-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Chapter 1 Grim Reaper, Kai (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
She had nothing, so she couldn't guess what he wanted from her, but if he would grant her one last wish, she would give him anything.
Towards the woman, the man slowly brought his face closer, speaking in his still quiet voice.
"Your soul."
"…!"
"Do you still wish to make the deal?"
"Ah…"
The woman momentarily didn't understand the man's words about taking her soul, wearing a blank expression, but then she gently nodded.
If her soul was all it took to grant the desperate wish she needed right now, she would give it without hesitation.
"Very well. The deal is done."
"…!"
The moment the man finished speaking, the last thing the woman saw was a thin, faint thread-like light flowing from his hand.
And with that light stretching towards her, the woman drew her last breath.
Though her life was insignificant, she thought that if her desperate wish could be granted in exchange for her soul, she had nothing more to ask for.
"What do you think you're doing!"
"Hand that child over!"
Those who had been momentarily stunned by the sight of the two people snapped back to reality upon seeing the woman die. They shouted loudly at the man, drawing their swords and threatening him.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that."
"…!"
But even at their murderous shouts, the man spoke in his usual quiet voice, looking at them with an indifferent expression.
It was merely an indifferent expression, yet the bloodthirsty individuals flinched, involuntarily stepping back a pace.
"What—what are you muttering!"
"Get out of here right now if you don't want to die!"
However, realizing they were many and he was alone, they soon shouted again, gripping their swords tighter and rushing towards the man.
"I don't have a habit of repeating myself, but I will tell you again."
"…!"
"I cannot hand this child over to you now."
"Wh-what the…!"
But at that moment, as the man extended his hand towards them, all those who had been rushing him stopped in their tracks. No, they were forced to stop.
"M-my body…"
"I can't move!"
It was as if they had turned to stone, unable to move even a single finger.
"Grim Reaper's Rule, Chapter Two: Those who interfere with duties may be killed…"
"What—what are you babbling about!"
"Release this at once!"
And with the man's cold voice that followed, the men, whose bodies were frozen, felt even greater fear and began to shout.
"Therefore…"
"…!"
"You must disappear."
"Ugh… Aah!"
"St-stop it!"
A moment later, as the man's hand, stretched towards them, moved again, those who had been holding their swords, utterly motionless, also began to move again.
They started swinging their swords, not at the man, but at their comrades standing beside them.
"No! Stop!"
It wasn't their own movement. Their bodies were moving on their own, against their will.
"Cough… G-gasp!"
"…!"
And soon after, they met their deaths in a tragic state, having stabbed each other countless times.
"…"
But the man's eyes remained indifferent as he watched them.
As if their deaths held no interest for him, the man soon turned his head, looking at the baby that had been making small whimpering sounds in the dead woman's arms for a while now.
"Haa… A troublesome wish indeed."
Then, approaching the baby, the man sighed and quietly murmured to himself before carefully picking the baby up.
Curiously, the baby soon stopped crying and looked at the man with a bright, smiling face.
"…"
Even with that smile, the man continued to look at the child with indifferent eyes before lightly waving his hand.
From his hand, a faint ball of light slowly appeared. It was the soul of the woman who had just died.
"Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-ninth."
A moment later, the man quietly uttered something unintelligible, then gently tossed the soul upward.
Then, one side of the space tore open as if cut, guiding the light as if sucking it in, and the light soon vanished into the darkness.
"…"
After gazing at the sight for a moment, the man looked at the child cradled in his arms one last time before quietly beginning to leave the spot.
***
Bang!
"Kai, big brother!"
A girl burst into the house, opening the door so forcefully it seemed it would break, and loudly called out someone's name.
She was an incredibly cute girl with fiery red curly hair charmingly tied into pigtails on both sides.
The girl, who was sixteen this year, was transitioning from a girl to a woman, showing more than just cuteness.
Her facial features and figure were gradually becoming more defined, acquiring a certain beauty.
"Do I look like an old man who's gone deaf? I can hear you if you speak quietly."
At the girl's call, someone appeared from further inside, responding in a dry voice.
The man, in his early twenties, with striking black eyes that seemed to hold deep darkness, had an expression as indifferent as his dry voice.
"Tch! Can't you greet me a little more warmly?"
Displeased with Kai's indifferent demeanor, the girl pouted, a visibly annoyed expression on her face.
"…How am I supposed to greet you warmly every time when you visit several times a day?"
"How could you *not* be happy when someone as charming and cute as me visits every single day?"
"…"
Kai had to stare at her for a moment with a bewildered expression, as the girl, genuinely unable to understand him, was now getting angry at *him*.
"And today, I came for a reason."
"Speak."
"Tch!"
Still annoyed by Kai's cold gaze, which simply told her to state her business, the girl, Jushia, glanced around with a look of exasperation.
"…How can a bachelor's house be so clean?"
Jushia uttered words mixed with admiration at the house's appearance, which was not only meticulously organized but also gleaming without a speck of dust.
"It's better than being messy like someone's room."
"…You're not talking about my room, are you?"
"If you know, then clean it up."
"Ugh!"
"Just state your business."
"…Hmph."
Jushia glared at Kai for a moment, then quickly began to state the reason for her visit.
"Mom's arm isn't doing too well."
"…"
At Jushia's words, Kai's expression stiffened for a moment.
But it was only for a second; Kai quickly reverted to his usual indifferent expression as if nothing had happened, so Jushia didn't notice it.
"So, if you have time, please stop by our house. She said her arm hurt a bit last night, and it's still hurting after waking up."
For a long time, Kai had been responsible for treating all the villagers' illnesses.
Since it was a remote mountain village far from the city, there was no proper healer in the village.
However, Kai's healing skills were far superior to any other healer, and he quickly cured most of the villagers' ailments.
"…Understood."
"Thank you. Then I'll go to the mountain and dig up some medicinal herbs."
At Kai's reply, Jushia gave a bright smile and thanked him, then immediately got up and headed outside.
She intended to gather beneficial medicinal herbs for her mother, whose arm was bothering her.
Having had a great interest in herbs since childhood, with the purpose of helping Kai, Jushia now knew more about herbs than most experienced gatherers.
"…"
Kai silently watched Jushia leave the house, waving with a bright, smiling face.
A moment later, only after she had completely disappeared from sight, he slowly got up from his seat, picked up one of the logs placed in a corner of the house, and also headed outside.
Click!
"Oh, Kai! Welcome!"
"…"
A short while later, he left his house and arrived at Jushia's house.
At his sudden appearance, her mother, who was cooking in the kitchen, greeted him with a welcoming expression.
"Jushia isn't home right now, but what brings you…"
Snap!
Towards Jushia's mother, who was speaking softly to him, Kai lightly flicked his hand.
Thud!
Then, she collapsed to the floor as if her strings had been cut, like a puppet.
But Kai approached her without any change in expression, as if he had expected this.
"…"
Then, he carefully picked her up from the floor and headed to the room where a bed was located.
But what was strange was her appearance as she was laid on the bed.
Her appearance had changed so much that one might doubt if she was the same person who had just given a warm smile.
The unique vitality seen in living people was completely absent. She wasn't even breathing, like a dead person.
Whoosh!
And the next moment, as Kai extended his hand towards her, a faint light began to flow from her body, and a moment later, when the light vanished, Jushia's mother was also gone from the bed.
In her place, only an intricately carved wooden doll, identical to Jushia's mother, remained.
"Making the material out of cheap wood was a mistake, I suppose."
Kai sighed inwardly, seeing that the wooden doll's arm was rotting.
A moment later, Kai began to skillfully and quickly carve the log he had brought.
A carving that was indistinguishable from a human arm, enough to make anyone exclaim in admiration, was soon created by his hands.
"…"
Holding the completed carving, Kai approached the bed and simply detached the rotten arm from the carved doll.
After that, he replaced it with the new arm he had just carved.
"…!"
But then, Kai's hand, which was fixing the doll, suddenly paused.
"…"
Slowly rising from his spot, Kai quietly turned around and looked at a person standing at the doorway with a bewildered expression.
"…Jushia."
"…"
It was Jushia, who had said she was going to the mountain to gather herbs, standing there.
"…"
Kai hadn't noticed her approach because he was so focused on making the doll that he couldn't hear any other sounds.
"What… is that?"
"…"
"What is that lying on Mother's bed right now?"
"Jushia."
"Tell me, Kai, big brother."
"…"
"What is that?!"
"…A doll."
"A doll?"
"Yes."
"But… it looks exactly like our mother."
"…"
"Our mother's clothes… her shoes…"
Jushia approached Kai but couldn't take her eyes off the doll lying on the bed.
