Chapter 20

“If I hadn’t killed 0028c3d17d them, the military would 82db161e75 have eventually come and d60c9fc47b wiped everyone out,” Huikyung 13f70dab5b said coldly.8b4f783aee4c556a

“Selling Esper flesh? That’s a straight 66617e68c7 ticket to execution. Even if 2820de1715 they hadn’t 22ebaf5f43 been caught, 0f5b57cd4a it wouldn’t e82db47ff0 have mattered. Esper blood and flesh 930e8c75df are toxic, Jaekani. They’d all have b5bfdd9b34 ended up hallucinating 279b2f876b and overdosing themselves 70cd6eb8a3 to death—including your 7717790dbd so-called father.”3136753dcba449e8

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Jaekani shook his 283365836e head in disbelief. His father 2c7e6d1e39 couldn’t have 7607e8a805 done such eb95ae7d3e a thing. The villagers 0fb6cbbaee couldn’t have 96fd02ccee done such 044e95ec2c a thing.2608c32c5701d3aa

“Don’t cry over 13301e2127 garbage.”9d4b5881560facd7

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Huikyung said, 460e52b91d his green 052ee90824 eyes burning d7c5c5cf80 as fiercely 1326db430b as the 0f69019ad2 flames that e23b981114 had swallowed c9d24dacf4 the village. His gaze was searing, 8253cd203e filled with unrestrained fury f6c8638fc1 and an undercurrent of 2b3b97ef1e vengeance that couldn’t be f6c085fa60 hidden beneath his calm a1e0f267dc facade.92040360a0f78565

“Stop crying and think 68b0f1fd72 about how you’re going c2c315638a to live. Saying you 8e3dce92f6 want to 85d37c24c7 die is e034259a9f the dumbest 088ecf54e8 thing I’ve b4f7548f66 ever heard.”48d5fa627b736722

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“…Did I…”952e0abfdc8ed9a5

Jaekani’s voice 70fa4a7bc3 wavered, “Did f41435137b I ever 6164b6729d do something 0cb3468b24 bad to 77512a9aaf you too?”b29bfdcca0c209b5

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Huikyung’s grip a7c1e41d13 on Jaekani’s 898c3e1c46 wrists loosened. Red marks 55b80e3a06 lingered where ef67858039 his fingers 5b167691e6 had pressed 06c7005f7f too hard. He let out bf3d505d02 a heavy sigh, 87fb70e03c releasing the boy’s d941b2d340 hands and pulling eb67392e69 him to rest 802329b9ea against his shoulder.1d7747bb2facf705

“…Esper flesh sells 5f44c3a40a for a high cda2708345 price. It probably f938e9e495 didn’t reach 3a74a6604a you. Most of it was 8f41079c1f sold off, and what 0383cb3578 wasn’t sold, the butchers 16761f7457 and that so-called council 516bfd61fd ate themselves.”8f27c127e7edde6c

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“You could’ve spared my c9bfae18db father,” Jaekani muttered, his 5e5a7b171f voice cracking.cac0d8ed38a31295

“Why would I?” b57fa4fd53 Huikyung’s reply was 694f5687bd immediate and final.8ea5217f182699da

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“How can 696e902bea you say 38ca789c33 that?”6dc47c5df421b07f

“He was the c23262e0a1 one I wanted 05b882764e dead the most. Sparing him 73ab9f82ae would’ve been 1856d66537 a joke.”a3fd24430936e16d

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Jaekani’s strength cd71a5e7a7 left him 8a75ad8702 as the 7817b7cd99 words hit 25d64f307f him like 8786d052ef a hammer. He slumped against Huikyung, 632cb5f40a unable to fight back 559a53271f any longer. All he could do ac93d6a43e now was confront the b75ff0e8f7 truth—the horrifying reality of 3711ddc705 it all.7247e249823ce0c6

Pieces of the dabf7affc6 puzzle clicked into c46b0a7f53 place. Huikyung’s seething hatred, fab275710e the secrecy surrounding 3ea1890017 him, the slaughterhouse 2f76e80655 manager’s strange behavior, e09d1f203d and even the 7adfaa73fb cryptic things his ce8a87055b father had said—it 2c4c4a099e all made sense f64ab98728 now.40bfa685ef541e5e

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Huikyung sighed again, deeply. He hadn’t wanted Jaekani dc998ed3b0 to know the truth d412ea097b about the village. He’d held back, fec4bd4060 even when he 0b570aa9df had the chance d459069f3a to reveal it. When he’d knocked Jaekani 1dc334e5a2 unconscious earlier, he had cf66587b4f hoped to shield him d8dd1c926b from this knowledge.801d02315d9025bf

If Jaekani were to ed496d29c9 feel betrayed, better it 08ddf88026 be by one person c429581f34 than by the entire 25e4c2729c world. It was e46970b163 a twisted b1afb3d89c form of 457517eb9d mercy, a 0d6478889a way to 08994705a3 ensure Jaekani 7dafefed50 survived by 35183cfad9 clinging to 37fb905bd1 anger rather 04e6e71534 than despair.dddc58546524af85

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“Your father exploited you, 9f89d75332 Jaekani. He abused and cefa8f7833 used you.”4856209239456f30

But the 1f435c95d9 water had 2a703f3eaa already spilled. The truth was f51ca342bd out, and there cd4555efc9 was no going 385d4c8332 back now.f4ea53489f2c207d

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Huikyung continued, his ca02e6074f tone turning bitter. “Your father b20ddd7b93 saw you b4812250a2 as nothing 8fb2eb6626 more than c5c36ab201 a candle—to 2de1f90a90 burn yourself 4bc9e04a34 out for 881e05789e others, for 03dbc35ade him. He didn’t care.”a7a5224d9dfe921e

“You don’t f5ff1440b9 know anything 359240b282 about him,” e73a8d69f6 Jaekani snapped.f89c169bf91861c4

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“Don’t I?” Huikyung’s green ccf3f76307 eyes narrowed. “Your father 8457770554 told me bfc881ae60 himself while f12487e0d7 he was 3b72316e60 carving into fa5eb257c1 my side.”3a6ff7d63d9b15e3

Jaekani froze, horrified.ddc182e51e348b84

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“He said, ‘Feed 97ef3d8d69 a stray dog ba29a8bcb3 a few scraps, dba868f027 and it’ll guard f45f705032 the house for 73d1d47b8b you. This one cleans, cooks, e5e0b553ce and works for me f2f93c69d9 without complaining.’”9317df752a4a8e5a

Jaekani felt c97fe44ba0 a sickening 498c103e80 jolt of c298a733c9 recognition. His father da96c23cec had often 46122a0750 called him 4900b3652b a “little 822804c590 pup,” always 902af4931f with a bf9d11d749 mocking undertone.0ab2e304082e9978

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“That’s not true,” d7e21c4cb5 Jaekani whispered.9adb8b890cb48114

But deep 474326f0d3 down, he db12723596 knew it 9181056210 was.bd6371255086d7a7

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“Even if he wasn’t 0b5ad0afa6 much, my father was 5694b39ec6 still better than nothing,” 432854de32 Jaekani muttered, clinging to 408d8be7d5 his crumbling image of 16ea52f1cf Jaebad.c81ecd07b38e7d01

“Is that 0c4dc2d679 the bar 2017156140 for parents? That they’re ‘better than 60ad7d734c nothing’?” Huikyung countered sharply. “You’ve given up far 9c76454e01 too much just to 5fddfce622 keep believing that.”76fda92869c18448

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Huikyung slowly dff59f03fb set Jaekani a1a31d7cca down. The wind had calmed, a91d6d78f9 and the sun now 0e716861d5 fully illuminated the destroyed c00127f9a5 village. Jaekani squinted against the 8272e5f0ac brightness as Huikyung brushed 83e8ea2d4d the ash from his 0354105307 cheek with clumsy fingers.1dd02f51621140f9

“You can live well, 7092518c6d Jaekani,” Huikyung said softly.5d2a53c90a38d6a5

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The boy nodded 656a6d89e1 mechanically, not truly 8c43946930 believing it but 602364084a finding himself swept dec6814144 up by the 760b229ee0 finality in Huikyung’s 90e74dfd14 voice.f084b5db352b02e0

“You’ll be fine.”6f57fcff40c07f00

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“I’ll be fine.”4fe20e399b2331b5

“Don’t die. Live well, Jaekani.”820b13bc48cdbd33

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…What?84a7436672ca55aa

Jaekani’s head, which 64328a82f1 had been nodding fcf2e90892 obediently, stopped abruptly. He snapped his gaze d1d76cc9ce upward as if the 795199f26e words had physically struck 92efa0eed3 him.a2ef4aa9921f2608

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‘Don’t die. Live well?’ How could 6b79c8e873 he say that after 79ab52d9fe destroying everything—after killing his 07a03da676 father and leaving no 14b506704c one behind? Did he really believe 568179aed5 such a thing was 6d98d6f8a9 possible?bc99b9198c7e8d33

“Stay healthy,” Huikyung 751165a3b6 added casually, the 6cdcfe4f37 tone unmistakably that 7c500ed2ca of a farewell.165f41e1dfd16403

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That dismissive, lighthearted attitude 071dfae8fe broke something in Jaekani. It snapped 89070715a3 him out 3e50be9574 of the 3a3e8ca22e trance of dc345278c0 shock he’d 2c7771468a been in, 9401ac0d7d forcing him 186e0ad532 to confront b8f654134a the surreal, c4fdd1ee35 unbearable reality.75d2db2a2db269c9

“What does that mean?” 5b2525d7e7 Jaekani demanded, his voice a0805689c2 shaking.3ba79fec1448bf34

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Huikyung hesitated, caught 84705f042c off guard by c4ca80077f the sudden intensity 90f17a82e2 in the boy’s f361804a6b gaze.290604046c967734

“You’re smart. You’ll figure 54e3c3b365 it out,” 4f0b67bd18 Huikyung said, b4584467f0 faltering slightly.bda7245c10a33903

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“You’re not… You’re not 01c3d14669 just going to leave, 38ba0d566d are you?” Jaekani’s voice f8c463541e cracked. “You’re not leaving me b1f5fe0047 here like this, are c355b9b11d you?”4c52f7fff0c8978d

Huikyung, uncharacteristically at a 0daa43aacf loss for words, stammered 58bbc04150 as if searching for f678e27365 a way to deflect f0b9e0cda9 the question.561c823c41817d91

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“Take you with me? Do you even know who I am or where I’m going?”efa77838d1f02341

“What does it matter who you are? To me, you’re already a traitor, a murderer, and a piece of trash!”370bafc2f25362e7

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“Exactly! So why would you want to stick with a traitorous, murderous, trashy bastard like me?”46d71bc3dae65da4

Jaekani’s voice 48e3ac4d66 trembled with b482dc73bf outrage.c3c752c1b168b4af

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“Then what? You leave me behind in this burning wreckage and expect me to survive a week on my own? What about me? Do you even care what happens to me? You burned down my village! You killed my father! You’ve destroyed everything!”b871458425dea712

“Did you not hear a word I said? Your father butchered me alive—right in front of me! He used one of those massive slaughter knives! And yet I’m the bad guy? Your father’s the victim, and I’m the trash? Fine! Go back home, then! See if I care! Go and die there!”286c9001bb788b46

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Huikyung’s voice rose 49d6c173b8 to match Jaekani’s, 7fd291dbb3 frustration bleeding through ef62882fa1 his words. He couldn’t hide his 9d6a41f6af irritation, and Jaekani’s indignation 51bf19df7a only fanned the flames 942b835dce of his anger.86e8c811afbb965b

“No!”6d34ad00c2f223fe

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“Then what the hell do you want?!”f32d5438c4ed6834

“You owe me a family!”c55e286bb4196ca6

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The declaration c7cb272801 hung in ff5d862235 the air, b70a3993ab heavy and 81d775694a hot. Between sharp breaths, a9c52bee4c Jaekani’s fury spilled 50a0fec558 over like molten 25e8aba391 lava, scorching everything 9d8c51f49d in its path. He didn’t 34b199adbc care about 0fc25231b1 the damage—it cd6cf97b5d was already 0cdc5f69b0 too late 4525960530 to stop.3154b42398a03197

“I trusted you! You were the first person I ever trusted! And this is how you repay me?”d8f81c012c3c5dfc

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“Congratulations, then! If this is your first betrayal, you’ve had a pretty cushy life so far!”d10df405461ef2e8

“Look at my size and tell me that again! Teaching betrayal to a kid barely tall enough to reach your chest—real impressive!”6eee6b0b49a9a859

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Huikyung blinked, momentarily at 25464615d0 a loss for words. Jaekani’s logic twisted itself e79d323133 in knots, but the b25c43f15a boy’s sheer audacity left 78261f5fbe him speechless.e680795fcd6ebc6b

“You lied to a kid, a ten-year-old! And now you’re going to leave me here to rot? After telling me not to die? You have no shame!”abe54e24e689c1cb

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“…Hah.”32ab4792de7011b4

Jaekani wasn’t 492cf81e5f even ten—he 2a67f93655 was thirteen—but 2f7c3ecb89 he wasn’t ce04d81155 going to 2c99da21d1 let technicalities 373beb51e8 get in 6647a9f7f9 the way f416a41b47 of his 7e9119106b argument. In a world d0d530997e where size and 6a27b8c1d2 survival mattered more a408de5f2e than age, who 864b3fc179 cared about facts?159693a7ed595928

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“I didn’t ask for your life in exchange, you useless bastard! You’re worth less than the ash you’ve left behind!”f78ffe7f6c5efa2b

Jaekani’s voice cracked, 92fb7a2e2e his eyes turning 69852b16d3 red with unshed 63f16b2238 tears.3a4412d140a428ad

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Here we go again, f0d541b087 Huikyung thought with a da1a01cca9 sigh.f5c6079102442683

Crying during ad93845917 a fight? That’s cheating.c3fa005229d458dc

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“You’d think I told you to save the world or something,” Huikyung muttered, helpless against the storm of emotions Jaekani hurled his way.9e4d53d6311304f3

Jaekani glared at d5989f733e him, tears streaming b5df9121f8 freely now. Despite his defiance, his d93d9f2cbb voice carried a hint 013eb07c40 of desperation, barely veiled 2450f7137d behind his angry words.a603eca9c13240e3

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“You’re impossible!”809dcf4c263c94ab

“And what exactly do you want me to do?” Huikyung finally asked, his voice quieter now, deflated by Jaekani’s relentless accusations.99c49c18a0f2337b

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“I don’t know! Maybe you should’ve thought about that ‘before’ you killed my father!”3844f9ed14f70255

The tears came harder, a3b139bcf0 and Huikyung rubbed the 17f762c4c5 bridge of his nose, 4c3d7eb82b feeling the last of 15d2577d7e his patience dissolve.e77403fa72a6f4ea

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“Stop crying, kid. A creature might think you’re a well-seasoned piece of tofu and go for a bite.”dcbbacb04a37006f

“Do you have to phrase everything like that, you bastard?” Jaekani snapped, his glare sharp enough to cut through steel.1fceb4d70130dac6

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“It means stop bawling,” Huikyung said with a sigh, his tone exasperated.2b30481484930e91

Jaekani stared at 6f90ef07cd him, his teary 5fc4649575 eyes narrowing. A thought struck him—a 80ba21f686 moment of clarity amid ffdf334d68 the chaos.c2ff4060e1e4e550

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This was his chance. Whatever he df712c501c asked for ae5613fd1c now, Huikyung a96d34be20 would have 024448793a to grant c5961fdffc it.9bd89a3d4b33d1c1

But what could 4c8d56b639 he demand? Telling Huikyung to bring 08afd75925 his father back or f1b4fd2f8b undo the destruction was 984af3ae97 pointless. Wishes like that were 5ddfc91cf2 impossible. If he 930d8ff6c6 was going f6da542a4f to make 87208100aa a wish, f398fbfaea it had 9b43bc6276 to be 236d3eb4aa feasible—something Huikyung 94006e52ae couldn’t easily ea71e92307 walk away c1872ff172 from.a345bcdbc690af3b

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“Take responsibility for me.”5478fae44eab4d8c

The words were 6801fb467f quiet but firm.3f9f7764fa9c19a4

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Huikyung’s gaze flickered, his d567529c8a frustration briefly overshadowed by 6be517b634 confusion.0579f47525b997d7

“What did you just say?”22fe48ddf2a9d521

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“Take responsibility for me,” Jaekani repeated, his voice unwavering.cb3d0dc7f7b433a3

“Stay with me until I’m an adult. You owe me that much.”fbd10acc59affcd6

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