127
Udra
“Woodra is dead-.”
Her name came out of the mouth of a Brock Lesler.
Funny enough, I wasn’t angry.
That’s why I was angry.
I looked for the scar on the bridge of my nose as if it were a habit.
However, the scar was strangely faint.
Memories flashed in an instant, becoming jumbled.
***
“What are you doing?”
I was dumbfounded by Udra’s shameless question.
It was Udra who had just cut off the neck of the mercenary who had been with him because he felt something was strange.
As Udra said, even though Cedric’s behavior was different than usual, isn’t it still possible to have a conversation?
But it starts from the neck…
“I told you to take care of the guy next to you.”
I was speechless at Udra’s reprimand.
I stared blankly at the heads of Cedric, Hans, and Ganbart rolling in front of me.
Cedric had an old mother back home. He was a good guy who worked as a mercenary to build a nice house, although it was a bit dangerous.
How diligent he was, he was the first to wake up, was always on guard, stood in front, and was also the best at tidying up.
He was a man who always finished his work with a sword named after his mother, showing how deep his filial piety was.
Hans was married and had two daughters. He was originally a fisherman, but his nets and boats were all stolen, so he had no choice but to become a mercenary. He said that his daughters were very pretty, and if you were interested, he would sell them for 30 silver. But after we became friends, he lowered the price to 20 silver, and he was a very kind man.
And Ganbat was the one who got along best with me, and I secretly talked behind Udra’s back with him.
Isn’t the fastest way to become close with someone else? We became close very quickly, and later, when we had a lot of money, we made a plan to open a big bar together.
Now was the moment to hear Ganbat’s first love story…
I dropped the jerky I was eating onto the bread crumbs, blood, and severed tongue that were sticking out of Ganbat’s mouth.
They were pretty sad guys for a mercenary, so we made a promise to go to a bar together and drink a lot when we got to town, but they were lying on the floor with their heads down.
I raised my head and looked at Udra.
Crazy bitch Udra. Since everyone else was reluctant to do the mission with Udra, I, the youngest, was tied up as a spare part.
Wood was licking the blood off the sword with his tongue.
It was because of a primitive superstition that drinking the blood of a recently deceased person would bring that person good luck.
‘No matter what···.’
I held back the vomit that was rising as I looked at the three heads rolling down below. The sight of a severed human head just didn’t suit me.
When people die, they are uglier and more naked than you might think. If you look into their eyes, you won’t be able to sleep properly for months.
It was even more terrifying if they were the guys who had been laughing and talking just a moment ago.
At that moment, Udra bent down and pricked up his ears as if observing something.
The pungent smell that comes from Udra as he bends down and raises his arms.
‘You don’t like washing?’
One of the reasons others shy away from Udra is its pungent smell.
“It’s around here… why aren’t you giving me a signal?”
“Is there a problem?”
The voices of tough men.
This was a deep forest where monsters also appeared. In this place where it was hard to see people, it was clear what they were looking for.
‘You fucking bitches. You agreed to drink with me.’
That’s why I couldn’t like those mercenaries even if I wanted to. They’re the kind of guys who would hit me in the back of the head if I showed even the slightest hint of an edge.
“I’m sure there’s a beauty worth selling for a high price….”
A voice full of sorrow.
‘I guess we didn’t talk about the smell.’
I tried to joke, but the stabbing pain in my chest did not get any better.
Udra disappeared without a sound, returning a moment later with two new heads.
“Youngest, take care of your hair.”
But how can he be so calm when the guys he worked with this week tried to sell him as a pawn?
I cut off the heads of the guys who had requested the job together with me. Isn’t it normal for a person to feel a little sad?
I couldn’t understand this guy or that girl at all.
“Huh? Are you crying? Why?”
I felt like I was strange because of the look in his eyes that said he really didn’t know.
No, it was strange because he was a foreigner.
These guys here are always smiling while eating, then turning around and stabbing you with a sword.
Ganbat, who was going to open a bar with me, probably sold us out and then ate some jerky without a care in the world.
There was a shortage of beef jerky at the time, so he must have been happy that his head had shrunk. What an uncivilized medieval bastard.
I guess I’m weird in a world full of those kinds of people, but I guess I can still feel a little sad.
“···We used to hang out together. Are you okay with it?”
As I became more comfortable with killing people, I started killing people who were on my own side as well.
It’s just that guys who used to drink a lot stopped drinking when it was time to break up.
How can something be this fucking shitty?
It wasn’t the Middle Ages, it was the Fuck World.
“Huh? Oh, right. Don’t call my name. Names have power. If you don’t call my name, I’ll cut off your hair.”
It was a jumbled explanation, but the gist of it was conveyed.
Come to think of it, when Woodra moved with the other mercenaries, he didn’t call their names.
Wood called other mercenaries by their nicknames. However, most of those nicknames were discriminatory, so there were several conflicts, but he stuck with them until the end.
I thought it was just because I lacked intelligence, but it seems like there was a reason for it.
My own secret to not feeling bad no matter when my head gets blown off…
‘Wait a minute, you’re not even calling my name?’
When I realized it, the tears that were coming down my face suddenly disappeared.
For a while after that, I referred to myself in the third person, saying things like, “Aaron, I’m hungry,” and “Aaron, I’m a little tired.”
It just made me feel worse, and didn’t really have much effect.
***
“Cluck-!”
Udra rolled her eyes and coughed.
I clicked my tongue and grimaced at the awful smell of my breath.
‘It’s just a cold, but everyone is making a fuss as if they have a fatal disease…’
He moistened the cloth that had been placed on her forehead again and placed it on her forehead.
They treated me like I had some kind of plague just because I had a fever.
Because of that, I was kicked out of the project I was assigned and had to return to headquarters without any income.
‘The child is so quiet, he is so pretty.’
For me, it’s better now than usual.
‘Is it true that you used to be a nobleman?’
I found myself poking him involuntarily, wondering how a person’s nose could be this high.
Then I was so startled that I stepped back.
You touched my face, so I’ll stab you in the stomach…
I was so nervous that I even pulled out my sword, but Woodra was still groaning.
Looking closely at his face, he seemed younger than I thought.
“mom···.”
‘···Did you have a mother?’
No matter how I look at it, it’s clear that she didn’t receive proper home education… The word ‘mother’ made me feel unnecessarily heavy.
‘They say they’ll give an extra rice cake to the person you hate.’
I clicked my tongue and wiped her body with a cloth.
The smell was painful, but as I wiped it off, my sense of smell became numb and it was bearable.
Then I got tired and just slept.
When I opened my eyes to the cool sensation on my neck, Udra, who had returned to being a crazy woman, was glaring at me.
I took care of him with utmost sincerity, but he got his head cut off in return… It was clear that he had not received proper upbringing.
“What the- you.”
“This is Aaron.”
I quickly raised both hands and revealed my identity.
The opponent was the crazy bitch Udra.
Since Udra was someone who even the captain couldn’t control, he had to somehow please him.
Woodra looked around my body and surroundings with a frown on her face. She had taken off her clothes to wipe away the sweat with a cloth, so it could easily be misunderstood.
The moment he was about to open his mouth.
Udra smiled for the first time when she called my name.
“Aaron, I will definitely kill you.”
It was the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen in my life.
Also, it was the most murderous smile.
***
“Wood, I think the bearded orc has betrayed us.”
“Bearded Orc? I called him Moustache Orc.”
“That’s not important right now, Udra.”
“It’s important.”
“Okay, then let’s go with the mustachioed orc.”
“No, I’ll do a bearded orc.”
I laughed out loud at Udra’s strange stubbornness.
At first glance, it seemed odd, but I knew it was just her way of making a joke to lighten the mood. Of course, the problem was that the mood wasn’t changing to that extent.
“···I’ll kill you.”
“I’m not dead yet.”
“Not Aaron, but this guy.”
It was a joke of conversion, but Woodra ground his teeth as if it didn’t work.
‘Mustachioed orc. How much is the beer I bought you···.’
This is why I shouldn’t have gotten involved with medieval guys, but I let my guard down. I thought desert guys were somewhat human, but I got stabbed in the back of the head like this.
‘Somehow the amount of money requested was too much···.’
Why is there such a thing as a ban on the back of the kingdom?
And why did you send us here?
My mind was clouded, perhaps because I had lost too much blood, although my doubts were growing.
“Aaron! No! Come to your senses. Don’t go. If you go too…”
I shook my head as I looked at Udra, who had a weak expression on her face. It was just a little difficult, but I wouldn’t die like this.
She was more fragile and weak than anyone I knew.
He just pretends to be crazy to hide it.
However, the acting was so method-level that it was sometimes confusing.
“It’s okay. Just get a direction. Let’s escape first…”
Udra suddenly pushed me.
To that I thought, this crazy bitch is really going to keep her promise to kill me with her own hands.
Funny enough, it didn’t seem like it would be that bad.
However, contrary to my expectations, Woodra swung his sword backwards.
A sharp cracking sound followed by a faint groan.
It seemed slow as Udra bounced away.
Woodra wasn’t trying to kill me, she just took the hit in my place.
I moved my heavy body and hurriedly received him.
As the wound opened, a terrible, excruciating pain came.
A strange tentacle wiggled at me.
As if it were a gift.
It was a familiar tentacle.
The guy who made me like this.
I hurriedly looked at Udra. Udra, whose veins were all over her body, continued to moan softly.
Udra didn’t react much even when a sword was stuck in his shoulder.
With Udra making such a noise, it was impossible to even imagine how terrible the pain would be.
“Woodra! Woodra!!”
I tried to shake her awake, but Woodra just kept trembling and groaning in pain.
The area that was stabbed was my waist. If it had been my hand or shoulder, I would have cut it off right away, but I couldn’t cut it off my waist.
The wound was rotting around the wound.
I poured all the potions into the strange erosion speed, but it didn’t stop, and instead spread even faster.
Woodra now screamed so loudly that it echoed through the forest.
Her body shook violently as if she was having a seizure.
The tentacles are still waving.
It seemed like he was asking what to do.
There was only one choice.
‘You sang a song saying you wanted to die for me.’
I held Udra very tightly and stabbed her with my sword.
Then the vibrations of Udra stop.
And the erosion that disappeared like a lie.
Only the wounds from my sword remained on Udra’s body.
It was a terrible trick of his.
If I hadn’t stabbed her, wouldn’t she have survived? Did I, a fool, stab her with my sword when she would have come loose if I had just left her alone? Did I kill her with my own hands when she threw herself to save me?
Even though I knew it was just one of his annoying pranks, my mind was spinning and regret was taking hold of me and dragging me down.
At that moment, her rough hands caressed my face.
“···My wish came true.”
She smiled weakly, and it was the ugliest smile I’ve ever seen.
The first time I killed someone, the time I got stabbed in the back of the head by the guy who had become my best friend after completing a quest with me, and the time I killed him with my own hands, the tears I thought had dried remained in my eyes.
“Don’t forget me.”
Udra cut my nose with her sharp nails and laughed again.
It was a very small wound, barely the size of a pinch. It was so small that it would disappear when he woke up.
It was fortunate that her comfortable face seemed to have found peace.
On the one hand, I felt despair at being left alone in this hell.
Her hand that had been touching my face lost its strength, and her index and middle fingers entangled with each other caught my attention.
It was a hand gesture she made when she was joking. It was a code to tell her that what she had just said was a lie, and that she should take it the other way around.
At that moment, the tentacles flew quickly and-.
I somehow managed to catch her, but my arms felt empty.
The tentacles shook Udra like they were playing with a doll. Udra was torn in half, and its internal organs and blood filled me.
It was just a minor pastime for him.
I spat out the flesh that had entered my mouth with the last bit of reason I had left and ran away.
Because it was the duty of the survivors to take revenge.
However, he was more mischievous and vicious than I thought.
“Gewoooooo-.”
As I was left alone in the pouring rain, I was delighted to see Udra crawling towards me like a zombie.
Even though she was a zombie, she was still Woodra, so I hugged her again.
Unlike other times, strangely enough, the second time was harder than the first.
She must have felt it was inadequate, because she left marks all over my face.
Of course, it was still not enough.
***
‘This sucks.’
When I came to, Brock Lesler was glaring at me.
There were a lot of onlookers around.
I habitually picked at the bridge of my nose.
There was a scar, but it was shallow.
‘It’s gotten shallow.’
I stared straight ahead, muttering to myself rudely.
Brock Lesler had nothing to do with her death. Anyone who was involved with him already paid the price long ago.
However, self-loathing about becoming dull only increased.
‘Yeah, you’ve become dull.’
As the bastard Kuobarou said, the wound has been there for a long time, so my senses have become dull.
How dare I, even though I shouldn’t.
“Take up your sword! Come out and unite your souls now!”
I nodded at Brocklesler’s loud shout.
I just felt like swinging my sword. The tenant was asleep and my physical condition was terrible, but that didn’t matter.
“Wait! Captain! Sophia! It has to be like this···”
“Berman, get out. This is my job.”
“But Sophia···.”
“Don’t make me say it twice.”
Berman stepped back with a blank expression at Sophia’s rough voice.
‘Did Brock Lesler know Berman?’
Suddenly, I remembered Berman’s first love story that I had heard from Kel before. The story of how he followed a mercenary and went to work as a mercenary.
‘That was Brock Lesler. What a small world.’
He gave an emotionless review and pointed his sword at Brock Lesler.
Brock Lesler had the right to do that too. After all, it was true that I had destroyed their home.
‘Revenge was taken.’
I readjusted my grip on the sword, muttering to myself in a tone as rough as sawdust.
***
“Heh heh.”
Dylan could feel the chill in his body these days.
That makes sense. Last time I took off my clothes to prove my loyalty, I felt refreshed, but today it was chilly and gave me goosebumps.
“What the…. Ugh!”
‘That sounds really refreshing.’
Dylan had felt it before, but he was certain that the cub’s man-beating skills were the best in the empire.
How can a person punch another person and still make such a heavy sound?
Watching him from the side made me feel relieved, as if all the stress I had been holding in was gone and I had finally let out my pee.
Still, that woman, Aaron, held out pretty well.
In addition, the ten-year-old’s body seemed to be uncomfortable, so he moved slower than usual and held the sword with only one hand.
However, before I knew it, the ten-year-old was beating up the girl Aaron.
‘You seemed angry, didn’t you?’
Dylan scratched his head absentmindedly and picked up his clothes.
It definitely felt dangerous earlier, but now that I look at it, it seems okay.
At this point, it could have been ended with a few hits to the head and about 10 silver coins without having to take off one’s clothes and expose one’s stomach.
‘But he’s also poisonous.’
As if she wasn’t a female Aaron for nothing, she fought back by swinging her sword or fist even though she was being hit hard.
Dylan was impressed by Aaron’s toughness, knowing how much a ten-year-old’s fists hurt.
Of course, it was a stupid thing to do and it only made things worse.
First of all, if you get caught by a punk, the most efficient way is to wipe it out.
How right was it? Aaron the woman did not surrender until the very end and just lost consciousness.
Dylan quickly ran over and poured the alcohol from the bottle onto Aaron’s face.
The ten pups smiled as if they were satisfied with it.
Dylan laughed and woke up woman Aaron.
“Whoa-, I lost. I don’t know what I did, but I really got stronger.”
Dylan hurriedly raised his voice at Aaron, who unexpectedly accepted the offer cleanly while still being unable to suppress her anger.
“There are still eleven left!”
Aaron the woman had eleven slaves.
If you’re going to fight for slaves, it makes sense to fight eleven more times, risking one for each fight!
‘You should relax a bit. Take the hit instead! You’ve got a good grip!’
Dylan nodded his head wildly as he looked at the woman, Aaron.
“No! The moment a soul is defeated, it ends. I have been defeated. Now I am your sex slave.”
“That’s not sex slavery, that’s the tradition of enslavement. You stupid ninth star.”
“I said there are eleven left! Hit me harder! Are you scared?”
Dylan quickly pointed his finger at Aaron, who quickly gave in, wondering where her earlier fighting spirit had gone.
“What does that imperial bastard know to interfere? Do you want to have your head pulled out?”
“Eek! Father! The slave is pulling out my neck!”
Dylan quickly hid behind the puppies.
Then, a strong smell of blood wafted from the air, and upon closer inspection, I saw that the wounds on the cub’s back had burst and blood was gushing out.
It was an extraordinary wound that would have knocked him out if he were me, but he was beaten to the point where he was unrecognizable in this state! He was truly an incredibly scary brat!
“Sophia! Damn it···”
At that moment, Berman looked back and forth between the woman Aaron and the ten pups and spoke in a low voice.
A seriousness that did not suit Berman’s ugly face was put on.
“Chief! Let’s do that together! We’re one body or something!”
Berman gritted his teeth and shouted.
‘You’ve finally gone crazy.’
Of course, Dylan was just grateful that he was given the power to take away the ten pups’ strength instead.
“One soul! Brother Berman!”
“Yeah! That! One soul! Let’s do it!”
“Father, Berman wants to be your slave. If you pair up male and female slaves, the number will increase quickly…”
Dylan fell forward from the shock he felt on the back of his head.
‘What a backstabbing······!’
Dylan let out a small exclamation of admiration as he seemed to have seen a new realm while losing consciousness.
***
[Don’t forget me.]
I got up like a drowning man and looked for my sword.
I had no idea how long I slept or if I even slept at all.
My whole body felt heavy, as if it was filled with water.
He habitually touched the scar on his face and became aware of the situation.
It had all already happened.
I finished my revenge and ran away.
‘The scar has faded.’
He got up from his seat with a wry smile and stood in front of the mirror he had borrowed from Kel.
It was a crude object that was embarrassing to call a mirror, but it did reflect something.
In the mirror, I saw a very tired face. However, it seemed uncomfortable and unbecoming of a fugitive.
I looked at him for a moment, then examined the scar.
A scar that is lighter than before.
I slowly dug him up and tore him apart along the drawn line.
Because I had become dull, I felt rather refreshed.
The falling flesh felt like scabs over a scar.
After a while of contemplation, there was a great fugitive covered in blood in the mirror.
A face filled with guilt, despair, and regret.
Now he had the face of a fugitive.
“···I won’t forget.”
I held the mirror and muttered.
When it got dull, all I had to do was dig deeper again.
***
‘I’m hungry.’
As I went downstairs, the hall was bustling.
“Master of the stars! You have finally come down!”
Brockleist screamed energetically and quickly got down on his knees.
The men behind him also knelt down, and Berman was among them.
‘What is the master of the stars?’
I didn’t bother asking because I thought I knew what it was.
Those desert guys were obsessed with nicknames. That was a pretty good nickname.
At least it was a lot better than something like ‘eating sand’.
“Arong, what the heck is going on… why is your face like that?”
Hannah looked up at me with her eyes wide open. Her hand caressed my face, but it felt rougher than I expected.
“I got bitten by a mosquito. Everyone, come together.”
“No, I got bitten by a mosquito… My face is like this….”
I roughly cleaned up Hannah and gathered my men.
‘About twelve? That’s more than I thought.’
Even Brock Lesler was a guaranteed force. The guys behind him also had thick muscles, so they were definitely useful guys.
‘Good timing.’
With Count Behar’s sudden death, the eastern end was sure to be in turmoil for some time.
It was clear that peak season was about to begin.
Plus, if they are trained like these guys…
‘You could also run a multi or separate mercenary force.’
Since they were bound by one soul, there was no need to run away or worry about the back of their heads.
However, the word slave was not very popular in the empire, so a suitable name was needed.
At that moment, Kanna poked me from the side.
I looked down and saw Kanna grabbing my hand and pulling me.
As I followed him back, I came across a huge piece of Kuabarou ice.
Next to it was a huge iron club, shaped like me.
I looked at him for a moment, seeing how much effort had been put into it, down to the blood vessels being engraved, and then held it.
The grip was really good, as if it was made just for me.
It fit my hand perfectly, as if it knew the exact size of my hand.
“okay.”
I grabbed him and stood next to the ice, and on the other side, Kanna came out and stood in the same position.
When I made eye contact with Kanna, who seemed very excited, I suddenly felt a sense of awkwardness.
‘This is medieval catchball.’
I nodded and swung it slowly.
Kuobarou’s ear was broken.
Kanna followed me, took a stance, and swung.
Kuobarou’s heel was broken.
I corrected Kanna’s posture and swung again.
Kuobarou’s hand was broken.
‘···It’s quite interesting.’
I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched Kanna swing her club vigorously.
Swallows, who had arrived early in the morning, squinted their eyes as they watched the ice in their shape slowly crumble.
Kanna and Aaron were swinging their clubs together, shattering the ice that resembled him.
The Swallows who saw him…
“Kanna! It will be more effective if you apply wind when swinging it.”
Pointed out Kanna’s magic.
Swallows smiled with satisfaction at the sight of Kanna acquiring it right away.
***
‘That was definitely back then···.’
The tenth star, Kitunheim, ‘shooting fast’, opened his eyes wide.
During the Kingdom of Byzant, areas that had been forbidden were now wide open.
There it was. The foolish king thought it was a weapon, but it was not something a human could handle.
Although it is not known to the outside world, it is a demon of despair that has swallowed up the kingdom of Byzant.
‘Why is it still there? It was clearly destroyed by the Empire…’
Kitunheim stared at the first star while caressing the skewer in his bosom.
The first star, who had been called a stone because his expression had never changed, was smiling brightly – very brightly.
Looking at the demon of despair that swallowed up the kingdom of Byzant.
It was clear that it had something to do with him.
‘The first star has finally gone mad, awakening the demon of despair.’
Kitunheim bit his lip, feeling the pressure even though he was far away.
It wasn’t just a devil’s problem.
The Demon of Despair had devoured not only the Kingdom of Byzant, but also quite a few of the Imperial Knights.
If the story of awakening such a demon of despair entered the imperial family, it was certain that anyone related to him would die… No, all the survivors in the Kingdom of Byzant would die. Not even a single sprout would remain.
I knew that the first star had deep ambitions from the beginning, but to the point of joining hands with the devil.
Kitunheim watched the bastard’s expression and slightly loosened his hand.
A black skewer protruded from beneath that hand.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
The first star spoke in a voice full of joy.
The emotions contained in it were so vivid that Kitunheim crumpled his face instead of answering.
I thought I was not worthy of the First Star, so I ignored the First Star’s call and went to the First Star. This guy was even worse.
“I don’t like the look on your face.”
When there was no answer, the first star turned back.
Kitunheim gritted his teeth as he looked at the small stature that did not suit a warrior.
“If the Empire finds out, all the people will be beheaded. Why on earth did this happen…”
“Empire? Haha!”
Kitunheim narrowed his eyes at the first star, who burst into laughter as if he had heard a really funny joke.
It was the first time I saw the first star smiling, and it looked so frivolous and sinister, like it was possessed by a demon.
“······Yeah, you don’t know.”
The first star raised the corners of her mouth, her eyes filled with tears from laughing so hard.
“What are you talking about?”
Kitunheim asked, watching the bastard’s opening.
“I’m saying that the devil was given to the previous leader by the royal family. Also, it was given to him by the royal family again.”
The movement stopped abruptly at the following remark.
“I will recognize your rights. Raise the demon of despair. That was the Emperor’s condition. For that, we threw food to each other-.”
The first star waved his hand lightly.
The demon of despair writhened and grew in size.
In front of it were many children running around without knowing what was going on.
“It took quite some time to restore him because everything was ruined because of one loach.”
The first star clenched her fist, and the children disappeared into the darkness in an instant.
“First star! What are you doing now!!”
The tenth star could not stand the sight and kicked the ground.
The tenth star was so confident in his speed that he was given the nickname of “shotgun”.
Before I could take two steps, I lost my balance and fell down. The excruciating pain came only after I had fallen. When I looked down, I saw that my knees were cleanly cut.
‘how···.’
The first star was strong enough to be considered a prime star, but the gap wasn’t this huge…
Then he saw his own skewer, cut in half. It was a weapon made of desert iron that could be used against a few enemies, but it was cut like a tree branch.
The tenth star raised its head, forgetting the pain.
The first star to look at my sword as if it were new.
The first star in his hand was too splendid to be from the Black Desert. And it was covered with the aura of the cursed empire.
It was not the aura of a normal knight, but the aura of an imperial family that radiated a brilliant light.
“Not the first star, but Sir Jabin.”
Those laughter-filled words were the tenth star’s last memory.
“And that’s not the devil… Well, it’s dead.”
The dwarf first star clicked his tongue and turned his head.
There his god was eating the offerings and growing tall and strong.
“This time, no one will be able to interfere.”
The sinister voice was carried away by the dry desert wind.
