𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦
It had been a day of heavy rain from the morning.
ㅤ
The day for Luke to transfer schools had arrived.
ㅤ
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.
ㅤ
He boarded the carriage with a heavy sigh.
ㅤ
Inside the carriage, besides the coachman, three men had boarded.
ㅤ
The men, armed with swords and sharp gazes, stared at Luke without attempting to speak.
ㅤ
“Um. . . who are these people?”
ㅤ
“Ah, the journey can be dangerous. I’ve arranged for escorts. They look rough, but they’re skilled. You can trust them.”
ㅤ
In other words, these men were hired to dispose of him.
ㅤ
Luke swallowed hard.
ㅤ
His back was already drenched in sweat.
ㅤ
“Write a letter when you get there. It’ll be hard to return for a while.”
ㅤ
With Greed’s insincere farewell, the carriage carrying Luke set off.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
◆
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
In the cold rain, the carriage rattled up the mountain road.
ㅤ
It was nearing the boundary of the neighboring territory.
ㅤ
Inside the carriage, the men laughed and chatted, ignoring Luke as if he didn’t exist.
ㅤ
But this was fortunate for Luke.
ㅤ
He pondered his next actions as the carriage swayed.
ㅤ
He probably wouldn’t be killed within the territory.
ㅤ
Doing so would raise suspicions about the motive behind his Count status.
ㅤ
The action would likely take place after leaving the territory, probably in an unseen part of the mountains.
ㅤ
Surely they had arranged to make it look like a bandit attack. . .
ㅤ
“Um. . . can I go to the bathroom?”
ㅤ
“What?! Bathroom?!”
ㅤ
The men glared at Luke, then exchanged glances and smirked.
ㅤ
“Sure. It’s been a while. Let’s take a break here.”
ㅤ
The coachman nodded and stopped the carriage.
ㅤ
In the pouring rain, as Luke got out, he saw the men also preparing to descend.
ㅤ
“I can go alone! Just a quick stop behind some bushes!”
ㅤ
“However, we have entrusted you with our protection. We can’t let anything happen in this forest, so we’ll accompany you.”
ㅤ
The men approached, their hands on their swords, grinning.
ㅤ
“Is that so. . . Then, like this!”
ㅤ
Luke, in a swift motion, threw the mud he had in his hand at the men.
ㅤ
When getting off the vehicle, he had secretly wiped away what had stuck to the wheels.
ㅤ
Then, taking advantage of the moment when the men hesitated, he dashed into the forest like a hare.
ㅤ
“Get him!”
ㅤ
“Damn it! Chase him! Chase him!”
ㅤ
Amidst the men’s furious shouts, Luke ran desperately into the forest without looking back.
ㅤ
He had no idea where he was heading, but he ran frantically just to put some distance between them.
ㅤ
However, his pursuers were relentless.
ㅤ
Being involved in this kind of business, the men steadily closed the gap.
ㅤ
Eventually, Luke found himself cornered at a cliff with no escape route.
ㅤ
Looking down, he saw a murky, matcha-colored torrent flowing vigorously.
ㅤ
He was a trapped rat in a sack.
ㅤ
The weather has turned into a complete storm, with the sound of lightning shaking the air.
ㅤ
ㅤ
“Haa, haa. . . Damn, making me go through all this trouble.”
ㅤ
The men, panting heavily, surrounded Luke.
ㅤ
Drawing their swords, they no longer tried to hide their murderous intent.
ㅤ
“Hey, hey, young master, why are you so scared?”
ㅤ
“We’re just told to escort you, you know? Though your destination is the afterlife!”
ㅤ
They laughed boisterously, making a tasteless joke.
ㅤ
“Who hired you! Is it Uncle Greed’s doing?!”
ㅤ
Luke shouted, as if to encourage himself.
ㅤ
“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.”
ㅤ
The man in the lead approached step by step, with a twisted smile.
ㅤ
Luke gritted his teeth inwardly.
ㅤ
Given Greed’s suspicious nature, it’s unlikely he’d reveal the client to such underlings.
ㅤ
ㅤ
“So, just die quietly, will you!”
ㅤ
The man raised his sword.
ㅤ
Luke didn’t miss the chance as they were careless, thinking he was unarmed.
ㅤ
He slashed at the man with a dagger he had hidden behind his back.
ㅤ
“Guah!”
ㅤ
Several of the man’s fingers flew through the air.
ㅤ
As Luke tried to escape into the forest, another man’s kick landed in his stomach.
ㅤ
“Guh!”
ㅤ
He was kicked back to the edge of the cliff, through the muddy ground.
ㅤ
“You little brat!”
ㅤ
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.
ㅤ
“Kuh.”
ㅤ
He tried to block it with his dagger but was slightly too late.
ㅤ
ㅤ
With a heavy impact, the field of vision is dyed red.
ㅤ
The left hand became as cold as if it had been plunged into icy water, and immediately after that, it became burning hot.
ㅤ
After a moment, something wet hit the ground with a splat.
ㅤ
It was Luke’s severed left arm.
ㅤ
“Aaaaaaahhh!”
ㅤ
Luke’s scream vanished into the fierce storm.
ㅤ
He couldn’t see anything.
ㅤ
Half his face and his left arm burned with pain.
ㅤ
(It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! I can’t see! I can’t feel my left arm! My left arm is gone!)
ㅤ
Luke was clearly aware that his left arm was severed, and his left eye was injured.
ㅤ
That realization was coloring his mind with despair.
ㅤ
Pain made his feet unsteady.
ㅤ
And then the muddy ground in the pouring rain collapsed. . .
ㅤ
“Aaaaaaahhh!!!”
ㅤ
With a scream, Luke fell headlong down the cliff.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
◆
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
“You fool! If we don’t take the body, it’ll turn into evidence!”
ㅤ
The man shouted as he peered down the cliff.
ㅤ
Below, nothing was visible except the churning muddy current.
ㅤ
“Damn it, what does it matter! I had my finger chopped off! Ah, damn it. . . the bleeding won’t stop.”
ㅤ
The man who had cut Luke was holding his hand and barked.
ㅤ
ㅤ
“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.”
ㅤ
Another man picked up Luke’s left hand that had fallen on the ground.
ㅤ
“Damn it, I took this job because it was supposed to be easy! Without extra payment, this isn’t worth it!”
ㅤ
“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.
ㅤ
“Right, we need to get our compensation properly. Now that’s decided, let’s hurry. We need to get back and treat this quickly.”
ㅤ
Thus, the men retraced their steps, and soon the traces of their crime were erased by the howling storm.
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- Is Ramen Overrated Because of Naruto? A Ramen-Loving Anime Fan’s Take
- Are You Lowkey an Emo Kid, But Like, in a Good Way?
- Quitting Your Waifus Cold Turkey: Can You ACTUALLY Choose Adulting Over 2D?
- Sword Art Online: A Grown-Up’s Journey Through A Virtual World
- Why You Can Read Light Novels But Can’t Speak English: A Guide to Unlocking Your Inner Voice
Leave a Reply