Miryeong had already left the market behind.
Moving quickly through alleys where the crowds had thinned,
she kept her nose low.
Each time she breathed in, it felt as if the air split apart.
“Lady Miryeong, wait a moment.”
Erdin called from behind.
“We’re not certain yet—”
“Shut up.”
Miryeong did not stop.
Her steps were growing faster and faster.
“Miss Bido might have… gone back to the inn alone.”
Erdin said, looking around.
Miryeong let out a short breath.
“No.”
“Your reason—”
“My gut.”
Saying that, Miryeong changed direction.
Away from the flow of people,
into the depths of an alley where the noise abruptly cut off.
Erdin said nothing more.
Because he had already sensed that Miryeong’s gait was different from usual.
Ahead, there was Bido’s scent.
Faint,
but unmistakably continuing.
Miryeong followed it and picked up her pace a little more.
And then—
In that instant,
Miryeong’s face hardened.
“…The smell of blood.”
The words came out low,
but her steps changed at once.
Miryeong all but ran through the alley.
Erdin stopped asking questions and kept up.
And at the end of the alley,
where her field of vision opened up, someone was staggering out with difficulty.
It was Bido.
The moment Miryeong saw her, she thought her breath would stop.
Her clothes were torn here and there, stained red,
and her sleeves hung loosely and awkwardly.
Dried traces of blood remained on that small face.
Bido was certainly standing, but her body looked drained of strength.
Her shoulders sagged,
and her gaze was not properly lifted.
“…Bido.”
Miryeong ran to her first.
“What in the—”
Before she could finish speaking,
Miryeong was standing in front of Bido.
Up close, her condition looked even worse.
Miryeong did not ask anything more.
Right now, neither reasons nor explanations were needed.
She simply pulled Bido into her arms.
“Hey.”
Her voice sank low.
“It’s all right.”
Bido’s body trembled very slightly.
Miryeong tightened her arms.
“Let’s go.”
“For now, we just need to go.”
Bido lifted her head,
but in the end, no words came out.
She only hesitated for a moment before letting her body lean against Miryeong.
Miryeong walked without letting go of Bido’s arm.
Bido’s steps were slow,
and now and then Miryeong could feel the strength leaving her.
Erdin silently watched their surroundings from the other side.
But almost no one turned to look.
People passed them by.
Even at the sight of torn clothes, a stained face,
and the lingering smell of blood,
people only turned their heads for a moment.
Some did not look at all.
Some glanced once, then turned their attention back to their bargaining.
“……”
Miryeong clenched her teeth.
Even with Bido walking like this, the city remained utterly indifferent.
Laughter leaked out from taverns,
and the sound of dice rolling came from the alleys.
Merchants were still calling out prices.
As if,
in this city, this much was commonplace.
Bido moved in step with Miryeong, her head lowered slightly.
The sword still had not left her hand.
Seeing that, Miryeong drew even closer to her.
“Hold on just a little longer.”
She said quietly.
“We’re almost there.”
Bido did not answer.
But she did not stop walking.
The city continued to flow on.
Only they were slightly out of step with that current.
—
The inside of the inn was busier than expected.
The moment the door opened, the smell of alcohol and the voices of people surged over them all at once.
Half-emptied cups lined the tables,
and in one corner, someone was laughing in a low voice.
Miryeong walked straight into that noise.
Holding on to Bido,
she pushed her way through the people.
Several gazes brushed past them.
But none lingered for long.
Even inside the inn, Bido’s appearance was not remarkable.
The innkeeper standing behind the counter glanced at Miryeong.
“A room—”
Miryeong cut him off.
“Lizard Tail.”
She said curtly.
“Where is it.”
The innkeeper looked at Miryeong’s face for a moment,
then soon lowered his gaze toward Bido.
No explanation seemed necessary.
“Second floor.”
The innkeeper said.
“Up the stairs, third room.”
Miryeong nodded.
There was no word of thanks.
She turned at once and headed toward the stairs.
Bido’s foot caught on the first step.
Miryeong held on to her more tightly.
“Hey, careful.”
She said lowly.
“We can go slowly.”
Bido drew a small breath and lifted her foot again.
Even as they climbed the stairs,
the noise from inside the inn continued to reach them.
Laughter, the clinking of cups,
sounds as though nothing at all had happened.
Miryeong left those sounds behind as she went up.
Miryeong did not stop in front of the door.
She grabbed the handle,
and threw the door open.
Bang—
The sound of the door striking the wall echoed through the room.
The first person who entered her sight was Rangnan.
He had been standing beside the bed when he raised his head at the sudden noise.
And beside him,
Muryeong was standing.
The moment Miryeong confirmed that, she let out a breath a beat late.
“…Ha.”
It was a short sound.
Erdin carefully closed the door behind her.
His gaze was swiftly sweeping over the room.
The bed, the table, the wall.
Miryeong’s face hardened again.
“Where’s Aslo?”
Before Rangnan could open his mouth while looking at Miryeong,
Miryeong spoke first.
“No, forget it.”
She clicked her tongue.
“Damn it.”
Irritation mixed into her voice.
Only then did Miryeong bring Bido farther inside.
She seated Bido by the bed without letting go of her hand.
“The healer, right?”
Miryeong said, looking at Rangnan.
Rangnan nodded and said,
“What on earth happened?”
Miryeong closed her eyes briefly, then opened them.
“I don’t know. Later.”
She grumbled, but the end of her voice had dropped low.
Bido sat on the edge of the bed without lifting her head.
Muryeong quietly approached at the sight.
Miryeong stepped in front of him as if blocking his way.
“This won’t do.”
She said curtly.
“Bido. Get on my back.”
Bido lifted her head for a moment.
Her expression seemed to be checking what she had just heard.
Miryeong did not repeat herself,
and was already lowering herself in front of Bido.
“Just hurry up and get on.”
She added shortly.
“And don’t say anything else.”
Bido did not ask any more.
After hesitating briefly, she leaned her body against Miryeong’s back.
Miryeong grabbed Bido’s legs and hoisted her up.
She was lighter than expected.
“Rangnan.”
She said without lifting her head.
“The healer. Where did you say it was?”
Rangnan answered immediately.
“Inside the western alley.”
“Past the fish sign—”
“Got it.”
She did not listen to the end.
Her face had already fixed on a direction.
Miryeong turned around at once.
With Bido on her back, she walked straight toward the door.
“Wait—”
Before someone could get the words out, Miryeong opened the door and left.
The moment she stepped out into the corridor,
her steps changed.
It was not walking, but almost running.
Bido’s body swayed hard once.
Miryeong tightened her arms further.
“Hold on tight.”
She said shortly.
“I don’t plan on dropping you.”
Instead of answering, Bido gripped Miryeong’s shoulders more tightly.
The sound of them descending the stairs rang out roughly.
The inn door opened,
and the noise outside surged in all at once.
Miryeong cut through the people and ran straight out.
—
Only after that figure vanished did those left in the room move.
After a brief silence, Rangnan spoke first.
“…We should follow as well.”
His tone was no different from usual,
but the conclusion had already been reached.
Muryeong nodded.
Without a word, he adjusted the position of his axe and headed for the door.
Erdin hurried after him too.
“Yes. We should follow.”
Rangnan swept his gaze over the room one last time.
There was no reason for anyone to remain.
As he stepped out the door, he said quietly,
“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
By the time they left the inn, Miryeong was already out of sight.
With Bido on her back, she was cutting across the alleys without stopping.
People turned their heads in surprise for a moment,
but Miryeong paid them no attention whatsoever.
The western alley.
The fish sign.
Miryeong’s gaze was fixed in that direction.
Behind her, footsteps began.
Everyone was picking up speed so as not to fall behind.
Right now,
following came before asking.
—
The healer’s house.
Melanie had thought the treatment was almost finished.
The pain still remained,
but she had been told just moments ago that it would not get any worse now.
That was why,
even when she heard the door suddenly open, she was not particularly surprised.
It was Miryeong.
She looked slightly out of breath,
and her shoulders were raised higher than usual.
Melanie tried to smile reflexively.
“What, are you here to visit the sick or—”
That was as far as she got.
The instant she saw what was behind Miryeong’s back.
Melanie’s words stopped.
Someone was being carried on her back.
Head hanging low,
arms dangling limply.
It was Bido.
The smile vanished from Melanie’s face in an instant.
“…Bido?”
Miryeong did not answer.
She walked straight inside and spoke to the woman in the room.
“Take a look at this child.”
Her tone was urgent,
short enough to sound like an order.
The woman who seemed to be the healer took in Miryeong and Bido at once and asked no questions.
“This way.”
She said briefly, opening the door to the adjacent room.
Miryeong followed her in at once.
The sound of the door closing echoed louder than expected.
A brief silence remained in the room.
On the bed,
Melanie had half-raised herself and was staring at that door.
A short while later,
the door opened again.
This time, Miryeong was alone.
Her shoulders had lowered a little,
but her expression was still hard.
“What happened?”
Melanie asked first.
Miryeong looked at Melanie for a moment,
then dropped her gaze to the floor.
“I don’t know.”
It was a short answer.
Just then,
footsteps continued outside.
Muryeong entered first,
and soon Erdin and Rangnan followed.
Aslo, who had been in the room, raised his head at the sound.
“Lord Rangnan.”
Aslo asked quietly.
“What on earth is going on?”
Rangnan looked toward the door for a moment, then turned his head toward Aslo.
“…Let’s wait.”
That was all he said.
Aslo did not ask any more.
His expression only hardened a little as he shifted his gaze in the same direction as Miryeong.
There were several chairs in the room,
some people remained standing,
and some leaned their backs against the wall.
No one said a word.
There was still no sound from beyond the door Bido had entered.
A time in which they could only wait.
No one paid attention to who was the first to let out a steadying breath,
or who was the first to avert their gaze.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on one thing.
The closed door.
What was happening inside it,
and—
what had happened to Bido.
The answer had not yet come.
No one knew exactly how much time had passed.
The door opened without a sound.
The healer appeared first.
Adjusting her sleeves,
she swept her gaze over everyone in the room at once.
“She has many wounds.”
“There are cuts, and there are scratches.”
“But none of them are fatal.”
The air in the room loosened by the slightest degree.
The healer continued.
“However—”
She chose her words for a moment, then tilted her head.
“She seems to have been badly frightened.”
Miryeong’s gaze fixed on the healer at once.
“She needs to rest for the time being.”
“Don’t agitate her,”
“and if she falls asleep, don’t wake her.”
The healer looked back into the room one last time.
“Stability is the most important thing.”
After a brief silence, she spoke again.
“Then, as for the payment—”
Erdin stepped forward.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“If you tell me how much…”
The healer nodded and turned toward Erdin.
“This way.”
The two of them left the room.
This time, the sound of the door closing was soft.
Miryeong stared at the door, then reached out first.
This time,
she opened it carefully.
The room was quiet.
Aslo and Rangnan followed behind her.
Bido was sitting on the bed.
Her wounds had been dressed,
her face cleaned.
Her breathing was uneven, but it continued.
The moment Aslo saw her,
his shoulders lowered by the slightest degree.
Rangnan stood beside the bed without a word.
Miryeong stood in the closest spot and looked at Bido.
Still, no one spoke.
But,
now they were close enough to watch over her.