TWLW 29

chapter 29

“My older brother hated having anyone interfere in his work. Whether it was family or friends. Whenever something happened, he would quietly step in and handle it himself.”

As she spoke, she shared a secret with me.

“But you know… the reason he was covered in blood didn’t come to light until months later. My brother…”

She dragged out the last words and whispered into my ear.

“He single-handedly slaughtered the experimental subjects of witches who had secretly entered the Beast Nation.”

At those words, I felt my blood freeze. No, it wasn’t just blood; it was as if my brain had stopped entirely.

Witch, experimental subjects, Rudels, covered in blood…?

Those four words were all that registered in my mind.

After all, the so-called experimental subjects of witches had already been marked in history as a shameful experiment that ended with the war against the Beasts.

‘Experimental subjects? Are human experiments still ongoing?’

Seeing my shocked expression, she narrowed her eyes like a bow and said:

“You look very surprised, sister.”

She gently brushed the powder from my lips with her fingers and looked at me with a relaxed gaze.

Her kindness suddenly felt terrifyingly cruel.

Seeing the fear in my violet eyes, she gave a slight smile.

“You don’t have to be so scared, sir. I’m not telling you this to frighten you, but rather as a sister’s wish for you to understand our brother a little better.”

She said that and withdrew her hand.

“Secretly, the supremacist faction among the witches in the Witch Nation conducts experiments in secrecy. They even bring children from the slums.”

She said this briefly and stirred the straw in her pre-ordered iced tea.

“But those women… no, let’s just call them ‘they,’ sister. They brainwash those children and place them on our side. That way, it doesn’t violate any agreements. Moreover, they use them to gather information and to incite conflicts among other nobles, turning the children into tools to kill and create turmoil.”

I drank the now-cooled black tea in a single gulp as my throat burned.

Seeing me like that, she continued.

“But back then, they crossed the border secretly. About thirteen of them? My brother killed them all. Cleanly.”

Merina closed her eyes, recalling that time.

“After learning that, I realized how much my brother worried about the Beast Nation. I thought he was foolish at times, knowing everything alone and going out silently to protect it all.”

Merina chuckled softly and opened her eyes.

“So, I decided to become a swordsman and wipe out the enemies outside. To ease my brother’s burden.”

She cheerfully took a bite of the mocha cake in front of her as she spoke.

Seeing her expressions and hearing her words, a wave of sympathy washed over me.

“But… why didn’t you inform the Witch Nation? Surely the two nations are bound by a treaty.”

“Of course, we informed the Witch Nation. But no matter how much they investigated, nothing came of it. There was nothing they could do.”

“What do you mean…?”

Merina looked at me nonchalantly.

“It means it was impossible to find out. The evidence was hidden so tightly. The existence, the place they made it, even where they got the people—everything was unknown.”

She spoke candidly and continued.

“That’s when I decided to become a swordsman. To help my brother. But once I started training, the aura came, and suddenly I became a Sword Master. I became a swordsman who could easily slice through the monsters outside like cutting tofu.”

She laughed and looked at me.

“I set out to ease my brother’s burden and, by luck, became the youngest Sword Master in the Beast Nation.”

There was a complex emotion tangled in her eyes, more than joy, as she spoke with a slight smile.

Even if it was luck, seeing her hands calloused from effort, I thought perhaps this was her reward for all the hard work she had put in.

I said to her:

“It’s not luck.”

Her eyes blinked at my words.

“It’s not luck, but the natural result of your hard work. You know that better than anyone, Merina.”

She smiled brightly at my words.

“The result of hard work… I suppose that could be true.”

She bowed her head slightly as she spoke.

Her calm smile overlapped with her past self in my mind.

While she stared blankly into her memories, I quietly sipped my tea, not wanting to disturb her thoughts.

It was the ordinary demeanor of a young lady, relieved to finally speak her heart.

I smiled alone and looked out the window. The sun had not yet set, but the gentle sunlight was enough to soothe my mood.

“Ugh… where… am I?”

I remember being with Teacher Iriel…

Oren blinked and stared at the white ceiling.

“Oh! You’re awake?”

A flapping sound and a warm, rustic accent came from beside her.

“Martin… assistant? Huh? Why…”

“Ah, you don’t remember, huh? You passed out and were carried here by Foldy.”

Martin clicked his tongue in sympathy as he looked at Oren, who was lying in a squirrel form.

Oren still couldn’t believe she had been carried by Lord Rudels’ pet bird, Foldy, and remained dazed. Her face gradually turned pale, and her four limbs began to tremble.

“Oh dear! What’s wrong with you?”

As the seizures returned, Martin flapped anxiously and flew to Curiel.

“Sir! Sir! Come over here!”

“Ugh, tsk.”

Curiel flew in her hawk form to the small beast ward on the top floor.

“Gasp, hack! Cough, cough!”

During her hyperventilation, Curiel placed a paper bag over Oren’s mouth and said:

“Now, slowly. Slowly inhale, then exhale. Inhale… exhale.”

As Oren followed the instructions and regained her breath, Curiel whispered to Martin:

“Summon the owl spirit, Martin.”

“Ah, got it!”

He fluttered away.

Curiel watched the squirrel beast for a moment. No matter how the times changed, weaker animals instinctively feared stronger ones.

Sighing at her hawk form, Curiel transformed back into her human form. She was now naked, but Martin wasn’t around, and Oren was female, so she didn’t mind.

She changed her clothes and asked Oren:

“Feeling calmer now?”

“Yes… thank you, teacher.”

“Tsk. So weak, yet you got so scared. Tsk, tsk.”

Though Curiel clicked her tongue in disapproval, the concern in her eyes brought a smile to Oren.

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s fine! I’ll give you some medicine before you leave. By the way, why did you faint from being so startled? Tsk, tsk. You’ve had more than a few shocking experiences, haven’t you?”

Oren mumbled in response:

“…He smiled at me.”

“Huh?”

Curiel tilted her head slightly toward her.

Through tears, Oren said:

“Lord Gong… smiled at me. Waaah!”

Covering her face with her small paws, she sobbed, as if she didn’t want to see him again.

Curiel, seeing Oren’s trembling body, was taken aback.

‘Lord Gong smiled?’

Curiel’s expression shifted from confusion to sympathy. If Lord Rudels had smiled, it was indeed a terrifying event. In the Ipin family, the eldest lord smiling was a cause for fear.

‘The eldest lord rarely smiles unless he’s displeased or facing enemies.’

Curiel gently brushed Oren’s head, comforting her.

“It wasn’t in a bad way.”

“Waaah!”

Despite the comfort, Oren’s sobs grew louder, as the memory still lingered.

Outside, the sound of running feet approached.

“Oren! What the hell is going on?!”

It was Hao, the owl beast.

Curiel frowned and muttered:

“Damn it… I told you countless times not to shout in front of patients, Hao!”

“Never mind! Where’s Oren, old lady?”

“Waaah! Master!”

Oren reached out her tiny paw toward Hao, her tear-stained face lighting up as he approached. Hao, heartbroken, lifted her gently.

“Why are you crying so much, huh?”

“Waaah!”

It looked like a family reunion.

Seeing the tender reunion between two beasts of different species, Curiel shook her head in exasperation.

Martin, following behind, just tilted his head in confusion.

Curiel shook her head and began preparing medicine for Oren.

“But Merina,” I said.

“Yes?”

“Why did you tell me such an important story?”

Merina put down the fork in her mouth.

“I wanted my sister to understand our brother.”

“Huh?”

I tilted my head, not understanding her meaning. Merina chuckled softly at me.