Chapter 34: Drink. There Will Be No Pain.
The territories of Tobaron spread around Laup Forest, and the more chaos the chimera horde caused in Laup Forest, the more advantageous it was for Kamel.
As a regressor, he knew a lot about Dominic Huaton.
‘His timing was slightly delayed because of me.’
The decoy I had created, "him."
Through the mercenary I encountered in the reed field, I confirmed that Kamel was currently on his way to the negotiation site to meet "him."
For negotiations, Kamel would have no choice but to act. The Butcher seemed to treat "him" with extreme caution.
I recalled the map I had given Kamel.
Even if Kamel reached that place, "he" wouldn’t be there. Instead, Kamel would receive the “letter” I’d sent.
‘Hopefully, the letter was delivered properly.’
I’d requested a 10,000-gold commission through Black Rose, and with the leftover change, I’d paid for a letter delivery. Fenry, however, had kicked me out, saying he didn’t want to handle small-fry requests.
Thankfully, Nella, the Madame of Blue Rose, accepted the job—but not without taking all the leftover change and the refund from the fifth floor as payment.
‘When an elf gets greedy, they’re even scarier.’
Since I’d spent over a thousand gold on the delivery request, I was confident the letter would be delivered discreetly, evading the Butcher’s attention.
The letter was packed with things that would make Kamel feel uneasy. He’d be quite shocked when he read it.
‘But I can’t predict exactly how he’ll react after reading it.’
Kamel Blazer was the most cunning villain in the story.
His actions were always extreme and unpredictable, so guessing his moves could easily lead to disaster.
I could only focus on the broad strokes of the story, excluding situations involving me. Kamel’s objective was to seize control over the entirety of Tobaron.
‘He knows as much about Dominic Huaton as I do.’
He’d likely use the chimera horde to disrupt the Etor family, but unfortunately, in my current position, I had no way to interfere with that plan.
As I was pondering this, I saw Elton emerging from the forest with his team.
I quickly got to my feet.
In Elton’s hand was the bracelet he handed to Karl.
The bracelet was caked with dust and dirt. It looked like they’d finally found the bracelet Karl had mentioned.
“This is the bracelet?”
“Yes. I was beginning to worry, but it’s a relief they found it.”
It was indeed fortunate.
If they hadn’t found the bracelet, Karl would have had to contact a mage to craft a new one, and who knew how long that would take.
Contrary to my expectations, the bracelet had no particularly unique features. It was a plain design, the kind you’d easily find in any city shop. The only distinguishing mark was a series of tiny magical runes engraved on the inside of the bracelet.
“It may look ordinary, but it’s a magical artifact.”
“And this bracelet can kill the bug?”
“Yes. It’s designed specifically to eliminate the bug. But it takes time—it doesn’t kill the bug instantly but instead slowly starves it.”
“How?”
“First, you need to choose. Right hand or left hand?”
Since my right hand was engraved with the ancient glyph, I chose the left hand.
“I’m going to transfer the bug to your left wrist.”
“Is that possible?”
“Certainly.”
“Why transfer it at all?”
“Because you need to wear the bracelet.”
The bracelet was enchanted to kill the bug over time.
When I asked about the timeframe, Karl said I’d have to wear it for about a month.
“But are you sure this is safe?”
They say even a dying bug will still squirm.
As I looked at Karl’s empty sleeve, he smirked and shook his loose sleeve.
“This was my own choice. It has nothing to do with the bracelet.”
I knew the story.
To evade Crux’s pursuit, Karl had voluntarily removed the bracelet and detonated the “Boom.”
That sacrifice was why Elton and the other assassins were so blindly loyal to Karl. It had been his way of helping them escape.
‘This is where Karl and the Butcher differ.’
To the Butcher, subordinates were nothing more than tools to fulfill his desires, but Karl took responsibility for those he deemed his people.
That was why I wanted to get closer to Karl.
I wanted to catch a ride on Karl’s survival bus.
“What, feeling nervous?”
“Not really, but…”
“If you’re really that worried, just blow up the bug after I move it. I can guarantee the power—it’ll kill anything nearby.”
“And my arm?”
“It’ll get blown off. It hurts like hell, but look at me. I’m still alive, aren’t I?”
Forget it.
So much for catching the survival bus.
Looks like I’d have to look out for myself.
“You’re lucky you survived.”
“Luck had a part to play. I had many people with me.”
“Are all of them from Crux?”
I looked around at Elton and the other assassins nearby, and Karl nodded.
“Most of them were on the Boom’s list of sacrificial targets. I brought them all out when I escaped. It was hell getting out, though.”
Karl had Elton bring a vial of Bethel’s Poison.
The vial Elton handed over was different from the usual Bethel’s Poison; instead of a purplish hue, this one was pink.
It had been specially prepared for the procedure. Karl shook the bottle and asked me,
“You’re ready to start the procedure, right?”
“Yes. I like to deal with unpleasant things as soon as possible.”
“Lie down and get comfortable.”
Did the bug sense its impending doom?
I felt a strange sensation tickling my heart.
I didn’t need a separate place to lie down. I just settled down in the area where Karl had been resting and laid back comfortably.
Karl uncorked the vial, releasing a sharp, pungent scent.
That lovely pink color was hiding a smell like something that had been rinsed with a rotten rag. Somehow, that made me even more uneasy.
When Karl sniffed it and nodded in satisfaction, I felt even more anxious.
“The bug nests near the heart because it’s trained to locate a place with a steady pulse. But if that heartbeat slows down enough to seem dead, what do you think will happen?”
“It will move to find a new spot?”
“Precisely. It’ll relocate its nest.”
“And how do you guide it to the desired area?”
“Through pressure and stimulation.”
Karl pulled out a long, thick cloth and began wrapping it tightly around my left wrist.
As he applied pressure, I felt an intense, rhythmic pulse. Then, he took out some herbs, ground them up, and pressed the paste onto the cloth.
A hot sensation spread through my wrist, and the pulse felt even stronger, like a drumbeat in my ears. I closed my eyes, and all I could hear was the loud, rhythmic thumping of my wrist.
Karl brought the vial to my lips.
“Drink. There will be no pain.”
“…That’s quite a grim line.”
“It tastes grim too.”
His rough face twisted into a grin, baring his teeth.
This was starting to feel like the words of a back-alley butcher about to harvest someone’s organs.
I hope this goes well.
I took the vial and drank.
The sour taste hit my nose. It was truly disgusting.
As I swallowed, I suddenly had a question. How long would the procedure take?
But I couldn’t ask.
Because I blacked out.
***
“My lord, it’s Lyon.”
“Come in.”
A rusty creak sounded as the old door opened. Lyon frowned at the shabby door.
He looked displeased that his master was staying in such a rundown place for so long.
The black-haired man, looking out the window with a lazy gaze, turned to Lyon.
On a small table, a teacup had gone cold.
The tea hadn’t been touched at all.
Seeing this, Lyon thought that his master was deeply lost in thought.
“How did it go?”
“I have it.”
Finally, the man—Kamel—looked up at Lyon and smiled. He gestured to the table, and Lyon respectfully knelt on one knee before placing a box on it.
When Kamel opened the box, a sleek black cloak was revealed.
The Cloak of Dragon’s Fang.
An ancient artifact that provided magical defense and enhanced the presence of its wearer.
“What about the Marcia merchant?”
“He’s been taken care of.”
“There must have been a lot of bloodshed.”
“He named an absurd price, so we had no choice.”
“That greedy pig wouldn’t have wanted something like this anyway. And the cleanup?”
“All witnesses who made contact with us were eliminated, and we burned down all warehouses and buildings where evidence might remain. Some mercenaries escaped, but they’re too insignificant to worry about.”
“Impressive as always, Lyon.”
Kamel draped the Cloak of Dragon’s Fang around himself. Instantly, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy. Lyon slightly lowered his head in response to the oppressive aura emanating from his lord.
Kamel ran his hand over the cloak, admiringly. But that was it—he showed no further interest in the cloak. There were many treasures in the world greater than this, and he was still hungry for more.
“There’s something suspicious about this village.”
“Give the command.”
“Has Rengua arrived?”
“He’s waiting outside.”
“How many shamans did he bring from the coven?”
“Five.”
“It’s time to begin.”
Nodding, Kamel slowly rose from his seat.
He approached the window and stretched.
The view outside was of a small, rustic village.
Following the map given to him by the messenger, Kamel had arrived here to meet “him” and had been quietly staying in the village for three days.
But “he” never appeared, and instead, Kamel had received a letter.
The contents of the letter had greatly annoyed him.
Promising a “next meeting,” of all things.
It was the first time in all his lifetimes that someone had dared to stand him up.
Rather than leaving immediately, Kamel had lingered for a few more days.
During that time, he’d observed the villagers through the window, and he’d begun to feel a strange sense of unease.
Today, he intended to find out what that unease was. Now that the shamans had arrived, it was time to act.
“Seal off the entire village and capture everyone. Don’t let a single person escape.”
“As you command.”
“Tell Rengua to begin the process.”
“What exactly do you want him to do?”
Kamel took a sip of his cold tea before answering.
“Extract the memories of the villagers.”
***
“Aaah!”
“R-Run!”
Suddenly, screams broke the silence of the village. Men with swords appeared out of nowhere, searching every corner of the village. They were Kamel’s elite guards, each one a mana user.
Faced with such overwhelming force, the villagers didn’t even think to resist. Instead, they were all rounded up and herded into the inn.
In the corner of the inn’s first floor, the villagers huddled together, trembling.
They glanced around anxiously.
Thud!
“……!”
In the tense silence, heavy footsteps echoed.
Descending the stairs, a man in a black cloak moved with quiet authority, radiating such an intense presence that the villagers couldn’t bear to look up at him. Instead, they bowed their heads, shrinking in fear.
As he reached the first floor, those around him bowed to welcome him. Kamel looked at Lyon.
“Is this everyone?”
“128 people. No one else remains.”
“The village chief?”
At Lyon’s signal, the guards dragged a man forward. He appeared to be in his late forties—a bit young for a village chief.
The man knelt before Kamel, trembling. Despite his fear, he managed to stammer out a question.
“Wh-Who… who are you?”
“I am someone with business here.”
“This village is under the protection of the Etor family. I don’t know who you are, but aren’t you afraid of Lord Tomjael?”
“Oh, so you’re paying protection fees to that old raccoon? I didn’t think he’d have his claws in a place like this.”
“What… blasphemy…”
“Who’s really behind this village?”
“W-What are you talking about? This village belongs to Lord Tomzael of Etor…”
“There’s something odd about the way you all walk.”
“…….”
“The villagers’ steps are ordinary, yet strangely out of place. It’s a familiar sight.”
Kamel stared down at the village chief, who was trembling in fear.
But then—
“Assassin.”
The trembling chief froze in place. Seeing this, Kamel grinned, baring his teeth.