Between the snow-covered mountains stood a grand, luxurious manor. Its name was ‘Five Lotus Sword Manor’.
Three shadowy figures could be seen heading into the dense forest behind the manor. They eventually stopped at a quiet, mysterious place.
There was no one around them only trees half-covered in snow and a few small streams.
Among the three shadowy figures, one was a young woman, another was a man carrying a large blade on his back, and the third was a 13 year-old boy with chains bound around his hands and feet.
The woman, who wore warm, luxurious golden clothes to protect herself from the cold, spoke softly to the boy,
“Tell me, child, don’t you want to be free? You’re only 13, yet unfortunately, you’ve become a slave. But you still have your whole life ahead of you.”
“...”
“Don’t you want to live your life on your own terms? To be free? To break these chains forever and live your life that’s a wonderful dream, isn’t it?”
The boy did not respond, only stood with his head lowered. After a while, he slowly raised his head.
His face was strikingly beautiful, almost god-like. If he were not a slave, he surely would have lived a much better life.
But the world does not work that way—one’s fate is shaped by one’s actions.
‘Well…’
Ignoring such thoughts, the young woman continued,
“I can set you free. If you do one thing for me…”
She wasn’t lying she truly could free the boy right this very moment.
After all, she was the only wife of the manor’s master, and she possessed the keys to all the slaves’ chains.
The man with the large sword on his back had remained silent until now, but then he spoke,
“Why don’t you answer?”
Pak!
He struck the boy hard on the head. But the boy showed no anger, as if he were used to such blows.
The swordsman was the woman’s elder brother, who also handled punishing the slaves.
The boy took a deep breath and said,
“I have no other choice… I know that if I refuse, someone else will take my place and do the job… and perhaps I might even lose my life if I say no… It would be foolish to reject your offer…”
Hearing this, the woman’s lips curled upward and she said,
“Very good, you’ve made the right decision.”
What she liked most about this boy was his intelligence. If he had refused, she truly would have had him killed for defying her orders.
But this boy was smart; he understood his circumstances and knew he could not refuse.
‘Controlling children like him is as easy as snapping my fingers.’
The woman thought this and then, smiling, said,
“The task you must do is a little dangerous, but I promise, if you complete it properly then...”
Before she could finish, the boy interrupted her,
“There’s no need to speak in circles. I know that to gain my freedom I must do a dangerous job. So, get straight to the point, madam.”
The woman’s brother stepped forward, ready to kill the boy.
“How dare you interrupt my sister?”
But the woman stopped him.
She had not expected the boy to be bold enough to say such words to her face, yet she didn’t mind.
In fact, his manner of speaking made her even more interested in him.
‘If only my own son were like this…’
She had a son of the same age, but he was timid and fragile like a girl, which caused her endless troubles.
In contrast, this boy even in such circumstances, was brave making her like him even more.
'If he weren’t a slave, I would have adopted him…'
She shook her head slightly to dismiss the thought, then looked at the boy again.
“Ha!“
The woman let out a frosty breath and then said,
“You will have to kill my husband.”
‘..!’
The boy’s eyelids shot up in surprise. But the woman continued speaking,
“Not just him his father as well, meaning my father-in-law. If you kill them both and bring me a book a martial arts technique manual then I will set you free.”
The woman’s husband, the manor’s master, had been ill for weeks, and his father had been lingering near death from old age for a long time.
The fact that both were in such conditions at the same time could not possibly be a coincidence…
No...
This was all part of the woman’s and her brother’s scheme. And the most brilliant part was using a small boy to carry out the killings.
After all, who would ever imagine that a mere child could commit murder? It was completely beyond anyone’s expectations.
The woman came closer to the boy, cupped his cheeks in her hands, and asked,
“Well? Are you ready to carry out this task?”
The boy did not speak, only nodded in agreement. After a short silence, he said,
“Can I do it right now?”
The woman raised an eyebrow. This boy never ceased to surprise her with his every word.
She had not expected him to suggest acting so quickly.
“At this moment, your husband will likely be sleeping deeply, your father-in-law will be busy with his prayers, and the guards, servants, and other slaves will either be eating or sleeping. Killing them right now would be quick and easy.”
The woman’s eyes lit up at his words thinking such a thing in such a short time was truly remarkable for someone barely 13.
But on the other hand, the woman’s brother was looking at the boy with suspicion.
From the start, he had disliked the idea of using a child for this. He was a martial artist, someone who trained his body and mind for life-or-death combat.
His pride resisted the idea of using a mere boy to kill a sick man. And more than that, something about this boy gave him a bad feeling.
It was as if his instincts were telling him, ‘Don’t let this child do it.’
If he wanted, he could have gone himself and killed his sister’s husband. But his sister had forbidden him from doing so.
“If you can finish it quickly, I’ll be very pleased...”
The woman said. The boy smiled, then looked down at the chains on his hands and feet.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“If you remove these, we can begin right away, can’t we? Besides, it’s quite difficult to move around in them…”
“…”
The woman hesitated for a moment. Would it be safe? It would certainly be harder to do the task in chains, but still possible.
However, if it needed to be done quickly, then removing them was the only option.
She had thought about this before, but everything was moving faster than she had expected, she had assumed she would first have to convince him.
The speed of it all made her hesitate. She glanced at her brother, and her hesitation faded.
‘Ah… how could I forget? My brother is here too…’
Her brother was a martial artist, even her husband would have difficulty defeating him. And this was just a small boy.
What could he possibly do?
She let out a relieved sigh, took out a bunch of keys, and unlocked the chains.
Click!
The chains slid lightly off his wrists. A smile appeared on the boy’s face.
“There, your chains are off. Now you have no...”
Before she could finish, she felt something cold and metallic against her neck.
It was none other than the very chains that the boy had suddenly wrapped around her throat.
‘…What?’
Tak! Thud!
The boy slammed his knee into her stomach and tightened the chains around her neck, and made her fall on her knees.
It happened so fast that she didn’t even have time to understand what was happening.
Even her brother, whose eyes were sharp could hardly believe the speed at which it happened.
“How dare you!!!”
Her brother roared, about to draw his sword. But...
“Unh!”
The boy squeezed her neck tighter with the chains. The woman’s face began to turn blue.
“Take your hands off that sword. Or else…”
“Arghh!”
He choked her again with even more force.
Her brother, seeing his sister struggling for breath, clenched his jaw tightly. His rage was at its peak, but he was helpless.
He stopped and dropped his sword to the ground.
"Very good. Just stay like this for a while. One wrong move, and your sister is gone."
This boy, who until now hadn't even been afraid to speak with his head held high, was now speaking in a tone that neither of the siblings had ever expected from him.
He loosened the chains slightly, allowing the woman to gasp for breath.
She truly thought her life had been about to end.
“Three years… that was a long time… For all those years, I’ve been waiting for this very moment.”
The truth was, this boy had already known about the woman, her brother, and the manor master’s illnesses.
Ever since he became a slave at the age of ten, he had been keeping a close eye on every corner of the manor, always thinking of a way to escape.
But he knew escaping wouldn’t be easy. There were two obstacles in his way.
The first were these chains. They were so strong that escape was impossible while wearing them. But over time, he had learned to endure them, to some extent.
The second obstacle, and by far the deadlier one, was the woman’s brother.
This man was extremely powerful and kept all the slaves under control. Facing him head-on was nothing short of suicide.
With him around, escape was impossible.
But the man had one weakness, his sister. Her marriage to the manor master was a political one, made for the benefit of both families.
The true reason for the marriage, however, was to one day assassinate the manor master, allowing her family to seize the manor, its wealth, and its martial arts knowledge.
The boy knew they wouldn’t kill the master themselves, otherwise suspicion would fall directly on them.
That’s why he had pretended to be clever, loyal, and trustworthy in the woman’s eyes, so that she would rely on him.
And indeed, she had.
He had been waiting for the moment when the two of them would seek his help so that he could trap them instead.
That moment had finally come, after three years.
“Wh-what are you doing?! Let me go right now, or else...”
“Or else what?”
The boy’s tone was cold, devoid of emotion, as he looked at the woman.
“What could you possibly do? Out here in the middle of the forest? Your husband is sick because of you, he’s not coming here. And your brother… he won’t dare attack me as long as you’re in my grasp.”
“…”
“The manor is far from here. It’s just the three of us, and no one else. And don’t forget—your life is now in my hands.”
The woman’s face went pale.
Hearing his emotionless words, the reality of the situation came crashing down on her.
Everything he said was true… but her life, in the hands of this boy?
Was this some kind of joke?
She was the wife of the manor master, and this boy was just a mere slave. She had never imagined things could turn so quickly, in the blink of an eye.
She bit her lower lip hard, and waited for her brother to do something.
Meanwhile, her brother was frantically thinking of a plan.
‘I need to somehow get my sister away from him first anyhow!!!’
Ever since the change in the boy’s tone, he had felt something deeply unsettling.
Those chains; he hadn’t thought much of them when they were on the boy’s wrists and ankles.
But now, he had effortlessly lifted them and wrapped them around his sister’s throat.
How could a 13 year-old possibly do such a thing?
“What… what do you want?…”
The boy turned his gaze toward the woman’s brother, who had spoken.
“Money? Freedom?… If you want to be free, you can go right now. No one will stop you! Just… let my sister go.”
“…”
“I admit… I’ve treated you badly. I’ve even beaten you. But I was forced to it was my duty. Don’t take it the wrong way…”
The boy exhaled slowly, lowering his head slightly before looking at the kneeling woman.
Step!
The woman’s brother took a careful step forward. Somehow, he had to get his sister away from the boy, no matter what it took.
From inside his clothes, he drew a dagger, hiding it as he continued to step closer.
Step!
“Look, if you hurt my sister, not only the manor master’s family, but our family as well will hunt you down. Your life will be ruined.”
Step!
“If you just let my sister go, then...”
Before he could finish...
Swish! Poke!
“Ahhh!!!”
The woman’s scream rang out.
Because the boy jabbed his finger into her right eye, blinding it instantly.
“Trying to act smart, huh?”
“You bastard!!!”
Her brother roared in fury and charged at him. But at that moment...
“I told you, one wrong move, and…”
Rip! Tear!
The boy bit down on her ear with his teeth, tearing it apart, blood pouring out.
“ARGHHH!!! STOP! Please stop! I beg you!”
The woman cried.
Her brother froze where he stood, his heart pounding. He hadn’t imagined such a thing could happen.
‘Monster… no… a demon(Asura)…’
That was the only word that came to his mind for this boy.
His face was as beautiful as a God’s, but his actions were worse than any demon.
What trouble had the two siblings gotten themselves into? There was nothing they could do but watch helplessly.
Thud!
All courage and pride broken, the brother slammed his forehead to the ground and pleaded with the boy.
“Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you. Just let my sister go, let her live.”
The boy moved his mouth away from the woman’s ear and said.
“I only want one thing…”
“…”
“Your death.”
That was his true objective.
If this man was gone, escaping and gaining his freedom would be as easy as snapping his fingers.
Hearing this, the woman’s body shivered. She had never imagined the boy would say such a thing.
‘No…’
She loved her brother as much as he loved her. But she didn’t want him to die because of her. She wanted to open her mouth, to speak but not a single word came out.
Her life was in the hands of this Asura-like boy, and the fear for her own survival kept her silent.
‘Why is this happening…?’
“Can't you at least do this much? For your sister?”
“...”
“I'm asking you for the last time; either you, or your sister. Only one of you can leave alive. So, think quickly.”
Saying this, he began to squeeze the woman’s throat again. Her breathing grew ragged.
“No! Wait, wait!...”
Her brother cried out. But the boy didn’t stop and continued,
“If you can’t win and save your sister, then at least… die. That way your sister will survive atleast. And tell me one thing…”
“…”
“Do you really think a brother like you deserves to live, someone who can’t even save his own sister?.. Does a useless brother like you have any right to live? Tell me!”
Her brother fell silent, lost in thought.
He had never imagined that he might have to give up his life for his sister. For years, he had trained in martial arts…
And now, at this critical moment, he was being forced to face the reality that he couldn’t protect the one he loved most.
Shame and anger toward himself began to boil inside him.
Meanwhile, the woman’s mind was growing hazy. It felt as if she could die at any moment.
The same boy whom she had once considered whipping without a second thought, now held power over both her life and her brother’s.
She felt hatred toward him but also fear. She was still thinking, when suddenly her brother’s voice reached her ears.
“Promise me you’ll spare my sister’s life… in exchange for mine!”
The boy smiled, but not in a pleasant way. His smile, was very wide and unsetteling.
Flinch!
Seeing that smile made the man’s blood run cold.
‘A 13-year-old boy…’
His pride was completely shattered, he was first scared because of his sister's safety but now he looked at the boy with an unconditional fear in his eyes.
“...I promise.”
“M-My curse on you, if you break this promise, you will die a dog’s death(1) in this lifetime!”
“N-No, brother! D-Don’t listen to him!”
The woman screamed, glaring wide-eyed at her brother. With teary eyes, he looked at her one last time and whispered.
“Forgive me… I couldn’t protect you while I was alive.”
Saying this, he drew the dagger across his own throat and cut himself...
“NO!!!”
Thud!
His body collapsed to the ground in front of the woman, blood gushing out like a river in flood.
Her brother, who had always been by her side, was dead. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Tears filled them completely.
“Heheh.”
Then she heard a chuckle. A faint laugh, but one that was terrifying.
‘What a foolish man…’
The boy thought, removing the chains from around the woman’s neck.
'If he wanted to, he could have easily killed me.'
But his sister's safety stopped him from doing so. She was the one dearest to him and also his greatest weakness.
That is the biggest flaw of humans; in situations like this, they stop being rational, let emotions take over, and make the wrong decision.
The woman began coughing and breathing heavily. Seeing her brother’s lifeless body before her made her very soul tremble.
And then she fainted right there.
The boy walked over to her, then looked down at her brother’s dead body.
“I will keep my promise… I won’t kill your sister…”
He picked up the bunch of keys from the women.
“But if someone else kills her, that won’t be my fault.”
With that, the boy walked away, leaving the girl and her brother’s body behind, and returned to the Five Lotus Sword Manor.
There, he unlocked every shackle that bound the slaves, setting them all free.
And then…
Fueled by their rage, the freed slaves stormed the Five Lotus Sword Manor. These were people who had lived their entire lives in pain and misery, and their hatred for the Manor’s master was beyond measure.
In no time, the entire manor was engulfed in flames. The slaves tore apart not just the manor, but the surrounding lands as well.
Watching it all, the 13 year-old boy walked away from the manor, a satisfied smile on his face, but his eyes were emotionless.
But suddenly, a figure appeared in his path. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at the figure more closely.
In just a moment, the figure stood right before him a man with long, thick hair, and an old scar over his eye.
Seeing him, the boy’s gaze softened a little, and words escaped his lips in a quiet voice.
“Uncle?”
The long-haired man’s eyes welled up with tears. He stepped forward and embraced the boy.
“I searched for you for so long… and finally, I’ve found you.”
“...”
“Come with me, Sharv.”
1. Die a Dog's Death (?????? ?? ??? ?????) -
A Popular hindi idiom which means, to die in a very painfull and humiliating way.
