'Eren, did you like… fuck his daughter or something?'
Arjun's question caught Eren by surprise. The latter coughed a bit before using voice communication to reply.
'Well… I think it's safe for me to tell you guys now. I have slept with Dianna but I don't think Gilhaus cares about that. He has a different grudge against me.'
Eren said and chuckled. Dianna also belonged to the same team Eren, Lyon, and Arjun was part of. However, she wasn't picked for the mission for obvious reasons. As distant as she was from the main clan, Dianna was still a Remus clan member. As such, Gilhause didn't want her to become part of this mission at all.
Eren then narrowed his eyes at the team that was ahead of him before speaking to his team members.
'Lyon. Arjun. Listen to me very carefully. I don't want you to follow me to our location. There's no doubt in my mind that it is a trap. I have my plans regarding how to break through it. But I won't be able to do it with you guys around.
So when…'
Eren started crafting his plan and prevented Lyon and Arjun from following him. He made it look like he didn't want both of them involved in the mess he had found himself in. However, Eren didn't want Lyon and Arjun at the site with him for a very simple reason. He'd have to kill them if they came with him.
Arjun and Lyon wanted to argue against Eren's idea that he was supposed to carry everything on his shoulder. Eren, therefore, portrayed their presence as a hindrance to him.
The elf and the dwarf could only keep their mouths shut after that. They had seen Eren fight with Altashia and knew his battle potential. Thus, it became easier for them to accept that claim.
Arjun wanted to show the effectiveness of the Spirit Beast spell he acquired by completing the army program. Therefore, Eren promised him that he would fight him using his demon beast after the dust had settled around this mission.
Two members of Eren's original unit understood how serious the matter was when Eren started explaining things a bit. The fate of a prosperous city was at stake. No wonder Eren was being targeted by Gilhause and his clan.
Eren told Arjun and Lyon to abandon the mission as soon as it started. And he would handle the rest. Arjun could tell that Eren wasn't putting up a brave act in front of them. The guy seemed to have a talent for handling the unfortunate that came his way.
Furthermore, Arjun also realized that Eren wanted him and Lyon to stay out of the mess for his benefit. Each ranker had secrets to keep– some more than others.
On the other hand, Gilhause had tried to find out more about the ambush team's status after confirming Eren's well-being. He soon found out that the entire ambush team had lost all contact with any of the involved organizations. House Slughorn had dispatched people from its end and other groups were about to follow their lead.
Gilhause drew his grim conclusions based on the unconfirmed status of the ambush team. He was shocked beyond belief that rankers like Meera Medinah, Nico Chains, and Goro could be killed in the ambush they had set for their common enemy.
Thus, Gilhause had to make sure that Eren died on the exit mission. Otherwise, he won't be able to officially touch him if he manages to complete the mission and gets out of Edinburgh's army.
The Expert ranker selected a mission that he thought was just right for getting rid of Eren for good.
***
Delva Gorge.
This was the region in the Badlands that had a network of deep and shallow gorges. This network of narrow valleys was created between hills and mountains because of river streams running through them in the summertime. The source river of these streams had changed directions and remained frozen in the winter, making this network of gorges an ideal place for a cultist hideout.
The area in Delva Gorge where the mission was supposed to be held featured deep gorges with steep rocky walls. Furthermore, mana at the place was chaotic, forcing rankers to pass through the gorges and not climb over the walls. It was difficult for even flying-type mana beasts to fly over the gorge due to its strange terrain properties.
The network of gorges could change overnight depending upon the natural runic symbols inscribed on the ground. Since these runic symbols were a natural phenomenon, nobody could control them or predict their change.
There were only a few nodes present within the region which were unchangeable. These nodes were now being used by the cultists to establish their hideouts. The network of gorges was like a tangle of spiderwebs. And the cultists knew which node to step on to avoid getting trapped in the net.
Eren, Arjun, and Lyon were supposed to guard a distant node within the network of gorges. It was way further than the cultists' supposed hideout. And it didn't look like the node would be used by the cultists to get in and out of their hideout. This rubbed Arjun and Lyon the wrong way.
Upon Eren's instructions, Lyon and Arjun left Eren alone and chose to abandon their mission. Eren would contact them once he was done with the things he wanted to do at this place.
With a blank look on his face, the butcher surveyed his surroundings. The steep rocky walls were about 100 meters left and right of him. The gorge spread north and south of him with sparse vegetation and patches of water. The terrain was rough and rocky. And the winter winds were howling inside the gorge, making strange noises as they passed through.
By the time Eren reached his intended position, it was already nighttime. The half-moon was shining in the starry sky, exuding its nightly brilliance. Ignoring army protocols, he lit up a bonfire in front of him.
The butcher sat near the bonfire and roasted his meat over it as he thought of various things at once. He was enjoying the peace the almost lifeless valley was offering him.
All of a sudden, Alephee appeared out of thin air and sat beside him. She looked at Eren's face which was painted in an orange shade because of the dancing flames of the bonfire. She smiled looking at the fire before speaking up.
"Enjoying the calm before the storm, huh? Someone dies every time you are in this state of mind."
