The Demon's Judgment
The consensus among everyone was that since they were buried in the ground, they wouldn't be discovered as long as they didn't move. Those who figured even bringing back a child's corpse might earn them less scolding decided to stay and keep watch.
“Ha, but what do we do now? Are we heading back like this, hyung?”
“If we go back empty-handed, who's going to take responsibility? Of all people, it had to be the girl the boss favored. We'll need to bring back more than usual to make up for it.”
How much would they need to bring to avoid punishment? Or was avoiding it impossible altogether?
“No matter how much we bring, the boss will probably scold us anyway. That girl really had talent. He even said she was pretty enough that he'd make her a concubine once she grew up.”
I already knew that story, but hearing it from this guy somehow irritated me.
“The boss likes women, sure, but he likes money even more!! The only reason we're getting scolded is because we didn't steal enough.”
If they couldn't be persuaded, it simply meant they hadn't brought enough money. And though they didn't dare touch them now, they had spotted a group carrying a fortune. If they could bring back information about them, the boss would surely be satisfied.
“Just looking at the stuff those bastards use, they're loaded. If we pull off one good job, our lives could change!”
Gulp.
They didn't know much about expensive things, but from the equipment those people used to their refined faces, it seemed they'd never had to do rough work.
“Those are exactly the kind of marks worth robbing.”
“What about kidnapping them for ransom?”
“That wouldn't be bad either. Haha!”
They believed their superior numbers gave them the advantage, even if the targets were skilled. Of course, that was nothing more than their own delusion—one that would soon be proven wrong when the tables were turned on them.
“Aaaagh!!”
“Don't resist. Those who resist will receive no mercy.”
“R-run!!”
There was only one of them. When a single woman entered the tunnel, they thought their luck had run out. Of course, they meant her luck. They assumed she'd fallen into the tunnel by misfortune, just like them. But that wasn't the case. She hadn't stumbled here by accident, nor was she unlucky.
“A-a demon! It's a demon!!”
The woman showed no mercy to those who resisted. Once cut down, her comrades no longer drew breath, and everyone quickly realized she had come here to slaughter them all.
“W-we dropped our weapons! We're surrendering! Don't kill us, please!!”
Those quick on their feet threw down their weapons and surrendered immediately. Since she'd said she'd kill anyone who resisted, they figured not resisting might let them survive.
They placed their hands behind their heads and pressed their foreheads to the ground. Fortunately, the woman—or rather, the demon—didn't seem intent on killing them all. She didn't point her sword at those who had surrendered.
What do I do?
His thoughts grew complicated. Since she wasn't paying attention to the surrendered ones, maybe he could slip away if he waited for the right moment. Getting caught by a woman like that would mean certain death.
Who the hell is she? Why is she doing this to us??
Just then, someone else who seemed to share the same thought tried to sneak away first.
“Gack!”
But in an instant, a dagger flew from the woman's hand and buried itself in the fleeing comrade's back.
Thud!! Gulp—!
That would've been him if he'd tried first. A chill ran down his spine. Only after everyone surrendered without further resistance did the demon finally stop swinging her sword.
“Stand up and line up. Now.”
“Y-yes, ma'am!”
They scrambled to their feet and formed a line. These were the same sluggish bastards who'd always moved at a snail's pace, yet under threat of death, not a trace of that turtle-like behavior remained. Swallowing hard, he kept glancing at the woman until resentment suddenly welled up.
“Who are you, exactly? We don't understand why you're doing this to us! What did we do wrong to… hic …deserve being slaughtered like this?”
“Shut up. Forward, in line!”
“Ow! Stop pushing, you bastard!”
The terrifying woman, who looked like she wouldn't bleed even if stabbed, dragged them outside. Her eerie, icy demeanor, devoid of any human compassion, made his breath catch in his throat.
Did we really run into an actual demon?
Her skill was extraordinary enough to make the suspicion feel justified, and fear crept in. Not knowing anything only made the terror worse. But the moment they emerged from the tunnel at her command, he wondered if she wasn't a demon at all—perhaps they had brought this calamity upon themselves.
“You son of a bitch!!! How dare you betray us?!”
Because standing calmly at the tunnel entrance, very much alive, was the child they had thought was dead.
“I'm back!”
Watching her return so excited made me smile. She'd left with so much worry, yet everything seemed to have gone better than expected.
“Did you catch them all?”
“Yes.”
“Those people…?”
“……”
Sister Melody didn't answer. The child's silence made it clear there had been no room for mercy—she'd sent them all away.
“You worked hard.”
I didn't ask anything more and simply acknowledged her effort, setting my curiosity aside. The thick scent of blood clung to her. It seemed none of them had been decent enough to save.
If any of them had even a shred of goodwill, the child would've said something before dying. They must've been so awful that she felt no attachment at all.
If they were bad people, it would be better for them to return to the Goddess quickly, repent, and be reborn. As someone who had reincarnated himself, I could confidently say that a worthless life was best ended with a swift reset.
Is it wrong to say that in front of the dead?
Anyway, after cleanly wrapping everything up, the child spoke with a much brighter expression, as if feeling refreshed.
“Thank you. It would've been much easier to just deal with them yourself, but I'll never forget that you offered to help someone like me.”
Her voice and expression were so gentle and kind that it was hard to imagine the venomous look she'd worn at first. This was the expression a normal child should wear. No—something far more innocent would still fall short.
“I've decided to handle the rest outside. The child cooperated well, so it should be resolved quickly.”
The child, who had been glued to Sister Melody's side, slowly drifted closer to me and began excitedly recounting what had happened.
“The moment they saw me, they started cursing. Well, I did betray them, so I guess I can't complain. Still, it felt awful. I think she noticed. She knocked down the guy who was cursing at me in an instant and stomped on him.”
The child's cheeks were flushed red. It wasn't shock at the violence—she looked smitten. For a child who'd lived roughly from a young age, that kind of scene probably felt more natural.
“I had no idea she was that skilled! She was seriously amazing. Everyone should've seen it!”
“We already know how skilled Priestess Melody is. We've fought together this whole time.”
The child continued, still unable to calm her excitement.
“I was worried for nothing. How can people this strong also be so kind?”
“It's not that we're kind—the priest is the kind one.”
At that, one of the team members laughed and spoke up, having overheard the child.
“Ah! That's true. If the priest hadn't taken me in, I would've been punished as a thief. I never thought my rotten luck since childhood would turn into something like this. Thank you so much! I'll never forget this kindness. Just watch—I'll definitely repay you.”
Since she still had many years ahead, it would be nice if she could repay the favor once she grew up. Of course, that didn't mean I expected repayment myself.
“When you grow up and become a good adult, extend a helping hand to someone else. That would be more than enough repayment for this.”
The child stared at me blankly, as if she'd been struck from behind. Then, after a moment—
“…Are all priests like this?”
“Pardon?”
“I don't think I can live that kindly. What do I do?”
She must've thought she had to become exactly like me after seeing what I'd done. The misunderstanding was amusing, but instead of correcting it, I decided to ease her burden a little.
“Helping others isn't that difficult. If someone's hungry and I have enough to eat, sharing even a small portion is enough.”
“I'll keep that in mind. Though I don't have anything to share even if I wanted to.”
Even this much was significant progress. Perhaps because she was a child, her adaptability was fast.
“To do something like that, I'd have to become as great as her… Do you think I could?”
She wanted to be like Sister Melody?
“You want to be like Sister Melody?”
“Yes. She's so cool. Wiping them all out so decisively… I never thought I'd see those bastards get taken down so easily.”
It was understandable to admire Sister Melody's strength. But I couldn't readily agree to her wanting to become like her. If an acquaintance said they wanted to become a heretic inquisitor, I'd have to carry a packed lunch and talk them out of it—because I'd seen what the job entailed.
Besides, this child has already suffered more than others. Now she wants to become an inquisitor and go through even worse?
Inquisitors didn't get to eat well like normal people, and they had to handle all the dirty, dangerous, and unpleasant work. How could I possibly encourage that?
“To become like Sister Melody, you'll have to endure a lot of hardship. Probably more than what you've been through so far. From now on, you could try things you've never experienced before—do you really need to go down that path? I'd rather you grow up normally, eating delicious food and playing fun games.”
“I've never lived like other people since I was little. Even if you tell me to live normally now, I don't think I can. Maybe that kind of life suits me better anyway.”
“Why think that without even trying? Give it a chance. Your thoughts might change.”
If the child truly wanted to walk the same path as Sister Melody, there was nothing I could do to stop her. Being saved by us would make it easy for her to develop faith, and the fact that she'd infiltrated this far without any street smarts meant she had extraordinary talent. Having the qualities to become a heretic inquisitor was, for this child, nothing short of a tragedy.