Against The Eternity Chapter 103: [102] Chapter - 61: I will pass on Sura (Part - 2/2)

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[102] Chapter - 61: I will pass on Sura (Part - 2/2) Zeliang poured the sura into a small cup, the liquid giving off a faint, warm aroma that lingered gently in the damp air. With an easy, unhurried smile, he stood up and walked toward Eklavya, extending the cup toward him near his face. … “Here,” he said casually, “just one sip.” Eklavya barely glanced at it. “No.” Zeliang stopped mid-step, one brow rising slightly. “You didn’t even think about it.” “I don’t need to,” Eklavya replied, his tone calm and steady, as if the answer had been decided long before the question was asked. Chandra leaned back in his chair, watching the exchange with quiet amusement. “At least try it once,” he said. “You’re not going to collapse from a sip.” Zeliang added with a grin, “Or maybe you will. That would be interesting to see.” Eklavya gave him a flat look. “Then you can test that theory yourself.” Chandra let out a short laugh while Zeliang clicked his tongue. “What a stubborn man,” he muttered, though there was no real frustration in his voice. Still, he tried again, nudging the cup a little closer. “Come on, just taste it—” “No.” This time, the answer came even faster. Zeliang paused for a second, then let out a quiet sigh and stepped back, finally conceding. Eklavya, meanwhile, picked up the earthen jar and extended it toward him. “Take it. I won’t use it.” Zeliang didn’t accept it. Instead, he gently pushed it back toward Eklavya with two fingers. “Keep it.” Eklavya frowned slightly. “I said I won’t drink it.” “Not now,” Zeliang replied, his tone shifting—still light, but carrying a quiet certainty beneath it. “But someday… You might need it. And when that time comes, you’ll remember this.” Eklavya looked at him for a brief moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without arguing further, he lowered the jar and kept it beside him. Zeliang smiled faintly, satisfied, and returned to his chair, sitting back comfortably. “Good. That’s settled.” Zeliang leaned back slightly, lifting his cup as the faint aroma of sura spread through the damp air, warm and grounding against the chill of the forest. “You know,” he said with a quiet chuckle, “that old man almost refused to sell this to me.” Chandra raised a brow. “Because you tried to bargain again?” Zeliang exhaled as if offended. “That’s called skill.” He took a small sip before continuing, “He looked at me and said—‘People heading into this forest don’t usually come back to drink this.’” Chandra let out a low laugh. “Fair enough.” Zeliang smirked. “So I told him—‘Then I’ll drink enough now to last me even if I don’t.’” Chandra shook his head, amused. “That man has been sitting at that stall for years. I’m pretty sure he knows more about travellers than most guards do.” Zeliang nodded. “Exactly. You sit there long enough, you start reading people without them even speaking.” For a moment, Eklavya remained silent, listening. He glanced at the jar beside him, then at the two of them. “…If he can read people that well,” Eklavya said slowly, his tone still calm but less distant than before, “then he must have said something about you as well.” Chandra raised a brow, clearly interested. “Oh? That’s true. What did he say about you?” Zeliang let out a short laugh. “One day that old man looked at me for a long time and said—‘You’re the type who smiles even when you’re planning something troublesome.’” Chandra burst into laughter. “That’s accurate.” Zeliang pointed at him. “And you know what he said about people like you?” Chandra crossed his arms. “Let me guess.” “He said—‘The quiet ones are the ones who end fights the fastest.’” Chandra smirked faintly. “That’s not wrong either.” Then both of them looked toward Eklavya. Zeliang leaned slightly forward. “Now I’m curious. If he saw you…” Chandra added, “Yeah, what do you think he’d say?” Eklavya paused for a brief moment. Usually, he would have ignored the question, but this time—he didn’t. “…He’d probably say nothing,” Eklavya replied. Zeliang tilted hi