To You Who Will Destroy Me - Chapter 117

Vlad, a higher being of Kitan. Though they have long been humanity’s nemesis, little is known about them.

They were as unnoticed as shadows on the moon and extremely cautious. Perhaps their long lifespan, many times that of humans, had made them wise.

“Though they didn’t really look like it.”

Irel sighed as she closed the book. It was something she had looked up out of curiosity, but there wasn’t much useful information. It would probably be more helpful to recall the Vlads she had actually seen herself.

Bubble was a lively girl with a bubbly personality, like a high-spirited teenager. It was hard to associate something like “shadows on the moon” with her bright blonde hair. Perhaps the deceased Regis was a bit closer to what you’d expect from a “typical” Vlad.

But why had Bubble told her to come here? Was it a prank, just to mess with her? Irel began to feel suspicious.

“It’s so hot.”

It made sense—there wasn’t a single tree in the abandoned quarry. As a result, the sun blazed down on the vast marble rocks without any hesitation.

It wasn’t just sunlight; it was scorching heat. The parasol scarcely provided any protection, and the heat building up inside it was impossible to avoid.

“Sister-in-law, here, have some water.”

Her escort, Jin, offered her some water. Even though the water was lukewarm from the heat, it was better than nothing.

“Thank you, Jin.”

“Don’t mention it. Feel free to take your time looking around.”

Jin was also sweating profusely. Despite his stronger physique, being a Masakara, even he couldn’t stand up to the heat. Still, his friendly smile never wavered, which was impressive.

“Anyone would think it’s strange for me to be wandering around a closed quarry.”

But Jin didn’t show any signs of such thoughts. Could he be holding back his complaints for the sake of his career? Out of curiosity, Irel glanced into Jin’s eyes, but the affection meter was honest.

[Jin Ha Mash: Current Affection 67]

For someone she hadn’t known long, it was a rather high score. With a little effort, they could probably become close friends. Irel wasn’t aware, but Jin’s affection for her had stemmed from Bianca.

“Well, well, isn’t this Bianca, the one who entered the Vaslo Moore mansion before me?”

When they met for the first time, Jin had joked with Bianca. Bianca laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder. Since they both had dark hair, they looked like siblings sitting together.

“Your expression looks good. You were worried, but it seems like you had more fun than expected?”

Jin asked, and Bianca nodded.

“Yes, unexpectedly.”

“Really? Seems like Brother Varkan’s fiancée is a better person than you thought.”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t say she’s kind or particularly patient. She’s more… resolute, I’d say?”

That’s why I like her. Bianca smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling. Just from that, Jin had more than enough reason to serve Irel faithfully.

“If you feel dizzy or feverish, let me know anytime. It could be an early sign of heatstroke.”

“I will. Let’s just look around a little longer.”

Irel replied while looking at the sun, which was now high in the sky. The heat radiating from the heated marble made it hard to even breathe.

“Strange. This is the only place where a statue could be…”

Al Ros Condes was a small village. Paulo Christopher was a renowned sculptor who dealt with large, medium-sized sculptures at minimum. So, if the statue existed, it would be easily noticeable.

“But it wasn’t in the village.”

This quarry was the only plausible location. It had been a popular site for sculptors, known for its top-grade marble. Though now abandoned due to a lack of workers and high transport costs, during Paulo Christopher’s time, it must have been a thriving site.

Having investigated everything, Irel had walked so much her feet hurt. But now it seemed time to admit the truth: she had come up empty-handed.

“Well, Paulo’s works are incredibly valuable. It wouldn’t just be left lying around in a place like this.”

She couldn’t persist any longer.

“Let’s head back, Jin. Sorry for all the trouble.”

“Not at all. Lead the way.”

Jin followed obediently, asking no questions. In this way, he was a perfect escort. If nothing else, Varkan’s eye for people was something she had to acknowledge.

Just as Irel, exhausted, was feeling content, there was a sudden buzzing sound.

Bzzz—

Suddenly, her earlobe grew heavy and flushed with heat. Startled, Irel touched her ear and thought to herself.

“Heatstroke?”

That couldn’t be it. It felt more like an invisible hand was reaching out, tugging on her earlobe. Irel sensed some unknown force pulling her somewhere.

[Ding! The Mythic Item ‘Right Heart of Avihushan’ longs to reunite with the ‘Left Heart of Avihushan’ to return to its complete form. When the paired item is within a certain distance, the item automatically enters ‘tracking’ mode.]

What? That was never mentioned before! Caught off guard by the sudden situation, Irel turned her steps. As if bewitched, her feet moved on their own, dancing toward some unknown destination.

“Sister-in-law, where are you going?”

Jin, who thought they were heading back to the lodge, followed, surprised. Irel came up with a hasty excuse so he wouldn’t think it strange.

“Ah, I just thought I saw something over there… I’m going to check it out.”

Even as she spoke, her legs kept moving. She walked past the abandoned marble blocks, heading toward a thicket behind the quarry. As she wandered into a pathless area, even Irel found it disorienting.

“Wait, this is absurd!”

Wearing a parasol and a dress, and wading into the undergrowth—she must look like a woman who’d lost her mind from the heat! By now, she didn’t even dare glance back at Jin.

[Ding! Jin’s affection has decreased by 2 points.]

Hmm. It was only natural. Even as this happened, Irel clumsily trudged through the tall grass.

“Let me clear the path, Sister-in-law.”

Jin, who could no longer watch her struggle, drew his sword and took the lead. Thanks to him, it became much easier to move forward. After wandering for what felt like an eternity—

“Huh? There’s a cave here…?”

Jin stopped in his tracks, startled. Hidden by the overgrown vegetation, they hadn’t noticed the cave carved into the cliff behind the quarry.

It was clearly a place that had been abandoned for a long time. At the entrance, Irel noticed stone sculptures standing like sentinels on either side.

“Maybe… I’ve actually found it.”

As if to confirm her suspicion, the mysterious force guiding her steps suddenly stopped. However, the Heart of Avihushan hanging from her earlobe pulsed even more intensely.

It was clear now—she had come to Al Ros Condes for this exact purpose. Irel’s curiosity grew.

“What on earth is the connection between Paulo Christopher and the evil god Avihushan?”

Paulo was a sculptor known for creating statues related to the god Hashiva. His devotion was beyond question.

But wasn’t Avihushan the god who envied and sought to harm Hashiva? Why was Avihushan’s Heart leading her to a place where Paulo Christopher’s last work was said to be?

This wasn’t the only oddity. Why had Bubble told her to look for his final masterpiece? Especially when Bubble herself was a Vlad.

Many thoughts tangled in her mind like an intricate web of threads. The only way to unravel them was to see for herself.

“Are you planning to go inside?”

“Yes.”

“Then allow me to check it first. There could be snakes or other dangers.”

Jin, ever the vigilant escort, suggested. It was a reasonable proposal, so Irel readily agreed to wait at the entrance.

“Please, take a seat in the shade for a moment.”

Jin took off his outer garment and laid it on the ground. Irel gathered the hem of her light summer dress and sat on it.

“Be careful, Jin.”

“Of course, haha.”

[Ding! Jin’s affection has increased by 3 points.]

When Irel reminded Jin to be careful as he entered the cave, he responded with a polite smile, and her affection score with him rose again. It seemed that Jin highly valued manners, even in small interactions.

As he brushed away the cobwebs at the entrance and disappeared inside, Irel sat on the ground, taking a moment to look around. Whenever she had even a moment of peace, her thoughts naturally drifted to Varkan.

“He said he’d be back before sunrise…”

The man who had promised to watch the sunrise together hadn’t returned all night. It was clear that tracking Juan and trying to steal the ‘Breath’ hadn’t gone smoothly.

Is he okay? Irel briefly worried but quickly shook her head.

“Who am I worrying about?”

In reality, the chances of something going wrong on Varkan’s side were slim. He was well-versed in all things underhanded, and even if things went awry, he had the strength to force a solution.

“As long as I take care of myself, that’s all that matters.”

Don’t hold him back. Just as Irel clenched her fists and resolved to stay out of trouble, something suddenly rolled out of the bushes and landed at her feet. Startled, she blinked her eyes wide.

“Oh my, it’s a squirrel?”

How adorable! The squirrel stood on its hind legs, looking up at her with a tilted head, and Irel’s heart fluttered. Could it have been drawn to her because of the druid’s ring she was wearing?

“Hello, would you like a snack?”

As she spoke softly and fumbled through her pocket, she felt something hard. Was it a nut? Irel pulled it out, only to chuckle wryly at what she found.

“It’s candy.”

She had never raised a squirrel, but she knew enough not to feed it candy. Still, the thought of the squirrel leaving made her a bit disappointed.

“Should I give you this instead? Do you like sweet things?”

She asked playfully, and the squirrel tilted its head in response. While captivated by its big, round, black eyes, a strange feeling crept over her.

“Why do I feel… prickly? My body’s tensing up for no reason.”

Was she allergic to squirrels? It felt oddly similar to the sensation she got when a Masaka was nearby. As Irel pondered, something unexpected happened.

“I’m not really into sweets.”

The squirrel spoke—on two legs!