Craeyer was kneeling in front of her, looking up at Olivia. Although Olivia’s lips were parted, looking down at him silently, no sound came out. Eventually, Craeyer slowly, very slowly, took Olivia’s hand and placed it on his forehead. As Olivia’s blue pupils shook as if in an earthquake, a voice even quieter than a bottomless well flowed from between his lips.
“I swear. I won’t harm you.”
His oath was like some kind of spell. Like some kind of magic. It pierced deep into Olivia’s heart, plunging her into a pit of confusion. Wasn’t he the man who had caused the continent-wide war, engulfing the entire continent in a sea of blood? Yet, at this moment, in Olivia’s eyes, Craeyer seemed purer and more sacred than anyone else, no, than anything else. Pure… What? Sacred…? This man? Her mind reeled in confusion. Who exactly is this man?
“It’s you.”
Olivia spoke with an indescribable expression.
“I may not know what you did in the past, but one thing is certain.”
“What is it?”
“Even before your resurrection, you were not an ordinary person. Never.”
Craeyer merely smirked and lightly flicked her forehead.
“Remember this oath now, for when I become fearsome in the future.”
“Even His Majesty never made such an oath.”
Olivia, whose forehead had been flicked, then pressed her hand firmly against Craeyer’s steel-like back.
“Now go. Go and find out what’s happening. I’ll wait here for you.”
Even now, she couldn’t smell the scent of blood, nor did she know what soil contamination meant, but it was okay. She could trust Craeyer. With that in mind, Craeyer, obediently following her lead, walked away. He found a few more bodies. How much time had passed? As Craeyer surveyed the sticky earth and corpses, smelling the stench of blood, Olivia, realizing the thickening of the air around her, widened her eyes.
“Craeyer…”
The next moment, Olivia, feeling her body floating, reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck. When did he arrive, and when did he leave? Craeyer, holding her tightly, returned to the center of the field.
“Princess.”
“Yeah.”
“It doesn’t seem like an ordinary case of disappearance or murder.”
Olivia’s face stiffened as she followed the end of the branch Craeyer was holding.
“This is…”
“Yeah.”
Craeyer’s subdued voice echoed as he pointed to the symbol etched on the forehead of the already dried-up corpse.
“It’s the symbol of an ancient deity.”
* * *
The man who had stamped the corpse with the symbol of the ancient deity like a brand was despairing.
“Not enough. Not enough. Not enough. Not enough. It’s not enough.”
Muttering the same words over and over again, he began counting the things in front of him, one by one.
“One, two, three, four…”
The items at his fingertips were diverse: ragged dolls, rings, torn pieces of clothing, fingernails, tangled strands of hair, and so on. Each item was from a different person. Offerings dedicated to the ancient deity. The man, who had been muttering to himself as he laid out their traces like a madman, suddenly stopped.
“I need money.”
Finding prey to offer as a sacrifice became increasingly difficult as people tightened their grip on children and guarded their bodies. He had spent several days searching for prey every night but returned empty-handed. The man touched his face, concealing his unwavering faith beneath it, and changed into neat clothes. *Clack.* As he stepped out of the house, he encountered his neighbor.
“Hey, it’s been hard to catch sight of you lately.”
The neighbor greeted him warmly, and the man responded with a smile.
“Hello. I’ve been a bit busy.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but take it easy. No matter how young you are, you won’t be young forever.”
The man nodded politely, smiling agreeably at the neighbor’s casual remark.
“Yes.”
“Oh, by the way, wait here for a moment.”
The neighbor disappeared into the house after saying this, and the man remained standing there quietly with his smiling face intact.
“Is anything bothering you? Your face looks a bit rough. Here, have this.”
When the neighbor returned with a basket, the smell of savory bread and appetizing food filled the air. Accepting the basket, the man bowed his head.
“I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“Oh, no worries. You helped fix the roof last time. But, you know, my chair is squeaking, and my back isn’t good.”
The neighbor looked at the man expectantly, but the man awkwardly shook his head.
“I’m sorry. I might be a bit late today.”
“Oh, is that so? Alright then. Feel free to drop by whenever you have time. Thanks.”
It had become natural for the man to fix the chair, but he nodded politely without losing his kind smile.
“Yes. I’ll do that.”
As the man, with a slight bow, walked away, the neighbor murmured to himself, nodding approvingly.
“He’s a good lad.”
He had caused no trouble so far, never raising his voice, always diligent and hardworking. He frequently interacted with people, often playing with the children nearby. He was a neighbor who always listened to others with a smiling face. Who could have imagined that he was the serial killer whose name had been spreading fear among the people recently? Leaving the neighbor behind, the man continued on his way. People greeted him warmly as they passed by, and the man returned their greetings without fail, continuing to walk with a smile on his face. He arrived at one of the branches of the Taren family’s business, a trading post.
“Hello.”
“Oh? My word! Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ve been absent without a word for a long time.”
“No, it’s fine.”
The boss received the man with no further words, his face lighting up as he saw the man who had been absent from work without explanation.
“It’s hard to find someone who works as hard as you do. By the way, do you happen to know…?”
The boss asked about a colleague who had disappeared while working with the man, but the man just shook his head.
“Sigh. You don’t know either… Well, I thought you might… Oh, by the way, both you and that girl, isn’t she also missing? She was carrying around a ragged doll as an heirloom…”
As the boss muttered to himself, the man bowed his head and headed to the workplace. When he stepped into the shadowy area, his mouth slowly opened, gradually transforming into a smiling face that seemed about to tear apart.
“It has become a noble offering.”
The joy that lit up the man’s face as he recalled the fate of his missing colleague, unheard by the boss, did not last long.
“Just a little more, and it will be enough.”
He rolled his eyes around the workplace, searching for prey, but even that wasn’t easy. With rumors of disappearances and murders spreading, everyone was being cautious. It seemed that the only way to buy people was with money. The man bowed his head deeply and focused on his work.
“Sigh.”
After finishing some work and leaning against the wall, the man slowly bent his knees and sat down hesitantly. The goal was not far off, but it was frustrating to have to go around in circles just a little bit more. But as someone once said, when one door closes, another opens.
“What are you doing here?”
A lively voice sounded right above his bowed head, causing the man to reflexively look up. Swinging pink hair filled his vision.
“I heard you’re the hardest worker here.”
The man didn’t respond but stared intently at the sudden appearance of the woman in front of him. From her fair hands, smooth fingernails, and even the high-quality fabric of her dress that couldn’t hide her status, it seemed she had no intention of hiding the fact that she was someone important.
“The manager said it’s been tough lately because there aren’t enough people.”
Whether you worked here or not, you couldn’t just call the manager the manager, and if you were just an ordinary person who didn’t work here, you wouldn’t casually call the head of the Taren Trading Post.
“If you have any difficulties, let me know. Someone as hardworking and diligent as you can’t be found even with money.”
So this woman in front of him…
“I’ll take care of it in the name of Taren.”
Anvhe Taren smiled brightly and made a firm promise, and the man began to tell a story mixed with 80% truth and 20% lies without hesitation.
“Hmm, money. How much do you need? No, take this first.”
She took out a pocket from her bosom and handed it to the man. A heavy clinking sound came from the bag, and it was clear that it was filled with money even without seeing it.
“If you need more, tell the manager to give it to you… No.”
Anvhe shook her head and added.
“Tell the manager to tell me.”
With genuine kindness for the manager who was struggling due to the recent shortage of workers and sincere goodwill towards the man who seemed to be having a hard time, Anvhe Taren reached out her hand.
“I’ll help you anytime.”
***
When the man received a purse of money from Anvhe and knocked on the door of the neighboring house late at night. Under the moonlit night with the moon hanging in the sky, the palace of the princess was submerged in silence. -Thud. And amidst that silence, there was someone moving hurriedly inside the palace. Stopping abruptly, the man’s path was blocked by someone’s shadow stretching out. Instinctively, the knight lowered the center of his body and gripped his sword. Weapons from foreign countries were strictly prohibited in the palace. However, considering that foreign knights had been involved in many accidents recently, if it was for self-protection, the entry of weapons was allowed to some extent. Of course, they were known as ‘accidents,’ but… As he recalled the story, the knight’s face contorted into a fierce grimace.
“Reveal yourself.”
Growling, the knight gripped his sword tightly, ready to charge at any moment. As one of the very few among them who were not just knights by name but also skilled in cunning schemes, his determination to eliminate the man who had gained the princess’s favor through deceit was as solid as a chimney. Eventually, a low voice seemed to flow out from the deep pit through the swaying shadow.
“When one is dealt with, another comes. When another is dealt with, there’s another after that.”
Leaning against a pillar, Inyeong slowly straightened up and took a step forward. Although Inyeong’s face was half-hidden by the shadow, the cynicism in her smile was boundless.
“Have you decided on the order of the trash?”
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
If you like my work please support us in Patreon. Next post will be released on March, 20.
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