WTSP - 32

“What kind of horrific… nightmare is this?”

The scene before me was so ghastly and revolting that I wished it were nothing more than a dream. Piles of corpses, most already decomposing, emitted an unbearable stench.

Clenching my nose with the back of my hand, I grimaced as my heart raced uncontrollably.

Had I ever encountered so many bodies in my life?

The sight was so brutal that nausea welled up inside me. There had to be dozens of bodies—men, women, and even children.

Who could have committed such a massacre? Though no one was watching, I balled my trembling hands into fists to steady myself.

“Even young children… Some look no older than elementary schoolers.”

Unable to face the full horror of the scene, I squinted as I stared at the mound of bodies.

Among them were children who couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. Dried, dark red blood stained their chests, and their eyes remained wide open in death.

Though I didn’t know the circumstances, my heart ached as if it might break.

“It’s like a landfill for bodies.”

Aside from the fact that these weren’t trash but corpses, the comparison was apt.

How could anyone, wearing the guise of humanity, commit such an unethical atrocity?

Or perhaps it wasn’t human at all. After all, humans weren’t the only beings in this world.

Placing a hand over my wildly beating heart, I approached one of the dead children. I wanted, at the very least, to close their eyes.

I didn’t know what had happened to this child, but I hoped they would find happiness in their next life—if there was one.

Up close, the child had beautiful green eyes, reminiscent of emeralds.

“They look like Serdel’s eyes.”

Those once-vivid, lively green orbs were now dull and lifeless, devoid of focus.

As I gazed into those unseeing eyes, a sharp pang of sorrow shot through my chest. Slowly, I reached out to gently close the child’s eyelids.

When my hand touched the cold skin, a chill ran down my spine.

“...Does Serdel know about this place—a graveyard of bodies hidden away?”

Whatever the reason, this was clearly not a legal operation. Someone was committing unspeakable acts under the Emperor’s nose.

I exhaled deeply, trying to calm my rising anger.

I didn’t know the motive behind this, but stealing the lives of innocent children was unforgivable. To ignore this and walk away felt impossible—it was too cruel.

I wanted to uncover the truth and give these victims justice, but I lacked the power to do so alone.

What could I possibly achieve with just toy arrows and a rapier? Charging in blindly would be reckless—I knew that much.

“For now, I need to return and inform Serdel.”

Turning around with determination, I immediately hit a snag. Following the mysterious creature here, I’d lost my way.

Navigating wasn’t my strong suit, so I rubbed my temples in frustration before taking a tentative step forward.

Squish.

Had I been walking too hastily in my urgency to leave?

A strange, squishy sensation greeted my foot—like stepping into wet mud after rain.

What on earth was this?

“Huh?”

During fencing matches, there were moments when my body reacted faster than my mind, as if instinctively sensing danger.

I quickly pulled my foot out of the soft ground. Where I’d stepped, a large hole had opened up—a hidden entrance to what seemed like an underground tunnel.

The soil crumbled easily, as though it were rotten wood, collapsing inward.

“Are there stairs here?”

Peering into the hole, I saw rickety wooden steps leading downward. Whoever used this passage moved between the surface and underground regularly.

Though the bottom wasn’t far, I hesitated.

This was undoubtedly connected to the pile of corpses aboveground. Venturing in alone would only escalate trouble.

“I’ve found the location. I’ll bring Serdel or the knights here. This isn’t something I can handle alone.”

With that thought, I turned and took a few steps toward the hunting grounds.

But then, a shrill scream pierced the air, jolting my heart back into overdrive.

It was unmistakably the cry of a child.

Biting my lower lip, I stared at the pit. The urge to run back and fetch help clashed with the instinct to save the child immediately.

“This is insane… But…”

The image of the child whose eyes I’d closed—now a cold, lifeless corpse—flashed before my eyes.

If someone had been there to save that child, perhaps they wouldn’t have met such a tragic end.

Gripping the hilt of my rapier tightly, I swallowed hard. It felt as though both an angel and a devil whispered conflicting advice in my mind.

I was scared, undeniably so. But as an adult, I bore responsibility.

Whether in Korea or here in the Carlot Empire, abandoning helpless children to death was unforgivable.

“Damn it, I don’t care anymore. They say even if you’re thrown into a tiger’s den, staying calm will keep you alive. I’m just saving the child.”

With my right hand firmly gripping the rapier, ready to strike, I held my breath and descended the creaking wooden stairs.

Each step produced a groan from the decaying wood, sending chills down my spine.

After descending for what felt like an eternity, I heard the child’s voice again—a pained scream that made my chest ache.

Crouching low, I hid behind a thick wall. Thankfully, the underground area appeared empty except for the child and a young man.

What kind of place was this?

“Stay still, will you? I’m already pissed off enough dealing with this alone...”

“Please, it hurts... I want to stop, please...”

“Do you think I enjoy this? You all left me here while you went gallivanting. Does anyone think I don’t want to see flowers too? I hope lightning strikes and kills you all.”

The young man’s complaints echoed loudly without needing to strain my ears.

Covering my nose against the nauseating smell of blood, I scanned the surroundings cautiously.

Fortunately, it seemed only the child and the man remained here.

What exactly was happening in this space?

“Stop, please... I beg you.”

“I wish I could silence you with a spell. Shut up already, kid. Before I drain every drop of your blood for a bath.”

“...”

“Now that’s better. Though it’s a waste. With proper training, you could become a decent mage. Blame your innate magical talent.”

The man shook a glass bottle filled with blood, muttering to himself about wasting ten years in a magic tower without sunlight. His gaunt frame suggested his words weren’t lies—he looked frail enough to blow away with a gust of wind.

“Is he a mage, then?” I thought, piecing together his mention of a magic tower.

But mages could sense others and attack from afar. Carefully planning my next move, I crept silently toward him, lifting my heels to minimize noise. No other presence seemed nearby.

If I could neutralize him, we’d be safe.

“Sob, sniff... Hnn...”

“You’re crying now? I told you to shut up, not cry. Damn brats. All you know how to do is whine for food and cry for your mom.”

“My mom... She’s waiting for me, sniff. Please let me go...”

“This is so annoying. Your mom doesn’t care if you live or die. Do you know why? She sold you for twenty nis!”

Crash! The man threw the glass bottle, splattering blood across the floor. I quickly ducked behind a corner, my heart pounding wildly.

Had he noticed me? My palms were slick with sweat as I held my breath again.

“Damn it... Lost control again. How much is this worth? If the seniors find out, they won’t let me live.”

“Sniff, hic...”

“Can’t be helped, kid. You brought this upon yourself. This is what adults do.”

The man picked up a syringe from a table cluttered with magical tools.

Though obscured by his body, the child must have been trembling in fear.

“This has gone far enough...”

Gripping the rapier with both hands, I charged at the man, counting each second like an eternity.

“One, two, three.”

Reaching him in three seconds felt endless, but I struck swiftly once I was close enough.

Thud! A sharp impact rang out as I slammed the hilt of my rapier into the base of his neck. The force reverberated through my palms, numbing them slightly.

“Guh...”

The young mage collapsed slowly to the floor with a final groan.

He wasn’t dead—surely not. Though I’d hit a vital spot, the blow wasn’t strong enough to kill an adult outright. Knocking him unconscious was possible only because he was so frail.

“You call yourself an adult? This is what being a real adult means, you bastard.”

Catching my breath, I slowly turned to look at the child.

I wanted to tell them it was okay now, but my voice failed me. As I examined the child’s face, confusion washed over me.

“This can’t be…?”

It was the same child whose eyes I had closed—the cold, lifeless body I’d left behind.