Chapter 306

Chapter 306

Basha knew that Urich swung his weapons in the garden at the same time every day and that he drank water from the basin during his short breaks. Watching Urich's actions daily, she hid in a wooden barrel, waiting for him.

She blinked and looked up at Urich. There were many other ways, but she deliberately chose to hide in a wooden barrel.

‘If Urich is truly that man....’

Basha still dreamed of the village burning every night. She had lost everything to the barbarians. The monster made of hatred slowly raised its head.

In the chaos where everything collapsed, Basha saw a light in a barbarian who saved her as she trembled in a barrel, whom she could only describe as an apostle of Lou.

‘There is no way that man was Urich.’

Basha clearly remembered the shadow from that day.

“Were you hiding in here planning to kill me with that tiny knife?”

Urich chuckled as he covered the sun behind him.

Basha’s lips quivered.

“There is no way...”

She had vaguely known but couldn’t accept it. No, she must never accept it.

“What do you mean there’s no way?”

Urich scratched his chin, watching Basha’s reaction.

“Why, why.... The person who took everything from me....”

Basha jumped out of the barrel and swung the dagger, but no matter how disabled Urich’s leg was, he wasn’t someone to be hit by Basha’s attack.

Urich grabbed Basha’s arm and threw her into the rose bushes.

“Go back to Gottval, you dumb bitch.”

Urich bared his teeth and threatened.

The roses emitted a sweet scent as their petals scattered, but their thorns scratched Basha’s skin, leaving wounds everywhere.

“You took everything from me...”

Basha stood up. Entangled in the vines, blood dripped from the scratches on her skin, but she ignored the pain and walked up to Urich.

“Why didn’t you take my life too? Why did you save me?”

Basha was certain that Gottval’s words were not lies and that Urich was indeed the man from that night. The sight of Urich from inside the barrel matched the shadow from that day exactly.

Urich looked down at Basha with an indifferent expression.

“Did Gottval tell you?”

“Answer my question! Why did you save me? You should have killed me along with the others! Why did you save me?” Basha screamed in fury.

“Yeah, you’re right. It would have been easier to just kill you,” Urich responded indifferently. Basha, even angrier, charged at Urich.

Thud!

Urich grabbed Basha’s head and slammed it into the ground. It was the same outcome no matter how many times she tried. To Urich, Basha’s movements were pathetic.

“Haha, if I had known you were such an idiotic girl, I would have just let you die.”

Basha’s face turned bright red. The moment she heard Urich's laughter, something snapped in her mind.

“Die! Just die!”

Basha lunged at Urich again, swinging the dagger wildly but failing to even leave a scratch on Urich.

“Basha, to kill someone, there always has to be a reason. Hatred, grudges, revenge, retribution—whatever it is, there must be a reason like these. Sure, sometimes people kill for fun, but most don’t kill without a reason.”

“What did my family ever do to you?! We... we were just living our lives in that village! We had no reason to be killed by you!”

“But we had our reasons to plunder that village, and that’s all there is to it. Your family did nothing wrong, but we didn’t do anything wrong to deserve the empire’s invasion.”

“Shut up!”

Basha aimed her dagger at Urich’s throat, but Urich deftly leaned back, grabbed her by the arm, and threw her aside.

After being slammed to the ground several times, Basha’s body was a wreck. There was even a crackling sound in her bones

“I’m not really interested.”

“No, you have a responsibility to listen to this story, Basha. I’m sure you remember that among the Imperial Army, there were those who called you a saintess.”

Apprentice Priest Hume glared at Basha with a sharp gaze that was uncharacteristic of a priest. The intimidation made Basha flinch.

“You see, I was an orphan. I lived like an idiot, stealing in the back alleys of the city.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“But then there was one monk who took me in. Even then, I couldn’t straighten out and continued my foolish ways. Eventually, I was caught by the guards and sentenced to have both of my hands cut off for stealing. Despite my foolish actions, this monk stepped forward and offered to pay the penalty in my place. He bravely told the lord to cut off his hands instead of mine. Fortunately, the lord did not cut off either of our hands, and I swore never to do wrong again.”

Hume glanced around the room, taking note of its layout. With the only escape being through the door, he could block the escape route if he stood in a straight line with the door.

“He sounds like a truly admirable person,” Basha responded perfunctorily.

“Indeed, a truly admirable person. I was away from him for three years to formally receive ordination.”

Hume took a step closer. Basha stumbled and grasped the dagger hidden in her garment.

“If you have nothing more to say, please leave.”

“...It’s not uncommon to die while following the Imperial Army. One might be struck by a stray arrow on the battlefield. But you see...”

A specific incident that occurred during the height of her madness flashed through her mind.

“Stand back, I’m warning you,” she said with fear.

“He was not the kind of man to violate a woman. You whispered lies to people and you have tarnished his honor.”

Tears rolled down Hume’s face. The priest was like a father to him. He was not someone who would die from being overpowered while trying to violate a woman. Right from the moment Hume heard the news, he knew Basha was lying.

“...He tried to taint my body.”

“Can you swear by Lou?”

Basha hesitated for a moment. Seeing that, Hume shook his head in self-mockery.

“I can't take this anymore. What wrong did he ever do to you? Why did he have to die under such disgrace?” He said, dropping all politeness.

Hume's voice was filled with anguish and his eyes gleamed with murderous intent. All he wanted at this point was to kill the woman in front of him, with his faith in Lou not considered one bit.

“I-I...”

Basha was flustered and saw Hume drawing a hook-shaped dagger.

Karma sought Basha's life. She stumbled backward and fell.

“When you die and meet Brother Aledor, confess your sins and beg for his forgiveness!”

Hume's movements were swift and practiced, befitting someone who spent their early years in the dark back alleys.

Screech!

Basha desperately grabbed Hume’s hand and tried to push the dagger away, but it was difficult to resist his downward force. The blade slowly sank into Basha's chest.

Hume’s eyes were filled with hatred. His purpose for visiting Hamel was entirely different from the other priests; revenge was his sole focus.

‘Is this my fault?’

Basha’s eyes stared at the ceiling as Hume tried to kill her.

‘But I had no choice.’

Basha had killed an innocent person for her own ends.

‘All I wanted was revenge...’

But Hume was no different. He just wanted revenge for someone dear to him.

‘I am no different from Urich.’

Basha sighed and released her grip.

Schluck.

With Basha's sudden surrender, Hume's blade plunged into her heart with ease.

Basha shuddered, looking up at Hume. She saw his face, drenched in blood, smiling with the success of his revenge.

“Mom, Dad...” Basha muttered through her tears as her heart grew cold.