The gatekeepers were divided into shifts. The shifts were usually divided alternately, but in the Barkaley region, everyone's work was fixed between day and night.
One of the soldiers who was supposed to have the day shift asked the night shift soldier for a shift swap because he wanted to eat together with his family.
"Dad, can't you sleep with Eri today?"
"Eri... You heard earlier, right? Dad purposely didn't work during the day because it's you wanted to celebrate his birthday today. Didn't you force him to celebrate together?" said the mother.
"I'm sorry, I can't sleep with you today. Just for today, Eri," her father replied.
"I see... Well, Eri is happy that Dad doesn't have to work during the day for Eri."
"Thank you Eri; don't sleep too late."
"O-okay, I promise."
"What the hell is that? Why do you sound hesitant?"
"No! Nothing! Just go! I'm going to bed early."
ƥandasnovel.com "Aaah, okok, then, I will go now."
Behind her, her mother smiled while holding back her laughter. After her father left the house, Eri said, "Mom, is it okay today?"
"Yes, but only until midnight; after that, you have to sleep."
"Yey!"
Eri's desire to become beautiful led her to practice sewing with her mother. One day, after dedicating herself to the craft, she almost finished sewing a beautiful scarf and decided to surprise her father with it. However, things didn't go as planned, as she had fallen asleep early the day before and hadn't had enough time to complete the scarf.
Her mother insisted on telling Eri that she could finish it the next day until her mother lied and said that the gift had a limit of 1 day after the birthday. So she should at least try to finish the scarf for her beloved father that night.
The father, as soon as he arrived at the gate, was greeted by the other soldiers who usually worked the night shift.
"Oh no, I forgot," said the father when he saw the other soldier.
"Geez, why are you only wearing the soldier's clothes? It's colder on the night shift than the day shift," his friend retorted.
"Yes! I totally forgot. Since I ran here, my body was warm, so I didn't feel the cold too much."
"Shouldn't you go home first to pick it up? It's going to be cold tonight."
"Hmm..." the father remembered his daughter's scarred hand. He realized what his daughter was doing for him. If he went home now, he might disturb his daughter's work.
"No need; I'll just get some cloth from the guard room."
The father walked towards the guard room and picked up a dirty, thin cloth. He wrapped it around his body and immediately felt a chill. It wasn't much different from what he felt before he put on the cloth. However, the thought of his daughter at home warmed his heart. "I can't wait to try Eri's scarf. It'll be so warm," he said to himself.
He took two to three of the cloths to cover his body, then went out grumbling,
"Hey, we should start washing these cloths tomorrow; they're already starting to stink-"
But his friend didn't answer. Horror washed over him as he saw the gruesome sight that greeted him. His friend was standing lifeless, his head partially detached and rigidly still. It was a scene that belonged in a nightmare, made all the more terrifying by the strange woman that stood over him.
"Huh?"
In front of the dead soldier was a woman in a bright red robe, shining like blood illuminated by the moon.
The woman was holding the dead soldier's cheek while crying.
"Aaah I envy you," she whispered softly. There was something sinister in her voice and the way she held his friend's cheek as she spoke. "Your life and blood now belong to Milord."
The fear was immeasurable, and he could sense that she was dangerous. He couldn't move or make a sound in front of that person. The only thought that crossed his mind at that moment was to
RUN
I MUST
RUN
-TRACK
There was the sound of someone stomping on wood. He glanced to his right; seven other people were in the same robe as the woman walking toward them. One of them was holding a grail with both hands, as if offering something.
-SLURP
That dead warrior's blood came from the top of his split head. At the same time, the grail shone, and the man's blood coagulated like a circle on the grail. Little by little, that blood flowed into the grail.
The woman who killed the warrior removed her hand from the corpse whose blood had been sucked dry. Then she turned to him, and with a very happy and weeping face, she said,
"I too... envy you."
That woman's black-eyed gaze was so terrifying and... so beautiful.
And her gaze made this soldier come to his senses.
He started moving and quickly ran from there.
"I must report this to the others! I must report this immediately!"
He took out the whistle around his neck. And as soon as he wanted to blow it
-SLASH
The woman slashed at him from behind, creating a long, deep gash from the top of his head to his back.
The soldier fell, then tried to reach the whistle as best he could.
"I-I have to... tell everyone... so that they... can escape..." he muttered while imagining the faces of his wife and daughter at home.
-SYUT, the woman plunged her knife into the soldier's hand. Making him unable to even move or do anything.
'I'm sorry... Eri...'
The woman looked at the soldier while crying,
"You also don't need to be sad anymore; you are currently united with Milord."
The woman then took her blade and drew an amnis with it.
She carved the amnis order on the dead soldier's back.
"Dark fire spirit that moves at his worship's command, answer my call and activate the eternal holy fire."
The amnis circle glowed. He then picked up the man's body and threw it at the front gate.
-WHUSH
The soldier's body was engulfed in flames. White-colored flames burned the gate.
"It's beautiful..." the woman said with a blush on her face, crying in admiration.
Then she continued,
"I really envy everyone in this city."
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