Chapter 228 – Nice to See You
“The Black Roses...??”
Since a soldier had already reported their arrival, I knew that more than one Black Rose had come.
Sure enough, four of them burst into my room at once.
But among the four, only one had pointed ears. The other three…
“Oh, dear gods!”
“Captain!”
“We—we survived!”
They were Ghosts.
They looked utterly wretched, as if they had been through hell. Their entire bodies, even their faces, were covered in dirt, making them so blackened that any soldier could have mistaken them for Dark Elves.
Their injuries were also severe enough to be visibly alarming, so I was about to send them off for treatment when one of them shook his head urgently and spoke.
“Something terrible has happened! Etor has fallen!”
Before addressing them, I turned my gaze to the Dark Elf standing before me.
Originally, he had been the branch leader in Blyer, but after carrying out my request to raid Kamel’s food stores, he had been stationed at Elletor Fortress.
I focused on him because his expression was unusually grim.
Had something even worse happened?
Meeting my eyes, the branch leader gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“Hear it from them. They are the only survivors from Etor.”
“...The only survivors?”
Something about the way he said that felt off.
Still, I nodded toward the Ghosts, prompting them to give their report immediately.
These three had been planted as spies within Kamel’s forces.
That meant they had a more detailed understanding of Etor’s situation than anyone else.
And the situation was far worse than I had anticipated.
All of Etor’s secret bases had been wiped out by Kamel’s surprise attack, and the entire army stationed there was now marching toward Beneta.
As of now, Kamel’s location was completely unknown.
I now understood why the Dark Elf branch leader looked so disturbed.
His colleague in Etor had tried to track Kamel’s movements, and it seemed he had already predicted his own death.
“Why do you think he’s dead?” I asked.
“Because he didn’t head straight for Beneta. That means he didn’t even have the chance to report to the Master. In the worst-case scenario… he was already captured near Kamel.”
“Dying to send a warning?”
“…Did the Master tell you that?”
I was familiar with the Shadow Spirit’s ability—a power that could detect the deaths of branch leaders through their spirits.
The Dark Elf was clearly mourning his fallen comrade, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that his sacrifice had been in vain.
‘But Kamel already knows this trick.’
This method wouldn’t work against a regressor.
If Kamel had captured and killed the branch leader on the spot, it meant Beneta was in grave danger.
It also meant that Fenry Chaser—despite her abilities—wouldn’t be able to detect Kamel’s attack in time.
This was nothing short of a taunt directed at her.
‘That bastard... What the hell is he planning?’
Kamel had disappeared with all of Etor’s forces, leaving behind no reserve troops whatsoever.
With Blyer and Etor completely abandoned, this was an all-in strategy—a reckless full-frontal assault.
But Kamel had always planned for worst-case scenarios.
This wasn’t like him at all.
“If he loses this battle, there’s no going back.”
Even if he won, if his forces were severely depleted fighting Beneta, it would be disastrous for him.
Would his remaining troops be enough to conquer all of Tobaron?
For someone as calculating as Kamel to make such a reckless move… it was confusing.
One thing was certain:
The Mad Butcher had bet everything on this.
If I hesitated, he would sweep through like a tidal wave and crush us.
“Then I’ll have to bet everything, too.”
I had to stake everything I had built so far and fight him head-on.
As I paced the room, lost in thought, my mind raced through the situation.
Kamel was targeting Beneta.
Beneta’s fortress walls were impenetrable.
No matter how large Kamel’s army was, breaking through Dwarven-built fortifications head-on was suicidal.
And Kamel knew that.
‘So he has a method.’
But taking Beneta without an army was impossible.
Unlike humans, non-human races would never surrender—they would fight to the death.
That meant that if Kamel didn’t have a substantial force, he wouldn’t be able to completely overrun Beneta.
“How long will it take for Kamel’s army to reach Beneta?”
“If they march overnight, at least a week. Moving on foot has its limits.”
“What about cavalry?”
“If they push hard, they could reach it within a day—two days at most.”
Combining all the cavalry from Blyer, Etor, and other territories, Kamel could muster around ten thousand riders.
But cavalry alone wouldn’t be enough to conquer Beneta.
Ultimately, he still needed his main army’s overwhelming numbers to secure victory.
We still had time.
“A week, huh… That’s faster than I expected. We need to move immediately.”
Fortunately, Elletor Fortress was much closer to Beneta than Etor had been.
If we deployed our forces right away, we could reach Beneta within a week.
That gave us enough time to support them, but there was something I needed to deal with first.
“I had planned to wait a few days before making my move…?”
But it looked like I had to draw my sword first.
If the Anti-Kamel Alliance was to function properly, this was something I had to do.
I told the Ghosts to get treated first and then return to me with their weapons.
Once they left, I turned to the Dark Elf.
“Where are the other Black Roses?”
“With the current emergency, I’ve stationed them throughout the fortress as spies and watchers.”
“Then I need you to spread a rumor inside the fortress.”
“A rumor?”
“Yes. And the sooner, the better.”
“What kind of rumor?”
“Tell everyone that Kamel has taken all his forces to attack Beneta, leaving the other fortresses completely undefended.”
“...But isn’t that true?”
“Yes. It’s true.”
“Then why spread it as a rumor instead of an official announcement?”
“There’s something I need to confirm. Also, attribute the source of the rumor to ‘Him.’”
“‘Him’...?”
“Just say that the information came from ‘Hunt’s Him’ and that he will appear here soon.”
“Who is ‘He’?”
I simply smiled at the branch leader’s question.
Once the branch leader left, the Ghosts returned—this time with Karl in tow.
The moment I saw Karl’s face, I couldn’t help but smirk.
His left eye was swollen black and blue.
I didn’t even need to ask who had hit him.
“What the hell did you say this time to get beaten up by Natasha?”
“I called that old hag a crone. Damn hag… Just you wait.”
“You deserved it.”
Badmouthing Elder Medeia in front of Ortain?
He was lucky to have gotten away with just one bruised eye.
“How’s your condition?”
“I think I’m developing claustrophobia, but other than that, I can handle everything just fine.”
I assigned Karl and the Ghosts to monitor the nobles.
Lochter had referred to them as “flies”—nobles who had, in just a month, formed factions within the Anti-Kamel Alliance, raising their voices and trying to seize influence.
And where there’s a faction, there’s always a leader.
“Viscount Koldy?”
“Yes. Karl, I need you to watch that noble personally. We've already baited the trap, so by tonight or tomorrow, he'll react in some way.”
“I’ve never heard of this noble before. Do you know much about him?”
“Not much, but I do know one thing.”
“And what’s that?”
I smirked at Karl’s question and answered.
“He isn’t one of us.”
***
The rumor about Kamel’s army marching on Beneta spread through the fortress in less than a day.
Since the Anti-Kamel Alliance was the dominant force in the fortress, it was only natural for them to react sensitively to any news about Kamel.
By morning, an emergency meeting was called, bringing the nobles together in one place.
I took a seat in a corner of the meeting hall, quietly observing the situation.
Unlike yesterday, no one paid me any attention today.
‘Did they eat a thunderstone for breakfast? Their voices are loud as hell.’
The meeting room was a complete mess.
Voices shouted over one another, ringing through my ears.
As usual, in any group, the loudest voice always seemed to win.
“We must mobilize our forces immediately to aid Beneta!”
“What kind of foolishness is that?! Are you out of your mind to let go of such a golden opportunity?!”
“W-what?! How dare you—”
“This isn’t just any territory we’re talking about! Both Blyer and Etor are wide open!”
“But if Beneta falls, we’re next!”
“You really think Beneta will just fall so easily? Both sides will exhaust themselves fighting, and once they’re weakened, we can crush Kamel and claim all of Tobaron for the Alliance! Are you saying we should let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?!”
Heinz, who had been advocating for reinforcements, faltered slightly.
He could sense the room shifting toward Viscount Koldy’s argument.
Abandoning Beneta in exchange for seizing all of Tobaron…
Beyond mere revenge, it was a pragmatic calculation, making the internal factions of the Alliance waver.
Heinz glanced at Lochter, trying to regain control of the discussion.
Noticing his plea for help, Lochter uncrossed his arms and turned to Koldy.
“So, Viscount Koldy, how do you propose we move?”
“We should split our forces in two—one heading for Blyer, the other for Etor.”
“And after that?”
“Once we secure those territories, we’ll observe the situation.
If Beneta wins, we hunt down Kamel’s fleeing remnants.
If Kamel wins, we strike him down while he’s weak.”
A brief silence filled the room.
It was, without a doubt, a strategically sound proposal.
The faction supporting Koldy began praising him, calling his plan brilliant.
And then, Lochter spoke.
“Viscount Koldy.”
“Yes, Sir Lochter?”
“What is the name of our Alliance?”
“…The Anti-Kamel Alliance.”
“Exactly.”
Lochter’s icy glare bore into Koldy as he rose from his seat.
The sheer intimidation in his movements made Koldy instinctively recoil.
Lochter took a slow step forward and spoke again.
“You propose that we leave Kamel’s destruction to the non-humans? Then tell me—what purpose does this Alliance serve?”
“…But securing all of Tobaron—”
“Tobaron comes after. My priority is Kamel.”
Koldy swallowed dryly and shifted his gaze to his faction.
But under Lochter’s pressure, the nobles who had once raised their voices now averted their eyes.
It didn’t matter how many people Koldy manipulated—if he couldn’t convince Lochter, it was all pointless.
After a moment, Koldy fidgeted with something in his sleeve before suddenly changing his approach.
“I heard that the source of this rumor is someone standing by your side, Sir Lochter. Is that true?”
“…Yes.”
“Then I ask you to bring him here. I want to hear directly from him about Etor’s situation. This is far too important to rely on rumors alone.”
“If we can trust his words, we will fully support your decision, Sir Lochter.”
‘So they want to see “Him,” huh?’
I had expected this move.
Koldy’s entire stance in this meeting had felt off from the start.
And now, I was certain.
‘This bastard has been playing both sides for a long time, hasn’t he?’
I had already suspected him through Karl’s investigations, but I needed definitive proof.
And then—
[I sense magic coming from his sleeve.]
Last night, Reto had awakened from his “rest” and whispered the final piece of evidence to me.
That was all I needed.
Clatter—
In the hushed atmosphere of the room, I slowly pushed my chair back and stood up.
Every noble’s gaze turned toward me.
I walked toward Viscount Koldy.
Then, meeting his eyes, I spoke in a low voice.
“Still up to your sick little games, Kamel?”
Kamel.
The moment the Mad Butcher’s name was spoken, the room erupted into whispers and nervous glances.
But when they noticed where my gaze was directed, all eyes fell upon Koldy.
His face turned pale, and he visibly began to panic.
As his trembling hand reached inside his sleeve, a voice unexpectedly echoed from within it.
[How did you know?]
Kamel’s voice.
The meeting hall fell into dead silence.
Viscount Koldy’s legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed into his seat.
Thud—
A magic communication orb, still glowing with Kamel’s energy, rolled toward me.
Picking it up, I stood over Koldy, looking down at him.
In Lochter Felice’s lifetime, there had been two traitors who had betrayed him.
One was Eppeloa, the knight who cut off Lochter’s arm in the mines, a spy for Kamel.
The other…
Was Viscount Koldy.
Kamel’s second dagger, planted within the Anti-Kamel Alliance to poison and kill Lochter Felice himself.
“Nice to see you.”
I bared my teeth and grinned into the orb.
“You bloodthirsty, lowlife bastard.”