I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 80

The “dog pit” the emperor spoke of was a secret place where boys were chosen to become the shadows of the imperial family. It was said that only one would survive to take on that role.

When the emperor said “prove yourself,” he didn’t just mean strength. He meant proving that your life was worth keeping.

Enoch Callete was a boy known for his sword skills, at least among noble children. But in a place where survival depended on real combat, his talent fell short.

According to his roommate, every year they held battles to rank the boys in the dog pit. Only half would survive. The rest were eliminated, which meant death.

He could still remember the sneer on his roommate’s face, saying Enoch wouldn’t last long. It reminded him of the emperor, Letius, who had laughed the same way when Enoch had boldly declared he would become a dog.

At the age of ten, Enoch barely made it through, ranking 97th. For the first time, he truly felt the fear that he might die before ever getting his revenge.

He started sleeping less and trained even harder. Even when blood and sweat poured like water, he kept holding his sword. It was a desperate struggle to stay alive.

At eleven, he ranked 24th, landing somewhere in the middle among those who survived.

His roommate, the one who used to tease him, was eliminated after placing 53rd. He used to grumble a lot, but he had always looked out for Enoch.

Enoch cried in secret as he stared at the empty bed. But there wasn’t enough time to mourn. The next day, training resumed. He was so busy, he didn’t even notice the chrysanthemum he had placed on the bed had rotted away.

At twelve, Enoch ranked fifth, finally entering the top tier. The emperor, who had once ignored his existence, suddenly invited him to a meal.

“You’ve gotten more savage since I last saw you,” the emperor said. “You’re finally starting to resemble a proper dog.”

That night, Enoch returned to his room and vomited blood over and over.

He felt like the thread of his life was about to snap. He slammed the floor with his fists and clung to his blanket as he fought through the pain. Then he finally understood what the emperor meant. If he wanted to live, he had to become stronger.

“Damn bastard.”

For the first time, Enoch cursed. It was a phrase taught to him by his late roommate, spoken in another tongue.

At thirteen, Enoch finally took control of the dog pit. He stood atop a pile of corpses and received the imperial sword. He realized he had come one step closer to revenge, but he didn’t feel even a trace of joy.

During his time in the dog pit, he had never once looked into a mirror. They had avoided placing mirrors in the dormitory, fearing someone might shatter one and use it to harm others.

After several years, Enoch looked into a mirror for the first time. The face staring back at him looked like that of a beast. His once-elegant red eyes, a symbol of nobility, now seemed like cursed objects soaked in blood.

He thought, how horrifying.

It was as if God had refused to let him remain human. So Enoch Callete made a decision. If he couldn’t be human, he would stay a beast and finish his revenge.

When he returned to the imperial palace, Emperor Letius praised him. The emperor said he had transformed from a delicate noble boy into a beast with the perfect eyes of a shadow, and that he was proud of him.

Soon after, Enoch tried to strike a deal with the emperor.

“Yes, Your Majesty. So please, make me a promise. Give me the chance to take my revenge. In return, I will give you my life and my skills.”

If the emperor gave him a safe place to live once it was all over, Enoch promised to become the most loyal hound the empire had ever seen. He swore he would never refuse an order, no matter what it was.

The emperor, moved by the determination that was far beyond his years, found the boy admirable.

Letius then had a contract written, one that could never be broken without the emperor’s permission. He promised that if Enoch fulfilled his duties as the imperial shadow for five more years, he would grant him a new name and a noble title.

From that day forward, Enoch Callete carried out every task the emperor gave him. No matter how dirty or horrific the job was, he never once refused.

Even if it meant destroying his humanity and dignity, he didn’t care.

He had already left those things behind, clashing swords with his companions in the dog pit. The noble teachings of House Callete, which once preached honor, were now nothing more than a distant memory.

The smell of blood clung to his sword. The screams of the dying echoed in his ears. His skin bore the claw marks of those who had thrashed in pain.

And five years later, Enoch Callete was finally given a new name.

“Sieghart Aschart.”

“…”

“That is your new name. Do you like it, my dog?”

The name Sieghart Aschart.

At the Emperor’s birthday banquet, a knight appeared before the public for the first time. When Sieghart Aschart was granted a dukedom, he immediately caught the attention of many nobles.

Convinced he had the full backing of the Imperial Family, several noble families rushed to offer their daughters in marriage, submitting proposal letters one after another.

Marriage meant nothing to him. He had no interest in it. The legacy of House Callete would only continue after his revenge.

If he failed in his revenge, then House Callete would vanish entirely. Sieghart carried on with that unshakable resolve, focusing on his one and only goal.

That turning point came when he reached the age of twenty.

Emperor Kail Letius, who had always looked down on the imperial hound, approached him privately and without warning.

“Did you know? You pledged your entire life to Letius.”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“Then are you also aware that it applies even after your revenge is complete?”

Kail smirked as he spoke, clearly enjoying the reaction he was provoking.

Sieghart had never heard that condition before. Helping Letius even after his revenge had ended? He stared directly at the emperor, his expression unreadable, silently demanding an explanation.

“I read the contract. Turns out that a naïve young boy once wrote that he would serve the Imperial Family for life.”

“What are you talking about…”

“Even if you succeed, you still have to clean up Letius’ mess. You won’t gain freedom. All you’ll get is a lifetime of suffering. Isn’t that hilarious?”

“That’s an unfair contract. I don’t have to follow it.”

“Don’t have to? Do you even understand what it means to break an imperial contract? According to what you signed, you must serve Letius for the rest of your life. Even after your revenge. Even when your hair turns white. Even when you’re too old to move and all that’s left is your skin. Forever.”

For the first time, the cold and seemingly fearless man showed a hint of fear. Emperor Kail Letius gave a mocking laugh as Sieghart instinctively stepped back.

“Shall I help you?”

“…”

“Help you escape that contract.”

Emperor Kail Letius, the ruler of the empire and heir to Letius XXIV, offered Sieghart Aschart a deal.

If Sieghart would assassinate the previous emperor, Letius XXIV, in secret, Kail would ensure his freedom. Despite being the rightful heir, Kail’s position on the throne had long been unstable due to his incompetence.

There had been a growing voice among the nobles demanding that the second prince be named crown prince instead. Kail feared that even the emperor might change his mind and hand the throne to his younger brother.

In desperation, he came up with a bold plan. He made an offer to the one person who could carry it out. End the former emperor’s life silently, and in return, the contract would be erased.

One year later, Letius XXIV died suddenly from heart failure. It was discovered that the tea he regularly drank during private meetings with Sieghart had been laced with a slow-acting poison.

The poison was weak, harmless in a single dose, but as it accumulated in his aging body, it caused irreversible damage.

After the state funeral of Letius XXIV, Kail Letius ascended to the throne. It was shortly before Sieghart turned twenty-two.

On an official mission to the Galonde Empire at Emperor Kail’s command, Sieghart happened to meet a woman in the palace. She introduced herself as Ashy Callete, the emperor’s fifth mistress and a commoner.

But Sieghart immediately sensed the truth. She was a distant member of the Callete family, a surviving branch that had settled in the Galonde Empire.

After revealing his own identity, he began building trust with her. He sometimes called her “aunt,” hoping to strengthen the bond between them.

One year later, Ashy Callete shared devastating news with him. “The rebellion was a lie,” she told him.

She had interrogated a captured spy, who admitted under torture that he had long served the royal family of Charlier. Through further investigation, they uncovered shocking evidence. It was this same spy who had orchestrated the downfall of House Callete.

Sieghart had always suspected such a betrayal. But seeing the truth laid bare brought a fury he could not contain. With burning rage in his chest, he went to Emperor Kail.

“It is time for revenge. I need your cooperation.”

Sieghart promised to help bring the Charlier Kingdom under imperial control and led the invasion himself.

His plan unfolded with precision. Though they could only conquer half of Charlier, it didn’t matter to Sieghart.

His goal had never been political. He wanted Charlier’s destruction, nothing more.

So these are the ones who stole my happiness.

The heads of the Charlier royal family were hung along the castle walls. Their hair swayed violently in the wind, and Sieghart stared at their bloodied faces with his crimson eyes.

But strangely, it didn’t feel satisfying. A bitter taste rose on his tongue, lingering in his chest and mind.

Only then did he admit it to himself. He wasn’t happy.

Was this what he had given his body to the Imperial Family for? Did he truly trade his pain for this miserable sight, where he became the hand that brought ruin to others?

They were his enemies, yes, but they were also the reason he had survived. They had taken everything, but they had also given him a purpose.

Their deaths did not return his life to him. Even after all the revenge, Sieghart Aschart remained the same broken man.

Enoch Callete would never return.

All that remained was the false name, Sieghart Aschart, and a body drenched in guilt and loneliness.

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