Chapter 224: The Grand Plan
“Kamel’s army has disappeared?”
At the mention of the army, the ghosts felt their hearts drop.
“Isn’t Beneta supposed to be monitoring the army? Why are you asking us?”
“So, you don’t know either? This is serious.”
“Don’t tell me... they were taken down too?”
“You don’t know what’s happening in Etor?”
The ghosts exchanged glances and nodded. They had barely escaped and drifted toward the riverside, making it inevitable that they were unaware of the current situation around Etor.
“Etor is nothing more than an abandoned city now.”
“...What? Abandoned? What do you mean?”
“You’ll understand faster if you see it for yourself. Words alone can’t fully convey it.”
As the branch leader turned and started moving ahead, the ghosts followed behind him.
One of the ghosts, running alongside him, asked a question.
True to his nature as a nimble Dark Elf, his speed was astounding. But that also meant he stood out too much.
“We’re heading to Etor, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Aren’t we being way too conspicuous? If there are enemies—”
“There’s no need to worry about that.”
A bitter expression crossed the branch leader’s face as he responded. The ghosts only understood the meaning behind his expression when they finally arrived in front of Etor’s castle.
“...This is insane.”
The city gates of Etor were wide open.
Between the gates, traces of a gruesome massacre stretched out before them.
A nauseating stench of blood filled the air, and streaks of red painted the ground.
It looked as if a crimson river was flowing outward from the city.
The moment they stepped inside, the ghosts swallowed their groans.
Corpses lay in heaps along the main road. At a glance, there seemed to be thousands.
The survivors clung to the dead, weeping in despair.
There was no way Etor had that many spies.
Far more innocent people had died than actual infiltrators.
And then, there was the Marking Powder.
One of the ghosts, with a look of disbelief, asked,
“They killed everyone with the powder on them? Every single one?”
“Yes.”
“Kamel, you crazy bastard!”
Smellows had marked the targets, and it seemed they were all killed indiscriminately, regardless of age or gender.
Not even those who had merely brushed past a spy were spared.
It was terrifying.
As the ghosts shuddered at Kamel’s ruthlessness, the branch leader swiftly examined the ground, scanning the traces left behind.
Unlike when he moved cautiously alone, he was now fully focused on tracking.
He could afford to be bolder because the ghosts were with him.
‘At least we won’t be wiped out completely.’
Most of Black Rose had been massacred in this attack. It meant the enemy had been meticulous and struck like a storm.
And yet, not a single ghost had died.
They were few in number, but each ghost was as powerful as the branch leader himself.
“The northern gate.”
As the branch leader pointed toward the gate and began running, the ghosts realized he was following the tracks of hooves.
“You’re tracking the cavalry?”
“The last remaining forces inside the city were cavalrymen. If we follow them, we’re likely to find the rest of the army.”
They left the city and continued moving north, following the traces left behind.
As time passed, more and more hoofprints appeared.
Cavalry units from various directions had converged, forming an enormous force moving northward.
Just the combined cavalry of Blyer and Etor numbered over six thousand.
If they had merged with the cavalry of other territories, the total force would be staggering.
The ghosts' expressions darkened.
“They're heading toward either Elletor Fortress or Beneta, right?”
“With this many cavalry, no matter where they go, it’ll be a disaster.”
“If Etor’s forces join them…”
Etor’s military strength was formidable, but what worried the ghosts even more was Kamel’s inexplicable behavior.
“There wasn’t a single soldier left in Etor.”
He had left behind a blood-soaked city without any troops to manage the aftermath.
There was a reason the branch leader had called Etor an abandoned city.
It was as if Kamel hadn’t even considered what came next.
What kind of mind could conceive such reckless actions?
“Where are they?”
Where was the army heading?
The branch leader and the ghosts moved without rest.
After half a day of relentless pursuit, they finally found signs of the main army.
Deep, countless footprints of soldiers and overlapping hoofprints.
The cavalry and the army had converged here.
The branch leader and the ghosts halted in place.
Some of them looked relieved, while others had grim expressions.
“This is where we part ways,” the branch leader said with a firm expression.
The ghosts nodded.
To the right, the chaotic trail of a massive marching force twisted its way toward a single destination.
Beneta.
Now that they had deciphered Kamel’s movements, their next course of action was clear.
“Are you heading to Elletor Fortress?”
The ghosts nodded in response to the branch leader’s question.
“The one we need to report to is on his way there.”
“When you arrive at the fortress, Black Rose should be there. Deliver the news to them and tell them to return to Beneta.”
The branch leader scanned the tracks left on the ground.
Judging by the atmosphere, he seemed more focused on pursuing Kamel’s army than heading to Beneta.
“You’re going after Kamel?”
“Assessing his forces is the top priority.”
“That’s way too dangerous.”
They had barely survived by throwing themselves into the river.
Out here on the open plains, escape was impossible.
Not to mention, five-star monsters were stationed by Kamel’s side.
Even the slightest trace of them being discovered would mean certain death.
“Beneta needs to know about this.”
“I have a plan.”
Seeing the branch leader’s unwavering determination, the ghosts nodded and turned in the opposite direction.
Elletor Fortress.
It was the designated emergency gathering point for the ghosts.
By now, the others were likely rushing to assemble there.
And considering the timing, Arthur should be arriving as well.
“We might see each other again in Beneta.”
The branch leader didn’t respond to the ghost’s remark.
Once the ghosts disappeared from sight, he briefly gazed in their direction before turning away and sprinting forward.
He was fully aware of how dangerous it was to pursue Kamel.
But he couldn’t just walk away.
Too many Black Rose members, comrades who had fought and lived alongside him in Etor, had been slaughtered.
Whether it was revenge against Kamel or a decisive counterattack, as the branch leader, he had to do something for the fallen.
As he followed the tracks, a vast, blackened horizon came into view.
A colossal army, marching slowly.
Kamel’s army.
He had finally found them.
The branch leader began searching for Kamel’s command banner.
"No matter how large the army is, it's impossible to bring down Beneta’s walls."
The Dwarves’ fortress was that sturdy, that perfect.
The branch leader knew what kind of person Kamel was.
A man who had swallowed Etor whole in just fifteen days.
Would he have marched all his forces to Beneta without a plan?
No. There was something more.
"If there’s a real threat, it must be an elite force capable of scaling the walls."
He had to identify that force and return with the information.
Moving stealthily through the scattered rock formations, he finally spotted Kamel’s command banner. Just as he was about to shift for a better view—
Phew—
"......!"
The whistling sound of something cutting through the wind made the branch leader freeze before twisting his body and sprinting away.
A moment later, the boulder he had been hiding behind split cleanly in two.
A long-range Aura Sword.
When he turned, he saw Wiley charging toward him at a terrifying speed.
"How did he—?"
Suddenly, shadows began creeping over the ground one by one.
Lifting his head, the branch leader let out a bitter laugh and gripped his dagger tightly.
"Damn it."
Dozens of Smellows poured down like a storm from the clouds above.
***
Inside the Command Tent
As Kamel examined a map over a makeshift table, Rengua approached and reported,
"We’ve captured him, my lord."
Moments later, Wiley dragged in a bloodied figure.
A Dark Elf, missing an arm and gravely wounded in the back, was hauled into the tent.
A spy who had been exposed by the Smellows and caught by Wiley while trying to escape.
"Kamel!!! You demon!!!"
The Dark Elf snarled, his gaze filled with murderous rage, but Kamel only looked down at him indifferently before giving a small gesture.
"Extract his memories."
At his command, Rengua stepped forward.
Screams filled the tent.
But only briefly. Soon after, Rengua approached Kamel, holding a Memory Orb.
Given enough time, he could extract even more information, but Kamel only wanted the most recent memories—the ones obtained in the shortest time.
Holding the Memory Orb, Kamel stood before the Dark Elf, who was now gasping for breath.
Wiley had informed him that this man was a four-star Spirit User.
"A branch leader of Black Rose, huh? From Etor, I assume?"
"If you die, Fenry Chaser will sense it, won't she? Since you're connected through spirits. She might even sense your location."
Noticing the Dark Elf's burning glare, Kamel gave a dry chuckle.
Beside him, Wiley slowly raised his sword.
"Sacrificing your life to warn her? A noble idea."
The blade swung.
The Dark Elf’s head fell to the ground.
Kamel looked down at it and murmured,
"But even if she knows... there’s nothing she can do now."
As Kamel read the memories from the orb, Rengua examined the corpse, a look of disappointment on his face.
A four-star spirit-linked soul wasn’t something easily obtained.
However, without a Soul Orb, there was no way to capture the soul before it returned to nature.
"A precious soul, perfect for an Undead Knight..."
"You don’t have a vessel to store it?"
"I used all my Soul Orbs enhancing the Dagger of the Fallen."
"Unfortunate."
The Dagger of the Fallen was a high-capacity soul storage artifact, capable of holding hundreds of souls. It was the key ritual tool of the Grand Plan Rengua had spent a month preparing.
But that dagger was not here.
Only Rengua knew its location—somewhere hidden in Beneta.
"You did well."
After reviewing the memories, Kamel handed the orb back to Rengua and stepped out of the tent.
As expected, the fallen Dark Elf had indeed been Etor’s branch leader.
Though he had only obtained a few days’ worth of memories, they contained a great deal of information.
"The Ghosts."
A new group he hadn't known about.
From the memories, they seemed like troublesome opponents.
And now, they were heading for Elletor Fortress.
"Someone important is about to arrive there…?"
If the Ghosts, warriors strong enough to be branch leaders, needed to report to this person, who could it be?
"Could it be… him?"
It was a curious and valuable piece of information, but Kamel quickly dismissed it from his thoughts.
Right now, he had only one priority:
Confirm whether the core forces of "Hunt" were in Beneta.
So far, there was no sign of them.
"Move out."
Kamel, who had momentarily stopped to let his men rest, once again led the cavalry forward.
A force of 10,000 cavalrymen and 30,000 foot soldiers made up his army.
But Kamel took only the 10,000 cavalry and rode ahead toward Beneta.
***
The vanguard charged ahead.
As Kamel galloped at the front, he spotted the main army up ahead.
For three days, they had marched without rest, and exhaustion was evident in the soldiers’ faces.
Yet they did not collapse—because for the past month, they had undergone nothing but grueling marching drills.
Kamel rode through the ranks.
Dududududududu—!
The sight of 10,000 cavalrymen thundering forward was breathtaking.
Every soldier’s eyes turned toward them.
Kamel drew his sword.
At that moment, Rengua began his ritual.
His voice echoed through the air.
"Hold on just a little longer. Soon, all of Beneta will be yours."
"UOOOOH!!!"
A promise of plunder.
Gold, women, non-humans…
Whoever captured them first would claim them as their own.
A new fire burned in the soldiers’ eyes.
In a few days, they would arrive at Beneta.
Leaving the main army behind, Kamel led his cavalry ahead.
As the wind rushed past him, his dry lips curled slightly.
"Yes, push yourselves even harder."
Kamel fixed his gaze beyond the horizon, toward Beneta.
"Come forth. Become the sacrifices to my Grand Plan."