CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38- HUNGER FOR POWER

The silence that had settled between them stretched long, broken only by the faint scratching of the rat’s claws against the glass box. Logan finally placed the container back onto the table with a careful weight, his thick fingers leaving faint smudges on the transparent surface. His crimson eyes narrowed, not with anger this time, but with a mix of hesitation and reluctant admiration.

"So," Logan’s voice carried a heavy timbre as it broke the silence, "this... is the effect of your potion?"

It was a question too simple, too obvious, for a man of his professional stature to be asking. Logan knew it, Kaidren knew it. The answer was already there before his eyes: a violet rat, previously brimming with unnatural vitality, now lay twitching weakly inside its glass prison, its drool pooling at the edges, its chest rising and falling in shallow stutters.

The question wasn’t born of ignorance. It was born out of pride. Logan’s words were merely a shield, a way to salvage face after so bluntly dismissing Kaidren earlier. He had, after all, nearly accused him of wasting his time—called his work nothing more than a childish trick.

Kaidren, however, saw straight through it. The intent was as transparent as the box between them. But he didn’t bother to call it out. Why would he? This was the perfect opening, the perfect chance to edge closer to the loan he had been waiting for.

"Yes," Kaidren replied plainly, his voice carrying not the faintest ripple of emotion. "That’s exactly the effect I was referring to. As I have said earlier, even I was paralyzed when testing it on myself."

His calmness carried an authority of its own, unshaken and matter-of-fact. It didn’t brag, nor did it gloat—it simply left no room for doubt.

Logan leaned back slightly, his red brows knitting into a deeper fold. He didn’t want to reveal the relief that coursed through him at that answer, but the tightness around his jaw eased ever so slightly. He hadn’t insulted a fool, but a genius. More importantly, Kaidren hadn’t taken offense at his earlier dismissal. That, in itself, was a small mercy.

"I see," Logan muttered, deliberately slowing his words as though to mask the crack in his composure. He raised one thick, calloused hand to stroke his short beard, adopting a thoughtful pose that made him appear as though he was still in control, as though he was not the one silently adjusting to new truths.

For a time, the two simply watched. The rat remained slumped, the faint green sheen of potion clinging to its violet fur. Then, almost imperceptibly, its tail twitched. Once. Twice. The movement spread to its hind legs, spasmodic and weak. Its front limbs followed, jerking with clumsy effort before settling into sluggish motions.

The paralysis was wearing off—but slowly. Painfully slowly.

Logan’s eyes sharpened at the sight. The effect lasts this long? He had expected something fleeting, perhaps a gimmick no more effective than a cheap charm. But this... this had weight. Duration. Strength.

A potion like this could rival expensive weakening glyphs or scrolls. And unlike those, this was liquid—easier to conceal, easier to use in unexpected ways. A tool not just for battle, but for strategy, for ambush, for war.

His thoughts churned quickly. Glyphs and scrolls were already an established market, but costly. Each one not only demanded rare materials but also the expertise of trained specialists who devoted years—sometimes decades—to their craft. Prices of three thousand AUR or higher weren’t uncommon.

Yet here, in front of him, was something that Kaidren claimed could be brewed with a mere fifteen ingredients—costing no more than nine hundred AUR in total. The difference was staggering.

And worse—or perhaps better—was the accessibility. Potion-making, as Kaidren had pointed out, didn’t demand years spent hunched over endless tomes. It wasn’t a discipline locked behind scholarly gates. It was practical. Replicable.

Logan exhaled slowly through his nose, mind whirring with calculations. This boy’s work wasn’t just clever. It was disruptive. A shift in the market’s foundation.

The violet rat dragged itself upright inside the box, limbs trembling. Its movements were sluggish, its strength clearly sapped, but it moved nonetheless. That told Logan all he needed: the potion didn’t kill—it disabled, drained, weakened. Its effect lingered long enough to matter in real combat.

"This..." Logan muttered under his breath, his crimson eyes never leaving the rat. This is worth more than fifteen million.

The thought struck him with startling clarity. He had dismissed Kaidren too quickly. This was not some naive boy’s pet project. This was the kind of creation empires were built on—or toppled by.

But just as quickly as the thought bloomed, doubt rooted itself in his mind. His gaze flicked back toward Kaidren, who stood calm and composed, as though waiting for Logan to catch up.

Fifteen million AUR. The number hung heavy in Logan’s head. Even if this potion was revolutionary, could he justify putting that much on the line? Could he wager that it would sell at the scale required to recover such an investment?

Logan hesitated, then spoke again—this time slower, more deliberate. His tone carried both reluctance and weight.

"Your potion is... without question, revolutionary," Logan admitted, each word dragged out as though he were being forced to concede it. "I can see the potential it holds in the market. But..."

His crimson eyes narrowed, studying Kaidren’s unreadable face.

"That doesn’t mean I’m ready to put fifteen million AUR on the table for only two potions. Do you understand what you’re asking? That’s an equivalent of seven and a half million AUR... per potion. No one—no matter how rich, how desperate—would willingly spend that much for a single vial. It’s absurd."

The words hung heavy between them, sinking into the silence like stones into water. The faint scratching of the rat’s weakened claws against the surface of its enclosure filled the space with a fragile sound—like something struggling to reclaim its place in a world that had temporarily abandoned it.

Kaidren remained still, his posture loose, as though he were unaffected by Logan’s hesitation. In truth, his mind was sharper than ever, calculating every angle, every possible slip in the bank manager’s expression.

Logan’s words replayed in his head: fifteen million AUR is too much to risk for just two potions.

Kaidren let the statement settle. He did not rush to defend himself, nor did he feel any sting of rejection. Instead, he leaned into the silence, allowing Logan to drown in the weight of his own doubts.

Finally, with the same plain tone he always carried, Kaidren spoke.

"Then you don’t have to worry." His eyes half-lidded, his voice steady, he continued, "The potion in front of you will serve as collateral. Not just that—the ingredients and the process to create it will also be included as collateral for the loan."

The words dropped like stones into still water.

Logan froze, his pupils contracting slightly, his breath catching in his chest. His right hand lifted slowly, almost reflexively, covering his mouth as he tilted his gaze downward. His red pupils flickered faintly, staggering in focus, betraying the sudden storm of thoughts colliding inside his mind.

The ingredients... and the process?

If what Kaidren offered was true, then this was no ordinary collateral. It was not just an object with a fixed value; it was a doorway into an entirely new market. The potion wasn’t merely a product—it was a revolution wrapped in liquid form.

Logan’s heartbeat quickened, though his outward composure remained carefully contained. He could already see the waves it would create. The Aegis Bank, already towering as a financial colossus, could cement itself as the central pillar of a new industry. If potions like this could be mass-produced, glyphs and scrolls—the pride of centuries of study—would lose their stranglehold on the world economy.

Debuffs, buffs, amplifications... if these potions can mimic them, then the monopoly breaks. Costs plummet. Accessibility rises. And the profit...

The thought alone made his chest tighten with restrained exhilaration.

And yet, Logan’s discipline as a banker pushed through the haze of greed. He needed more than excitement. He needed to secure leverage.

His eyes slowly rose, fixing themselves on Kaidren once again. "Rather than merely using it as collateral..." Logan’s voice was low, deliberate, careful, "why not sell it to us outright?"

The air seemed to shift.

Kaidren’s expression did not change—his face still bore the same tired detachment, his gaze heavy-lidded and calm. But within him, thought surged.

Sell it?

His initial plan was clear: the potion and the formula that he just thought of, is meant to serve as collateral, nothing more. If his gamble at the Kessen match failed, the loss of such knowledge to the bank was tolerable—better to lose it than his own life. But if he won, he would repay the loan, reclaim the collateral, and introduce potions into the world at his own pace. That was the safe, measured path.

But selling...

Kaidren’s mind sharpened around the idea. He did not miss the flicker of hunger behind Logan’s red eyes. The man’s tone was carefully neutral, but desire clung to him like a shadow. Logan wanted more than safety for his bank. He wanted power—enough power to elevate himself beyond the confines of a branch manager.

And Kaidren couldn’t blame him. In this world, only those who climbed higher survived longer. Ambition wasn’t optional; it was the air everyone breathed.

If I sell it... Kaidren’s thoughts unfolded layer by layer. The bank gains control. Logan gains promotion. And me? I gain something more valuable than money.

Money, after all, was temporary. It could be stolen, lost, devalued. But relationships—especially with institutions as untouchable as the Aegis Bank—were a different form of currency altogether. If he sold to them, Kaidren wouldn’t just be a borrower. He would be an ally, a resource they would prefer to protect rather than discard.

Peace.

Not peace in the sentimental sense. No, Kaidren had long discarded such naive dreams. What he wanted was stability—breathing space in a world where power dictated survival. With ties to the Aegis Bank, he would no longer be just another wandering esper. He would be one of the few people too valuable to crush.

He turned his eyes to Logan, holding his gaze without flinching. The silence stretched, Kaidren allowing Logan to interpret it however he wished. Behind his half-lidded stare, the calculations continued.

If I keep it as collateral, I keep independence. But if I sell, I gain protection. Which matters more now?

Logan, for his part, felt the silence clawing at him. The longer Kaidren did not answer, the more he feared the genius might refuse, that he might retreat back into his aloof shell and deny the bank the treasure dangling before them.

Finally, Kaidren exhaled faintly through his nose. His voice was flat, as though untouched by emotion, yet the words carried the weight of a looming decision.

"You want it for yourselves."

Logan did not confirm, but the brief tightening of his jaw, the way his pupils dilated, betrayed him more than words ever could.

Kaidren leaned back slightly, his tired gaze unwavering. "I planned for it to be nothing more than collateral. But selling..." His pause was deliberate, stretching just long enough to let Logan’s anticipation spike. "...that’s another matter."

The faint scratching of the recovering rat filled the silence again, almost mocking the tension between the two men.

Kaidren’s mind was already projecting forward—if he gave Logan what he wanted, the man would rise. A branch manager elevated by the revolutionary birth of potions. And in turn, the Aegis Bank would owe him, whether they admitted it outright or not.

Connections like that weren’t bought. They were forged.

And Kaidren, more than anyone, understood the value of forging them.