73 – Agirem (8)
Agirem, a city that outwardly seemed as glamorous as can be, held one secret.
That is, the existence of individuals who handle ‘dark’ requests that cannot be revealed to the outside world.
No one knows exactly how the dark alley of Agirem came into being.
It simply appeared one day.
It wasn’t really strange.
Where there is light, shadows are cast.
Where money and people gather, human’s filthy desires tend to gather as well.
And perhaps, it was not unexpected that behind Agirem, the most splendid city on the continent, a deep shadow emerged.
Some among those gathered in Agirem entrusted the dark requests that couldn’t be revealed to the outside world to the dark alley of Agirem.
People even began to visit Agirem for that purpose.
The dark alley, thus initiated, began to expand its influence endlessly, even trying to extend it to the bright side.
It was Bella’s father who appeared to block the way at that moment.
Naturally, the dark alley resisted and tried to harm him.
But.
Ultimately, they couldn’t fulfill their intentions.
It was a simple reason.
He was too strong.
He broke all the blades pointed at him and subdued all those who harbored dissatisfaction before establishing standards in the dark alley.
Never revealing greed to the outside world, only staying in the shadows.
Many harbored dissatisfaction. The desires of those who settled in darkness knew no bounds.
But because they couldn’t defeat him, they forcefully swallowed their dissatisfaction and quietly hid their blades.
Thus, he became the head of the dark alley.
In an instant, he gained great power and authority, but he did not wield it for selfish desires.
He began to use that power to help others.
Hidden beneath the glamorous light of Agirem, he gathered the lower class of the city and began to improve their situation.
No matter how affluent a city may be, there will always be the impoverished, and there will always be those marginalized by society.
Originally, most of these people lived a life not knowing when they would die by throwing themselves into the dark alley.
Bella’s father aimed to change that.
Those abandoned by their parents.
Those who were ostracized by society and left alone.
Those who couldn’t survive in this world on their own.
He gathered them and provided a place for them to stay.
They were provided with meals, given clothes to wear, and allowed to receive an education.
Initially, they felt awkward and cautious, but as time passed, they accepted their situation. They received proper education and grew along the right path, not the deviant one.
He gave the name “Black Night (흑야黑夜)” to the group of weaklings he had gathered.
As time went by, the dark alley transformed into a completely different place, and even those who roamed the streets found a new way of life.
Bella’s father, receiving support from many in Agilrem, became a respected figure.
During that time, Bella was happy.
Though she lost her mother early on, her father was kind and showered her with affection and love. Many who followed her father became another family to her.
Though they were not blood-related, they were brothers, sisters, and siblings to Bella.
That’s why Bella’s early years were quite happy.
However.
That happiness suddenly came to an end one day.
Her father, who had stepped outside Agilrem for a moment to handle something, was reported dead.
No one knew the exact details.
How it happened, who made it happen.
Bella, not even knowing who the culprit was, had to coldly gaze upon her father’s lifeless body.
For a young girl, this was an unbearable misfortune, but for her, it was just the beginning of misfortunes.
As the leader disappeared and the atmosphere in the dark alley grew chaotic, a man emerged, marking the start of another misfortune for Bella.
The man who suddenly appeared, with overwhelming power, subdued the chaotic dark alley.
Even though the dark alley had grown in size, it was no match for the man’s dominance.
One day, a man with overwhelming power appeared out of nowhere in the dark alley.
His actions reminded Bella of her father, but there was a crucial difference.
He showed no mercy.
He did not forgive those who opposed him, nor did he spare their lives out of kindness.
He killed all who rebelled, all who defied him.
And thus, he filled the void left by those who perished.
In a blink of an eye, half of Agilrem’s dark alley was under the man’s control.
Enraged by the tyrant’s actions, the leaders of the dark alley tried to seek help from outside using the connections they had built over time, but even that proved futile.
It wasn’t that there was no external support.
It was just that they couldn’t bring down the man.
In the end, no one could stop the man, and he became the king of Agilrem’s dark alley just like that.
At first glance, there seemed to be no way for the man and Bella to be connected.
The changes in the dark alley’s structure were of no concern to Bella.
The problem was that among the organizations under the man’s control was Bella’s “Black Night (흑야)”.
The man began reshaping Black Night to his liking.
He transformed the organization, originally meant to protect and assist the weak, into a ruthless assassination group.
He placed those who flattered him in high positions, and forcibly turned those who were originally part of Black Night into assassins.
He taught the members how to wield a knife, how to swing a sword by force.
Those who were once learning knowledge, common sense, and how to live in the world from Black Night were now learning how to take someone’s life overnight.
Naturally, there were those who rebelled.
But their rebellion was futile.
The rebellious ones were quickly beheaded.
Not only that, the leader forcibly fed them poison that would kill them if they didn’t take the antidote regularly.
In the end, the members of the Black Night had no choice but to wield their swords to survive.
Bella found it utterly repulsive.
The sight of her memories, the legacy her father left behind, being tarnished.
The lives of her family, essentially those she cared for, falling apart.
That’s why she defied all opposition and sought out the leader.
– “Huh? You… Ah, the daughter of that man.”
With a sluggish face, the leader welcomed Bella.
Just looking at the leader’s face made her tremble and fear, but Bella finally poured out all she wanted to say.
To restore the Black Night to its former self.
If not possible, then to give it to her.
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To this, the leader responded as follows.
– “Hmm… Well, a mere organization, not really needed by me now, so if you want, I can give it to you.”
The leader’s dismissive treatment of the Black Night did trigger her anger, but Bella remained silent.
It was a fact, and for her, it was a favorable turn of events.
However.
– “But… it wouldn’t be fun to just give it back.”
Saying so, the leader smiled.
– “Bring the money. Bring the money, and I will return your father’s organization to you.”
How much do you want, Bella asked.
– “The amount… alright, let’s say about 20,000 gold coins?”
20,000 gold coins.
An absurd amount.
Unless from a wealthy family, it was an amount that even working tirelessly for a lifetime wouldn’t be enough.
Let alone Bella, who had lost everything and become an orphan.
Faced with despair at such a huge sum, the leader said once again.
– “One more thing. Let’s set a deadline. 10 years. Bring 20,000 gold coins before 10 years pass. Then I will do as you wish.”
20,000 gold coins within 10 years.
Bella had no choice but to accept the outrageous condition.
To reclaim her father’s legacy.
And to save those suffering under the changed organization.
To prevent any more victims.
However, the possibility was incredibly slim.
But it seemed the leader had a similar thought.
– “But for a little one like you, it’s quite a hefty sum to make. Hmm… It’s not fun if there’s no chance at all.”
As the leader stroked his chin thoughtfully, he soon spoke again.
– “Alright. Let me introduce you to a job.”
The job the leader mentioned was none other than the transformed Black Night.
It could be called a stench of evil.
However, Bella could not refuse.
If she refused and upset the client, there was a possibility that the deal would be off altogether. Bella also knew well that if she worked normally, she wouldn’t be able to collect the money within the deadline.
That’s how Bella became an assassin.
She learned how to kill people.
Fortunately or unfortunately, she had a talent for it.
A talent that set her apart from others.
She learned one thing and grasped ten, growing differently each day.
As a result, Bella quickly completed her training and officially became an assassin.
When she received her first assignment to kill someone, she couldn’t sleep for days.
The face and eyes of the person she had killed kept popping into her mind, and even when she managed to fall asleep, she would wake up drenched in sweat, haunted by the person cursing her in her dreams.
A girl who couldn’t even kill a single bug had now become someone who killed people.
Without any grudge or sin on their part, she killed people’s lives to achieve her goals.
With each person she killed, she felt a piece of her heart being chipped away.
As her heart was slowly chipped away over the years, when she no longer felt anything about killing people for assignments, she had already gained a reputation as an outstanding assassin.
She would have been a remarkable assassin as she was, but that wasn’t the end of it.
One day, she acquired a gift.
A gift that allowed her to change her appearance in an instant to any form she desired.
Through this gift, which could be considered a treasure for an assassin, her abilities improved, and she became an assassin who never failed.
Before she knew it, the world feared her under the name “Grimdale.”
Bella felt no excitement about this fact, but there was a benefit.
Many sought her out, and more expensive assignments started coming her way.
Assassins already earned high pay by default, and with her fame, she could pick and choose only the expensive assignments, earning her a tremendous reward.
The target amount that had seemed distant now seemed achievable.
Empowered by this, she took on assignments relentlessly, completing them.
To reach the target amount within the deadline.
And now, that deadline was looming ahead.
“…Father.”
After completing yet another assignment, gazing at the darkening sky, she recalled the blurred memories of the past that had now faded away.
The blurred face of her father, like a watercolor painting, and a voice even more faded.
Reflecting on memories worn out by the unstoppable flow of time, she felt a pang in her heart.