Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 128

Mandy looked at Brielle with a slightly awkward expression.

She wasn’t pleased with the sudden appearance of the girl in the pointed hat.

It wasn’t just anything; they were searching for the scavengers’ hideout.

Even Mandy couldn’t guarantee her own safety in such a dangerous task.

She couldn’t understand why Zeon was taking a young girl on such a perilous mission.

It was a natural concern for Mandy, who didn’t know Brielle’s true identity. But she soon dismissed her worries from her mind.

As long as Zeon was with them, she thought there wouldn’t be any major danger.

Zeon walked ahead without hesitation.

Even though she hadn’t shared any clues, Mandy looked puzzled at his confident stride.

“Where exactly are we going right now?”

“To gather information.”

“What?”

“To find the scavengers’ hideout, we need to collect information about them.”

“Where are we getting this information from?”

“There’s a place for that…”

Zeon responded without any tension.

He was heading toward the food market where Old Man Klexi had a food stall.

The butcher shop at the entrance of the food market was Zeon’s destination.

“Welcome, Mr. Zeon!”

The butcher, Will, greeted Zeon respectfully.

Mandy felt slightly intimidated by Will’s fierce appearance.

Unlike the tough personality of Eloy, Mandy’s persona was quite timid. So, she felt intimidated just by Will’s appearance.

Brielle, on the other hand, was different.

“Hi, Will!”

“Long time no see, Miss Brielle!”

“Where is Old Man Klexi?”

“He’s at the Goblin Market right now.”

“Because of that explosion?”

“Yes!”

“Goodness! What a mess.”

“Indeed.”

Will replied with a hint of a smile.

He found Brielle adorable.

Brielle, wearing her pointed hat and always walking unsteadily, had become a mascot of the market street.

With his smile fading, Will turned to Zeon and asked.

“What brings you here this time?”

“We’re here because of the scavengers.”

“Oh!”

“Do you have any information about their hideout?”

“I haven’t received any such information yet.”

“Then what about unusual activities?”

“One moment.”

Will said, excusing himself and heading inside the butcher shop.

When he returned a moment later, he was holding a few sheets of paper.

Handing the papers to Zeon, he said.

“This is a summary of the main areas where scavengers are known to appear.”

“Really?”

Zeon’s eyes sparkled as he read the report.

After a moment, he closed the report.

“The scavengers’ areas of activity are quite varied.”

“Yes, they appear all over Neo Seoul and the slums.”

“But there’s only one place where no scavenger activity has been reported.”

“That’s right. Dongdaemun. There have been no sightings of scavengers there.”

“Is it because of the fanatics?”

“That, I don’t know.”

“But it’s worth investigating.”

“I only provide information; the judgment is up to you, Mr. Zeon.”

“Thank you for the valuable information.”

“Don’t mention it…”

Will said with a smile.

Zeon handed the report back to him.

Mandy, who was standing next to them, whispered.

“Is it really that strange that the scavengers haven’t been seen in Dongdaemun? That area is known for the fanatics, so it’s hard to act conspicuously there.”

“That’s true, but it’s still odd that not a single activity has been detected.”

“Hmm.”

“People unconsciously avoid causing trouble in their own territory. The scavengers are the same. They’ll try to plunder far from their base to avoid drawing attention.”

If only one or two scavengers were active, Zeon’s assumption would be meaningless. But with dozens of them, it was definitely worth investigating why Dongdaemun was an exception.

Mandy frowned unconsciously.

Dongdaemun was a place even an Awakened like her was reluctant to approach.

She honestly didn’t want to go there unless absolutely necessary. But with Zeon pointing out its peculiarity, they couldn’t avoid it.

At that moment, Brielle, who had been quiet until now, suddenly asked.

“Are you scared?”

“Scared? Of course not!”

“Looks like you’re scared to me.”

“Why would I be scared? And why are you talking to me so casually?”

Mandy glared at Brielle.

Brielle just chuckled instead of showing any fear.

“You’re definitely scared.”

“Hey!”

“Half-elf lady, scared people always raise their voices.”

“You…?”

Mandy’s eyes trembled slightly.

Her identity as a half-elf was supposed to be a secret.

Unless Eloy’s persona appeared, no one could recognize that fact.

No one but Zeon had ever figured it out immediately.

“How did you know?”

“How could I not? You give off a strong scent.”

Elves have a distinct scent.

But only other elves can smell and identify it. Ordinary humans can’t sense or distinguish it.

“You’re like me too… an elf.”

“I am an elf, but there’s no human blood mixed in me.”

Mandy’s expression changed instantly.

Brielle’s words had touched a nerve.

“What are you?”

All of a sudden, Eloy’s persona emerged.

Eloy was different from Mandy.

Though they had the same face, Eloy’s fierce eyes and overwhelming aura were intimidating.

Even an average Awakened would be scared just by her gaze. But Brielle, facing her directly, showed no sign of being intimidated.

Brielle lifted her pointed hat slightly and smiled.

“My name is Brielle. As you can see, I’m a drug addict who can’t survive a day without medicine.”

She popped a pill into her mouth.

Due to the aftereffects of drug addiction, she needed the medication.

It was a lot less now, but until recently, she had to take them like candy.

“A drug-addicted pureblood elf. Interesting!”

“I never thought I’d end up a drug addict.”

“Life never goes as planned.”

“Life, huh? You are a half-elf. You think like a human. Is that why you’re scared?”

“This little brat, who says I’m scared? I’m not scared at all.”

“Then why are you hesitating?”

“Damn it! Who says I’m hesitating? I’m going.”

“Good then.”

Brielle chuckled.

Eloy realized that she had fallen for Brielle’s provocation. But it was too late to reverse her decision.

“Damn it! Where are you from anyway? The Northern District?”

“Northern District?”

“Weren’t you under the Ice Queen?”

“What are you talking about? Who’s the Ice Queen?”

“You don’t know?”

“……”

“You’re not from Neo Seoul, are you?”

“……”

Brielle kept her mouth tightly shut, which only confirmed Eloy’s suspicion.

“An elf from outside. Where are you from?”

“Your voice is annoyingly loud. Ah, my ears hurt.”

Brielle said, scratching her ear with her pinky as she walked away.

Eloy followed her, asking.

“Hey! Where are you from?”

“Is there a mosquito? Why are you buzzing around?”

“Do you have no manners? You little elf brat…”

“What are you saying? Half-blood…”

“Half-blood? You rude little…”

“Can you step back a bit? You’re spitting.”

“Hey!”

“What?”

“You little thing, always answering back.”

“That’s what a mouth is for, isn’t it?”

“You little…!”

Their bickering grew increasingly childish, making Zeon shake his head.

The two elves didn’t seem to tire, continuously insulting and attacking each other.

Zeon felt a headache coming on.

He was already worried about how to manage this group moving forward.

‘This is my first time visiting Dongdaemun.’

Dongdaemun didn’t have any special walls or gates. If you followed the road east from Sinchon, you’d find yourself in Dongdaemun without realizing it.

The most notable difference between Dongdaemun and Sinchon was the buildings and the atmosphere of the people.

At the center of Dongdaemun stood a large church, and the surrounding buildings had a similar architectural influence from the church.

The most striking feature was the attire of the people.

Most of them looked ordinary, like in Sinchon. However, there were noticeably many people wearing clerical robes or heavy armor adorned with crosses.

They were all fanatics following Johan.

These were killing machines, ready to fight to the death at Johan’s command.

As soon as they entered Dongdaemun, Eloy unconsciously furrowed her brow.

The air, so different from Sinchon, felt oppressively unpleasant to her.

Zeon spoke up.

“Relax your face.”

“What do you expect me to do when it happens unconsciously?”

“If you can’t manage, let Mandy take over.”

“Ugh, fine…”

Eloy grumbled.

Her fierce gaze softened, and her expression became gentler.

As Zeon suggested, Mandy had emerged.

Not everyone in Dongdaemun was a fanatic or an Awakened.

Most were ordinary people.

They needed to blend in naturally.

Drawing attention with conspicuous behavior or appearance was not advisable.

A woman as strikingly beautiful and a personality as aggressive as Eloy’s would easily stand out. It was better to have Mandy take the lead, attracting less attention.

Zeon walked casually among the people.

His demeanor was so natural that it didn’t seem out of place at all.

Brielle was the same.

She wasn’t the type to be intimidated just because the district had changed.

She followed Zeon, glancing around curiously.

“Haa!”

Mandy sighed, trailing behind them.

The three wandered around Dongdaemun as if they were taking a stroll.

Dongdaemun was much cleaner and more orderly than Sinchon.

Because of this, it wasn’t difficult to find or memorize their way.

Mandy wearily spoke.

“It doesn’t seem like anything unusual on the surface. I don’t think we’ll find any answers this way.”

“Just wandering around, we won’t learn anything.”

Brielle agreed, for once sharing Mandy’s opinion.

Zeon nodded.

Simply walking the streets wasn’t going to yield the information they sought.

To get reliable information, they needed to contact people and ask questions, but that would quickly reach Johan’s ears.

Though he wasn’t afraid of Johan, he wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Zeon said to Mandy.

“Let’s head back for today. We’ll come back tomorrow better prepared.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Mandy agreed.

Just as the three were about to leave, a voice called out.

“Hey, stop right there.”

A man in armor adorned with a cross was staring intently at them.

He was one of the Awakeneds from Dongdaemun.

He approached the three.

“New faces. Are you from another district?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Which district?”

“We’re from Sinchon.”

“What business do Sinchon rats have in Dongdaemun?”

“We were just walking and ended up here.”

“So, you have no particular purpose?”

“Exactly.”

The Dongdaemun Awakened didn’t seem pleased with Zeon’s answer, frowning.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted to Mandy.

Upon seeing her face, his expression changed.

“You seem suspicious. You’ll have to come with me.”