Chapter 163 – Struggle for Dominance (2)
A [Closed for Business] sign was placed at the entrance of the boutique.
The manager escorted me and Lily to a reception room on the second floor. A woman, likely a staff member, served tea and snacks, but she, too, seemed to be part of the branch.
Shortly after, the manager returned from making contact and relayed a message.
"A courier will be arriving soon. Please wait."
"Ah, hold on a moment."
"Is there something else you need from me?"
"Could you select an outfit that suits this young lady? I'll be the only one meeting the courier."
The manager glanced at Lily, then bowed.
"It would be my honor."
When I told Lily to follow him, she hesitated for a moment, glancing back and forth between the snacks and the manager.
I let out a quiet chuckle and grabbed a handful of treats, placing them in her hands.
"There. Happy now? Go on."
"Okay!"
I was beginning to understand her a little better.
As Lily descended to the first floor with the manager, I leaned back in my seat, deep in thought.
A courier, huh…?
The fact that they had a separate messenger for delivering information meant the manager was merely overseeing the location, rather than actively running the branch.
It made sense. Non-humans couldn't establish themselves in Blyer without a human intermediary.
Only in Beneta were they afforded protection.
Then—
A faint noise.
Turning toward the window, I saw a slender figure clad in a black mask.
Dark skin. Pointed ears.
A dark elf.
A member of the Black Rose.
"I greet the master of the blood pact. I am the head of Blyer’s branch."
After introducing himself, the dark elf took a seat across the table.
His demeanor was stiff, but I hadn’t expected warmth from him in the first place.
What I wanted was information, not his kindness.
"Has the master returned safely?"
"I received word three days ago. Both the master and Lady Nella are unharmed."
"That’s good to hear. If it’s been three days, there should have been enough time for negotiations. Has Beneta given its response?"
"Lady Nella fought hard for it, but the answer was still no."
"I figured as much."
I had anticipated rejection, but hearing it confirmed still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Nella, having witnessed the Battle of the Korun River firsthand, understood Kamel’s danger better than anyone.
She had used her influence as a priestess to appeal for Beneta’s support, but as expected, they had refused.
"They concluded that if things went wrong, Beneta itself could fall."
"I understand."
Lord Dorneth Gader.
Commander Natone and the dwarven knights.
Fenry Chaser and the high-ranking members of the Black Rose.
The forces I had requested for aid essentially encompassed all of Beneta’s elite.
The only reason the request had even been considered was because of my status as a master of a blood pact and Nella’s direct plea.
In other words, both Dorneth and Fenry had personally rejected the request.
"So a full-scale war is still out of reach?"
This wasn’t just a simple refusal.
It meant that neither of us was fully prepared.
I couldn’t give them complete confidence in victory.
And Beneta couldn’t convince themselves of it, either.
"Even if they’re not the best, can’t we send others…?"
"No. If it’s not them, it’s meaningless. I’ll withdraw the request for support."
"Understood. I’ll relay the message."
"What’s the situation in Beneta?"
"The festival ended early due to the Blyer army encircling the borders. The city is now bracing for a possible invasion."
"Is the Blyer army still stationed at the border?"
"Yes. However…"
"Something unusual?"
"The cavalry has vanished."
"…The cavalry?"
"Our agents have been monitoring the Blyer army, but there are reports that the cavalry, which had been guarding the perimeter, is no longer there."
"Do you know how many have disappeared?"
"It’s estimated to be around 3,000."
"Three thousand…"
A strange sense of unease settled in.
Where had they pulled those cavalrymen to?
If they weren’t at the border, then they could only have gone to one of two places.
Blyer—or Etor.
I was still considering the implications when the courier pulled a sealed letter from his coat and placed it on the table.
"What’s this?"
"A classified message from Etor’s branch leader. I thought it would be best if you read it yourself."
"Etor?"
That was where the butcher, Kamel, was currently residing.
Eager for information, I quickly unfolded the letter.
And the moment my eyes scanned the first line, all my prior thoughts were erased.
[Baron Tomzael has gone missing.]
"Son of a bitch…"
The worst-case scenario I had anticipated.
The further I read, the more my suspicions turned into certainty.
[The Lord of Blyer, who repelled the madmen’s attack, is now being hailed as the hero of Etor.]
"A savior? What absolute bullshit."
Kamel had used the madmen to claim Etor without spilling a drop of his own blood.
A bloodless conquest.
Worse than my worst predictions.
The slaughterer had taken over Etor.
I placed the letter down and asked the courier,
"When did Blyer’s cavalry disappear?"
"Within the last two to three days."
The madmen’s attack on Etor and the disappearance of the cavalry didn’t align perfectly.
Kamel had secured control over Etor first—then, days later, pulled cavalry from his army.
Meaning this movement had nothing to do with Etor.
In that case…
"Blyer."
Three thousand cavalry were headed for Blyer.
The perimeter blockade had been abandoned just to deploy them?
That meant Kamel had found out where we were.
I had thought we had more time.
Where had he gotten our location?
"And there’s suspicious activity in the black market."
"Ah, the black market…"
Shit. I had forgotten about them.
No, I hadn’t had the luxury to think about them.
Avoiding the black market’s eyes while making any moves was practically impossible.
"What kind of activity?"
"They’re discreetly snooping around multiple locations. Either looking for someone or gathering information."
Something was happening.
I got up from my seat.
There was something I urgently needed to check.
"I need assistance. Can I make a few requests?"
"Master Fenry gave strict orders to offer full support. Whatever you need, we will assist you."
Fenry, you Crazy women…
Finally, you’re starting to act like an adult?
"In exchange, we’d like to negotiate for the Damascus metal that Lord Alex possesses."
"Ha. That greedy women."
They must have realized that Crow, the weapon stolen from Jack, was forged from Damascus metal.
Well, it made sense. Beneta was the city of dwarves, after all.
"Tell them that if I die, there’s nothing left to negotiate."
"Understood. And your request?"
Ignoring the negotiation attempt, I proceeded with my list of demands.
I already knew they would help regardless.
***
"Aaaagh!"
Descending to the first floor, I was met with the sound of a scream.
Rushing over, I found the boutique manager collapsed, clutching his hand.
On the sofa, sprawled on his belly, lay Keros—completely motionless.
Judging by the situation, the manager must have mistaken him for a regular stuffed toy and gotten bitten.
The bite wasn’t too deep, but blood was dripping freely.
Well… at least it wasn’t worse.
"T-The doll… it just—!"
I handed him a few gold coins.
"Use this for medical treatment."
"…I-I’m fine. But that doll…"
"Where’s the young lady?"
Sensing my intent to change the subject, the quick-witted manager pointed toward a fitting room.
"She’s inside the dressing room."
Leaving a hellhound unattended—what if the entire boutique had gone up in flames?
I glanced around.
Scattered clothing lay everywhere.
All of them were beautiful, luxurious pieces—
Yet none had been chosen.
Sending the flustered manager back upstairs, I grabbed Keros by the scruff of his neck and lifted him.
He dangled limply, the perfect image of a lifeless plush toy.
"If you’re going to bite people, why pretend to be a stuffed animal?"
"What if you cause trouble for Lily?"
I flicked his nose in mock reprimand.
As expected, the moment I mentioned Lily’s name, he didn’t fight back—only trembling slightly, his whiskers twitching in silent frustration.
A moment later, a shop attendant led Lily out of the fitting room.
"Oh? You’re back?"
I had expected her to come out kicking and yelling about how uncomfortable everything was—
But she surprised me.
She wore a crisp white blouse and a short skirt.
The sleeves of the blouse must have bothered her because she had torn them off, leaving it sleeveless.
Her long black hair was neatly tied up, and she had draped a thin silk cape over her shoulders, the fabric so sheer it shimmered in the light.
It suited her well.
But—
"…Is this for real?"
"What?"
"That… that."
"Oh, you mean my chest? Yeah, it’s uncomfortable. Nothing fits."
…This wasn’t in the novel.
She had always been buried in a baggy robe.
Now that she had taken it off, her figure was—
"The hell do you mean young? Damn author."
A complete reversal.
***
"Nooo! No way!"
"Yes way."
"I said no!"
"I said yes."
Tears flowed like a river.
When I asked for the outfit to be wrapped up, she threw herself on the floor in protest, refusing to take it off.
She really liked it.
But wearing it outside would attract too much attention—especially with Kamel hunting us.
Explaining that to her wouldn’t work.
Because if Lily was someone who understood reasoning, she wouldn’t be Lily.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah. I really like it."
"If we get into a fight, it’ll get torn to shreds. Right?"
"True. That’d be bad."
"I’ll have it reforged into an artifact with self-repair properties. You’ll be able to wear it forever."
"Wha—?!?"
"But if it gets damaged before then—"
"Wrap it up!"
And just like that, the issue was resolved.
With the gold coins looted from hunters, I generously paid for the outfit and left the boutique with Lily.
***
We strolled through the market, making our way toward the central plaza.
Lily darted from stall to stall, eyes sparkling with curiosity, while I walked with my ears open, listening.
I had expected the rumors to start spreading by now.
And sure enough, I caught wind of what I had been waiting for.
The legend of Lochter Felice.
Stories of how Lochter was single-handedly defending Blyer against the raiders that Kamel was turning a blind eye to were spreading like wildfire.
In crowded areas, his name was being spoken frequently.
This should be enough.
Satisfied, I continued onward.
At last, we arrived at the vast central plaza.
If I survived and made it back to Blyer, I had always planned to visit this place.
The plaza was beautifully arranged with flowers and trees, designed like a grand garden.
But when I had last seen it—
It had been a slaughterhouse.
Back when Kamel had captured me and dragged me through Blyer, this very plaza had been stained with blood.
The assassins who had brought me here as a recruit had rotted away in the corners of this place.
Instead of flowers, there had been guillotines.
Instead of trees, there had been corpses.
Now, the past had been scrubbed clean—erased completely.
And in its place, the Wailing Hill was born.
A massive burial mound beyond the city’s borders.
A place where those who opposed Kamel, those used by him, and those who resented him were all sent to die.
Once taken there, you never returned.
For the people of Blyer, it had become the ultimate symbol of terror.
It was why no one resisted—
Even when their neighbors were dragged off to the mines.
Even when their loved ones were snatched away by shamans.
They all lived in quiet fear, pretending not to see.
A reign of terror.
Kamel had used Wailing Hill to break the people’s spirits.
And that was exactly why I intended to gather my allies there.
"If we want to shake their minds, we have to first destroy what binds them."
I was going to burn Wailing Hill to the ground.
***
After taking in the plaza for a moment, I turned away.
I had survived and made it back.
"This time, I’m not leaving."
Kamel had begun to make his move.
There would be unexpected variables again.
But I had faith in something.
My gaze lingered on Lily for a moment.
She was crouched in front of a flower, staring at it like a curious child.
"Let’s go."
"Huh? Where?"
"Beyond that hill."
I glanced past the city walls before turning back to her.
Lily fumbled through her pockets, pulling out a candy.
A small, square-shaped piece.
I let out a quiet chuckle and popped it into my mouth.
Rolling the candy on my tongue, I looked around.
The city, even at dusk, remained lively.
The people’s faces were filled with smiles.
A strange sense of disconnect settled in.
Was this the small happiness they had traded for turning a blind eye to others’ deaths?
I didn’t resent them.
Everyone had their own way of surviving.
But somewhere in Blyer, people were still dying as Kamel’s pawns.
"The good times are over."
Yeah.
It was all over.
For the people before me—
And for me, too.
And so, we slipped through the city gates.
The night before the plan began.