Chapter 11: My Name Is…
The Knight of Betrayal was a formidable force, standing in the way of the Mad Butcher’s growing power.
This was because most of those who had fallen victim to Kamel’s reign of terror had rallied around the Knight of Betrayal to form a resistance force.
Of course, their time was short-lived.
Just two years.
The Knight of Betrayal was assassinated due to the actions of a traitor, and with the loss of its central figure, the resistance crumbled in an instant. From that moment on, Kamel’s forces began to grow at an incredible pace, marching down an unstoppable path.
This proved just how much of an obstacle the Knight of Betrayal had been to Kamel’s ascent.
‘If Kamel had known this truth, he would’ve killed Lochter on the spot.’
But Kamel was only a villain experiencing his first regression, while I was someone who knew the entire storyline of his return.
‘I need to pass this information along.’
Since the moment I was thrown into the novel, it had been clear that I wouldn’t be on friendly terms with Kamel. No—there was a real possibility that we would struggle to even breathe under the same sky.
What if he later discovered who I truly was?
‘He’ll hunt me down like a madman.’
There was no way Kamel would let someone who knew his secret live.
In other words, the stronger his forces became, the greater the threat to my life.
A powerful card that could contain his influence was standing right next to me. Somehow, I had to offer my help. But Kamel was watching me with sharp eyes, making it difficult to even glance at Lochter, let alone hold a conversation.
‘How can I warn him about the traitors?’
I absolutely had to inform him about the traitors planted by Kamel in the mines.
There were two traitors involved with Lochter. The first one was a fellow miner, whose betrayal cost Lochter his right arm, severely diminishing his strength.
If Lochter could maintain even a portion of his original combat prowess, the future could unfold differently. It was critical to address this issue first, like fastening the first button properly on a coat.
While nervously surveying my surroundings, I noticed a knight wearing a blue mantle urgently enter the room. He rushed over to Lyon and whispered something quietly in his ear.
“What?”
Lyon’s expression flickered briefly with surprise before he leaned over to relay the information to Kamel.
Kamel’s brow twitched slightly in response—an unusual reaction for someone who rarely showed any emotion. Something important must have happened.
While the knight's appearance temporarily diverted everyone’s attention, I took the opportunity to lightly tap Lochter’s shin with my foot.
Lochter’s gaze shifted to me momentarily, before quickly returning to Kamel, who was rising from his seat.
“It seems there are more forces supporting you than I initially expected, Captain Lochter.”
“……”
“You’ll need to give me your answer soon. I’d like to know how to proceed from here.”
It appeared that the forces of Lochter’s master and the first son had mobilized their troops upon hearing of the knight captain’s imprisonment.
However, Kamel’s expression was brimming with confidence. If Lochter swore his loyalty, those opposing forces would crumble without resistance. My insides, however, were churning with anxiety.
Kamel’s proposal was a trap. But there was nothing I could do—no way to expose it.
All I could do was keep nudging Lochter’s shin.
After remaining still like an unmoving boulder, Lochter finally lifted his gaze to meet Kamel’s.
“I will accept your proposal.”
“A wise choice.”
“I am hungry.”
Lochter looked down at the banquet before him and gave a bitter smile.
“If I’m going to be dragged to the mines, I might as well enjoy this last meal. So…”
He stared fiercely at Kamel and muttered in a low voice.
“Could you get that disgusting face of yours out of my sight, even for a moment?”
“……You!”
Lyon flared up at the insult and drew his sword, but Kamel stopped him with a hand. Instead, Kamel grinned, baring his teeth at Lochter.
“This banquet is prepared for the two of you. Enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
“……”
“I’ll send someone for you soon.”
With that, Kamel left the room, taking Lyon with him.
This guy… He’s really poking at Kamel’s temper. I hope he doesn’t end up dead as soon as they reach the mines.
Still, there was something impressive about a man who spoke his mind so freely. It was that kind of charisma that had drawn me into the novel in the first place. Yet somehow, even here, my life didn’t seem all that different.
‘Will things ever change?’
I pushed aside my wandering thoughts and turned to look at Lochter.
Thanks to his quick thinking, I now had a chance to speak with him alone.
Although knights were standing guard nearby, with Kamel gone, there was no need to worry about their watchful eyes.
Lochter tore into his food with crude intensity, gulping down wine straight from the bottle and shoving several pieces of fruit into his mouth at once.
Thud—
Suddenly, he knocked over the fruit basket, sending its contents rolling toward me.
I picked up the fallen fruits and placed them back beside him. Lochter didn’t even glance my way, but that didn’t matter.
I leaned in close and whispered quietly.
“You’ll be taken to the Golden Mine soon. Be careful of someone named Eppeloa.”
“Would you like an orange?”
“I prefer dried apples. I could eat ten a day, easily.”
“……”
“Leave a mark in Elletor. I’ll find you there. And… Ah, never mind.”
I bit my tongue before revealing the harsh truth of the future. If I told him, Lochter might choose to die right here and now.
Swallowing my words, I returned to my seat.
Our brief conversation ended just like that.
Afterward, Lochter and I quietly finished the meal.
‘Everything now rests on his decision.’
I acted as if I were the shadow of the former Lord, Liamson.
Lochter, being the closest to the lord, was aware of the existence of the “shadows” and tested me with the code word “orange.”
My response was “dried apple”—Liamson’s favorite snack.
Saying I could eat ten in a day meant that I was the tenth shadow.
I mentioned the tenth because Lochter had never met me before.
The shadows were an elusive force, yet all of them had been killed by Kamel, the regressor.
If Lochter already knew this fact, he wouldn’t have trusted me.
However, by mentioning the Golden Mine and warning him about Eppeloa, I ensured he would stay on guard.
And if he managed to escape from the mine?
‘He’ll head to Elletor.’
I had given him all the information he needed.
With Kamel gone, the tension in the room was still suffocating, but at least I no longer felt sick to my stomach.
Lochter seemed to feel the same. When Lyon reappeared outside the hallway, Lochter rose from his seat and looked directly at me for the first time.
In that brief moment, I knew.
Our conversation had reached him.
But then—
“What’s your name?”
His question froze my mind.
…A name?
It hit me like a stone. Since arriving here, I had only been called “the newcomer.”
What was my name?
As I racked my brain, my expression grew more troubled.
I didn’t have one.
No name.
Lochter waited silently, watching me. Just as Lyon approached, Lochter let out a sigh, as if disappointed, and turned away.
He walked off, gradually disappearing down the hall.
Behind him, I blurted out,
“Ah, Arthur. Arthur Clayton.”
Arthur Clayton.
A name slipped from my lips.
“Arthur…”
Lochter murmured it under his breath, as if engraving it into his memory.
The moment Lyon arrived, the banquet came to an end.
This banquet would determine the fates of many, including my own.
I watched Lochter disappear with Lyon, feeling a swirl of conflicting emotions.
“A name, huh…”
In the assassin’s memories, there had never been a name.
Just a nameless existence.
A stray without parents.
A wretched slave.
A butcher of men.
A life where no name was needed.
The previous owner of this body had lived a miserable life.
And so, I gave both him and myself a gift—the name that came to mind without much thought.
“Of all things… Arthur Clayton.”
In the final chapters of When Villains Grow Stronger, humanity reached the brink of extinction under the villains’ rule. Kingdoms of other races crumbled one by one, and the world spiraled into ruin.
At the end, the survivors gathered before the Tomb of Heroes and sang a song of hope.
A song envisioning an Absolute Existence who could free them from despair.
Arthur Clayton.
In the novel, Arthur Clayton was neither real nor fictional—just a name conjured in a hopeful verse.
And
so, I chose that name.
A name without an owner.
I put down my fork and smacked my lips.
“At least I feel a bit more human now.”
Though I had chosen the name myself, having a name made my existence feel more tangible. It wasn’t a bad feeling.
In this world of the novel, I had claimed a name.
But—
“This name doesn’t suit me at all. Damn it…”
I cursed under my breath, glancing at the prisoners locked behind bars.
Arthur Clayton was meant to be the hero born from people’s hope, yet here I was—completely powerless.
“……”
Clenching my fists tightly, I stood in silence.
* * *
“Kneel! Lochter Felice, Captain of the Knights!”
Atop the fortress wall, Kamel Blazer stood tall, cloaked in a black mantle, his voice booming for all to hear.
Under his commanding voice, Lochter raised his head to the sky for a moment, then slowly knelt before him.
Those standing at the gate dropped their weapons with heavy sighs, their eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and disbelief.
Some trembled with rage at the betrayal, but the harsh reality was undeniable.
The knight captain had chosen the second son, Kamel, as the heir. With Lochter’s oath of loyalty, the knights of Blyer would now follow Kamel’s orders.
A fight they could not win.
“Tch, that ended far too easily.”
Rengua, who had been preparing his magic just in case, withdrew his crystal orb in disappointment.
He had hoped to test his new spells, but it seemed things were wrapping up peacefully.
Rengua descended from the wall, heading toward the tower.
Then down the stairs that led to the underground prison.
Vwoooom—!
“……!”
Rengua paused, startled by the fierce tremor from his crystal orb.
There was no one around.
Quickly, he pulled the orb from his robe.
A holy light shone from within, and Rengua’s eyes widened in awe.
“A… divine revelation!”
A divine revelation—a blessing from the gods.
It was a rare miracle that manifested through the possessions of powerful shamans, witches, or prophets, signaling the emergence of someone destined to change the world.
“Another chosen one…”
Rengua stared at the orb, excitement bubbling in his expression. In all his sixty years, he had never witnessed a revelation in his own possession.
If a revelation had come through his orb, it meant someone extraordinary had awakened.
Swallowing nervously, Rengua realized that shamans and witches across the continent were likely receiving the same revelation.
“Who could it be…”
At that moment, the orb displayed its message.
Rengua’s breath hitched, his eyes fixed on the glowing text.
[XX XXXX – XX XX XXX]
[X XX XX.]
“……”
But his face soon twisted in frustration.
He couldn’t decipher a single word of it.
With a sigh, Rengua considered who might be able to interpret it.
Two names came to mind—two figures known as the messengers of the gods, keepers of all revelations.
Astrologer Arcane, the Prophet of Fate.
And—
“The Witch of Ordor Forest, Lily.”
* * *
“L-Lily!”
The door to her room burst open as several women in flowing robes rushed inside.
In their hands were various objects, all glowing with the same divine light.
The light of revelation.
“Something appeared!”
“You idiot! This is a revelation!”
“What about today’s ritual!?”
Today was the day of the yearly ritual to maintain the barrier around the Ordor Forest.
A girl stood silently in front of a massive mirror, unbothered by the commotion behind her. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, tied neatly with a large red ribbon.
The girl’s translucent skin reflected in the mirror was strikingly beautiful.
On most days, she would have flaunted her beauty before the other witches, tiring them with her endless vanity. But today was different.
“None of us can read it!”
“Not a single letter!”
“Lily, can you…?”
All eyes turned to her.
Lily’s gaze remained locked on the mirror, which was now covered in crimson text.
Though the revelation had arrived without warning, it felt stronger than any she had ever encountered. A strange sense of attraction stirred within her.
Why?
“……”
She reached out and gently traced her finger over the cryptic letters reflected in the mirror.
The text that no one else could decipher.
However—
[Arthur Clayton ― The Hermit Within the Rift]
[The Third Mental Barrier]
“Who are you?”
Lily murmured, reading the message with perfect clarity.