Chapter 205 – A New Picture
Fwoooosh—
A massive mansion, located at the heart of Blyer Territory, burned bright red.
Kamel gazed up at the towering flames, watching the estate he had once stayed in crumble into ashes.
It had been a temporary residence—after the lord’s castle had been destroyed in a fire.
As his room was swallowed entirely by the inferno, Kamel turned away, walking away from the scene without hesitation.
Behind him, Rengua followed, curiosity in his voice.
“…Is there a reason for burning the mansion?”
“There were traces left behind—information that no one should ever see.”
“…Information? What kind of information—?”
Kamel tapped his head lightly and continued forward.
For the past fifteen days, he had isolated himself, going over every fragment of his past life—Writing down plans, revising maps, and reconstructing a new course of action.
When he first realized he had returned to the past, he had done this process once before.
But now—
Everything had been ruined because of him.
His plans had been shattered beyond recognition.
He had no choice but to start over from the beginning.
He pulled out a blank page in his mind—
And redrew his path.
And then, he had to admit something to himself.
“…I can’t take it all.”
The prey he had once marked for himself—he wasn’t strong enough to consume them all.
In fact, he had lost power.
If he grew too greedy, he would only lead himself to ruin.
What must be abandoned.
And what must be claimed—at all costs.
The question that had consumed him over the past days—
Was how to distinguish between the two.
What he would let go—he had to let go completely.
“…How long has it been?”
“Fifteen days since you locked yourself away, my lord.”
“…Only fifteen days? It felt much longer.”
For fifteen days—he had neither slept nor eaten.
To push his insight to the absolute limit, he had forced both his mind and body beyond their breaking points.
Though only fifteen days had passed in reality—
To Kamel, it felt like more than a month.
“…Did you reach the conclusion you sought?”
“I learned something: Reality and thought are two very different things.…What about the orders I gave?”
“They’ve all been carried out.”
At Rengua’s response, Kamel nodded, satisfied.
“You must have been busy.”
“It was my duty. There is also a great deal of news to report. Shall I begin?”
“…We’ll deal with our guest first. Then I’ll hear your report.”
“…Understood. I will lead the way.”
***
Before stepping out, Kamel allowed the attendants to clean him up.
Though he still looked worn, his appearance was at least neat once more.
Following Rengua’s guidance, he walked forward at a steady pace.
They passed through the ruins of Blyer’s lord’s castle—
Once a symbol of the region’s prosperity.
Now, all that remained were charred remnants, standing as a haunting reminder of its fall.
“…There are things here that need to be dealt with.”
“Our hands were short, given the other tasks you assigned us. It will be cleared within a few days.”
As they continued forward, Blyer’s knights, who had been waiting for news, hurried over and greeted Kamel with a bow.
One of them carefully held out his signature cloak, embroidered with the emblem of the Dragon’s Fang.
But Kamel shook his head, refusing the garment.
Rengua, puzzled, asked cautiously,
“…Why refuse the cloak, my lord?”
“…Who is the commander of the reinforcements?”
“The Grand Duke’s chief knight—Sir Harkman.”
The negotiations with Demtor’s Stars had lasted for over a week.
A slow, tiresome game of back-and-forth.
However—
The balance of power had shifted in Kamel’s favor the moment he sent five shamanic dolls as samples to Demtor.
It was then that Grand Duke Clarke finally began to listen to his thoughts on countering the Ghostly Forest.
After all—
Kamel alone was capable of creating those dolls.
And as a regressor, the sheer difference in information tilted the scales overwhelmingly in his favor.
Demtor had been forced to concede many things.
And among those concessions—
Kamel had personally requested that Harkman the Iron Knight be sent as the commander of the reinforcements.
“…Wearing that cloak would only make Harkman resent me.”
Compared to the mighty forces of Demtor, Blyer was nothing more than a broken, struggling land.
A man like Harkman—proud and powerful—would never see him as an equal.
“…Is he that arrogant?”
“To him, everyone but the Stars of Demtor is beneath him. And he has the power to justify that belief.”
“Then why was he chosen as the leader of the reinforcements?”
“…Rengua, there are many ways to handle people. Crushing Harkman with authority would only provoke resistance— But if you feed his ego just right…You can turn him into a fool.”
“…I see. I will observe closely.”
A moment later—
A massive new structure came into view.
A building that had not existed just fifteen days ago.
It was no castle—at least, not on the surface.
But Kamel had personally spent every last coin on its construction.
Surveying it briefly, he gave a small nod.
“…It’s well-built.”
“We followed your exact specifications, my lord…But it has unsettled the people.”
“…Why? Did they start speaking against me?”
To complete the structure before Harkman’s arrival, Kamel had forcibly conscripted the entire population into labor.
Many had likely died from overwork.
“No one would dare be disrespectful, my lord. It’s just… the atmosphere in the territory has changed.”
“…What’s the financial situation?”
“With our remaining resources, we can last about a month.”
“That’s enough. Well done, Rengua.”
As Kamel stepped inside, Rengua watched him with an unreadable expression.
A month? That’s all.
Ever since the mines collapsed, Blyer had lost all of its revenue streams.
In thirty days, they wouldn’t have a single gold coin left.
“…What exactly is he thinking?”
This building had cost an absurd amount of money—
Not just expensive, but outright reckless.
And all of it—
Just to entertain the reinforcements?
It didn’t match the practical and calculating nature of his master at all.
***
“…What a pathetic excuse for a territory.”
Upon entering the reception hall, a towering knight sneered as he looked around.
His armor was inscribed with ancient runes, radiating a force that felt oppressive to ordinary men.
A warrior of unmatched skill—
And a bearer of a divine name.
Harkman Oleve, the Iron Knight.
He had awakened as a five-star swordmaster through his own talent—
And with the Grand Duke’s bestowed equipment, he had claimed a divine name for himself.
When he had first stood before the spatial portal, summoned by the Grand Duke himself—
Harkman had been excited.
Harkman had expected rewards in exchange for his role as a reinforcement.
But the moment he stepped through the portal—
His swelling expectations deflated like a punctured balloon.
A ruined castle, nothing but ashes and debris scattered across the barren land.
It was the poorest territory he had ever seen.
And the young lord standing before him?
A penniless brat with nothing to his name.
It was no surprise that Harkman’s mood was sour.
“…I appreciate your efforts in coming all this way.”
“…I wonder if there’s even a proper room for us to stay in.”
“A banquet has been prepared. Allow me to guide you.”
“…Tch.”
Harkman scoffed, his words dripping with contempt.
Yet, Kamel remained polite, responding with soft patience.
Beside him, Rengua’s face had turned stone-cold.
Had Kamel not given prior instructions, he might have struck Harkman with his staff right then and there.
“…Rengua.”
“I will personally see to the rest of our guests, my lord.”
Demtor’s reinforcement unit consisted of only fifty men.
That might have seemed small for a military force—
But these were the best of the best, the elites of Demtor.
Kamel hadn’t wanted sheer numbers—
He had demanded warriors strong enough to hold their own.
According to his request, all the reinforcements were at least third-star warriors, each armed with enchanted equipment.
As such, Rengua himself would personally escort them.
When the soldiers turned to Harkman for approval, he scowled and waved them off.
“…Go wash the ash out of your throats.”
With that, they obediently followed Rengua down the corridor, leaving Kamel alone with Harkman.
Now, only the two of them remained.
Walking side by side, Kamel could see the deep scowl on Harkman’s face.
“…Are you disappointed?”
“If I said no, I’d be lying. I was told you were the man who gathered Demtor’s Stars into one room—Did I hear wrong?”
“You heard correctly.”
“Then tell me—What exactly did you offer the Grand Duke?
If it was enough to send me here personally, it must have been something remarkable.”
“…Money.”
“…What?”
Harkman’s expression twisted in disbelief.
“Are you mocking me?”
Without responding, Kamel stopped in front of a massive iron door.
A single knock—
And he turned to Harkman with a slight smirk.
“…Let me show you.”
Creeeaaak—
The doors slowly swung open—
And the golden light inside bathed Harkman’s face.
His eyes widened.
His jaw slackened.
“…What in the hell—”
The entire room was covered in gold.
A hall of wealth, gleaming from floor to ceiling.
Kamel swept his gaze around the room before stepping aside, gesturing for Harkman to enter.
“Harkman Oleve—Everything in this room is yours.”
“…Mine?”
Kamel picked up a nearby bell and rang it lightly.
At the sound—
The inner chambers stirred.
Then—
Soft, delicate footsteps echoed through the hall.
A group of beautiful women emerged, moving gracefully into Harkman’s line of sight.
Their bodies were wrapped in sheer silk, translucent fabric that left nothing to the imagination.
“…As I said— All of this is yours. The women, the gold— Everything.”
“…Damn.”
The sharp hostility in Harkman’s gaze—
Melted like snow under sunlight.
Now, he looked at Kamel as though he were an old friend.
“…I completely misjudged you. There’s no way the Grand Duke’s eyes would be mistaken.”
“I’m glad it pleases you.”
“…I think I’m starting to like you.”
“Then—Perhaps we can be friends.”
Friends.
It was a strange thing for a lord to say to a mere knight.
But Kamel had no hesitation.
Instead, he extended his hand, a dry smile playing at his lips.
“Kamel Blazer—Lord of Blyer.”
“Harkman Oleve.…I don’t usually give my surname, you know. Consider it a sign of respect.”
To Harkman, Kamel was nothing more than a nameless noble from a dying territory.
A child playing at leadership.
But this—
This was a level of hospitality even the Grand Duke had never given him.
Grinning, Harkman clasped Kamel’s hand firmly, shaking it with enthusiasm.
“Hahaha! A friend, huh? I never expected to form such a valuable bond here.”
His laughter was loud and boisterous.
But—
His mind was already elsewhere.
His thoughts were drowning in the gold, the women, the luxury surrounding him.
He was too distracted to notice—
The faint, shimmering glow seeping from Kamel’s hand.
***
“My lord.”
A voice called out softly.
Kamel’s eyes fluttered open.
When he turned his head, he found Rengua standing by his bedside.
He had slept—
For the first time in fifteen days.
“…How long was I out?”
“Half a day, my lord.”
“…Harkman?”
“…He has no intention of leaving the golden room. He’s completely consumed by the women and wine. The same goes for the rest of his men.”
Next to the golden room, a secondary hall had been prepared.
Not as extravagant—
But luxurious enough to leave even seasoned warriors in stunned silence.
Women had been sent in there as well.
“…How long will it take to extract the information?”
“…Three days should be enough.”
“…I’ll handle Harkman personally. You take care of the others.”
“…Understood.”
Kamel rolled his neck, then settled into a chair.
On the table before him—
Rengua had placed a stack of new reports.
Before diving in, Rengua hesitated.
“My lord… may I ask something?”
“Go on.”
“How do you know so much about Harkman Oleve?”
It wasn’t just basic knowledge.
Kamel had known everything—
From Harkman’s preferred type of woman, to his favorite drinks, to the one bottle of liquor he had always dreamed of tasting in his lifetime.
He had played Harkman flawlessly.
“…He was once my friend.”
“…But today was your first time meeting him, wasn’t it?”
“True. And yet, we just became friends a few moments ago.”
Kamel stood and walked to the window.
Harkman Oleve.
Before his return, he had been one of the spies Kamel had planted within Demtor.
With his influence over Demtor’s knights, Harkman had been a valuable pawn.
Back then, he had been recruited using the exact same method.
Kamel knew Harkman’s weakness—And how to exploit it.
That was why he had demanded him as commander of the reinforcements.
“…A useful friend.”
Had Kamel achieved his original goal, securing Tobaron—
Harkman would have been a permanent piece on his board.
But now—
He was too much for Kamel to hold.
And so—
If he couldn’t have him—
He would use him. Completely.