Chapter 129 – That Damn Villain (Part 2)
[You damn villain.]
“…….”
The entire tent fell into silence at the vulgar insult echoing from the communication orb.
Even Lyon, who usually lost his temper first, remained silent, sensing the tension in the air. No one dared to speak carelessly.
A blank expression.
Kamel stared at the orb with an unreadable look on his face.
After a moment of tense silence, Kamel finally opened his mouth, speaking slowly.
“Is he acting as ‘his’ messenger?”
[Did you not hear me say it’s Alex? The messenger job ended a long time ago, yet you’re still clinging to that? Pathetic.]
“Quite bold.”
[What’s there to be scared of when talking to the bastard who killed my father? Oh, but I guess a parricidal son of a bitch like you wouldn’t know this kind of seething anger. My bad.]
Crack—
Kamel’s grip on the orb tightened involuntarily.
Had anyone ever dared to humiliate him like this in front of others?
Not even before his regression had he experienced anything like this.
“Quite amusing.”
[Amusing? You find this amusing? You’re a real freak.]
The insect he once thought beneath him was now trying to stand above him.
Kamel bared his teeth in a vicious grin.
Seeing that expression, Lyon and Rengua swallowed nervously.
It was the same expression Kamel wore whenever he ordered a massacre involving thousands of people.
But despite his seemingly enraged demeanor, they knew that Kamel never lost his cool.
In fact, he always became even more composed and sharper when faced with provocation.
Such deep mental composure—
It was both Kamel’s greatest strength and the source of his terrifying nature.
After briefly stroking his chin while holding the communication orb, Kamel spoke again.
“I received your letter earlier. The contents—was it something ‘he’ told you?”
[Didn’t you hear me? My ‘Master’ might still want to play nice with you, but I don’t. Keep that in mind.]
“How did you know my location to send the letter?”
[Maybe you’ve got a spy lurking around?]
“Ridiculous.”
[Oh, please. We know all about you sending spies into Beneta through the shamans. What makes you think we couldn’t plant our own spies in the Nest? Oh, wait—you guys can’t extract memories from your shamans, huh? That’s too bad.]
Even Rengua, who stood by Kamel’s side, looked visibly startled by Alex’s bold response. However, Kamel’s expression remained as blank as ever.
“Why did you contact me?”
[This is the Master’s final warning. Withdraw your forces immediately.]
“I refuse. Becoming my enemy won’t do you any good.”
[That’s my problem. If negotiations break down, that works just fine for me. I can slit your throat without having to worry about my Master complaining.]
“You? The same wretch who knelt before me, begging for his life?”
[Who said I’m coming alone? When Hunt moves, it’ll be a different story. By the way, it’s freezing cold outside Etor Castle. Doesn’t seem like the right weather for your burial, does it?]
Kamel glanced at Lyon, who quickly bowed and exited the tent.
“You’re planning to come after me?”
[Looks like your army’s stationed at Beneta’s border, and your elite troops are out hunting Lochter. Must’ve been urgent—didn’t even bring any proper guards, huh?]
“Interesting. Come. I’ll make good use of your head.”
[On my way.]
Arcane, who had been silently observing the exchange, wore a curious expression. He was a man who followed the will of divine revelations and aligned himself with fate’s guidance.
However, the two people conversing now were exceptions—they existed outside of the prophecy’s design.
Alex, the assassin who had killed Crux, was supposed to have died according to prophecy. Yet here he was, alive, taunting Kamel.
And Kamel Blazer—who had rejected fate and sought him out directly—was no different.
This conversation was a deviation from prophecy, a scene that should never have occurred in Arcane’s carefully designed world.
‘Where did things go wrong?’
The inflection point that had twisted the world created by prophecy lay with one of these two. To restore the original flow, there was a simple solution: eliminate the inflection point.
Fortunately, it seemed that neither of them yet possessed enough power to truly alter the course of prophecy.
[Wait for me, you slaughtering bastard.]
With those final words, the connection ended in a burst of static. Rengua awkwardly took the orb Kamel handed him.
“Rengua.”
“Y-yes, my lord.”
“The second squad was wiped out. Identify the positions of the remaining squads and send them all to our location.”
“What about the army stationed at Beneta’s border?”
“Keep them on standby and tighten the perimeter. Under no circumstances should we lose control of the encirclement. We can’t afford for Lochter to reach Beneta.”
Lochter was someone who could become a central figure in rebellion. Allowing him to fall into ‘his’ hands was unacceptable.
“Shouldn’t we increase the number of guards beyond just the shamanic unit? That Hunt group….”
“And if they don’t come?”
“…Pardon?”
“If they don’t come, we’ll end up like dogs chasing chickens. Maintain only minimal preparations and adjust based on the situation.”
Though Alex had provoked him, acting as if he was about to launch an immediate assault, Kamel considered the possibility of deception.
If he moved all his forces toward his current position based solely on Alex’s words, he risked losing both Lochter and Alex.
It was better to hold steady and observe the situation first.
If Alex’s provocation turned out to be a feint, he could simply tighten the encirclement. If it wasn’t, and they truly attacked, he would retreat to a prepared location within Etor.
The shamanic unit would buy enough time for that.
“That bastard, Alex….”
“Y-yes, my lord. What about him?”
“Even if extracting his memories failed, we should’ve dissected his brain just to get a look inside.”
“All of that was my fault.”
“This operation must succeed, Rengua.”
“O-of course, my lord. The magic circle will be completed by tonight. I’ll soon offer Etor to you on a silver platter.”
“Leave me.”
Rengua bowed deeply before exiting the tent. Inside, only Arcane remained.
Kamel crossed his legs, silently observing the white-haired astrologer.
Seated at the table, Arcane was studying the map laid out before him. His long, white hair cascaded down smoothly, blending with his pale skin.
Despite his striking appearance, adorned with sapphire earrings, what stood out most to Kamel was his narrow, inscrutable gaze.
At first glance, he seemed like a mysterious astrologer, but Kamel’s instinct told him that Arcane was closer to a sorcerer.
Even before his regression, Arcane had been a figure known only through rumors.
He recalled the contents of the letter Alex had sent earlier.
[Do you have some personal grudge against Hunt? Funny how the bounty includes me and every other member of Hunt. By the way, Lochter Felice is one of our members. We recruited him after saving his life. Oh, and your spy, Eppeloa? The Master had me tell Lochter about him as part of the deal.]
Though the letter contained unsettling information, none of it was critical enough to derail Kamel’s plans. Even the revelation that his spy had been exposed was just a minor inconvenience.
The real issue was—
[Don’t mess with Hunt. Withdraw your forces, and we’ll give you valuable information. You wouldn’t want to take unnecessary losses, would you? Here’s part of the Master’s message.]
[[‘The Blood-Drinking Chalice’—it’s related to Arcane, isn’t it? You seem to be keeping him close. Are you in a hurry to die sooner than last time?]]
Upon reading that line, Kamel began to view Arcane differently.
A sense of caution.
‘That bastard… he’s onto something.’
The Blood-Drinking Chalice.
The object that had led to his ruin and drained him of blood while he was still alive. All he remembered was the parched gaze behind the white butterfly mask.
“Is there something you wish to say to me?”
“No, only that I remain ever grateful for your assistance.”
“You flatter me.”
“Is there no longer a way to track Lochter’s location?”
“No. The Call of the Heavens has ended.”
Arcane quietly nodded before shifting topics. He spoke of the newly awakened divine power’s owner—Karl Bastain, the Hero’s Aide.
Kamel withdrew his gaze from Arcane.
He considered mentioning the Blood-Drinking Chalice to gauge Arcane’s reaction, but something felt off.
‘Arcane isn’t connected to Hunt.’
If anything, he was closer to an enemy of theirs.
Thanks to Arcane, Kamel had learned of Alex’s divine power and had profited greatly by exposing his identity through the black market.
Even now, Arcane was assisting in his efforts to kill Lochter and his companions.
For the time being, Arcane still had value.
There was no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
Kamel remained standing by the table, silently staring at the map and Karl Bastain’s marked location.
After a moment, he summoned several shamans and ordered them to set up multiple communication orbs. Activating one of them, Kamel spoke in a low voice.
“This is the Lord of Blyer.”
The hunt was far from over.
“This way!”
Nella, who was sprinting ahead, shook a dry branch before quickly changing direction.
Her divine artifact was providing real-time updates on Karl Bastain’s location.
Lochter and I followed closely behind her, sticking right on her heels.
As we ran, I focused on the voices coming from the communication orb. Ever since I had directly provoked Kamel, his orders had been rapidly flowing through the orb.
[I’m sending you the coordinates. Kill Karl Bastain on sight.]
[Deploy the troops stationed at Beneta’s border into the forest immediately. Report Lochter Felice’s location the moment he’s spotted.]
[Jack and Howell, abandon your current mission and move to Etor at once. Your new task is to provide escort.]
“…….”
I listened quietly before tucking the orb back into my coat, deciding I had heard enough.
Lochter, who was running beside me, gave me a questioning look.
“Why did you stop listening? Isn’t this important information?”
“There’s no need to listen any further. It’s all lies.”
“Lies?”
“He’s giving false orders over the orb while issuing real ones through a different channel. He’s trying to make us lower our guard—it’s a cheap trick.”
“You’re saying the directions he gave match your intended course of action, but the orders themselves are a deception?”
“Yes. The troops are still stationed at Beneta’s border, and Jack and Howell are undoubtedly tracking Karl.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because we’re dealing with Kamel. My real target is the shamanic unit. If we get tangled up in a fight with Blyer’s elite forces, things will get far worse for us.”
“So, that’s why you provoked him?”
“Yes. I’ve lured most of the shamanic units toward Etor. Since they’re nearby, Kamel will likely keep them close as escorts. He always prepares for the worst, so he’ll want at least minimal protection.”
“…You mean you lured the shamanic unit on purpose?”
“No, that wasn’t the original plan—it just happened that way. I got lucky.”
Lochter gazed at Arthur’s back as they ran, suppressing a sigh.
The shamanic unit.
An elite force, said to consist of more than ten highly dangerous squads.
If Arthur’s words were true, then his provocation had effectively removed them from the battlefield.
‘And it really does seem that way.’
They had seen traces of the shamanic units several times during their journey, but they had never encountered them directly.
If those units had been diverted to guard Kamel near Etor, then everything made sense.
Lochter clenched his fists as a bitter realization sank in.
He had lost everything because he had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Kamel.
No—it wasn’t even a matter of strategy. He had simply been ignorant and had fallen into every trap.
But Arthur was different.
He had immediately seen through Kamel’s ploys.
Watching Arthur counter Kamel’s moves gave Lochter chills.
It was something he could never have done.
The foolhardy knight.
Lochter had always been known as the obstinate knight, steadfastly enduring every hardship alone, guided only by his rigid principles.
But for the first time, when facing Kamel, he had felt his limits.
Kamel felt like an impregnable fortress that could never be toppled by his own abilities.
Even Karl had said it—defeating Kamel was an impossible goal.
And yet—
‘Arthur Clayton.’
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
If he could only enlist the help of that man, he felt a strange certainty that his long-desired revenge might actually be achieved.
‘If we make it through this battle safely….’
As Lochter stared at Arthur’s back, his eyes burned with newfound determination.