Chapter 108 – Last Letter (1)

Last Letter (1)

There’s a saying.

If you live too kindly, you’re a pushover.

It means that people who are always bowing and scraping, eager to please others, are seen as weak. It’s human nature to act aggressively towards someone who steps back to maintain the bare minimum of courtesy. You have to assert dominance over those who appear weak to maintain your dignity… that must be it.
There aren’t many ways to boost your self-esteem as safely as picking on the weak.

So people adorn themselves to avoid appearing weak.
They train and bulk up their bodies, exaggerate their intelligence, and sometimes resort to violence against others.

Well, even if it’s not through a series of such actions, if the vibe you give off is threatening, you won’t be seen as an easy target.

Embarrassing as it is to say, that was the case with me.

I haven’t exactly led a righteous life. I haven’t been too conscious of my behavior. So there’s no way I could be seen as easy prey. Physically, I look scary… due to the scars that have multiplied from every hardship I struggled. I thought I didn’t look like a pushover. But still, just in case… no, at least, I thought I didn’t look like an easy target.

Telling me to fuck off, of all things. To be able to say that while tied up, and in such a devastating situation with both legs gone.

Does she not understand the situation? Or do I look like an easy target to her?

The commanding gaze Bella had when she ordered her subordinates around had now quieted down. Her face, twisted in anger, and her eyes, which had become docile after being subdued, seemed to slowly grasp the situation.

“Ugh, you bastard…!”

She still didn’t seem to fully understand.

“Shut up, I need to think.”

I gripped the handle of the dagger and slammed it down on Bella’s head. Unable to move her arms and legs, Bella could do nothing but flail her torso in a futile attempt at resistance.

But this time, she didn’t open her mouth.

She just glared at me with an even more venomous look in her eyes.

So, then.
Why did Bella show me that attitude?
Do I still look like an easy target to her?

I pondered, but when I really thought about it, there was a valid reason.

During my days in the hero’s party, I was genuinely weak. I struggled alone with just an ordinary human body while those capable of flying were right beside me.

A human who couldn’t even carry his own weight properly. That was me.

A weakling with no chance of ever growing stronger. Such a guy, managed to seize victory by sheer luck. Of course, they’d be dismissed. A person who had never once shown the ability to wield a sword—naturally, they’d assume I’d back down even in this situation. How foolish.

Well, that’s that.
There’s no need to dwell on such trivial matters now.

What I need to focus on is how to bring this situation to a close, how to devise the best way to end it. Still, it would be a shame to end it like this.

After all, this is the end.
So, let’s make sure there’s no regret. Let’s finish this cleanly, without anything left unresolved.
There’s still plenty of time.

Savor the moment slowly.

Take my time and enjoy it.

I approached Bella, contemplating how best to sever this cursed connection, what the most fitting way to end this would be.

And then,

I drew the dagger.

—

Her thighs ached.

Bella grimaced. She didn’t even have the chance to wipe the dirt off her body, and the pain continued to flood her senses. She thought the bleeding from her legs, which had barely stopped, might start again at any moment, yet she didn’t stop moving.
In truth, she couldn’t stop.

Because of the rope tied around her neck.

She was being dragged like a dog by Flan.

‘Flan… what the hell is he thinking…?’

A few minutes ago, Flan had untied her.
With a sly grin, he had staunched the blood flowing from her thighs and then loosened the ropes.

It was a bizarre act.

Just moments before, he had been glaring at her with a murderous look, as if he was ready to kill her, only to suddenly change and start dragging her along. For what purpose?

Stabbing her with the dagger was surely the result of his excitement, reveling in the thrill of victory. So, he wouldn’t stab her again. Flan couldn’t possibly kill her. There was no way someone like Flan could be the one to end her life. That’s what she thought.

But her prediction was wrong.
She couldn’t anticipate Flan’s actions.

And yet, one thing lingered in her mind—a future of death.

Judging by that murderous look on his face earlier, he didn’t seem to have any intention of letting her go.

So, she thought, death was inevitable.

But now…

“Don’t stop. Not until I tell you to.”

“…!”

She was being dragged along pathetically, but it didn’t feel like she was about to be killed.

What was his goal?
Wasn’t that letter supposed to be his top priority?
Why was he keeping her alive?
And if he was going to keep her alive, why like this?

As her body scraped against gravel and branches, Bella glared at Flan. Occasionally, her fingers were torn against the rocks, and soft groans escaped her lips, but even so, she couldn’t stop. Before she could even express her pain, another wave of agony would strike.

The constant minor pains and the unbearable humiliation naturally hardened Bella’s expression. Her once-proud wings were now tattered at the edges, dangling uselessly. Her hands, stripped of their skin, were raw and burning red.

But she kept crawling silently.

Expressing anything now wouldn’t change a thing. Until Flan’s intent became clear, it was better not to act. If she provoked him and ended up being stabbed again…

Bella instinctively touched her wounded thigh.

But even that small act wasn’t tolerated by Flan.

“I said don’t stop, didn’t I? Are you deaf or just stupid?”

“Ugh…”

“If you stop, it’ll only hurt more for you.”

Flan yanked her forward as she lost her balance and fell. A branch scraped deeply across Bella’s forehead as she was dragged along.

Blood trickled down, staining her vision red, but there was no time to check the wound.

If she stopped, more wounds would follow.
So she kept moving. This humiliation—she would repay it later.

If she could just endure a little longer, until she fully understood his purpose… Even without her legs, she still had her wings, her tail, and her horns. She could still take him down.

Branches and gravel scraped against Bella’s body.

The pain was like needles raking across her skin, and though she wanted to writhe and scream, she held it in, letting out only small, strained groans as she endured.

Flan, indifferent to Bella’s suffering, only quickened his pace.

The wounds on her body were ever increasing.

—

“Let’s take a break.”

Flan had said those words hours ago.

For Bella, whose fingers had been broken after tripping over a rock, it was the most welcome thing she could have heard.
It wasn’t just her fingers. Bella was already at her limit.

Her goddess-given abilities had been pushed to the brink, and with her legs severed, her body was in a dangerously weakened state. She wondered if she might collapse from exhaustion and die, and if that was Flan’s true intention all along.

As her vision grew hazy and an unprecedented fear began to creep over her, Flan, as if sensing her condition, suggested they rest.

Thanks to that, Bella was able to catch her breath for a moment…

But Flan’s intentions became even more incomprehensible.

What was he thinking, with that calculating look on his face?

Calm and composed, Flan’s expression seemed more chilling than ever.

Sitting on a log, Flan stared at Bella with a piercing gaze. His scarred lips were moving, but no sound came out.

And then, after a few minutes, Flan’s voice broke the silence.

“…Alright, let’s go with that.”

With those words, he stood, dagger in hand.

He moved toward Bella.

His intent was clear.

“…N-no.”

Don’t come any closer.

She wanted to say it, but perhaps the thought of begging Flan for her life to was too unbearable. All that escaped Bella’s lips was a pathetic, wheezing sound.

In the end, Flan approached her without resistance.

Bella’s gaze fixated on the dagger.

‘If I can just block the dagger, there’s a chance…’

No.

If she didn’t block the dagger, she’d die a meaningless death.

Bella’s body trembled. She was caught in a dilemma so dire that her head felt like it was burning up.

“Why are you shaking so much… Oh, this.”

Flan, noticing Bella’s gaze fixed on the dagger, casually tucked the weapon back into his pocket, as if it were no big deal.

In just a few seconds, the object that had threatened Bella’s life was put away.

‘So, he’s not going to kill me?’

As if the previous tension had never mattered, Flan opened his mouth.

“You, stick with me for a while.”

…What kind of nonsense was that?

Bella, unable to comprehend Flan’s intent, responded not with words but with a face full of confusion.

“Thanks to some bastard blowing away that letter, my plans got messed up. So until I find it, just stay by my side. It’d be lonely to do all this running around alone, wouldn’t it?”

As if he had already anticipated Bella’s bewildered expression, Flan continued speaking smoothly.

His point was simple.

Stay with him until he finds the letter.
Because being alone is lonely.

“I’ll let you go once I find the letter.”

And apparently, once the letter was found, she’d be freed.

If Bella could endure whatever sadistic whims Flan might have in the meantime, she’d be released.
At least, that’s what his words implied.

‘…That’s a lie.’

But whether he’d truly let her go after finding the letter was uncertain. The likelihood of him killing her was much higher. At least, that’s what Bella thought.
A vile person like Flan wouldn’t keep his word. When the final moment came, he’d undoubtedly break his promise.

“So, are you in or not?”

But there was no other option.

If she refused… who knew what would happen? She couldn’t handle the risk.
Even so, Flan would surely break his promise in the end.

After much deliberation, there was only one thing Bella could say.

“Fine. Let’s do that.”

An agreement.

The reason for her agreement was simple.

If she accepted, at least she’d be kept alive until the letter was found. At the very least, he wouldn’t kill her before then. She might even find an opportunity to turn the tables before the letter was recovered. If she refused, she’d die without any chance at all.

So, she would find a way before the letter was found.
If luck was on her side, she might even escape.

She needed to gather her strength and prepare herself.

If she waited, an opportunity would come.

“Good. Got it.”

Bella steeled herself.

The countless wounds on her palms, the stinging pain in her knees—she would endure it all. No matter what she went through while Flan searched for the letter, she wouldn’t give up. And when the moment came, she’d strike Flan down. This was just a trial, a small struggle on her path to becoming a hero. She would endure it without faltering.

That’s what she told herself as she glared at Flan.

And then—

“Well, even so, we’ve got to take care of a few things first, don’t we?”

Flan’s words sent a chill down her spine.

Flan smiled faintly as he drew the dagger.

The suddenness of the attack left Bella unable to react.

The blade’s unimpeded trajectory carved a graceful line across Bella’s face.

Swish,

A sharp, clean sound accompanied a thin red line trailing down her cheek.

Instinctively, Bella raised her hand to her face, but it was already too late.

Slice,

An unpleasant sound rang out as something was severed.

Bella’s hand moved toward her ear in reflex.

The dagger must have cut her cheek and taken her ear with it—or so she thought. Her hand reached up, but there was no blood.

Only the faint trace of blood from the cut on her cheek remained.

But she had clearly heard the sound of something being sliced.

“The price for throwing the letter should’ve been steep, but since it’s the last one, I’ll give you a special discount.”

As if answering her unspoken question, Flan tossed something.

Thud.

The object landed limply on the ground—something crimson.

A dragon’s wing.

Its tattered, torn edges were unmistakable. Bella recognized it instantly. She had seen it countless times before.

“Ghh… ah?!”

A searing pain stabbed through her back.

But the journey to recover the lost letter was only just beginning.