Episode 253: The Tail of the Tail
Black Butterfly.
They were the magical pinnacle created under the support of Demtor, the Mage Tower alliance.
“It shouldn't be time yet for Black Butterfly to be moving publicly.”
The one who had contributed the most to their creation was Gram of the Black Tower.
Gram Seraphim—
The main villain who would eventually kill Kamel, the bearer of the Divine Relic “The Blood-Drinking Chalice.”
Starting with the potion known as Blood Nature, Gram’s research accomplishments held overwhelming influence within Demtor.
The Black Butterfly project was no different.
She was the de facto leader of the secret project and held full control over the Black Butterfly unit.
“If they’re still classified, she’s probably using them as private soldiers under the guise of testing them in real combat.”
Wherever the Black Butterflies moved, The Blood-Drinking Chalice followed.
Could their appearance near Kamel be a coincidence?
“No way… Is Gram interested in Kamel already?”
According to the story, Gram eventually kills Kamel.
But that scene was supposed to happen far in the future.
The timing of Kamel’s demise—
That was after he had become the ruler of Tobaron and was beginning to extend his influence into Hell Grime.
That was when Gram made her move.
If the story followed its original course, that would’ve been years from now.
In other words—
“Right now, Gram doesn’t yet know Kamel’s true identity.”
That was how things were supposed to be.
Gram and Kamel should not be meeting at this point in the timeline.
However—
“Too many things have already changed in Tobaron and Demtor. That butterfly effect could’ve reached Gram too...”
What if someone informed Gram of Kamel’s existence?
At that point in my thoughts, one figure came to mind.
Someone who could observe Kamel from up close, who could easily escape his grasp, and who had ties to Gram Seraphim.
“Arcane of Fate.”
If he, who could see Divine Relics, had taken a look at Kamel, he would have correctly understood what Kamel was.
If even a portion of that information had made its way to Gram, this entire situation could be explained.
After all, Kamel possessed the Time attribute—exactly the kind of Divine Trait Gram desired for her experiments.
If she had marked Kamel as a research specimen—
“She would try to take his heart.”
I scratched my forehead and shook my head.
Another force had entered the game, trying to kill Kamel.
“I don’t know if this is a good situation or a bad one.”
“What’re you thinking so hard about? And why is that tiny spirit suddenly wearing a rag and holding a matchstick—hey! You little brat!”
“It’s a spear, not a matchstick.”
While Banri jabbed Karl’s bald head with her tiny spear, Lochter, who had been observing quietly, spoke up.
“Is there a problem?”
“Nothing certain yet. But if my assumption is correct, things are about to get complicated.”
Black Butterfly, Gram Seraphim.
I quickly briefed the party on what I knew.
Even if I was wrong, it was better that everyone be aware since we’d be moving together.
“Gram Seraphim? Is she strong?”
At Lochter’s blunt question, I nodded heavily.
The novel described her strength like this:
If she showed her true power, there was no one among Demtor’s Stars who could defeat her in single combat.
Of course, that came with a condition.
Her ability—Blood.
If the Stars had precise knowledge of her blood-based powers, the outcome might be different.
That’s how well she hid her strength.
They didn’t call her The Serpent That Devours Stars for nothing.
That nickname was proof of how cunning and devious she was.
“She’s strong. In terms of raw power and everything else.”
“Then let’s hope your prediction is right. A chance to get rid of him without lifting a finger.”
“Let’s root for Gram, then.”
Karl’s comment made me laugh bitterly.
I never thought I’d hear Karl rooting for Gram.
In the novel, Karl’s master was Kamel.
And Gram was the one who brutally killed Kamel.
In other words, she was his mortal enemy.
That had been Karl’s role in the story.
“So what now?”
Lochter asked.
I shared what I had in mind.
“When more hunters show up to hunt a beast, the original hunter doesn’t give up the hunt.”
“In other words, nothing changes.”
“I’ll keep going until I confirm Kamel’s death.”
“What about the witches? Shouldn’t we be worried about them?”
Karl and the Ghosts looked at me.
Judging by their reactions, it was clear they were concerned about the witches after hearing news of Demtor’s invasion.
Even after all the chaos in the Ghost Forest, it seemed they'd formed a bond with the witches.
In truth, before Banri arrived, our destination had been Ordor Forest.
Karl had hesitated when we changed direction—probably for that reason.
“Worried about the witches?”
“We owe them.”
“Well, it’s actually a good thing that Kamel didn’t go to Ordor Forest.”
Without the variable that is Kamel, the witches might just be able to defend the forest against Demtor.
“As long as there’s no full-scale battle, that is.”
If they kept a strong defense around the Witch’s Garden I designated earlier, Demtor would have no choice but to retreat.
The only concern was the witches’ overconfidence.
With the mages stationed in the Ghost Forest, some of the witches might think now is the perfect time to strike a critical blow to Demtor.
“Hopefully, Elder Medeia can convince the Dortas properly, just like the note said.”
With Lily and Natasha there, it shouldn’t come to the worst-case scenario.
A while later, sensing a shift in the air, I opened the window and looked outside.
Far in the distance, the horizon to the north was darkened by a vast forest.
It was the Ghost Forest.
We’d never entered through the eastern perimeter before.
As we approached and began preparing to enter—
“Whoa.”
Karl suddenly halted the carriage and jumped off the driver’s seat, vanishing outside.
“What is it?”
When I called out through the window, Karl was searching the ground a distance away.
He moved quickly around the area, as if looking for something.
Moments later—
“Come here!”
At Karl’s urgent call, we all exited the carriage and hurried over.
On the dry ground where he stood, bloodstains were visible.
Now we understood why Karl had been so frantic.
“Good job spotting it.”
“I smelled blood. And the traces are interesting. Look—same as before. The footprints, the bloodstains.”
From the spot where Karl stood, new tracks appeared as if someone had landed out of thin air.
Exactly the same as the traces we saw in Beneta’s underground sewer.
Lyon’s traces.
“This must be the exit point of the spatial portal.”
“Two sets of footprints.”
“Most likely Samuel was with him. Let’s search the area closely.”
At my direction, Karl and the Ghosts spread out.
A short while later, Karl and the others returned and reported.
“Judging by the tracks, they stayed here for a day or two. Took a short rest, then suddenly rushed toward the forest.”
“Samuel too?”
“No, near the forest the tracks split. Looks like they separated.”
I pointed to the tracks that led into the forest.
They likely belonged to Lyon.
And at the end of those tracks would be Kamel.
“Let’s move.”
Without hesitation, we followed Lyon’s trail.
As soon as we entered the Ghost Forest, a dull, colorless landscape opened before us.
Karl and the Ghosts immediately began tracking Lyon’s trail through the woods.
“This way.”
Even faint traces weren’t missed by Karl and the Ghosts.
Their movement was fast—far quicker than it would’ve been in an ordinary forest.
Their smooth movements reminded me of how they handled the carriage.
I looked again at Karl.
“Impressive.”
“It’s actually easier to track here since no one comes through. And I know this place well.”
Karl winced, likely recalling his hellish training here.
Having been run ragged in the Ghost Forest with the witches, it was only natural he’d know the terrain better than anyone.
With nine expert trackers, not even the smallest trail Lyon left would be missed.
In other words, Kamel had entered our territory.
If we caught him, we could easily control the battlefield.
The Ghosts moved quickly ahead, with Lochter and me following.
But soon after, everyone came to an abrupt stop.
“New tracks.”
“There’s a lot.”
“They’re over there too.”
Dozens, maybe over a hundred people had passed through.
Karl and the Ghosts scattered to analyze the traces. While we waited, Lochter approached and asked,
“If Gram Seraphim is targeting Kamel, what will you do?”
“If it’s true, we observe. No need to strike first.”
“Let the beasts fight, then go after the winner?”
I nodded.
That was the ideal scenario.
But there was no proof Gram was actually moving nearby.
“The Stars of Demtor are stationed at the witches’ forest.”
She’d have to act alone, which made it uncertain whether she could move this far without being noticed.
“Still, I’m curious...”
If Gram and Kamel fought now—who would win?
Kamel had already been killed by her once.
But he was no fool. Would he fall to the same enemy twice?
“And we still haven’t found the location of the voodoo dolls.”
They weren’t in Beneta, so they must’ve been deployed elsewhere.
Could be a trap. Or something completely unrelated.
“So that’s two things we need to check first.”
Find traces of Gram Seraphim and the voodoo dolls.
I called Karl over.
“Let’s widen our search.”
“It’ll take time to cover this area completely.”
I looked up at Banri.
Since entering the forest, she had been swaying weakly near my head—seemingly weighed down by the forest’s aura.
Using one finger to mark the distance we’d traveled so far, I asked Banri,
“Can you tell me how far we are from Fenry?”
Even if her power was weakened, she’d know the exact distance to her contractor.
After a moment, Banri raised eight fingers.
Meaning we’d need to move eight more distances like we just had.
Closer than I expected.
We still had time.
“You’re really smart, you know that?”
***
I explained the two trace types to Karl and had the Ghosts begin the search.
In the Ghost Forest, it was hard to track time, though day and night were still distinguishable.
It felt like quite a bit of time had passed when Karl returned.
“No sign of the voodoo dolls.”
Van Dyke puppets were large, so they’d be easy to spot.
Their absence meant they weren’t with Kamel.
Second—
“I found what looks like a woman’s footprints. But there are two sets.”
Two?
One must be Fenry.
“Seems she’s with someone. From the tracks and impressions... it’s Elton.”
“Elton??”
“That guy’s with Fenry. You send him?”
“No idea.”
A surprise, but a good one—if Elton was with Fenry, it meant she could focus more safely on the chase.
“Who’s the other woman?”
“Matches your description. There’s a group tracking Kamel’s party. Judging by the footprints, they’re well-trained—perfectly even stride. And signs of a strong clash nearby.”
Karl held out his hand—his palm smeared with blood.
I clenched my fist slightly.
Gram Seraphim was here.
My mind started racing.
It looked like the two main villains had collided.
How could I use this situation for the best outcome?
With luck, I might catch both. At worst, I might lose them both.
“They might join forces and come after us. Wouldn’t that be worse?”
“That won’t happen.”
“How can you be sure?”
I simply smiled and summoned the Ring of Bloodsucking.
I planned to think while moving.
If I met up with Fenry, maybe I’d find the answer.
She was an expert in assassination, after all.