CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: MULTIPLE CUTS

The largest of them barked an order. "Hold him down! I want his tongue!"

Two caught Min-jae’s arms, another drove a punch into his stomach. Pain exploded in his gut, forcing air from his lungs.

"Ack.."

He jerked forward, headbutted the nearest one, and spat blood to the side.

"Still breathing?" one jeered, kicking him in the ribs.

"Not for long.." another muttered, grabbing his hair. "Let’s see how cocky you are when we slice that pretty face."

Min-jae laughed a low, quiet sound that made the men falter for just a second.

"You should’ve kept your attention on the woman."

He twisted, slammed the hilt of his blade into the man’s temple, and ducked low as another swung.

He cut upward, catching the attacker’s thigh.

Blood poured, hot and fast.

"You little shit!"

"Get him!"

The room filled with curses, the metallic clang of weapons, the dull thuds of fists against flesh.

Min-jae fought like a cornered beast, precise and ruthless, but each move cost him.

A blade grazed his shoulder.

Another opened a line along his ribs.

He grunted, catching one man’s wrist and snapped it sideways with a sickening crack.

"Fucking hell—!"

"Stab him! He’s just one man!"

The woman screamed again.

The sound jolted him, but it was enough to alerted him to block a downward strike with his forearm, pain shooting up to his elbow.

He drove his knife into the man’s neck, hot blood splattering across his face.

For a moment, the others hesitated, just enough for him to breathe.

He spat out blood, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Who’s next?"

"You bastard!" one yelled, trembling with rage. "You’ll die for this!"

Min-jae chuckled hoarsely. "Maybe. But mot after I kill you bastards.."

The next few seconds were chaos: the sound of steel biting through flesh, boots skidding on blood, the groans of the dying.

By the time it ended, Min-jae was on one knee, panting hard, his clothes soaked red.

The floor was littered with bodies. The air reeked of copper and sweat.

One of the men barely alive crawled toward the door, dragging himself through a slick of blood.

Min-jae stood, limping toward him. "Next time.." he said, voice low, "try picking on someone who can’t fight back."

He drove his blade into the man’s back, clean and quick.

The woman was still trembling in the corner, wide-eyed and pale.

Min-jae tossed the knife and exhaled slowly.

"...You can stop screaming now..." he said quietly. "They’re not getting up again."

The woman fell to her knees, clutching her torn dress as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Th-thank you, my lord.." she sobbed, voice trembling. "Thank you..."

Min-jae didn’t answer. His eyes stayed on the warehouse, its doors still open, the stench of blood spilling into the trees.

Was this the place where those two hundred villagers disappeared?

The thought made his stomach twist.

This wasn’t just bandit work.

Someone had ordered this. Someone powerful enough to cover it up.

His vision blurred for a second. The world tilted.

He pressed a hand against a tree trunk to steady himself. His ribs ached, his breathing uneven.

"We need to leave.." he muttered.

The woman nodded quickly, helping him as best she could. Thanks to the marks he’d left on the bark, they retraced their way out of the forest. The air felt lighter the farther they got, but every step made his legs heavier.

When they reached the edge of the road, he turned to her.

"Can you find your way home?"

She nodded, wiping her face. "Yes... yes, my lord. But you— you’re hurt..."

"I’ll manage." He gave a weak smile. "If your husband throws you out after this... come find me at the governor’s estate. I’ll make sure you’re not left wandering."

Her lips parted, stunned by his words, but before she could speak, he turned away.

Min-jae dragged himself toward the carriage, blood drying on his sleeve. The driver saw him and gasped.

"My lord—!"

Before the man could reach him, Min-jae’s knees gave out.

The last thing he saw was the forest swaying in his blurred vision before everything went black.

The first thing he saw was Meical’s face hovering over him, pale with worry.

"Thank god, you’re okay.." Meical exhaled, shoulders dropping. "You’ve been out for hours. The driver brought you back covered in blood.. I thought..." He stopped himself, jaw tightening.

Min-jae blinked, his throat dry. "How long?"

"About four hours. It’s night time now."

The physician cleared his throat, inspecting the bandages along Min-jae’s side.

"He’s sustained several deep cuts and bruises, but none are life-threatening. The rib on his left side, however.." he tapped gently on the wrapped area, "..is fractured. Even with care, it’ll take at least four weeks to heal. He needs to stay in bed for a few days, then he can move around cautiously. Any strain and it could crack fully."

Meical nodded grimly. "You heard him. You cannot do anything strenuous for a while."

Min-jae nodded, thanking the physician for his services.

The physician packed up his bag, bowing slightly. "I’ll return tomorrow morning to check on him. Keep him from straining that rib."

Once the door shut behind him, Meical turned back, folding his arms. "Now.." he said quietly, "tell me what happened."

Min-jae sat up slightly, biting back a wince. "Radomir told me about the bandits when I got to the castle. He said they weren’t after property, they were after people. Over two hundred lives had been lost, maybe more. I didn’t think I’d run into them on my way back, but I did."

Meical’s eyes narrowed. "Go on."

"They were carrying a body into the forest.." Min-jae continued. "I followed them, hoping to learn what they were after and maybe save whoever they’d taken. They led me to a warehouse. At first, I thought it was a ordinary butcher’s place, but..." His voice dropped. "It wasn’t animals they were slaughtering."

The air in the room seemed to still. Meical’s gaze hardened. "You shouldn’t have gone alone."

Min-jae gave a faint, bitter smile. "If I hadn’t, that woman would be dead."

"Alive or not, you could have been killed.." Meical said sharply, then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If there are bandits in town, it means our security is failing."