Chapter 30. The Eye That Sees Lies

Inside the tent, Ian stared only at the red flowers. Beric was still snoring, having fallen asleep, and the outside was noisy.

To summarize the situation, Wincen's illness required a plant called 'Silasque,' and it seemed that several expeditions had been sent out for this purpose. However, no one returned.

'But is this it?'

Silasque. The identity of the plant in the pot that no one in the Brats mansion knew. Ian lightly brushed the petals and frowned. How did the bastard Ian obtain this in his lifetime?

'He definitely said he grew it himself. If Filia were here, I could have asked her.'

Perhaps it's a miraculous herb that can only be seen in the blind spots of the brothel, like Gula. If someone were to discover it, it could once again lead to a leap for humanity.

As he thought this, Ian could feel his heart racing.

"Ugh."

At that moment, Beric woke up. His face was swollen from the meat and alcohol he had consumed the previous day. Ian quickly threw him a towel, signaling him to get ready, and Beric, still half-asleep, left the tent.

"Oh, it's the foreigner."

"Shh, it's the foreigner."

"Didn't you go to the banquet yesterday?"

"Hey! Did you have good dreams? What you ate was the best!"

Pushing through the murmuring crowd, Ian found the familiar street. It was the tent where Wincen had been, which he visited right after arriving yesterday. The scent of kurl leaves was even stronger. Nersan turned his head curiously upon spotting Ian.

"What brings you here?"

"Good morning. I followed the commotion and ended up here."

"This is none of your concern. Stay in the tent until we receive word from Kakantir."

Now, Ian would have to earn his keep here. Given his position, he would likely be tasked with spreading the Bariel language and culture.

As for Beric, it was uncertain whether he would be treated like a slave as the horse said, or if he would be recognized as Ian's assistant.

"Wincen, the tribal chief, seems to be in a very critical condition."

"Ian Brats, you're talking too much."

Mentioning Wincen's name made the surroundings suddenly quiet. Some clicked their tongues in disbelief, while others sent overtly angry glances. If Ian were not dealing with Nersan, he might have been in trouble immediately.

"Since it's noisy everywhere this morning, I couldn't help but hear."

"I'm sorry, but-"

"A flower that never withers once it blooms, called Silasque. Is that correct?"

Nersan, who hadn't known Ian for long, knew he wasn't the type to miss the mood. Ian glanced around and whispered quietly.

"I need to speak with the chief. It's important."

He had seen enough. If he possessed Silasque, the credit would spread like the wind among them. Given the situation, he needed to draw some attention to foster friendly feelings.

Squish-

Nersan led Ian not to Wincen's room but to the adjacent tent. There, Kakantir and other leaders were discussing the expedition.

"But he just had a son."

"The fifth. With four grown children, I don't think it will be a problem for the remaining family."

"And he's particularly skilled with a bow..."

"Kakan."

At Kakan's call, Kakantir turned his head. A kurl leaf was still stuck to his lips.

"What is it?"

"Ian Brats says he has something to tell about Silasque."

"More like he wants to ask about it."

"...Sit down."

Ian took a seat amidst the thick smoke. The old men sitting beside him watched him with various expressions.

"Please explain what Silasque is. I have an idea, and I want to confirm if it's correct."

"An idea? Ah, you don't know about Silasque?"

Ian answered with silence.

Kakantir exhaled a puff of smoke and gestured to the doctor sitting nearby. The doctor pulled out a piece of paper from his robe. It seemed to be a part of a plant guide written in an unknown language.

"Silasque is the disease that affects those who directly serve the will of the gods, like Wincen. They spend their lives absorbing that energy, but eventually, they can't withstand it and fall apart."

The doctor continued.

"According to records, a long time ago, the Thousand Li rescued merchants from the southern kingdom in the desert and obtained Silasque seeds. But nowadays, it's extremely rare to see."

It was impossible to gauge how long ago 'a long time ago' was, as no one in the Thousand Li tribe knew Wincen's younger days.

During her long struggle, the records about Silasque had faded, and they had only recently found a clue.

Ian comforted them with appropriate words.

"There aren't many in Bariel who serve the will of the gods."

He almost blurted out 'gypsy.' To them, Wincen was an important figure, but in the Bariel Empire, she was just one of many old gypsies. Among the many fraudsters, she was skilled, but that was about it.

Moreover, gypsies wandered all their lives, so no one knew how they spent their final years. It would be accurate to say no one cared.

The doctor narrowed his eyes.

"Silasque eventually disappeared, and well, as you can see, that's the situation now."

"Silasque... is it a red flower that never withers once it blooms?"

"If the records are correct."

This time, Kakan frowned deeply.

"I can smell the scent of Silasque in your words."

This is completely absurd.

Ian smiled and nodded.

"In fact, I saw a flower suspected to be Silasque in the Brats territory. It was red and never withered after blooming."

Even the sun sets once a day, so a flower that never withers is certainly special. Kakantir pressed Ian.

"Is this the truth?"

"I was surprised too. That's why I came here as soon as I heard about Silasque."

Well, what should I do? If the timing is right, there's a way to trick them into coming to Brats.

When the emperor's central army turns Brats into a wasteland, if he can rely on the power of the Thousand Li, he might not only save his life but also gain the territory.

But...

'If Wincen doesn't last much longer, that's a problem.'

Can she hold on until the central army reaches Brats? Who knows. Her condition was so dire that she had rushed out of the banquet.

"Tell me more."

"Before that, I have a request."

In that case, he had no choice but to take the other route.

Kakan didn't hide his displeasure at Ian's words. It seemed like he was bargaining with the chief's life.

"A request? If Wincen dies, your head will roll too, won't it?"

"Please treat me not as a hostage but as a guest of the Bariel Empire."

Without the emperor's command, he couldn't call himself an 'envoy' or a 'representative.' But the meaning was the same. He wanted clear safety and respect.

"Brats is a piece of the vast Bariel. The palace knows about Brats' hostage situation, and my coming here is, in a sense, the palace's will."

Ian's smooth words made Kakantir's lips curl slightly. His gaze seemed to say, 'Look at this?'

"Is that so? Then let me ask you this. If your head rolls now, will the palace send an army here? According to your logic, they should, right?"

"I don't know if they'll send an army, but it will certainly be a problem. The spirit of the palace resides in me."

Bang!

An old man slammed the table as soon as Ian finished speaking. In their language, it was unclear what he said, but it sounded like something about a snake's tongue...

The others remained silent but seemed to believe Ian's words were far-fetched.

"The spirit of the palace?"

Is Ian saying he is a descendant of the palace? Calling Derga his father?

"I can't reveal the details. What I can confirm is that my body is inherited from Derga Brats, but my spirit is from the palace. I don't think it's a difficult request for the chief to grant."

"Fine. Fine, fine. It's because of people like you that the gods gave us Wincen. Hey!"

At Kakantir's shout, two warriors approached and dragged Ian by the arms. Beric, who had been waiting outside, was startled and tried to rush in, but Ian gently raised his hand to stop him.

'It's fine.'

They were taking Ian to Wincen. Ian gave Beric a look that said 'wait here' and then entered the chief's tent again.

"Wincen."

"Ah..."

Her breathing was labored, but she seemed conscious. The attendants slowly helped her sit up, and her cloudy eyes continued to look skyward.

"He says he knows about Silasque."

"More precisely, he says he has an idea."

"...An idea. Is it the truth?"

Saliva dripped from the corner of Wincen's mouth. Instead of speaking, she nodded. The attendants let out joyful exclamations, and Nersan, who followed, looked as if he had found a ray of light.

"He also says his spirit is from the Bariel palace."

Is there anything to correct?

Kakantir looked down at Ian, leaving his words hanging. If Wincen shook her head, they would cut off Ian's legs. Since they needed to hear about Silasque, they would have to stop the bleeding properly.

"Ah..."

Suddenly, Wincen took a deep breath. Her body trembled, and she closed her eyes. She never closed her eyes when discerning lies.

"......!"

Everyone fell silent. Wincen raised her withered hands to her chest in reverence and bowed as much as she could. It was clearly a gesture of respect for someone important.

"Wincen?"

"Ugh..."

The chief then collapsed to the side. The doctor rushed to check her pulse, and the attendants ran to fetch warm water. Ian watched her quietly and muttered.

"Silasque is in my tent."

Kakan was startled by Ian's words. Without a command from the chief, Nersan, who had been listening, ran outside and shouted.

"Go to the foreigner's tent! Find the red flower!"

"Eh? What? Why?"

"Hurry! Time is of the essence!"

"Ian! What's going on? Should we take it and run?"

Beric's shout made Ian smile slightly.

"It's fine. This is my first gift to them as a guest of Bariel."

Ian informed Beric in a dignified voice. In Wincen's tent, filled with the scent of kurl leaves, Ian stood on equal footing with Kakan for the first time.