Human beings set their own goals in life and strive to achieve them.
A life without a goal loses its momentum and eventually comes to a standstill.
And, for those leading such a suspended life, there are two paths.
One is to wait for the day to disappear from this world while slowly deteriorating like a wagon stuck in the mud without purpose.
The other is to set a new goal that will inspire and drive you forward again.
After losing her sense of purpose as a family, the path she walked was the latter.
The people she encountered while stumbling through the shadows were varied.
There was the woman who creaked from their first meeting and constantly clung to her ankle, a woman who took every situation lightly and continually reached out in many ways, a child who seemed arrogant and refused to listen, and a timid girl who didn’t understand her presence on this floor.
At first, she disliked them all and felt burdened by their presence.
However, living with them day by day, as she reclaimed what others commonly called daily life, emotions began to appear on her previously empty face.The irritation and anger she initially felt soon gave way to joy and pleasure. The lingering sadness for those who had left transformed into concern and affection for those in her present life.
And so, she lived from day to day, eventually finding true meaning in her time. Her new purpose became protecting her loved ones and ensuring the happiness of her new family.
This was the path she chose and the goal of her new life.
***
“… ..”
Echid slowly opened her eyes.
Instantly, she frowned at the pain that struck her automatically.
‘Am I alive… still…?’
The vivid and undeniable sensation of life persisted.
For a moment, she felt disgusted but also slightly relieved. If she was still alive, perhaps she could see the faces of her ‘family’ again and care for them, those who had troubled her so much until the last moment.
‘Anyway, I need to assess the situation first…kegh!’
She attempted to rise, but her body felt as heavy as a lump of lead.
“Kuuh!..heck…ugh..”
In the end, Echid had to give up due to her exhausted stamina and the pain in her chest. Rough breaths escaped her mouth, and sweat formed on her forehead.
‘Damn it… It’s impossible to move right away. It should be like this for at least a while…’
Resigned to not being able to get up, Echid slowly turned her head and began to look around.
Then…
“Ugh!”
“… ”
Her eyes met a person’s.
A chill ran down her spine at the sight.
The woman sitting before her was one of her enemies, the woman from the Beden Merchant Company.
“Eh… where am I… how… no way…”
“… ”
A future she desperately wanted to avoid began to unfold in her mind.
The woman had captured her and treated her injuries. Her intentions were clear in a situation marked by hostility: to use her as a hostage or to gather information through torture and interrogation.
Either way, Echid knew it would likely result in harm to her comrades.
‘But that… at least it means the children successfully completed their task.’
Otherwise, there would be no reason to keep her alive. Satisfied with that fact, Echid looked at the woman before her and tried to remain calm.
‘In this situation, there is nothing to gain from keeping me alive. For now, dying might be the best way for those children.’
However, with her current physical condition, ending her own life was impossible.
Saddened by this reality, Echid had to rely on the woman in front of her, who had tried to kill her moments ago.
‘Perhaps… if I ask, she might listen… because unlike me, this woman seems to have the temperament of a warrior.’
Warriors wielding swords had minimal etiquette for dealing with enemies. Granting a defeated opponent a clean death was one such example.
Echid expressed her earnestness and spoke to the woman in front of her.
“… Kill me. Don’t insult me any more.”
“Haah…”
At her words, the woman let out a small sigh, as if resigned to her fate. She then began to retrieve something from her arms, and Echid felt a bit of relief.
‘Thank God… now I can leave without harming those children…’
But then…
“What… what… you…doing…”
“… .”
Instead of a dagger or any weapon, the woman produced a glowing red magic potion. She opened the cap and began to pour it over Echid’s body.
“Kuh! That… stop! Stop! Do you have no courtesy as a warrior? You insult me like this! Just kill me! I mean it—kill me!”
The wound in her chest began to heal rapidly with the potion’s effect.
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