Chapter 21: The Day Blood Chose Him

As Kebel was silently praising his own taste, the carriage suddenly screeched to a halt with a sharp creeeak, throwing his body forward. Osh quickly extended an arm in front of him, stopping him from being flung ahead.

Though he avoided injury, the commotion outside grew loud and chaotic.

To assess the situation, Kebel looked out the window.

Ida and two escort knights were facing off against assassins dressed in black. Judging by their numbers, there were easily more than ten of them. It was an overwhelmingly unfavorable situation. Fear tightening his chest, Kebel grabbed Osh’s hand.

“Osh.”

“I’ll go out and check-”

“No!”

Kebel’s voice came out urgent and sharp, making Osh’s eyes widen. No one had ever worried about him like that before. That alone surprised him, but seeing Kebel trembling, eyes filled with fear like a frightened hamster, almost made him laugh.

Gently, as if to reassure him, Osh patted the hand clutching his, then placed it softly on Kebel’s knee.

“Don’t worry. I won’t get hurt. So stay inside, Kebel. Don’t come out.”

Before Kebel could say anything, Osh had already stepped out.

Left alone, anxiety gnawed at him. Biting down on his fingernail, Kebel tried to steady himself.

He had never imagined something like this would happen. This was his first time facing such danger. He didn’t want to rush out and become a burden.

But then…

The carriage door swung open.

“Well, well. Looks like a little rat was hiding here.”

A masked man grabbed Kebel and yanked him out. At the same time, Kebel snatched the man’s sword. His reaction was quick, but his opponent was a grown man.

Thud.

A heavy, blunt impact struck his head, as if his skull had split open.

Seeing the danger, Ida rushed in and subdued the attacker. Kebel managed to break free, but the pain lingered. As he staggered, the assassins seized the opportunity and swarmed Ida.

They weren’t amateurs. Their skill was terrifying. The two escort knights were already down, injured, and even Ida was bleeding from multiple wounds.

‘Then… Osh?’

Panicked, Kebel searched for him.

Thankfully, Osh was fighting unharmed.

Relief washed over him, strong enough to overshadow his guilt toward Ida.

Grabbing a fallen knight’s sword with both hands, Kebel stepped forward.

“Young master! It’s dangerous, stay behind me-!”

“No. You’re already injured.”

In that moment, Ida didn’t argue further. With a short “Please be careful,” he returned to the fight.

But the enemies were too strong.

Eventually, even Ida suffered a severe blow to the abdomen, coughing up blood.

It all happened in an instant.

Kebel’s body trembled violently, as if gripped by pure terror.

‘What if Ida dies?’

He wanted to run to him, but his body refused to move.

Was he just going to be a burden?

Holding back the tears threatening to spill, he tightened his grip on the sword.

Now, only he and Osh remained.

With no other choice, Kebel ran toward Osh.

Seeing him approach, Osh quickly moved to his side. Despite everything, Kebel scanned him anxiously for injuries.

There were none.

Relief filled him.

But then…

Behind Osh, another assassin lunged.

“No!”

Without hesitation, Kebel threw himself forward, pulling Osh into his arms, and took the blade instead.

A searing pain exploded through him, beyond anything he could imagine. Blood poured from his mouth.

Osh caught him, and with his free hand, drove his sword straight into the attacker’s abdomen, pulling it out without even looking away from Kebel.

Even through the pain, Kebel felt something was wrong.

This Osh… felt unfamiliar.

He had just killed someone.

And yet, his face showed nothing.

Kebel’s lips parted, but no words came out.

“Kebel…?”

Osh’s eyes widened, trembling violently.

Seeing him like that, like the Osh he knew, Kebel forced himself to forget what he had just witnessed.

If this was the end… he didn’t want to think about anything else.

With a faint breath, he forced a smile and reached up to gently touch Osh’s face.

“I’m glad… you’re not hurt.”

His vision blurred. Osh’s face faded.

‘If this is how I die… I wish I had spent more time with you…’

Tears slipped down his cheeks.

He wanted to see him one last time, but no matter how he blinked, Osh’s face wouldn’t come into focus.

“…ha…”

A weak breath escaped him.

The assassins had stopped attacking.

So… he was the target all along.

At least Osh would live.

Maybe that was the protagonist’s fate.

‘Thank you…’

The words never made it out.

His eyelids grew too heavy.

And just like that…

Kebel closed his eyes.

That was his last memory.

****

“K…ebel.”

A grinding voice.

BOOM!

The ground trembled violently. A massive gust of wind tore through the area, bending trees as if they would snap in half. Dark clouds swallowed the sky, devouring the sunlight.

Darkness fell.

Osh’s eyes darkened, turning pitch black as a swirling aura of shadow coiled around his blade. His face was completely expressionless, yet filled with a chilling, ominous presence.

His pupils expanded unnaturally, his gaze becoming feral, like a predator.

Raising his sword, he looked at the assassins.

As if on cue, they all dropped to their knees.

“Who… sent you?”

His voice pressed down on them like crushing weight.

The black aura coiled around their throats, tightening like a serpent. Their bodies trembled as if their bones would shatter.

Struggling to speak, they gasped desperately.

Loosening the pressure slightly, Osh spoke again.

“Answer.”

“Young master-!”

One of them removed his mask and revealed the emblem of the count’s household.

They had been told this would guarantee their survival.

But…

Osh didn’t react.

Not even a blink.

The man’s head fell from his body in a single, clean motion.

Blood splattered across Osh’s pale face, staining his already crimson hair a deeper red.

He showed no emotion.

No guilt.

No hesitation.

No fear.

His blade moved again.

Another head rolled.

Another body fell.

Stepping on one survivor’s chest, he pressed down coldly.

“P-please! We were just following orders from the Count-!”

“You chose the wrong target.”

With that, Osh drove his sword straight into the man’s heart.

Blood burst out, splattering everywhere.

He pulled the blade free.

And slaughtered the rest in an instant.

The ground became a sea of blood.

Finally, with a sharp clang, he dropped his sword.

Wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand, he let out a faint, crooked smile.

Then he turned…

And walked toward Kebel.

The moment he saw him, his eyes returned to emerald.

From his coat, he took out a vial and poured its contents into Kebel’s mouth.

Carefully, he lifted him into his arms, one hand supporting his head, the other his waist.

“Kebel…”

“…”

“Don’t worry.”

His voice softened.

“I won’t let you die.”