Chapter 121

Barrett’s face flushed with frustration. He grabbed Carissa’s hand and pulled her aside.

“Carissa! You know she’s been captured, and you won’t rescue her? What do you mean by that? Do you know where she is?” he yelled.

Violet snapped a whip in their direction, forcing him to release Carissa’s hand and take a step back.

“If you have something to say, keep your distance. Don’t get too close to Carl,” Violet spat coldly.

Barrett’s anger toward Violet was obvious, but he grudgingly restrained himself. She was too skilled and not under his command, making her difficult to manage.

He turned back to Carissa, his voice still sharp. “You know where she is, don’t you?”

Carissa shook her head. “I don’t know. She could be in the desert, on the plains, or hiding in the mountains. But no matter where she is, we can’t send the entire Mystic Army to find her. It’s too risky.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Barrett demanded, pacing with frustration. “Are we just waiting for them to bring her back?”

Carissa’s gaze remained calm and steady. “Exactly. We’re waiting for them to bring her back.”

Barrett stared at her in disbelief. “Are you out of your mind? If they’ve captured Aurora, why would they ever let her go?”

Carissa’s expression remained impassive. “They wouldn’t release her easily. Nothing is ever that simple—just like how the treaty with Victory Pass wasn’t achieved without effort.”

Barrett was stunned. “What do you mean?”

Carissa looked at him with a steady gaze. “You don’t really believe that Liam withdrew his army from Victory Pass to Fawnrun just because Aurora spread news of the marshal heading to the Southern Frontier as reinforcements, do you? If you believe that, you’re unfit to be a general, let alone a soldier. It’s impossible.”

Barrett had indeed doubted it before. Even at the last moment, he questioned Aurora. Ultimately, he chose not to pursue it further, as the treaty was signed and the matter had passed.

His voice trembled slightly. “So, why did Liam do this? Please, tell me.”

“There’s no need for me to tell you. Just wait here—someone will inform you,” Carissa said.

With that, she took Violet’s hand and walked away, leaving everyone else to tend the fire.

The field was littered with piles of dry firewood, brought by Westhaven. These were stacked outside the city and fetched as needed to prevent the townsfolk from stealing them. Westhaven had come fully prepared for their campaign in the Southern Frontier.

Everyone was hungry, but they couldn’t return to the city. They had no idea how many of Westhaven’s troops remained, or where they might be hiding—whether in the mountains or on the plains.

Barrett paced restlessly, his anxiety evident. He wanted to question Carissa, but noticed she was surrounded by four formidable figures—two men and two women. Even Michael stood watch nearby. So, Barrett reluctantly returned to his own men.

Unable to wait idly, he ordered his troops to take torches and follow him into the desert. He estimated that the Westhaven forces wouldn’t venture onto the plains. Having traveled such a long distance, they wouldn’t dare risk conflict with the nomadic tribes residing there, especially with soldiers in tow.

As for the mountains adjacent to the plains, the route carved out by the great peaks was the retreat path of the Sandoria forces. Heading in that direction meant heading toward Sandoria, and Liam wouldn’t have taken Aurora there. The only possible places left were the mountains and the desert.

At this late hour, searching the mountains was impractical—how could one find anything among so many peaks? The only viable option was to search the desert. If the Westhaven forces were in the desert, they wouldn’t venture too deep. After all, the harsh winter made the desert freezing at night.

Carissa didn’t stop Barrett. Though he was desperate to find Aurora, he wouldn’t actually lead his soldiers deep into the desert. It was likely he would search the areas near the desert instead.

Barrett took over a thousand men with him, torches in hand, and headed toward the desert.

“Is it true that the Westhaven forces captured Aurora?” Violet asked.

Carissa nodded. “It’s almost certain.”

“Then what’s the point of waiting here? We might as well let the Westhaven soldiers kill her,” Violet said, barely concealing her satisfaction at the thought of Aurora meeting a grim fate. Putting aside Aurora’s actions, just her haughty demeanor made Violet feel she didn’t deserve an easy end.