To You Who Will Destroy Me - Chapter 153

Beneath the blue sky, Joshua’s long, damp black hair fluttered as he spoke.

“Be careful, Irel. The border is a dangerous place.”

He was right. Irel was seated on a rock covered with a soft blanket, holding a large parasol to block the scorching sun overhead.

“Here you go, Lady Irel.”

Yan Louis offered her a drink of cactus sap mixed with honey. Quite luxurious for a trip outside the border in search of barbarians.

“Thank you, Yan Louis.”

Irel accepted the drink and took a sip. It was Ruthwarm, but the rich taste of the desert lingered in her mouth. She pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, savoring the aftertaste, and then murmured suddenly.

“How long do they plan on fighting?”

As if on cue, there was a loud boom. Irel blankly stared at a piece of shattered stone wall rolling to her feet.

“Are you crazy?! What’s the problem with putting up a temporary wall to keep the fire from spreading?!”

From a distance, Erich’s voice rang out, his face red with frustration. Of course, Varkan’s snarky voice responded without missing a beat.

“That useless wall blocks the wind and stifles the flames. I guess you built a wall inside your head too?”

That was sharp. I’m giving Varkan an extra five points.

Irel watched the scene unfold like a bystander. Her role here was merely as an emergency healer, nothing more, nothing less. So she didn’t see the need to stop their argument.

“Besides, Varkan seems to be having fun.”

Look at that smile. For someone like Varkan, who was used to trembling in fear and avoiding eye contact with others, this new situation seemed to excite him.

Erich, on the other hand, was a model student with a gentle demeanor and a straightforward attitude. But he had a surprisingly short temper, flaring up whenever Varkan provoked him, which was often. This only fueled Varkan’s enjoyment, much like a cat toying with a mouse.

“They seem to be in good spirits, Captain.”

Yan Louis muttered in a dazed voice, apparently thinking the same thing.

“But isn’t it dangerous?”

Irel lowered her voice and whispered as she glanced around.

“I actually think Erich might be connected to the royal family.”

There were two reasons why she thought so. First, Erich was a “new talent” dispatched to the West within the past two years. Second, while Ruth Varel and Seraphine had both died, Erich had survived unscathed.

Even though he wasn’t present at the scene due to a diversionary tactic, something about it felt off.

“Maybe he got a heads-up. Told to stay out of the way to avoid suspicion.”

That’s why Irel had been closely observing Erich, in case he suddenly turned on them.

But Yan Louis remained as nonchalant as ever.

“If he were an enemy, the captain would have sensed it by now. He’s as sensitive to hostility as a shark is to the scent of blood.”

Well, there was nothing more to say to that. Irel kept silent. Luckily, it seemed like the others had come to some kind of agreement.

“Fine, do it your way! But if you mess up even slightly…”

Naturally, Varkan had the upper hand in this argument.

“What kind of person is that?”

Erich muttered quietly as he walked toward them, fuming. His face, full of shock and anger, made it seem like he’d just encountered a lunatic for the first time in his life.

I know that feeling all too well. Without a word, Irel stepped aside to make space for him. Upon noticing her, Erich quickly closed his mouth, embarrassed. No matter how upset he was, he seemed hesitant to badmouth Varkan in front of his fiancée.

“…It’s awfully hot today. You must be working hard.”

After a brief silence, Irel spoke. Her friendly tone made Erich respond, albeit awkwardly.

“No, it’s you who is working hard, Lady Irel, in such a harsh place without any ties here.”

Was it just her imagination, or did it feel like the words “because of your fiancé” were left unsaid?

“Hard work? Not at all. More importantly, how are things going?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure.”

At the mention of business, Erich’s voice turned stiff again. Losing the argument earlier seemed to have hit him hard.

“People need to make reasonable arguments.”

Clenching his teeth with a forced smile, he pointed toward the desert where Varkan had decided to start a fire.

“As you can see, this place is barren, with few flammable materials. What kind of big fire does he think he’s going to start…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the ground rumbled with a loud thud. The earth trembled beneath their feet, and cracks began to form all around.

“What is this? An… earthquake?”

Though Erich had been stationed in Mieve for nearly two years, this was his first time experiencing such a situation. Startled, he half-stood, then quickly sat back down. If it really was an earthquake, it would be safer to stay low.

Suddenly—Boom!

From the cracks in the ground, terrifying flames surged alongside molten lava. Even though they were a fair distance away, the searing heat could be felt clearly from where they stood. Erich instinctively raised a hand to shield his face from the heat, only to realize with a start:

‘Is Lady Irel okay?’

She was the only civilian among them. Erich considered whether he should build a protective barrier around her for safety. But, to his surprise, when their eyes met, Irel’s expression was unusually calm.

“Well, this seems to be more or less within range,” she said casually, pointing at the gap where the flames were shooting up. “Don’t you think so?”

Erich was momentarily stunned, trying to process what she was saying. A beat later, it dawned on him.

The boundary of the erupting land aligned perfectly with what Varkan had predicted. As Erich realized this, a shiver ran down his spine.

‘My God.’

This was impossible. He had thought the ground might scorch a bit at most, but for something like this to happen? Could human power really achieve such a feat?

In the middle of the barren desert, a volcano was erupting. The surging flames blackened the sand as they spread, feeding on nothing but Varkan Ha Mash’s immense magical energy.

Though they were both of the Masaka, Varkan’s power was on an entirely different level. There was a reason for his arrogance. Erich, now pale, stood there, feeling completely overwhelmed by the sight.

“What are you doing? Just standing there like an idiot.”

Varkan, with his hands casually shoved into his back pockets, shouted. His handsome face wore a smile, showing no signs of strain.

“It’s time to herd the rabbits. Get moving.”

The fire, carried by the wind, flickered in his eyes.

***

To sum it up, the rabbit hunt was only half-successful. While they had succeeded in driving the barbarians out of their hiding place, they had run in the wrong direction, away from the trap.

“When we set the fire, they panicked and rushed out in droves. Judging by the location, it looks like they were hiding in underground tunnels.”

Yan Louis, returning from his scouting, pointed to a spot in the distance. It was the only prominent landmark in the mostly flat desert—a rugged mountain peak.

“They’ve set up camp on top of that mountain. I couldn’t get a better look because I saw a sudden flash of ‘light,’ so I pulled back.”

“A mirage in the middle of the night. How amusing.”

It was becoming clear that there was indeed a Drakal among the barbarians. It was quite an intriguing situation—someone working for the royal family mixed in with the western barbarians.

However, Varkan didn’t reveal this thought. It was better to keep quiet until they had solid evidence.

“That mountain is high enough that the lava won’t reach them.”

Varkan glanced up at the towering peak, high enough to catch the moon. Of course, there was the option of destabilizing the ground beneath and causing the mountain to collapse, but he didn’t want to go that far. If he did, the “evidence” would be destroyed along with the barbarians.

“Is there no other way?”

Tarik Varel, his face clouded with frustration, asked. He had been waiting, sword in hand, to avenge his son, but the barbarians had fled to the mountain instead of following the expected route.

The turn of events had greatly disappointed him. While they could send soldiers up the mountain, attacking an enemy that held the high ground would result in heavy losses.

“Of course, there’s a way. We didn’t go to all this trouble just to let them slip away now.”

Varkan’s response brightened Tarik’s face slightly.

“If you have a plan, let’s hear it.”

“We’ll strike just before dawn. The terrain is rough, so their escape routes will be limited, right, Yan?”

“Besides the cliff, there are about three paths. One of them is too steep to descend easily, especially at night.”

Yan Louis replied immediately, his scouting skills as sharp as ever.

“Good. Erich will block one path with a wall, and I’ll take care of the rest by driving them into the other.”

“And what should my lieutenant and I do, then?”

Tarik, who had been listening intently, asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes. The elusive barbarians, appearing and vanishing like ghosts, had been a constant headache. But now, thanks to Varkan, there was finally a chance to catch them.

“Lieutenant Harty will join us. It would help ease Masaka Erich’s mind to have someone familiar with him around.”

“I understand.”

Lieutenant Harty nodded without hesitation. However, Varkan wasn’t done speaking yet.

“And as for you, Lord Varel…”

Varkan smiled as he continued.

“With all due respect, it would be best if you didn’t participate in this raid.”

“What?”

Tarik’s face froze for a moment at the unexpected suggestion, then quickly flushed with anger.

“…Are you ignoring me? Do you think I’m too old and useless to be of any help, is that it?”

There was no other reason he could think of for being excluded. His voice grew increasingly dangerous, but Varkan calmly waved his hand.

“Not at all. I have another request for you, Lord Varel.”

As always, Varkan had a plan.