Chapter 704. Scrape?

Kraaaang! Bang!

Boom! Pop! Pop!

Eirin’s head spun. The earth shook violently, as if it were splitting apart. Branches whipped wildly through the air, and stones and sand shot up like rain, falling back down in a chaotic shower.

The core of the barrier, buried deep beneath the ground, had revealed itself—and even the slightest tremor caused it to explode again, triggering a secondary shockwave.

“No—!”

Is this even allowed? Eirin wanted to demand an explanation from Berrick, but the circumstances wouldn’t permit it. The wind stung her eyes, making it hard to keep them open, and every time she tried to speak, dirt filled her mouth.

‘I’m losing it!’

This wasn’t Burgos—it was Toorun. Without orders from above, provoking the enemy could lead to unpredictable consequences. She barely managed to reach out and grab the hem of Berrick’s coat.

“Huh?”

“Stop this!”

“Why?”

Kraaaang! Bang!

The explosions seemed to answer Berrick’s question for him. “They’re blowing up just fine. What’s the problem?”

Eirin looked up at him, stunned and helpless. As the tremors subsided, a familiar white building came into view behind Berrick—the white temple, Masantar.

“Hmm. It’s so square and neat, perfect for cutting up.”

“You need to leave now.”

“Hey, do you know when I’ll retreat?”

Berrick grinned and stepped inside the shattered barrier. The thin, web-like remnants of the barrier shattered with a sharp crack.

“When the order to retreat comes from above.”

But technically, you’re below me, right?

Berrick said that and strode toward the temple. Scattered around were priests who had been fleeing—some unconscious from the blasts, others dead on the spot.

“Wait, Berrick!”

“I’m a pro at this kind of thing. When it’s time to retreat, I’ll slip away quick, so don’t worry. And that Vanusa or whatever—Bariel’s supposed to be holding her, right?”

“Then we have to bring her back.”

Berrick turned, his massive magic sword slung over his shoulder. At that moment, Cedric, who had been hiding behind a large tree, stepped forward, making his presence known.

“If you’re too scared to follow, stay here. But give me the letter. And Cedric, you watch over the woman.”

“…Understood.”

Cedric answered after a brief pause. He had seemed like a fool who only got scolded by Captain Jarrett, but the power he’d just displayed was truly awe-inspiring.

‘Maybe…’

A strength far beyond human limits. Could he one day possess such power? The thought made his vision blur, and a thrill bubbled up deep inside his chest.

“No! Let me correct you!”

Eirin’s sharp voice snapped Cedric back to reality. She faced Berrick calmly, her cheeks flushed.

“It’s not fear. I just meant that following orders from above is the right thing to do. Saying otherwise to Bariel’s soldiers is an insult.”

“Hmm.”

Berrick rubbed his chin thoughtfully. She had a point.

“Sorry.”

Eirin’s eyes widened in surprise. The hostility drained instantly, replaced by her original pure gaze.

“Orders from above—okay, I accept that.”

“Th-thank you for correcting me.”

“But isn’t that just asking for trouble?”

Berrick nodded toward the river. Eirin looked and saw the water, now far darker than before.

“…!”

With the temple revealed as the source of the polluted water, they were now deliberately pouring out even blacker filth. It felt like a last desperate act, or maybe a provocation—like saying, “Even if you find out, nothing will change.”

Eirin’s heart sank.

“Damn them!”

How many people would die because of this? It was like a death sentence for the entire Gaia region.

Berrick pointed to the edge of the temple.

“They’re watching us.”

White-robed priests observed them from a distance, like a pack of beasts guarding their territory. Eirin bit her lower lip hard.

“They want us to attack. Refusing would be rude.”

Snap!

Berrick said that and dashed toward the temple. Eirin tried to shout after him, but stopped when she saw the blackened river.

‘It’s only a matter of time.’

The polluted water would spread further and seep deeper underground as time passed.

Clenching her teeth, Eirin drew her sword and ran.

“Wait—”

“I’m fine!”

Instead of following Berrick, Cedric headed toward the river.

He had no idea what the woman was planning. Could she really be about to jump into the river? He doubted it, but—

Splash!

Without hesitation, Eirin plunged into the filthy water. She spread her arms wide, increasing the surface area touching the water. Then she took a deep breath and submerged completely.

“Huh?”

Bubbling, Cedric watched the tiny bubbles to gauge her condition. Wasn’t this poison? Was this really okay? They said she was the emperor’s favorite woman. And Berrick hadn’t even told him what to do—just left like a damn bastard.

Then Cedric noticed the black water around Eirin was growing lighter.

‘It’s purifying.’

He stood there, dumbfounded, watching in amazement. Now he understood a little why the emperor favored her.

“Phew!”

“Do you need help?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“If you need anything, just say so. Protecting you is my order from above.”

Eirin smiled faintly and kept her eyes on the temple. Suddenly, she wondered about Clark. He hadn’t entered the barrier, so he must be somewhere in the forest. But there was no sign of him. Had he been swept away or worse when Berrick tore through the area?

“Why do you ask?”

“There was someone who came with me nearby, but I can’t find him. His name is Clark, and I’m worried.”

“Oh, Mereloff’s boyfriend?”

“Who?”

“I don’t know exactly. That’s what my senior called him.”

Kraang! Bang!

As soon as Berrick’s name was mentioned, another loud explosion came from the temple. Like saying, “I’m right here.” Always so rude.

“Take this, you cult bastards!”

Crackling!

Berrick smashed every visible ornament as he stormed into the temple. A few priests stood at the entrance but fled inside when they saw him coming.

The space inside was eerily quiet. Berrick suddenly felt something was off.

“Huh?”

This was too easy. No one tried to stop him, and the temple doors were wide open, as if inviting him in.

Grinning, Berrick shouted loudly.

“You idiots! Do you think I’m fooled by this? I’ve been through worse!”

Kraang! Bang!

“I’ll smash you up outside, then come back in one piece!” Just as Berrick raised his magic sword for a mighty swing—

Movement appeared at the temple entrance. A priest who had just gone inside was coming out, escorting someone. Who was it? Berrick’s sword froze midair.

“An impolite intruder.”

“It’d be strange if an intruder were polite. But who are you?”

“I am Rajuda, the High Priest of Masantar Temple.”

“Ah, Raju…”

Berrick trailed off, as if he recognized something. Not understanding the implication, Rajuda fixed him with a stern gaze.

“You must be a warrior of Bariel.”

“Hm. Don’t know?”

During the war, Ian had used revealing his identity as a kind of card. Hmm… but since Eirin was concerned, maybe I’ll just play dumb for now.

“You don’t even know who you are, and you seem unaware of the sacred non-aggression pact. This is a holy temple. Why are you causing such a disturbance?”

“Holy temple my ass, spewing shitwater everywhere. Shut up and clean that up, then shove it in your mouth.”

The priest standing beside Rajuda gasped, mouth agape. Such vulgarity was beyond belief. Rajuda’s face hardened, and he warned in a low voice.

“Do not speak so carelessly. You will be punished by heaven.”

“It’s fine! As long as I stick close to you, you won’t get punished. You’ll be too busy getting stabbed in the head.”

This was someone impossible to reason with. Rajuda clicked his tongue and turned away.

“Everything the temple does has meaning. If you want to stop it, come inside and try. Though the gods will not permit it.”

“Yeah, right! These cult bastards are always yammering about gods, gods, gods—”

Swish!

“What the hell is wrong with you all?”

Where do you think you’re going? You came out on your own, so I’ll cut you down nicely! Berrick leapt into the air and swung his sword fiercely.

Rajuda glanced over his shoulder and raised a pale, slender finger.

Piiing!

“Huh?”

Then, midair, Berrick’s body froze completely. Except for the slight twitch of his facial muscles, his entire body felt as if it were pressed under a heavy weight, utterly immobile.

Deputy Lazu approached him slowly, muttering under his breath.

“Fools are truly hard to understand. If they’d just listen when you speak plainly, there’d be no need to complicate things.”

“Oh? So anyone who doesn’t listen to you is just a fool?”

Despite the disadvantageous situation, Berrick remained composed. In fact, he even seemed a little amused. After all, very few had ever managed to bind him so tightly with just a flick of a finger. This was a strong opponent he hadn’t faced in a long time!

“Did you run away here because you got pissed off over that?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Lazu’s brow furrowed deeply.

“There was a priest in Bariel with the exact same name as you. He went on and on about how gods don’t exist, all that nonsense, but in the end, it didn’t work out for him. He died.”

Berrick’s eyes sparkled. Was he being scratched where it itched? Or not?

“But recently, we found traces of a priest named Lazu in Burgos who said the exact same thing. Both of them you? You regulars here sure know how to make a comeback.”

He was referring to Rutherford and King Damon. Unlike in Bariel, the claim seemed to have gained some traction in Burgos, but only to a point. Berrick chuckled softly and whispered.

“Wanna know something? You—the one shouting ‘There is no god’—you’re the reason Ian was able to expose Arsen’s true identity. Seems like you don’t think things through before acting, huh? Cooking up trouble just to hand it over to someone else. Thanks for that.”

The lower Berrick’s chuckle grew, the colder Lazu’s expression became. Carefully, he rolled up his sleeve and pressed his finger to Berrick’s forehead.

“…Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t think things through.”

“Ha! A flick on the forehead? Bring it on. I’ll take it properly.”

Berrick clenched his jaw tightly, readying himself. Whatever this was, once it was over, he was sure he’d be beaten to a pulp.

Lazu studied him for a moment, then—

Ting!

He unleashed that mysterious power once again.

A tiny breeze, barely enough to make a leaf fall. But the immense force condensed at his fingertip was more than enough to shatter Berrick’s entire body to pieces.