Number 29 spoke.

"Pack up, Number 30. Someone else has done our job for us. We’ll leave on schedule."

She was right. It was as if the task I had been hesitant about had been quietly taken care of by another.

It was something to be grateful for. It meant we no longer needed to risk ourselves.

I nodded, gathered my few belongings, and leaned against the wall. When night fell, we would leave the inn and follow our original plan to head to Magok.

…That would suffice. That would be enough.

"Number 29."

"Hm?"

"Mengcheon gave me something."

I pulled out the small wooden box from my chest pocket. Number 29’s face twisted in surprise.

"...An elixir? He gave you this?"

"Yes."

"Why are you showing it to me?"

"This was our first mission together."

I cracked the elixir in half.

"I didn’t want to take it alone."

"You..."

Her expression softened, and she looked away as if embarrassed.

"You’re really strange. I wouldn’t have known if you had just kept it for yourself."

"I don’t want to have secrets with you, Number 29."

"...Tch."

She took half the elixir without hesitation. I swallowed the other half and began to circulate my energy.

Even halved, the elixir’s potency, equivalent to five years of cultivation, was significant. My internal energy surged, growing heavier and darker—a mass of energy that, while impure, was abundant.

I completed my cycle of inner energy cultivation just as the sunlight outside dipped toward the horizon.

The smell of the sunset wafted through the open window.

"…Haa."

Number 29, having finished absorbing her half of the elixir, leaned back against the wall.

"What did you do inside for Mengcheon to give you an elixir?"

"I simply talked to him, as I reported."

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

"So, you’re saying he gave you an elixir after just five days of talking? He’s a strange man."

"Indeed."

I chuckled bitterly.

"He was truly strange. On the last day I saw him, he was overjoyed, saying his troublemaking son was finally going to be treated."

"......."

"An accident, they said. The Sect Leader of the Black Sky Axe Sect was undoubtedly suffering from inner demons. His hands trembled, and his grip on the axe was weak. But..."

The sunlight filtering through the window was crimson, staining the floor in red.

I stepped into the light, my foot painted in its hue.

"He wasn’t the kind of man to die from an accident. He was still a master."

"Didn’t he say the disciple of the Master of All Medicine was coming that day? It’s a curious coincidence."

"Indeed."

Number 29 crawled closer, leaning her face toward mine.

"What are you thinking about?"

"...Nothing important."

"Hey, you said it yourself."

"Said what?"

"That you didn’t want to keep secrets from me."

"......."

The thoughts swirling in my head were, indeed, nothing special.

"Mengcheon told me that I reminded him of his lost second son."

"And?"

"He asked me to visit the Black Sky Axe Sect again, not as a hunter but as a friend."

"Anything else?"

"...And."

I hesitated, rolling the words over in my mouth.

"Thank you for listening to me. If I am the pillar of the Black Sky Axe Sect, then you, for a brief moment, were the one who supported me."

I bit my lip, the words weighing heavily on my tongue.

"Number 29, the moment I received this elixir, I could no longer bring myself to kill him."

"......."

"I didn’t want to stain my hands. Not with his blood. So until the day before the mission, I hesitated. I didn’t know what to do."

"......."

"When I heard he was dead, I felt a brief sense of relief. Relief that my hands hadn’t been dirtied."

"......."

"But when it was all over, all that remained was a question. A question that no one in the Blood Demon Squad should have. A thought that no servant of the Heavenly Demon should entertain."

...Who?

Who killed my friend?

"The Sect Leader of the Black Sky Axe Sect was a father who cared for his son. He was not a warrior but a man trying to protect his family."

"......."

"A warrior shouldn’t fear dying by the sword. By wielding a weapon, we accept the possibility of our death. But Mengcheon wasn’t a warrior. He was a fading flower that had long since set down his axe."

"You..."

"That’s why I want to know."

The crimson sunset gave way to darkness, consuming everything.

"Who killed him?"

Number 29 let out a hollow laugh, wiping her face.

"You really don’t belong in the cult. Why do you even live like this?"

"......."

"People in the cult only care about their own survival. They’ll stab someone in the back without hesitation if it means they won’t go hungry. That’s the way of the cult—it’s harsh, but that’s how you live. It’s no different for the Blood Demon Squad. Good people die early, and those who do good die even sooner."

The memory of Seongjamyeong surfaced.

I remained silent.

"This whole thing...everything you’re thinking about...it’s pointless. It’s already over. We benefited without lifting a finger. Isn’t that enough?"

"......."

"If something goes smoothly, leave it alone. Stirring things up is just stupid. What does it matter whose hands did it? Mengcheon is dead—that’s all that matters."

"…You’re right."

"I’m part of the Blood Demon Squad. You are too. We’re people of the cult, warriors who survive by driving blades into others. That’s the way it is."

Number 29 shoved me.

"...What you’re doing right now is nothing but hypocrisy."

She was right.

This was hypocrisy.

A killer questioning vengeance? It was absurd.

I looked up at Number 29, who loomed over me. Beneath her mask, I couldn’t see her true face.

"...If you’re a warrior of the cult, act like one. Take what you need. Even if it means abandoning your child to survive."

"......."

Her words were true.

Hadn’t I ignored my parents’ letters? Turned away from my dead sister?

That someone like me could care for another...was laughable. Feeling sympathy for a target? Utter nonsense.

...Yet.

Letting it go wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

"After tonight, I’ll fully become a killer of the Blood Demon Squad."

"......."

"But today isn’t over yet, Number 29."

I had made my decision.

I spoke with resolve, steadying my emotions.

She was right. I was a servant of the Heavenly Demon.

If commanded, I would bite.

If instructed, I would kill.

But what lay at the end of such a blade?

What was the purpose of a sword wielded only at another’s behest?

Could I stand alongside the Heavenly Demon without finding my own way?

The bitter taste of the elixir lingered on my tongue.

"Mengcheon said this: ‘If my second son had grown up, he would’ve been like you.’"

I had made my decision.

"I have a request."

"You really—!"

"Number 29."

I stood and placed my hands on her shoulders, looking into her trembling eyes.

She had her own story. But so did I.

"My story matters too."

"Why does it matter?"

"It might not. But..."

I smiled bitterly.

"...I received kindness. I can’t sleep without repaying it."

"Just when I thought I had a sensible partner..."

Number 29 slumped her shoulders.

"...I get stuck with a madman."

"I’m sorry."

She stepped back, muttering something unintelligible under her breath. I waited until she decided.

The sun had set. Nightfall arrived.

Finally, she lowered her head.

"Pack your things. I’m done listening to this nonsense."

She wasn’t going to stop me.

I gathered my belongings, securing food and strapping my sword to my back. Number 29 tilted her chin.

"What are you doing?"

"Packing, as you said."

"I meant your sword. The night’s fallen—perfect for infiltrating the estate. With the confusion from Mengcheon’s death, security will be looser. Use your new inner strength to climb the wall quietly. Let’s go."

"...Number 29?"

"Idiot. If there was more to the story, you should’ve started with that."

She turned her head, feigning indifference.

"Like it or not, I’ve already taken an advance payment. And tonight, I’m still your wife, not Number 29. Couples...act as one, you know?"

Her cheeks flushed faintly.

"Let’s get moving, idiot. Just remember, when the night ends, we leave this place—no matter what happens."

"......!"

I couldn’t contain my relief.

She

wasn’t like the others. She was still Number 29.

"Haha!"

"What are you hugging me for?! Are you crazy?! I told you not to touch me!"

I didn’t care about the punches I received.

I was just...grateful.

"What’s the plan? If you dragged me into this, it better be good."

"We’ll scale the back wall and move across the rooftops. We’ll minimize noise and infiltrate the main building."

"I can do it. Can you?"

"I think I’ve figured something out recently."

I demonstrated the Silent Shadow Steps. After crossing blades with Mengcheon, I had gained more control.

It was still imperfect, but it would suffice.

"Your form’s improved slightly. With a bit of help, we can move quietly enough."

"Let’s go, then."

"Hold on. Let me prepare. I need to brace myself for this disaster."

As she took a deep breath, I couldn’t help but ask, "Why are you helping me, Number 29?"

"You asked me to."

"That’s not all, though..."

"Enough. Let’s just say I realized something while talking to you."

"Realized what?"

"Before going to Magok, I had a dream. I swore to never become like someone I despised. But during my time in Magok, I forgot. I was too busy surviving."

She tied her mask over her face.

"I realized my words sounded just like his. It made me sick. That’s all. This isn’t for you—it’s for me."

"Are you embarrassed—?"

"Want to die?! Focus! One slip, and we’ll end up surrounded by the Black Sky Axe Sect’s furious warriors!"

She motioned toward the wall.

"You lead. I’ll cover you. Let’s go, Number 30."

"...Understood."

I placed my foot on the wall and began the climb.

Silent Shadow Steps.