I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Chapter 74: Trail of Betrayal

One hour later, Julius' body cracked under his slow movements. Despite his pale face, he recovered enough to stagger to his feet. Focusing on his body, he nodded. Thanks to Arun's and Asha's efforts, he entirely rid himself of the poison flowing through his veins and assaulting his nervous system like a plague.

With a sigh of relief and gratitude sparkling in his eyes, he gazed at the couple, who hurried to support him back to the carriage.

On the way, memories of his battles flashed in his mind as he decorticated them. The verdict was redoubtable: he had messed up. His overconfidence led him into a dangerous situation. One that almost killed him.

"Thank you... for saving me," he murmured, the weight of his mistake pressing down on his heart and making his voice crack.

"What are you saying? You saved us all!" Arun exclaimed, his words fast and shaking his head. How could he steal the spotlight?

Even if brewing the antidote proved challenging, slaying the serpent while poisoned and ensuring everyone's safety was much more difficult.

He didn't want any compliments just for his small contribution. All he needed for his heart to brighten was to see his friend alive and well.

"You must rest. You deserve and need it to recover properly," Asha added, a gentle smile stretching her lips.

Exhausted, Julius nodded, allowing his friends to guide him into Arun's carriage, where they assisted in setting up his sleeping space before departing.

Left alone in the somber interior, he slid under the blanket, overhearing Arun instructing Idiot One to collect the valuable serpent's parts with Asha's guards.

Meanwhile, Idiot Two observed them from afar. With his mangled arm, he didn't participate in any fights and just guarded the horses.

With a shrug, he focused on himself and harnessed the serpent's remaining life force.

'Does the beast core rank affect the cultivation speed boost?'

He pondered as he channelled the life force to his dan tian.

If the tier-two serpent doubled the speed, would higher-tier cores triple or quadruple it? Or would they contain more life force, providing a lengthier enhancement?

After some theorising, he refocused on cultivating. Since he would eventually discover the answer, there was no need to break his head over the question.

'It's a significant discovery. But I still feel that something is missing...'

He frowned, feeling that a piece of the cultivation puzzle was missing.

After cultivating for a dozen minutes, he uncontrollably fell asleep, succumbing to exhaustion and the comfort of Arun's luxurious blanket.

******

The next morning, bright sunrays filtered through the curtains as the morning wind blew an air of freshness into the camp.

Brimming with energy, Julius stretched his limbs before jumping to his feet. With his cultivator's body, natural regeneration speed and his friends' antidote, he surprisingly recovered to peak condition in a single night.

He also sensed a slight resistance against poison blooming in his body, making him remember one of his brother's sayings: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

He didn't know if it was a potion's side effect or if it built up because he endured the elemental attack. In any case, it was good news and a slight consolation for the agony he went through.

Satisfied with his healing, he left the carriage to eat breakfast and find Arun, who tactfully went to sleep with his knights to allow him a peaceful recovery. The gesture warmed his heart.

After waking Arun, they sat together around the campfire, enjoying scrambled eggs with bread.

Slowly, he shared his worries with Arun, explaining how he and Louise had spent the past few days investigating, suspicious that someone was sabotaging their travel.

Shocked by the revelations, Arun's eyes widened. He only thought they were particularly unlucky... or that Asha was cursed or a demon spawn attracting beasts herself.

Before he could delve further into his thoughts, Julius spoke again, his solemn voice and sharp eyes startling him.

"Before we set off, can you help me gather everyone? I have something of extreme importance to announce."

Arun looked at him for a moment before nodding with a somber face. He trusted Julius more than some members of his own family despite the few days they spent together. His friend proved many times that he was genuine and reliable. After all, if he wanted to hurt them, he wouldn't have saved the carriages so many times.

So, if he suspected or wanted to accuse someone, he knew it would be for their safety.

With a nod, he went to wake up their escort, and soon later, everyone stood before the campfire with sleepy eyes and confused expressions.

The sun's orange rays shone on them as a gentle breeze carrying the distant desert's scent ruffled their hair. Cracking in their ears, the campfire cast flickering shadows on their faces, creating a tense atmosphere.

"I called for everyone because I suspect someone to manipulate the beasts to attack us," Julius revealed while looking at everyone dead in the eyes.

He wanted to investigate one more day to observe the person he suspected. However, he couldn't risk encountering a similar or even stronger beast than the serpent.

Upon hearing the serious announcement, Louise's eyes widened, and her brows shot up in confusion. Why was Julius revealing that they were suspicious? Did he already find the culprit?

"Do you have any evidence?" Asha asked with a slight frown.

Accusing a noble's entourage was no different from doubting its ability to judge people. Besides, her escort was the most suspicious since before joining Arun, they had been attacked a few times while he had not.

"I have no physical evidence," Julius replied, his expression still as serious as it had been, "But I can expose the culprit if you listen to my reasoning."

Asha nodded, waiting for him to expose his theory in doubt. She didn't like to be suspected, and it was the same for her close guards. They were more than just employees to her, and she trusted them.

However, the first person Julius invited to testify caused her mind to rumble as confusion gripped her thoughts.

"Before telling you the name of the person I suspect to be the traitor, let me break down the rationale behind how I reached that conclusion. First, I need Louise to testify about her and the other guards," Julius said while looking at the guard with a confident smile, signalling her to join him in the middle.

With hesitant steps, Louise followed his instructions. Standing by him, she explained how she believed the recent events were a sabotaging attempt. She also vetted for her young lady and two colleagues, surprising Asha.

How could she and her entourage be cleaned of suspicions so fast? She couldn't understand how they weren't the main suspects in this case and how Louise could make Julius trust her testimony that much.

Julius nodded, acknowledging her recounting and supporting her claims. Then, he spoke again, his voice much colder.

"We're left with only four suspects..."

Before he could continue, Idiot One cut him, his displeased voice echoing.

"How is our carriage the most suspicious? We never suffered any attacks before the young lady joined us. How do you explain that?"

Julius smiled, preparing himself to answer.