him?!"