A Fragile Trust

“Indeed, whether that method will work in a real battle is also questionable. Do you even know anything about combat?”

Pitch-black hair, and a broad, imposing frame.
A man with a large scar, so prominent that three marks were visible even with a red eyepatch over one eye.
He was the chief of the black manes.

“Be quiet, Radugan. She has more of an eye for these things than you.”

“Are you her spokesman, Tegen? I’m asking that woman.”

“‘Woman’? This bastard, you’re being insolent every time…!”

“It’s okay, Tegen! …Uh, you said your name was Radugan, right?”

As I barely managed to restrain Tegen, who was growling as if he would pounce at any moment, and blocked his path, he stiffly lifted his head and looked down at me.
His gaze, as he squinted and scanned me, was like he was looking at an insect.

Among the Maha, he particularly disliked me.
There were many times when I would be out for a walk and would have to turn back because he would glare at me murderously even from a distance.

But now there was no way to avoid him, no time for a verbal battle, and it was obvious that lying would only make the situation worse.

The only answer was a frontal breakthrough.
I looked straight into Radugan’s murky red eyes and opened my mouth.

“I am the being you are expecting.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say I was an Awakener, a Destroyer, with my own mouth, so I said it indirectly.

‘As I thought!’

Nevertheless, as if they had understood the meaning, sighs and curses erupted from all over.

They began to glare at me with faces like the hyena tribe that had found its prey.
It felt like being trapped naked in a wild wolf cage.
Chilling gazes, on a different level from the hostile gazes from a moment ago, poured in.

“…I knew it.”

Among them, the one with the most frightening face was Radugan, who was standing in front of me.

“You dirty, disgusting Destroyer.”

His bloodshot eyes were filled with a hatred that seemed like it wanted to tear me to shreds at any moment.

“This bastard, from a while ago!”

Tegen, with eyes just as fierce, went wild again.

“Tegen! It’s okay!”

I barely managed to stop him as he was about to pull out his knuckles, asking if he was going to watch his mouth, and finally continued to speak.

“I know you don’t trust me. Radugan.”

“……”

“But please trust me just this once. Just once, as if you’re being deceived. There’s no time.”

Radugan’s gaze, as he looked back and forth between Tegen, who was growling as if he would pounce at any moment, and me, who was blocking him, became subtle.

“The longer the poison lasts, the more aftereffects remain. We have to bring the antidote as soon as possible.”

“Haha, do you even know where the antidote is?”

A man with gray hair interjected with a sneer.
He was a Varg with a somewhat gaunt and sharp impression, leaning on a cane as tall as me.

“The antidote must be deep inside the Igra tribe’s nest, so how are you going to find it so quickly? Are you going to lead the Sura who are coughing up blood and wage an all-out war?”

He was also clearly one of the Maha who was hostile to Karvan.
Because a few of the escorting Sura, including Tegen, who had his eyes wide and red, surrounded me as if to protect me.

“Merhen-nim. When did you arrive.”

“Hmm, I wonder. Around the time the great Valtael was talking nonsense?”

Laughter erupted from all sides.
Hostile gazes, familiar jeers, mocking sneers.
It didn’t matter what, but I was in a hurry.
Karvan’s pale complexion and ragged breathing flickered in my mind.

“Do you know the old story of the shepherd beast-kin…”

“Alright. Then I’ll go alone.”

Merhen, the gray-haired Varg, furrowed his eyebrows as he glared at me.
It was a look that said he was at a loss for words that I had cut him off.

“Where are you going alone.”

In the middle of the sharp confrontation, it was Radugan, who had been staring at me intently since earlier, who spoke, as if throwing a question.

“To get the antidote.”

Another round of mocking laughter erupted.

They were openly laughing as if they had heard all sorts of nonsense, but I was being serious.
Come to think of it, there was no need to wage an all-out war.

“The antidote must be deep inside the Igra tribe’s nest.”

As he said, the antidote would be held by the desk jockeys like the doctors or herbalists inside the nest, not the combat personnel.
Just as you had to find a ‘Sniper’ and not a ‘Berserker’ to plunder a bow skill, the objective was wrong from the start.

“If you just draw their attention from the outside, I’ll infiltrate alone and get the antidote.”

“Do you even know where the Igra’s nest is to be talking so confidently? It’s a place higher and steeper than the rocky mountains surrounding Bahalgras.”

‘…Was it?’
‘But well, there must be a way.’
I flinched for a moment at Radugan’s stern expression, but I tried my best to answer calmly.
Because I thought he wouldn’t believe me if I showed a lack of confidence.

“It’s okay. I’ll get it somehow, even if I have to climb it with my bare hands.”

“Hoho, I’m sure you will.”

“How can we believe that when you might betray us again and run away, taking advantage of Valta’s weakness?”

“The way you all talk is…”

“Y-yes! You have every right to not trust me!”

I was breaking out in a cold sweat, trying to persuade them while holding onto Tegen’s sleeve, who was now fuming like a rhinoceros.

“But I really have no intention of betraying you, and I won’t run away. You can even put a guard on me.”

I shouted desperately and looked around.
Although they weren’t showing it, everyone’s complexion was pale.

Since they had said that the drinking water flowing into Bahalgras was poisoned, even if it didn’t worsen as rapidly as Karvan, who had been directly bitten, they were slowly being consumed by the poison.

“I’ll risk my life to get the antidote, so please trust me just this once. There’s no time.”

“Ha! A Destroyer…”

“I may be a Destroyer, but I’m not that cowardly!”

When did I ever say I couldn’t live with you, that I couldn’t trust you, and ran away, climbing a rocky mountain on all fours.
I had decided never to come back, but thinking that they would disappear, my heart sank.

“I’m so glad Shinbi-nim is our Valtael!”

Even at this moment, my heart was pounding with the anxiety that they, that Karvan, might be dying.

“Even if I can’t be a savior, I won’t let you be destroyed again.”

“……”

“If you’re going to die, die after drinking the antidote I bring. You can’t die before then.”

“……”

“None of you can die without my permission, absolutely not!”

I just wanted them to know my sincerity, to believe that I wouldn’t abandon them this time.
As I was panting, having spat out whatever came to mind in my haste, the surroundings were quiet.

All the Varg in the hall were looking at me.

“Shinbi-nim.”

The name, thrown out in the silence, felt unfamiliar.
I flinched at Mashak’s heavy, low voice, which I had never heard before, and lowered my head.

“How, could you say such a thing…”

He seemed to be at a loss for words, and he stammered, unable to finish his sentence, his voice trailing off.

‘It’s impossible to easily trust a human woman who had run away and been caught just a few days ago, and a Destroyer at that, and I’m sure he can’t stand me even scolding them for what they did well.’

“…I’m sorry. I was too rude,”

“What you just said. Were you serious?”

Unable to even lift my head, as I was timidly apologizing, even Tegen, who had been standing like a statue, chimed in and began to question me.

“What you said, that we can’t die without your permission…”

As expected, Tegen’s low voice was full of doubt.

“Ah, that! Uh, so.”

‘I want to take responsibility for your lives, that’s what I meant.’
But I couldn’t bring myself to say it, seeing their wide-eyed gazes.
Because I knew that if a Destroyer said such a thing, it would sound like a deception.

“…Shinbi-nim.”

“I was speaking in a roundabout way, but I was serious! So can’t you please just trust me this once? I-I’ll get the antidote, no matter what it takes…”

“Sob! Yes! We will definitely get your permission!”

As I was just shaking my head and begging, not knowing what to do, Tegen suddenly slammed his head on the table and started to cry.

“…Ahem.”

Flustered, I looked around, and the atmosphere was strange.

Mashak had also suddenly turned around and was showing his back, and the other Sura were also clearing their throats and covering their mouths or rubbing their red eyes.
‘The poison must be spreading, and an allergic reaction is appearing late.’

“Does it hurt a lot? Is everyone’s eyes stinging? Let me see.”

“…No, sir! Valtael. I, sob, am fine…”

“Don’t cry. I’ll definitely get the antidote. Your eyes will hurt more if you rub them.”

“Sob! Shinbi-niiiiim!”

Now he was even putting his fist in his mouth and sobbing, so he must have been in a lot of pain.
I patted the Sura, who were sobbing without being able to finish their words, and soothed them.

“…Alright. I’ll hear you out.”

The black mane, Radugan, who had been watching me and the Sura with a strange expression, opened his mouth after a long time.

“What do I have to do?”