Chapter 37. The Traitor of the Great Desert

"Ah!"

Derga kicked his horse's side and galloped into the forest, which was on the opposite side of the Great Desert, adjacent to the Merelop territory. There was a temporary training ground set up there in the previous generation to secure a foothold.

Deo would be there with the soldiers.

'No, he must be there!'

Although the soldiers in the mansion were dismissed due to the pressure from the investigation team, the private army centered around Deo remained.

"Deo!"

Derga dismounted and ran towards the temporary training ground. Shouting with a heart full of anguish, his voice soon echoed back.

It was quiet around him. There was no sign of anyone.

"Surely, surely…."

Could the worst be followed by even worse?

All sorts of terrible scenarios flashed through Derga's mind. Did the fleeing butler send a message to Deo? Even if he did, would Deo have fled….

"Milord!"

At that moment,

the training ground's flag fluttered, and a human voice was heard. Derga, panting, entered and soon faced the soldiers hiding there.

"Deo!"

"Milord, are you alright? What about the Tianli clan?"

Originally, he planned to support the investigation team from the rear when the Tianli clan arrived and shook things up. A full-scale battle with the central army had a meaning beyond resistance, so he intended to use the Tianli as a buffer.

"It failed. Those guys betrayed us. We need to retake the mansion before the central army arrives. We have to hold out until the reply from Prince Marib comes."

While he suffered this humiliation due to being on the border, it was also because of the border that he had a chance. Brats had two to three times more soldiers than other territories and many variables due to its unique terrain.

Was that all?

Thanks to the presence of the Tianli clan, Brats was always prepared for war. The fact that he could gather the soldiers despite the sudden attack by the investigation team was proof of that.

For the first time in his life, Derga felt proud of his territory and soldiers.

"I will follow your orders."

"Unlike the central army, the investigation team's forces are not that formidable. Let's go. Let's kill them all. I'll tear them apart and feed them to the beasts."

Deo bowed and smiled.

There are always those who desire war. And now, Deo was one of them.

'If we win this battle, the command of the army will surely come to me.'

Then, in the Brats territory, he would be the second most powerful after Derga. Chel? Even if that incompetent one became a viscount, Deo's blood and sweat today would be remembered forever.

His heart, born from the lowest ranks and now on the verge of the peak of his life, began to race.

"Let's go! To reclaim our daily lives!"

"Uaaaaa!"

Deo's shout echoed like a wave. The mountain, which had been quiet, resounded with the fierce cries. Birds were startled and flew up, and a giant eagle was leisurely circling in the space between them.

Whish.

In the distance, the long line of the central army was reflected in the eagle's eyes. The Brats territory, passed down for generations. A bloodbath among their own people, unprecedented and unlikely to happen again, was drawing near.

He stretched out his hand to catch the eagle, fixing Kusil's head towards the desert.

* * *

Berik's body was drenched in cold sweat. The elderly doctor stuffed a bundle of herbs into his punctured side and kept pouring some unknown black liquid into his mouth.

"Kakan, how long will it take for him to get up? A month?"

"Sir Kakan, those who are not of the Tianli clan have lower recovery rates. If he were an ordinary person, he would have died immediately. However, given his stubborn nature, it might take two or three months."

"Two or three months. That's quite a dilemma for Sir Ian."

The battle between Derga and the central army was imminent.

Even if Ian relied on the Tianli clan, his only personal force was Berik. Without him in this chaotic situation….

Ian faintly smiled and removed the sweat-soaked hair from Berik's forehead.

"It's fine."

"You seem to have other thoughts."

"Whether Berik wakes up or not, there's always a way, isn't there?"

Kakan left at the sound of Nersan's voice from outside. The doctor continued to change the blood-soaked herbs, treating Berik. Berik's dark skin seemed to be turning paler as time passed.

"Please wait a moment. I need to change the herbs."

The doctor instructed Ian and then carried the remnants outside. The quiet space. Ian took a deep breath and placed his hand on Berik's forehead.

'I don't know if it will work, Berik. But it's better than doing nothing.'

Continuously infusing mana, as he had done before. Although the condition was severe, it would certainly help. Berik, as a swordsman, had not shown his full abilities. Ian hoped the effect would be much more significant this time.

Buzz. Buzz.

Ian activated his mana.

Unlike before when he only pushed a little, this time he kept infusing, continuously. It felt like he couldn't catch his breath.

"Ah…."

How many minutes had passed?

The sweat that had been trickling down now poured, and his vision began to blur. But Berik still showed no response. Ian, feeling he couldn't hold on any longer, removed his hand.

Squish.

"What are you doing, Sir Ian? Are you alright?"

The doctor, who had just entered, hesitated and asked. Ian, leaning on the edge of the bed, wobbled as if he were about to fall.

"I'm fine."

"Why, why suddenly…."

"I feel a bit dizzy. Don't worry about it."

"Wait a moment, and I'll bring some herbs that help with dizziness. Oh, look at this."

The doctor, who was changing the bandages, paused and looked at Berik's face. He had been unconscious and sweating, but now his breathing was quite stable. The doctor smoothed the damp herbs with his hand, and less blood came out.

"What is this guy?"

"…Berik?"

"His name. I didn't see the battle myself, but everyone was talking about it."

The doctor muttered and continued the treatment, glancing at Ian as if expecting an answer. But Ian, feeling his strength drain, turned his head away.

"…Kakan?"

Kakan entered, holding something in his hand. He smiled strangely at Ian's condition.

"Oh. Are you lacking something?"

"What do you mean?"

Kakan silently placed a round leaf on the candle stand. The sound of it burning filled the tent with thick smoke. The chief then placed the leaf under Berik's nose and soon handed one to Ian.

"This is how the Tianli avoid death."

"Will it work for Berik?"

"Perhaps. I've never seen an outsider use it, but at the banquet, it seemed to have some effect."

A secret technique of the Tianli clan that instantly boosts one's energy and helps forget pain. They were strong on their own, but the effect of the leaves could not be ignored. That's why, in trade with Brats, the leaves were designated as prohibited items.

Yet, giving them to an outsider was significant and felt new.

"Thank you."

Ian chewed the leaf slowly. A bitter taste followed by a sour and sharp one. Kakan, looking at Ian intently, continued.

"Ryul, who went with Su, returned first. Su decided to wait at the border."

"You mean the giant eagle."

"Yes. As you said, Derga is in a tight spot. It seems he has gathered soldiers."

The strength of Brats could be estimated to some extent. He had seen and heard things while living in the mansion. Most importantly, he knew how much Derga had invested in maintaining the private army, so that wasn't a problem.

"What about the central army?"

"There's no report yet."

The issue was the size of the central army and the investigation team. Knowing this would allow them to predict and respond to the battle situation. Ian, feeling his heart beat faster, spat out the leaf.

"You have a few days, so rest a bit."

As soon as Kakan left, Ian collapsed to the side, curling up. The doctor, glancing at him, pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.

How long had passed?

Whoosh.

Ian opened his eyes, startled by the sudden cold breeze. It was dark outside. The doctor was nowhere to be seen, and the candle was out. Only a faint smell of the leaves lingered.

"…Berik?"

Berik no longer sweated but remained unconscious. Ian leaned back against the bed and rubbed his face to wake himself up from the drowsiness.

Swish.

But, there was a sound from outside.

It wasn't just the wind that woke Ian. He glared at the entrance and felt around the floor. A dagger was attached to the belt Berik had taken off.

"Who's there?"

No answer.

Ian, with the moonlight behind him, slowly walked towards the entrance. He instinctively felt someone at the door.

'Damn. I don't understand.'

The outsider must be from the Tianli clan. They were the only ones living in the desert as a clan, and even if Derga sent a spy, they couldn't have breached the Tianli's defenses to get here.

So, Ian couldn't fathom it.

They had been friendly enough to give him the leaves earlier in the day, so why was the outsider here with murderous intent?

Swish!

The door was kicked open from the outside. Sensing Ian's hesitation, the intruder acted first.

A fur mask and feathers covering the shoulders. The man swung his sword at Ian.

Clang!

"Ugh!"

It was more luck than skill that Ian deflected the sword.

The dagger he swung reflexively broke in half and rolled on the floor. The attacker didn't hesitate. He roughly grabbed Ian's face with one hand and clutched his neck with the other.

Thud!

"Urk!"

He covered Ian's mouth to prevent him from calling for help.

"If you're a commoner, you should stay in your place, not plotting schemes."

The voice wasn't unfamiliar.

"Do you know how much trouble you and that red-headed guy have caused? Anyway, this is why the empire's people can't be trusted. Your father was the same."

Mentioning Derga?

Ian pushed his hands against the man's face. He was worried the fur mask might nullify his mana….

Buzz. Buzz.

"Die quietly—!"

Whoosh!

Boom!

Ian unleashed his mana like an explosion. The sudden shock pushed the attacker back, and Ian, in turn, was thrown into the air and fell.

Thud!

"…Damn."

Ian, lying on the floor, coughed. His wrist ached, possibly from the fall. At the same time, lights began to turn on outside the tent.

The Tianli, who were light sleepers, had sensed the commotion and awakened.