episode_0093

She had never forgotten the memory of that day, not for a single day.

The village that had just moments ago been filled with laughter and children running around was instantly consumed by flames and vanished, only ashes swirling in the air.

Instead of the bright laughter and chatter that had filled the day, even over trivial stories, only the desperate screams of the villagers flowed out.

While she was hidden in her already deceased parents’ arms, until all the villagers’ screams had faded. She heard a voice she’d never heard before in her life.

‘What? I have to go back now?’

It was a grumbling tone, as if a child playing outside didn’t want to go home.

It was impossible to believe that these were the first words uttered after burning down an entire village and mercilessly slaughtering its inhabitants.

‘There’s still one bug left… Hmm. What should I do?’

Her body, hidden in her dead parents’ arms, trembled.

That man knew she was hiding.

In the arms of her deceased parents, she clutched their cold, lifeless hands and trembled.

‘Leaving one bug alive might not be so bad.’

‘Haa… haa…’

When she pathetically felt relieved to have survived and finally dared to breathe again.

Her parents’ corpses, which had been protecting the girl, exploded.

Ah.

Her parents’ flesh shot up into the sky and then splattered down.

Pieces of flesh, bone, and organs lay scattered on the ground.

The young girl’s eyes met her father’s, which lay on the ground.

‘Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!’

The man burst into laughter upon seeing the screaming girl and walked closer.

‘Cackle cackle cackle!!! Little girl, did you really think I’d let you live?’

An ominous black aura enveloped the man’s body.

There was nothing she could do but cling to her mother’s hand, which lay on the ground, and weep.

‘Hehehe! Little girl, want to know why the pests living here died?’

The man chuckled, his lips twisting into a grotesque smile, as if he had found an amusing toy upon seeing the trembling girl.

Her body trembled. There was nothing the young girl could do, even as she looked at the man who had killed her parents.

‘The old man told me to move quietly, so I was just going to pass by. But then I heard laughter from here.’

Laughter was heard.

That was the reason the man had killed all the villagers.

‘So I killed them all. If they’re bugs, they should cry like bugs. How dare they make human-like laughter!’

The man, who had been cackling, suddenly grew serious and spoke to the wailing girl.

‘I’ll specially let you live. Survive, and tell the other bugs that from now on, when they see humans like me, they must cry like bugs.’

With that, the man left the village, having killed everyone in the once harmonious village except for the pink-haired girl, who was still a child.

Though the girl was adopted into the Leviathan Marquessate and sometimes smiled with her kind parents and cute younger sibling, she had never once forgotten the man who had killed her villagers.

She gradually forgot the faces of her original parents, but every night, she forced herself to recall the man’s face, voice, and mannerisms.

So that she could kill him if she ever coincidentally saw his face or heard his voice.

Her current parents were kind and good, and she had grown up equally, without discrimination, alongside her younger sister who was not adopted.

Sometimes, the thought crossed her mind that it wouldn’t be bad to forget revenge and live a normal life with her current family.

But whenever such a thought arose, she would forcefully pull out the terrible nightmare of that day to fuel her desire for revenge.

Even using the power of the Leviathan Marquessate, the empire’s top merchant family, she couldn’t even find the name of the man who had destroyed her village.

She hadn’t found anything for over ten years…

“What did you just say!”

She roughly grabbed Loki’s collar and shouted.

“The person who killed Sepia-ssi’s parents. I know who it is.”

The same words were repeated from Loki’s mouth, as if to confirm that what she had heard moments ago was not a mistake.

“If you’re joking, I won’t forgive you, no matter who you are.”

“I don’t joke about things like this. I know the name, abilities, and even the comrades of the person Sepia is looking for.”

Rumble rumble rumble!!!!!!!

Suddenly, the ground where Sepia and Loki stood began to shake.

A storm-like wind swirled, and rain poured down like a deluge inside the training ground.

And flames engulfed Loki and Sepia.

It was because the spirits, sensing Sepia’s emotions, had gone berserk.

Both their hair whipped in the wind.

Sepia ignored the cold, falling rain and waited for Loki’s words.

Loki ignored the intense heat and spoke.

“The one who killed Sepia-ssi’s parents and the villagers is Betzdo. He’s a Necromancer.”

“………….Betzdo.”

Sepia muttered Betzdo’s name as if chewing on it.

The name itself was more important than the fact that a Necromancer, long thought to be extinct, was alive.

Loki, looking at Sepia, who was radiating killing intent, spoke with regretful eyes from behind his mask.

“I don’t know exactly where Betzdo is right now, but I know who knows his location.”

Sepia, still clutching Loki’s collar, knocked him down and straddled him.

“Tell me who it is right now.”

“What do you plan to do if I tell you?”

If she knew where the man who killed her parents was, there was only one thing to do.

“Of course, I’ll find him and kill him.”

Revenge.

Revenge for her parents and the villagers.

She had grown strong for that revenge.

“If it’s Sepia-ssi now, you’ll be 100% dead.”

Loki’s calm voice reached Sepia, who was waiting for his answer.

It was a cold remark, as if he knew exactly that man’s strength and her current abilities.

“First, get stronger. If Sepia-ssi becomes strong enough to defeat Betzdo, I will tell you who knows Betzdo’s location.”

“No, tell me right now.”

She had already waited for over ten years.

She couldn’t wait any longer.

“Haa…”

Loki’s low sigh, which she had never heard before, reached Sepia’s ears.

-Swish, bang!

Sepia and Loki’s positions were instantly reversed.

Sepia was lying on the ground, and Loki was on top of her.

“Sepia-ssi, you are weak now. So weak that you can be subdued by me this easily.”

Loki gripped Sepia’s neck and spoke calmly in a low voice.

“So what! Are you telling me to give up on revenge? Or are you going to kill that bastard instead of me?!”

Sepia shouted, her voice filled with indignation.

Sepia’s tears dripped onto the ground.

She knew well enough that she was weak.

Even now, her body trembled when she recalled that day.

She had tried to get stronger for revenge, but the target of her revenge remained unseen.

Now that she finally knew the man’s name and could find his location, he was telling her to wait because she was weak.

“No. I have no intention of taking revenge for Sepia-ssi, and even less intention of telling you to give up on revenge.”

Loki realized why Sepia, who desired revenge, kept bothering him.

This was also why his mind had changed from his original plan of killing Betzdo instead of Sepia.

“Sepia-ssi. I recently succeeded in avenging my siblings, whose names I didn’t even know.”

“……………………”

“Some say that forgetting revenge and living happily is the best revenge…”

Loki let out a cold sneer and continued.

“That’s bullshit.”

“…………”

“Those who truly desire revenge can never live happily until they achieve it. And forgetting revenge is, of course, impossible.”

“…You said I was weak.”

“Yes, you are weak now.”

“…You said I’d lose 100% if I fought.”

“Yes, you’ll lose 100% if you fight now. But.”

Loki released Sepia’s neck, stood up, and extended his hand.

“I am by Sepia-ssi’s side. I will help Sepia-ssi achieve revenge.”

Sepia rubbed her reddened eyes with her hand, wiping away tears. Then she took Loki’s extended hand and stood up.

“You said earlier you had no intention of taking revenge instead of me.”

“I said I had no intention of taking revenge instead, but I never said I wouldn’t help.”

Loki pulled out the white mask he usually wore from his subspace.

“So, don’t cry.”

And slowly, he placed it on Sepia’s face.

“……………………”

Perhaps because the cold mask touched her face, Sepia felt herself calm down.

“…What should I do now? If I can only get my revenge, I’ll do anything.”

Sepia slapped her own cheeks twice, steeling her resolve.

“It’s good that you’ve composed yourself, but for now…”

Following Loki, who turned his head, Sepia looked around.

The training ground was already a mess, but the spirits had stopped their rampage and were unconscious in a corner.

She felt sorry. It was because of her own inadequacy that this had happened.

More regrettable things might happen in the future, but she intended to try her best.

‘Yes, let’s take it slow.’

She had already waited for over ten years, unable to do anything.

If it was to kill that man—no, Betzdo—she could wait longer.

If only she could kill Betzdo with her own hands, with her own power, she would follow anything Loki said.

Now, she no longer had to embark on a dark voyage where she couldn’t see anything ahead.

Because Loki, standing right in front of her, would tell her where to go.