38화
It wasn’t exactly a surprising turn of events.
The backworld was, by its nature, a cesspool where filth gathered.
That was its peculiar charm.
It drew in outsiders with a certain allure.
But at its core, it was essentially a lawless zone of crime.
The nobles who frequented it, savoring the thrill, knew this well.
They’d posture as adventurous or brave, but it was all talk.
They always brought along the best mercenaries or knights to protect them.
Because one wrong move could cost them their lives.
Noble status meant nothing here.
So, for two young boys and a baby to wander the backworld without escorts?
It was beyond bold—it was practically suicidal.
If they’d been lucky, they might’ve slipped away unnoticed.
After all, most people here paid little attention to others.
But even with their hooded robes covering them head to toe, the twins and Chesha had an inexplicable aura that drew eyes.
That must’ve made them targets for the slave hunters.
“Whoa!”
Karha’s hood fell back as he swung his swords.
The slave hunters grew even more excited at the sight of the boy’s revealed face.
“Look at that face!”
“Where’d a kid like that come from?”
They cackled among themselves, already appraising his worth and causing a ruckus.
Chesha looked at them with bored eyes.
‘Lowlifes.’
Slave hunters who targeted humans were the lowest tier.
Among them, the most notorious were those who hunted mythical creatures.
The near-extinction of fairies and beastmen was largely their fault.
The Holy Empire didn’t care much for mythical creatures but left them alone as natural beings.
The enchantress Lichesia was an exception, targeted for elimination due to her aberrant powers.
Mythical creatures were so rare now that their value was beyond measure.
So, hunters had shifted to preying on fallen nobles or minor royals from weaker kingdoms.
‘Then I showed up, and they all lost their minds chasing me.’
A clueless young fairy manifesting in an orphanage?
For slave hunters, there couldn’t have been a more perfect target.
Chesha’s eyes darkened as she recalled the day they came for the orphanage.
She quickly buried the memories of flames and screams deep within.
Anyway, low-tier slave hunters like these were easy prey.
Karha could handle them without breaking a sweat.
“Fearless…” Ishuel muttered under his breath.
“We finally take our little sibling on an outing, and it gets messy.”
Grumbling, Ishuel caught Chesha’s gaze and flashed a warm smile, as if his irritation had never existed.
“Little sibling, want to cover your eyes for a bit?”
He gently lifted her hands to cover her face.
Then his voice turned commanding as he spoke to Karha.
“Don’t get any blood on me.”
“Got it.”
Karha obeyed faithfully.
Chesha did as Ishuel instructed, covering her eyes.
But not too thoroughly—she peeked through her fingers.
As if on cue, hunters poured out from the alleys.
They quickly blocked the street, cutting off any escape.
“…”
Karha silently twirled his swords halfway, moving slowly.
Crossing his twin blades, he stood poised, gazing calmly ahead.
The moment his cold red eyes met theirs, the hunters instinctively flinched.
They hesitated, and the one who seemed like their leader barked at them.
“What’re you doing against a single kid?”
Only then did the hunters charge.
Seeing them rush in, Karha gave a faint smile.
His small frame darted forward nimbly.
It was Chesha’s first time seeing Karha fight for real.
His swordplay wasn’t the disciplined technique of a knight—it was wild, like a beast rolling through a battlefield.
Wielding two short swords, his attacks were fast and unpredictable, nearly impossible to track.
He moved like a seasoned mercenary who’d survived countless battles.
Mesmerized, Chesha couldn’t tear her eyes away from his swift, exhilarating swordplay.
“That… that kid…!”
“He’s a monster!”
The hunters, stunned by Karha’s unexpected skill, grew frantic.
Realizing he wasn’t an easy mark, they drew their weapons.
“Just keep him alive!”
“Disarm him first!”
They charged desperately.
“Enough.”
A strangely clear voice cut through the noisy night street.
Though not loud, it rang in everyone’s ears as if enchanted.
A man with gray hair and trailing ribbons landed softly on the ground, as if he’d appeared from thin air.
His eyes covered with a cloth, he spoke quietly.
“No more disturbances. The Master forbids it.”
A subordinate of the Master who ruled the backworld.
Zahan.
The moment they saw him, the slave hunters, who’d been rampaging like they owned the street, instantly quieted.
They exchanged nervous glances.
The leader rushed forward, rubbing his hands together.
“Well, well! Didn’t expect to see you, Zahan. We got a bit greedy, didn’t we?”
His large frame belied his groveling before the slender Zahan.
But even as he fawned, he probed subtly.
“Is the Master nearby, perhaps? If we disturbed their peace, how can we make amends?”
The hunter’s question was reasonable.
The Master was known for maintaining minimal order.
Street brawls like this happened several times a day in the backworld.
There was no reason for them to intervene.
‘Yet they sent a direct subordinate to stop it?’
Zahan was a high-ranking figure who rarely got involved.
Unless the Master was nearby, annoyed by the noise, it made no sense.
But Zahan didn’t answer the hunter’s question.
He had no obligation to satisfy their curiosity.
“…”
Zahan stared silently at the hunter.
The man babbled excuses and retreated.
“No, no, I didn’t mean anything by it. Just thought we’d pay our respects if the Master’s around… Please put in a good word for us.”
Bowing repeatedly, he led his men away, vanishing quickly.
The street fell silent in an instant.
Only Zahan, the twins, and Chesha remained.
Zahan gazed briefly in the direction the hunters had fled, then slowly turned.
His eyes landed on Chesha first.
Staring at the tiny figure wrapped in a hood, she pretended to know nothing.
Then he looked at the twins.
That’s when things got strange.
Chesha expected Karha to be wary of the stranger.
But instead, he sheathed both swords.
Zahan’s demeanor was different from when he faced the hunters.
Still stiff as a doll, his voice softened slightly.
“Didn’t I say causing a scene would be troublesome?”
Karha blinked and said, “Uh, sorry.”
Unlike Karha’s easy apology, Ishuel shot back sharply, “They attacked us first.”
“You shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“…”
Ishuel pursed his lips.
Watching their exchange, Chesha’s jaw dropped.
‘What… what’s this…?’
Her eyes widened, darting between Zahan and the twins.
‘They know each other?!’
