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𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦
It had been a day of heavy rain from the morning.
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The day for Luke to transfer schools had arrived.
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After all, he had tried to escape many times since then, but the surveillance was unexpectedly strict, and he couldn’t even manage to get out of the mansion.
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He boarded the carriage with a heavy sigh.
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Inside the carriage, besides the coachman, three men had boarded.
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The men, armed with swords and sharp gazes, stared at Luke without attempting to speak.
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“Um. . . who are these people?”
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“Ah, the journey can be dangerous. I’ve arranged for escorts. They look rough, but they’re skilled. You can trust them.”
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In other words, these men were hired to dispose of him.
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Luke swallowed hard.
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His back was already drenched in sweat.
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“Write a letter when you get there. It’ll be hard to return for a while.”
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With Greed’s insincere farewell, the carriage carrying Luke set off.
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In the cold rain, the carriage rattled up the mountain road.
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It was nearing the boundary of the neighboring territory.
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Inside the carriage, the men laughed and chatted, ignoring Luke as if he didn’t exist.
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But this was fortunate for Luke.
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He pondered his next actions as the carriage swayed.
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He probably wouldn’t be killed within the territory.
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Doing so would raise suspicions about the motive behind his Count status.
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The action would likely take place after leaving the territory, probably in an unseen part of the mountains.
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Surely they had arranged to make it look like a bandit attack. . .
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“Um. . . can I go to the bathroom?”
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“What?! Bathroom?!”
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The men glared at Luke, then exchanged glances and smirked.
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“Sure. It’s been a while. Let’s take a break here.”
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The coachman nodded and stopped the carriage.
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In the pouring rain, as Luke got out, he saw the men also preparing to descend.
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“I can go alone! Just a quick stop behind some bushes!”
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“However, we have entrusted you with our protection. We can’t let anything happen in this forest, so we’ll accompany you.”
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The men approached, their hands on their swords, grinning.
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“Is that so. . . Then, like this!”
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Luke, in a swift motion, threw the mud he had in his hand at the men.
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When getting off the vehicle, he had secretly wiped away what had stuck to the wheels.
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Then, taking advantage of the moment when the men hesitated, he dashed into the forest like a hare.
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“Get him!”
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“Damn it! Chase him! Chase him!”
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Amidst the men’s furious shouts, Luke ran desperately into the forest without looking back.
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He had no idea where he was heading, but he ran frantically just to put some distance between them.
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However, his pursuers were relentless.
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Being involved in this kind of business, the men steadily closed the gap.
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Eventually, Luke found himself cornered at a cliff with no escape route.
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Looking down, he saw a murky, matcha-colored torrent flowing vigorously.
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He was a trapped rat in a sack.
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The weather has turned into a complete storm, with the sound of lightning shaking the air.
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“Haa, haa. . . Damn, making me go through all this trouble.”
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The men, panting heavily, surrounded Luke.
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Drawing their swords, they no longer tried to hide their murderous intent.
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“Hey, hey, young master, why are you so scared?”
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“We’re just told to escort you, you know? Though your destination is the afterlife!”
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They laughed boisterously, making a tasteless joke.
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“Who hired you! Is it Uncle Greed’s doing?!”
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Luke shouted, as if to encourage himself.
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“Want a souvenir for the afterlife, huh? Unfortunately, we don’t know our client either. Our only job is to finish you off and get our reward.”
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The man in the lead approached step by step, with a twisted smile.
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Luke gritted his teeth inwardly.
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Given Greed’s suspicious nature, it’s unlikely he’d reveal the client to such underlings.
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“So, just die quietly, will you!”
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The man raised his sword.
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Luke didn’t miss the chance as they were careless, thinking he was unarmed.
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He slashed at the man with a dagger he had hidden behind his back.
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“Guah!”
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Several of the man’s fingers flew through the air.
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As Luke tried to escape into the forest, another man’s kick landed in his stomach.
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“Guh!”
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He was kicked back to the edge of the cliff, through the muddy ground.
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“You little brat!”
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The sight that met Luke’s eyes as he turned around was the furious face of the man whose fingers were cut off and his sword coming down.
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“Kuh.”
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He tried to block it with his dagger but was slightly too late.
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With a heavy impact, the field of vision is dyed red.
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The left hand became as cold as if it had been plunged into icy water, and immediately after that, it became burning hot.
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After a moment, something wet hit the ground with a splat.
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It was Luke’s severed left arm.
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“Aaaaaaahhh!”
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Luke’s scream vanished into the fierce storm.
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He couldn’t see anything.
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Half his face and his left arm burned with pain.
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(It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! I can’t see! I can’t feel my left arm! My left arm is gone!)
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Luke was clearly aware that his left arm was severed, and his left eye was injured.
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That realization was coloring his mind with despair.
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Pain made his feet unsteady.
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And then the muddy ground in the pouring rain collapsed. . .
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“Aaaaaaahhh!!!”
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With a scream, Luke fell headlong down the cliff.
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“You fool! If we don’t take the body, it’ll turn into evidence!”
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The man shouted as he peered down the cliff.
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Below, nothing was visible except the churning muddy current.
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“Damn it, what does it matter! I had my finger chopped off! Ah, damn it. . . the bleeding won’t stop.”
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The man who had cut Luke was holding his hand and barked.
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“Well, well, what’s done is done. If he fell into that rapid current, there’s no way he survived. Besides, with this, we have an excuse.”
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Another man picked up Luke’s left hand that had fallen on the ground.
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“Damn it, I took this job because it was supposed to be easy! Without extra payment, this isn’t worth it!”
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“Calm down. Remember what that boy said earlier about Uncle Greed and all? If we push on that, we might make a little extra cash, don’t you think?”
The man who had his finger cut finally smiled at these words.
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“Right, we need to get our compensation properly. Now that’s decided, let’s hurry. We need to get back and treat this quickly.”
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Thus, the men retraced their steps, and soon the traces of their crime were erased by the howling storm.