I'll Do Whatever You Say, Please Spare Me
Death is something you never truly get used to, no matter how many times you witness it. By the standards of the Central Plains, I haven't seen all that many deaths, but by the standards of my previous life, I’ve faced quite a few. When my parents died in a car accident in my past life, someone precious to me died. In this life, when a black-clad thug lopped off the head of the innkeeper, a stranger died. And just now, when the head of that white-clad assassin—the one who had been trading lethal blows with me until a moment ago—was severed, the person who tried to kill me died.
I’ve faced countless deaths in this harsh world, yet I still can't reconcile myself to the concept. For a moment, I stared at the severed head of the white-clad assassin, unable to process the reality of it. What if I had been just a second slower? What if someone else hadn't struck that blow for me? The head rolling on this cold floor would have been mine, not his.
A familiar voice pulled me out of my shock. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?"
"Ah. Yes! Thank you."
It was the familiar face of the Gyo-du (Training Instructor) who had saved me.
"Tsk, tsk. I suppose you didn't make it past the gate."
"The gate?"
I looked toward the main gate behind me. It was shut tight. The one small mercy was that my companions had safely made it outside before the gate closed.
The instructor looked at me with a pitying expression. "Just stay hidden. I understand the urge to show off after learning some martial arts, but... won't you just end up bleeding out with that amateur skill of yours?"
He seemed to think I had been the one to attack the assassin first. He left immediately after saying that, and I didn't bother to correct his misunderstanding. I didn't have the luxury of time for that. I scrambled to my feet.
'I have to protect my own life.'
Living in this brutal world for so long, I’ve learned that lesson to the bone. It’s a world where, if you lack power, you have to be careful even when you breathe. Maybe the instructor wasn't wrong. Looking at myself, drunk on a little bit of power and acting like the protagonist of a novel—I think I had momentarily forgotten that I was the weak one. If the instructor hadn't saved me...
I decided to stop entertaining such ominous thoughts. I simply carved the fact that I was weak into my heart once more. 'He told me to hide, but...' That wasn't a very wise course of action. There was no proper place to hide, and I didn't know when someone else might ambush me just like that assassin did.
A suitable place flashed into my mind just in time. 'If it's there... I might be able to get out.' I hurried to head toward another exit I knew of, until I saw a girl huddled in the corner. 'Dan-ryang?'
She was the heavy-set girl who had constantly bullied So-so and me back when we were maids, just because we were outsiders and she wanted to stand out. Dan-ryang was leaning against the wall, trembling violently. There wasn't a single reason for me to go out of my way to save her. Our relationship was one of mutual hatred, and there wasn't a single good memory to speak of.
But why? Why couldn't I stop my heart from worrying?
— I heard everything from Dan-ryang. Everything you said back then... you were right about all of it.
It must be because of what Deok-sam, the senior maid who used to bully me alongside Dan-ryang, said back then.
'Damn it...'
Every second was precious, but I decided to follow my heart. I approached Dan-ryang and grabbed her arm, pulling her up. If it had been my original body, I wouldn't have been able to handle her weight, but now that I had cultivated martial arts, it was different. Dan-ryang was startled, but she was forced to stand and be dragged along by me.
"You... you, why!"
"Shut up. If you don't want to die, follow me!"
Dan-ryang didn't finish her sentence, but the rest was easy to infer. Why are you helping me? She must have swallowed those words. But I don't know either. I don't know why I feel like my heart will only be at ease if I save you. If you hadn't told Deok-sam the truth, I don't know if I would have helped you. I might have just ignored you and walked past. So, this is just 'cheap sentimentality.'
I’m creating danger for myself out of half-baked altruism. But that cheap sentimentality is what made me who I am today. My bond with the twins. My bond with So-yul. They were all created by my half-baked altruism. The bond with the twins returned as an absurd reward—a second-grade spiritual herb. And the bond with So-yul created a connection to an absolute master.
'I've never lost out so far.'
This is an investment. Even in this desperate situation, I defined my own inexplicable behavior as 'cheap sentimentality' and quickly shook off the distracting thoughts.
Dan-ryang asked, stammering, "B-but, the main gate is closed! Where are we going..."
"The laundry area."
The area around the laundry stream has no outer wall. The reason was simple: it was to avoid obstructing the flowing water. Therefore, if we followed the stream, we would be able to escape the Gyomaguan. In the small alley leading to the laundry area, Dan-ryang and I hid in the bushes and watched the two warriors standing in front of it.
'Two at the beginning of the Second-Class, huh...'
Even at the same realm, a warrior's ability varies wildly depending on their situation. Just like that white-clad assassin who had enough experience and seniority to reach the First-Class but couldn't cross the wall due to a lack of innate talent, these warriors in front of me were also Second-Class, but their presence felt significantly lacking. Of course, that standard of 'lacking' was only because the warriors I had faced so far were too strong.
'Can I win?'
If you asked me that, I would answer like this: If we fought head-on, I don't know about one, but there's no way I could win against two. But that was only if we fought head-on.
'It's doable.'
I looked at Dan-ryang. She asked me, trembling, "W-what do we do now? Is there... is there no other way?"
"There is no other way."
"T-then, can't we just keep hiding in the bushes?"
"No."
"B-but..."
I understood Dan-ryang's worry. If we just held our breath and hid here where we weren't easily seen, we could probably get away easily once they left. But what if they discovered us and attacked? We might end up facing the worst-case scenario by avoiding a fight that was winnable through a surprise attack.
I handed the dagger at my waist to Dan-ryang.
"Hold this."
"What... what are you going to do?"
I struggled to explain, then spat out something that sounded plausible. "Warriors of the Demonic path don't care about means or methods."
"..."
"I'll create an opening, so look for a chance and stab them."
See? Isn't my half-baked altruism already shining in this way? I hadn't forgotten the heart of the weak.
I emerged from the bushes with both hands raised, looking terrified. My expression was that of a maid who knew nothing of martial arts and had been caught up in this raid. Even just a week ago, I was just an ordinary maid who would tremble in front of the head maid or a true disciple, so the expression was quite convincing.
"P-please help me. The... the people..."
The two white-clad assassins saw me and exchanged words.
"Should we kill her? It feels a bit dirty."
"We have to kill her. It would be strange if we left someone who couldn't escape alive, wouldn't it?"
"Sigh... there are heaps of people we spared. Does one or two more matter?"
"Then you tell the squad leader when he comes. 'What's with that maid?' You'll say it, won't you? That you spared her because you felt sorry for her. 'What did I say?' Kill them all. 'Right. But what's that?' And then the sword pulled from the squad leader's scabbard will pierce your throat!"
"A-alright, I get it, I get it."
I felt something strange about their conversation. 'Heaps of people we spared?' Are they talking about the ones who escaped through the main gate? Certainly, our group was a unique case; most people escaped safely without any trouble. Is this not the Murim Alliance? The sword technique the assassin used before his head was cut off was also suspicious. At first, it seemed like they didn't kill us because there was no reason to kill 'small fry' like us, but the more I thought about it, the stranger it was.
If they were really the Murim Alliance, would they handle things this way? They were carrying out a cowardly raid in the heart of the Demonic Cult's coalition, openly wearing their signature white clothes as if to advertise 'We are the culprits,' and they were sparing everyone who could spread rumors, seemingly without any concern for the public opinion that would spread across the Central Plains. It was as if they wanted a conflict between the Cult and the Murim Alliance...
My thoughts didn't last long. One of the assassins was approaching me with a sword in his hand, looking displeased.
"Don't move. I'll make it quick."
I pretended my legs had given out and sat on the ground, begging. "P-please. I'll do whatever you say. Please spare me. Just once... please spare me just once."
The assassin wore a bitter expression and raised his sword. I threw the dagger I had hidden in my clothes. I put all my will into piercing him. Since it was a First-Class technique, there was no way for an amateur warrior who had just reached the Second-Class to avoid it.
— Thud!
Deep inside. An old man with hair that had turned white—or rather, ash-gray—was walking through the forest. He held a night-luminescent pearl that emitted a very faint light in his hand. The end of this long forest was beginning to come into view. The murmuring of countless people could be heard all the way here. Strangely, the sounds coming from far away were clearly audible to the old man, as if they were right next to him.
Among them, there was one venomous voice that stuck to the old man's ears.
"Shin So-so! Stop talking nonsense!"
A familiar name. 'Shin So-so?' The old man recalled the story of the girl who had been chattering beside him.