Veilbreaker! Oops I Bleed Again
Chapter 61: Delegated

Chapter 61: Delegated

"Bella, wake up."

Draven lightly tapped Belle’s shoulder.

"Y-yes?" Belle mumbled, struggling to wake up.

Her eyes were still heavy with sleep.

Draven grinned.

"Your saliva’s all on your face. Wipe it off."

Belle jolted awake, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"Why were you watching me sleep?!" she snapped.

Draven chuckled. "I wasn’t. But you still got some dried up here. Gross."

He reached out, scraping a dried streak of drool from her cheek with his finger.

"Ugh! Let me do it!" Bella swatted his hand away, rubbing at her face furiously. "Just go outside and wait for me!"

"Okay, okay, but hurry up."

—

By the time Belle stepped out of the nipa hut, everyone was already awake.

Draven had gone out earlier to hunt. And now, a freshly caught boar was strung up nearby, ready for later.

The morning air was thick with fog, curling through the trees as they prepared to move out.

For safety, they blindfolded the armored teleporter since they were going through the secret underground.

Suddenly, a thin, frail-looking girl approached Bella, tugging lightly at her sleeves.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly.

Bella smiled gently.

"To Akhabara."

The girl blinked. "What’s that?"

Bella crouched down, brushing the girl’s hair back.

"It’s our kingdom," she said. "A place where Verdants can live freely. You can play all you want, make friends, and..." she grinned, "eat as much as you want."

She reached out, tickling the girl’s tummy.

A weak giggle escaped the child’s lips, but her body was still frail from hunger and exhaustion.

Nearby, Bryan, Deka, and Draven silently watched the exchange.

As they talked, a tear fell from Bella’s eyes.

She sniffled, quickly rubbing her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry, I just got something in my eye," she mumbled.

But the tears wouldn’t stop.

She kept wiping at them with her clothes, her hands shaking.

She felt bad for the kid who was experiencing this.

Most of all, a flash of memories appeared in her mind.

Draven exhaled.

Without a word, he turned to Bryan and ripped a piece of cloth from his sleeve.

"What the hell—" Bryan reacted.

"Sorry, bro. I’ll buy you a new one next time." Draven grinned.

He handed the fabric to Deka, who passed it to Bella.

Bella took it without looking at them. "Thanks."

She wiped her tears and then blew her nose into the cloth.

When she finally looked up at them, the three pretended not to notice.

They kept their eyes ahead, watching the road.

Draven swallowed.

"Okay, okay," Draven clapped his hands, cutting through the moment. "Anyone hungry?"

A wave of smiles spread through the group, showing their excitement as they were finally able to eat like normal people. They nodded eagerly.

They stopped near a patch of Etherbloom, the vibrant blue flowers swaying lightly in the breeze.

Draven began cutting the boar meat while Belle and Deka prepared the grill.

Just as the scent of roasting meat filled the air.

Draven’s expression hardened.

Bella noticed him. "What’s wrong?"

"I heard something... Twigs breaking." Draven raised a hand, his ears sharp.

He stood up, activating [Hawk’s Eye].

His vision sharpened, scanning the trees.

Two figures lurked beyond the clearing, watching them from afar.

A smirk formed on Draven’s lips.

In an instant, he vanished.

The two men stood behind the trees, whispering.

"Hey, are there any slave hunters on patrol?"

"I can’t see clearly. Should we attack first?"

As they spoke, Draven appeared behind them.

He tilted his head, casually listening to their conversation.

Then, without warning, one of the men whirled around, slashing at Draven with a dagger!

"Whoosh!"

Draven caught his wrist effortlessly and smirked.

"Not bad, Kael."

The two men froze.

Then, their faces lit up in shock.

"Boss?!" They exclaimed in unison.

They were Kael and William.

William was one of the few Draven had freed from the curse.

He was smaller, with black curly hair, and an alert expression.

The two Verdant scouts had been patrolling.

As part of the Akhabara scout team, their mission was to search for lost Verdant villagers, recruit survivors, and fight off slave hunters when needed.

Moments later, the two reunited with the group.

"Kael... William...!"

Bella’s face brightened with relief.

Draven quickly filled them in on everything.

The ruined village.

The horrific experiments.

The hybrids.

And most importantly... ’Him.’

The unknown.

For Draven, this guy is powerful based on the Commander’s reaction.

Kael crossed his arms, nodding.

"I’ll handle things from here and lead them back to Akhabara."

Draven stretched, stretched his neck.

"Good. That means we can finally head to town."

"Are you sure, boss? You’re walking straight into enemy territory."

Draven raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Kael’s expression darkened.

"Based on what you told me, you pissed off a noble. A powerful one. That means your faces are probably known by now. You could be on the wanted list already."

Draven’s smirk faded.

Kael continued. "If you’re set on going, let me bring reinforcements. I’ll ask Naisha and Leader Gil to join us. If you’re going to war, don’t go alone."

Draven considered it.

Kael was right.

The noble they escaped from had connections. There was a high chance bounty hunters, knights, or even mercenaries were after them now.

If they wanted to survive, they needed full force.

Draven crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on Kael.

"Thanks, but I think fewer is better."

Kael frowned. "You sure, boss? Strength in numbers..."

Draven shook his head.

"Even if we go in full force, do you really think we stand a chance against multiple commanders?"

He knew firsthand how powerful a commander could be.

He had barely won his last fight.

And it was not because he was stronger, but because of his superior healing and stamina.

If Naisha or any of their other fighters encountered a commander, would they survive?

And the enemy didn’t just have commanders.

They had others.

Unknown forces.

Monsters like Bella’s slave, the armored teleporting warrior.

How many more were out there?

How strong were they?

Draven wanted to fight.

The thrill of battle called to him.

But he wasn’t reckless.

Not this time.

Draven exhaled.

"We are a kingdom, yes. But we’re still growing. Developing. We’re not ready to fight a full-scale war. Not yet."

Kael clenched his fists but nodded reluctantly.

Draven’s words were rational.

Kael and William bid their goodbyes, leading the villagers toward Akhabara.

As they left, the freed prisoners waved, their eyes filled with gratitude.

Draven smirked, crossing his arms as he watched them go.

Bryan met his gaze and gave a firm nod.

"Good luck. You’ve got this." Draven said, then glanced at the Verdant girl Bryan was concerned about before he grinned.

Bryan scoffed, shaking his head. "Tch."

With that, Kael and William disappeared into the distance with the villagers.

Draven stretched his neck and turned to the armor guy.

"Let’s go!"