---

**

The door opens. A small hand reaches in.

“L-lord.”

A servant with an unhealed wound, cheeks slightly puffy, hesitantly offers something.

“D-d-do you want some candy…?”

He hesitates. The action is just so awkward.

It’s been a while since I saw him, but he still struggles. I recognized that hesitation.

Children remember things better than you’d think, especially the things they couldn’t do themselves.

Those living below us are just like that. I was the same way. How hard I had to try not to be awkward.

I gaze at the candy in his outstretched hand—five pieces lie there, and it looks so cute in those fidgeting fingers.

…My sister too.

She used to bring things like that.

Timidly, trying to act like it’s no big deal, but secretly wishing I would enjoy it.

“…Come in.”

I stepped aside.

“Let’s eat together.”

“I-I’ve eaten plenty already…”

“I told you to eat well, right? Sharing food is a way of doing well. Candy isn’t as tasty when eaten alone.”

The child totters in. He places the candy bag on the table and glances around nervously.

I pick one up. It’s a darker color, filled with a sweet fragrance.

I take a tiny bite. It’s delicious.

“…It’s tasty.”

This flavor isn’t just about candy.

It must be the flavor of goodwill.

I slide the bag toward the child.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Y-yes, I’ll eat well…”

The child awkwardly pops a piece in his mouth. The tension in his face melts away in an instant.

His smile is so charming. Kids really are the best. Cute, full of affection, and so pure.

“Is it delicious?”

“Y-Yes…!”

“Eat plenty.”

“B-but it’s something you brought for me…”

“I’m eating too, you know.”

Suddenly, something comes to mind.

“By the way, did you see a tall man with me? He’s a bit big.”

“Yeah! I saw him. I already shared with him. He said to share some candy with you too… so I brought this.”

“…….”

Really.

So meddlesome.

I toss the remaining candy into my mouth. One of them has a strangely complicated taste.

I don’t like that man. But what about Thirty?

I can’t be sure.

Maybe it’s because he has done something for me. It just feels…

—different from someone I’ve seen before.

“Umm… Lord…”

“Yes?”

“The head of the Sma Family… is very kind.”

“Hmm… did he send you?”

“Y-yes?! No, well. I told the person I met earlier too, but… I still wanted to tell you…”

The young servant fidgets with his hands.

He sets the candy down, avoiding my gaze.

“Y-you’ll see he’s really kind if you talk to him!”

“He seemed really rude to me.”

“Y-yes?!”

“I was just joking. He might just be a bit rough on the outside.”

But honestly, I don’t like it.

That beggar-like way of speaking. I doubt I could ever adapt to it.

But I smile a little for the sake of the young servant’s innocent heart.

“Why do you like him?”

“W-well, he treats us well. Very much…”

“How does he treat you well?”

“He gives us food… raises our wages… made a place for us to rest… and reduced our work!”

“Hmm…”

“But! There’s something even bigger than that.”

“What is it?”

“He always smiles.”

That man?

“He seems like someone who doesn’t know how to smile.”

“N-no! If you look closely, his lips are slightly upturned.”

“Is that so?”

“But it’s true! He really does smile. Even if his words are harsh, he always smiles. When the head of the family is smiling…”

The young servant giggles.

“I feel like I’m part of the Sma Family— and I want to do everything for him.”

“…….”

“W-well, so you’ll get to know him if you keep meeting him.”

“Is this bribery?”

“I-it’s not bribery… just…”

The young servant fidgets with his cheek.

“I did something bad to you, Lord. But you were the one who put medicine on my wounds. So… you and the head of the family are both kind people…”

“Even kind people can have trouble getting along sometimes.”

“…Is that so.”

The young servant’s spirit deflates. I smile slightly.

I roll the candy around with my tongue.

So sweet. It really is sweet.

So sweet!

“Well, I’ve already eaten it.”

“…….?”

What is goodwill?

Honestly, I don’t know.

…But I know one thing.

“I’ll try my best.”

That the candy given to me by someone else is sweet.

—

*Clang!!*

The swords clash. My fingertips resonate.

My body is pushed back. The ground is torn up as footsteps leave a long trail.

I’m panting.

What’s in front of me? It’s too dusty to see properly.

It’s a sword. A grotesquely shaped sword. The figure holding it slowly reveals itself.

The man who declared himself as the disciple of the Soul Stealing Sword—Guk Jin Myung.

My hands tremble. It’s not just from fear. Just exchanging swords once has my hands shaking like crazy.

It’s as if the spirit of my hand has flown away. Why is this happening?

What the hell is going on…

“Lady So. It’s not too late yet.”

The somewhat trembling voice whispers. The one who claimed to be Guk Jin Myung speaks.

“Step aside. Then I shall let you go.”

“I told you that’s not an option!”

I charge in immediately. I unleash the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique.

Power surges into my extended sword. Even though it hasn’t carried any sword aura yet, the sword tip alone is sharp.

A downward slash. Dan Hoon Choo that can cut anything.

But it gets bounced back. The extended sword tip does too.

Everything.

—Everything gets deflected.

“Ugh?!”

Something lodged in my stomach. I got pushed back.

My shaken body wobbles dizzily. I can barely catch my breath after regurgitating what’s inside me.

My stomach feels strange. It’s the same feeling as when swords clashed.

…This is.

“Internally injured…?!”

“The Soul Stealing Sword is a technique that steals the enemy’s spirit. Just clashing damages your insides.”

Guk Jin Myung dusts off his hands. There’s something bizarre in it.

I lost something. A part of my energy.

“It will be extreme pain, Lady So. You’ll notice part of your energy has been stolen. The longer you fight, the more you will tire, and the more energy will be taken. The disparity in skill deepens the amount stolen and damaged.”

“Ugh… ugh…”

“Lady So. The reason I’m saying this is unnecessary. I do not wish for you to die. Not everyone can have the resolve to risk everything for someone.”

Guk Jin Myung smiles bitterly.

“Such a person should live long. I know because I’ve been helped by someone too. So let me be clear: this is a needless death, Lady So.”

“Why… do you decide that…?”

“I’m going to chase the head of the Sma Family from now on. My benefactor, who saved me, is him. So no matter what happens, I intend to pursue him. If anything gets in my way, I’ll cut it down, and if it’s solid, I’ll smash it.”

“…….”

“Whether you give up your life here or not, the head of the Sma Family will end up in my hands. So stop your futile struggles. You cannot win against me.”

He mutters to himself.

It’s annoying.

I bite my lip. I steady my wobbly body.

I think about what I can do.

Ilma. And the four application techniques.

Ghostly Spirit Step and Dan Hoon Choo. I’ve learned all the application methods except for one.

I check what I can do.

To see how far I can go.

My gaze calms. More serene.

I’m scared. If I weren’t scared, it’d be strange.

What Guk Jin Myung said is right. Whether I live or die, the outcome might not change. I could just die without accomplishing anything—a perfectly empty end.

I’m frightened.

Just struggling might fade into nothing.

“…….”

But does that mean I should drop my sword?

…I don’t know. Still.

I have no idea about anything…

I can’t be like you either.

…But still!

I exhale. My vision blurs. No matter how I try to turn my energy, it stays the same.

Yet, I step forward. I hear Guk Jin Myung click his tongue.

“Evil Hand, Lady So.”

Shut up.

I pour the words I couldn’t say into my sword.

I clash.

—Kaaang!

The swords stick together. We move forward. We let go. Clash and break apart.

Breathing becomes intertwined. I turn my body. Avoiding the incoming strike. I dash forward.

I stomp on him. Attacking his twisted body.

I drop my sword. It flies back.

I stand again. I move. I wield my sword.

Moving my sword…

—Kaaaaaaaang!!

Moving my sword…

—Kaaaaaaaaaaang!!!

Moving my sword…

—Crack.

What was that?

My body, deflected, rolls across the ground. Guk Jin Myung is panting.

But even the end of his ragged breath cannot be seen. He gathers strength into his crumpled body.

He cannot stand.

Cannot move.

“…Just stay there.”

Guk Jin Myung said.

“Just lie still, Lady So.”

I can just lie down.

…Yeah.

That might be the case.

But who will stand in for all the time I was lying down? I flounder, gripping the sword.

The gap in skill is immense. My body won’t move properly.

My internal injury is severe. Even if I swing my sword, I can’t reach him.

I barely graze him. What comes next?

What happens after my whole body is shattered?

My head won’t move. I exhale the suffocation. I stand trembling, spitting blood.

“Why…”

Guk Jin Myung asked.

“Why are you pushing yourself so hard?”

Why indeed.

I don’t know. I can’t tell if it’s just because I’ve been swinging my sword and my head has gotten weird.

Or if it’s just stubbornness. A sense of rivalry. A longing.

I don’t know. I don’t know.

It’s just…

There’s a sword there.

The sword is there.

“….Ah.”

The voice I let out stretches across the ground. But my body struggles to stay still.

I raise myself. Leaning against the sword, I stand unsteadily.

One side of my vision is gone. I feel the blood running down half my face.

My body isn’t okay either. One arm is broken. I’m left with only one arm.

But I can still…

I can still grip the sword.

“Why…”

Why, you ask?

I whisper into the sword I hold. Just before I touch the last moments of life.

Why… do you care so much… to try so hard…

Because…

Because…

“Baekmae. It’s okay. You’re a pretty and lovely flower.”

Because…

“It might be a little bitter aftertaste. Twenty-Nine.”

Because…!

“I’ll try my best.”

Because I hate myself!

Because I hated myself for always making excuses and giving up!

“I…want to change…”

So sincerely, I longed for it.

I want to change.

How many times have I wanted to change?

Not like the self who fled, leaving my sister behind.

Not like the self who sent Thirty into a cave with nothing but fancy words.

I already knew it was wrong, yet I stubbornly turned away.

To become a different self.

To become a dignified self.

But I could never do it.

I was always late.

Always…

Always late.

“…I’m… always late…”

I talk while gasping. My vision is still half gone. The remaining side is stained red.

But that’s okay. I’m holding the sword. I’m finally holding the sword.

“I may be slow… but… still… still… my sister…”

My sister said.

Even if I’m late, I can catch up.

“Just keep walking. Even if you sometimes wander off…”

“Thirty… that child…”

“Someday, if you keep walking, the path will end.”

The words I uttered tumble out, mixed with tears.

But instead of crying, I hold the sword. I lift my sleeve to wipe my eyes.

Blood spreads.

Tears blend in.

Emotions that have continually echoed within me seep out.

Move, even if late.

I, Twenty-Nine.

That was the only thing I did well.

“All… are precious… so I don’t want to give up…”

I grip the sword. I put strength into it.

Clenching tightly so I don’t drop it.

Though always a step behind, even so, the child who always eventually caught up grips the sword.

Crimson shadows cling to the tip of the sword. Whispering with a body that has become a wreck.

“I can’t… let you go…”

The Dan Hoon Choo of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique.

The sword forged in fleeing appears under the moonlight for the first time.

“I…”

I raise my lip to swallow the sobs. I crack a joke to try to smile at the end of this brokenness.

Swallow even the pain.

To stand up.

“I… received a down payment…”

“…What kind of down payment?”

I move the sword.

“Some candy.”

One more clings to the crimson shadow.

Weak but surely engraved resolution. A surging emotion blooming within the steps that truly transcended death.

The consequences finally catch up with this body that has crossed the death line.

Guk Jin Myung’s eyes grow wide.

“Sword Aura?!”

I angle my body.

One foot forward.

One foot back.

I take my stance.

“Twenty-Nine.”

Like that, I always acted boldly first from my place.

“…The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique.”

I whisper to solidify my resolve.

I wish for just one thing.

It has always been just one.

“Dan Hoon Choo…!”

Not leaving my wish as just a wish.

The late-blooming white flower shifts.

Piercing through the silence of the night—

To move forward.

 

---