The Slave Traders
The night mist hung thickly between the tree trunks of the valley forest. A gentle breeze carried the scent of blood… Amidst the darkness of the forest, a whimpering, heart-rending scream could be heard.
"A-aah… help… help…"
The weak scream came from a little boy, Thomas, his body dirty, his clothes torn, and his wrists bound with rough rope. He lay on the damp ground, his small body covered in bruises. Blood flowed from his temples.
"Shut up, you bastard," snapped a tall, large man in a harsh voice like grinding gravel. He kicked Thomas in the stomach with his black shoe.
"Scream as loud as you can, you bastard!" He kicked the poor boy again, "No one will help you…"
Thomas writhed… and cried, but his whimpers were only answered by the brute's cold laughter.
"Grandma… help me… sob… sob—" the boy cried, enduring the pain in his stomach.
"Cry... louder... Haha...", the man grumbled.
A bonfire blazed in the middle of the clearing among the dense trees... the flames were warm, but not to the boy.
It was warm to a fat, greasy-faced man sitting in front of the fire. He leaned against a wooden chest filled with chains and old sacks.
He turned to the brute... with a grin and spat on the ground.
"Hey, Bragg... that's enough. Don't damage the 'goods,' or the selling price will drop," the fat man said in a lazy yet sarcastic tone.
"Garel... he's just a brat. Who would buy a skinny kid like this?!" Bragg said playfully.
"You idiot! There's always a market for slave labor," Garel sneered.
"But we need good stuff. Young girls. Or... beautiful women... hmm," his eyes narrowed lustfully, "...Especially ones with clear skin and ample breasts."
Bragg chuckled hoarsely. "… If there was something like that, I would have 'tasted' it first before selling it. Hehe…"
"You beast! Remember, we're still in the Rose Kingdom. This isn't the Wealth Kingdom, where slavery is legal…" Garel snorted in annoyance.
"Ever since Prince Elvyn El Rose took office… slave trading has been banned here… we've been forced to sell our 'goods' to the Wealth Kingdom at a lower price," Garel said in frustration. "… Those gold hoarders are too greedy… they're really picky about 'living goods'."
"Damn! That blond prince is so annoying. If only we could go back seven years ago… we could freely search for good goods here and sell them in the Rose Kingdom for a high price," Bragg complained.
Garel looked at Bragg sarcastically, "You're right, Bragg! We missed a golden opportunity seven years ago… but we have to be careful! We have to find a village that isn't guarded by knights."
Bragg turned to Garel. He offered a poisonous suggestion.
"Why don't we kidnap the girls… quietly and one by one?!" His black eyes glinted. "No one will notice they're missing, right?!"
Garel looked at Bragg sarcastically, "Capture them?! Are you crazy? What if the knights come?"
"No! The knights aren't in that village… I've been watching the village for days… and haven't found a single guard," he said optimistically.
"I was hoping we could kidnap the girls in that village…" Bragg's lips curled. "I even saw a very cute little silver-haired girl."
His black eyes were like those of a predator who had found prey.
"…And her mother, a sexy silver-haired woman who—mmh… Hehe…"
Bragg licked his lips. His tongue lolled out of his filthy mouth… His saliva dripped onto the ground like a stray dog.
Garel spat into the fireplace. "Don't get too excited, Bragg. We'll find the right time. Haha…"
They laughed foolishly. They continued to speak wildly, obscenely, filthily, and filthy… letting their wild imaginations take over. But they didn't know that night… wasn't theirs. The shadow of judgment was approaching.
—
Silent Footsteps…
From the darkness of the forest… among the tree trunks and the dense forest, a shadow cloaked in dark red approached.
With steps as silent as a night ghost… Marry El Rose followed a trail of blood and broken branches. A cold, deadly aura enveloped her body. Her robes blended with the depth and darkness of the forest. Her eyes glowed a dim blue like moonlight.
"Thomas… wait a moment."
Marry continued through the dark, dense forest… until her footsteps led her to the center of the forest. There… a clearing appeared among the grove of trees.
A campfire burned on the ground. In front of the fire, a rough and fat man was laughing… but beneath the rough man's feet, a small boy lay weak.
Marry's hands clenched. She saw him from a distance, the little boy lying, barely conscious, his skin blue from being beaten. The world was indeed dark… but she would not let it touch innocent children.
"What kind of people sell children?" Marry bit her lip.
But her face quickly returned to calm… and her blue eyes grew colder.
She formed a seal with her fingers. A magical aura pulsed from her body.
"[Misdirection: Crimson Veil]," she whispered softly.
A wave of magic enveloped Marry's body. Advanced Perception Disturbance Magic: Anyone looking at her now… would only see a young girl lost in the forest, helpless prey.
—
The Meeting of the Bloody Executioner and the Slave Traders
Bragg and Garel were still laughing dirty in front of the campfire. Bragg stared into the fire… but beyond the flames… a shadowy figure approached from behind the curtain of forest trees.
"Eh?" Bragg squinted as he saw the figure drawing closer from the forest mist. "Who is it?! A… girl?"
Garel stood up. "What is such a young girl doing alone at night?"
"What incredible luck." Bragg grinned. "Look at her body! Slender waist, fair face, blue eyes... and silver hair. Could she be this boy's sister?! We got two! Hahaha..."
"Calm down! Check it out first. Don't let her get any magic," Garel warned.
Bragg squinted at the girl walking calmly through the trees. "She's just a weak girl. Look! Her arms are as thin as twigs." Bragg smiled wildly. "She won't even last a single blow."
Hearing his friend's dirty joke, Garel simply spat. "Whatever! Do as you please!"
But contrary to their expectations... the weak girl... continued walking calmly and steadily. She stopped in front of the campfire.
She turned to Thomas, who lay weak on the ground. Her blue eyes were glassy... then she looked at Bragg and Garel... but her gaze was now cold and deadly, like a lion staring at its prey.
"...Were you the ones who tortured that boy?" she asked coldly.
"And if so, what can you do about it?! Haha..." Bragg laughed sarcastically.
"...Then you'll never touch anyone again."
"Young lady… don't you know your place?!" Bragg snorted harshly.
He stepped closer to Marry. He gripped the hilt of his black sword. The black sword hung at his waist. He glared at Marry.
"Young lady, surrender! If you surrender, I'll let you be my 'bedwarmer'," Bragg said in a foul tone.
Marry remained calm… her blue eyes staring at Bragg like a piece of trash on the side of the road.
Bragg snorted in annoyance, not getting a good response.
"Young lady… I made you a kind offer, but you didn't heed it…" he took a step forward, "… don't blame me if I'm rude!"
Bragg stepped forward… drawing his sword and attempting to slash Marry with its black blade.
"Hah! Who do you think you are?! A swordsman like me can cut you anytime—"
But Marry's face remained calm. Her eyes were cold. Her right hand gripped the hilt of her red sword.
And when Bragg was four feet away from Marry… her hand moved with lightning speed.
Swoosh!
The blade of his red sword suddenly bled. Blood dripped from the tip of the blade. But Marry's eyes remained unmoved… she remained calm and cool, as if nothing had happened.
Bragg's eyes widened. He froze in place. His right hand reached for his neck, but…
Splaaash…
Fresh blood gushed from his neck… and splashed onto the campfire. Bragg fell to the ground like a pile of garbage.
Garel's body trembled. He tried to pull out the knife at his waist and stammered,
"W-wait! Wait! We can talk—"
"NO."
But Marry's blue eyes remained as cold as winter ice. Then…
Swoosh!!
A sharp stab to his plump stomach…
"Arrgghhh…"
Blood spurted from his mouth. His hands trembled… he tried to hold the tip of the red sword blade embedded in his stomach… but his fat belly was shaking.
And from the stab wound, tendrils of blood roses grew. Then…
Boom!
Garel's body exploded. His body disintegrated. Chunks of flesh and rose thorns scattered through the air. Red liquid soaked the mossy ground. The forest became a slaughterhouse.
A few moments later…
…
…
Silence.
The forest was silent again. The campfire still burned dimly… a silent witness to the sinners' blood flowing in the night forest.
—
Life on the Brink…
The mossy ground was still strewn with chunks of flesh, scattered organs, and the bodies of sinners. The green ground was dotted with red puddles. A fishy stench filled the forest air.
Marry stood silently in front of the campfire. Her gaze remained unwavering, calm, as if nothing had happened.
Marry stepped closer to Thomas, who was still lying weakly on the ground. The little boy's breathing was weak and erratic. Marry checked his pulse. She gently lifted him into her arms.
Her blue eyes were filled with tears, as she knew she was almost too late.
"Still breathing?! Thank God…" Marry said gratefully.
Marry took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Her face looked clouded as she cradled the small boy's crushed body.
His tiny mouth opened… trying to form words haltingly.
"Grandma… please—"
"It's okay. You're safe now," Marry whispered.
Thomas's eyelids were still tightly closed. He squirmed slowly in a daze, as if still feeling the bitterness of the slave trader's violent kick.
Marry's heart ached at the sight of the boy crushed in her arms. His hands were blue. They were still tightly bound.
Marry cut them carefully, making sure the boy didn't suffer further. Her soft hands stroked his black hair.
"I don't want blood on my hands anymore... But if the world touches innocent children... Then my sword will once again cleave this world," she murmured amidst the darkness of the forest.
The campfire still burned dimly...
A few moments later... the flames went out. The image of a woman, like a mother, hugging her child vanished.
And the darkness of night returned to the tranquillity of the forest. That night, the forest once again witnessed the executioner of blood... spilling the blood of tyrants... on the damp forest floor.