Kamel Blazer.
He was practically the protagonist of Chapter 1, the main villain of the story.
And now…
“…What is this!?”
As Kamel turned his gaze toward us, the young man next to him looked at us in shock.
A young man who bore a striking resemblance to Kamel.
It was Prince William, Kamel’s older brother.
Despite being dressed in a soldier’s uniform, the fact that we were armed with crossbows and daggers immediately aroused suspicion. Enraged, William drew his sword.
"Who are you!? Do you even realize where you are!?"
The assassins hesitated for a moment upon seeing Prince William. This was unexpected. Why was the man the knights were so desperately searching for here?
Having someone so important near the target caused the assassins to pause.
William was too big a figure to simply eliminate along with the target.
In that brief moment—
“……!”
As if to resolve their dilemma, Kamel smiled from behind William.
The dagger in his hand moved like a flash of lightning.
Thud—!
"Urrgh! You… You!!!"
"It’ll be over quickly, brother."
"Aaaagh!"
Amidst William’s scream of despair, their identical black hair swirled in the cold wind.
One dagger, mercilessly piercing William’s heart.
Kamel twisted the blade slowly, his eyes shifting to look at us.
Screeech—
His eerie grin sent chills down my spine.
This guy was a maniac.
That smile was the signal.
The captain gritted his teeth and shouted, "Eliminate the target!"
The command had been given.
This was the moment I had been waiting for.
Without hesitation, I rushed past my comrades, charging straight at Kamel. Even though I was rushing toward him, Kamel’s expression remained completely calm.
My focus was on the orb in his left hand.
A magic orb imbued with protective powers.
But, contrary to the information we had, there wasn’t just one orb.
There were five.
And he had his brother’s corpse as a human shield.
It was exactly like the scene from the novel.
And then…
"It will be different this time."
Kamel’s words confirmed it.
I dropped to the ground at Kamel’s feet, bowing deeply.
"I surrender!!!"
Humiliating? Maybe. But in this situation, even if a truckload of human bombs like me came charging in, there was no way we could kill Kamel.
Not even if Crux’s master himself joined the mission.
Why?
Didn’t you hear?
“It will be different this time.”
Kamel Blazer, the regressor.
This guy was a villain who had returned to the past with full knowledge of the next ten years of future events.
A regressor villain.
He was the kind of character who demonstrated just how fantastic things could get when a villain returned to the past, fully aware of what was to come.
He was a tyrant who thrived on domination for the sake of his greed.
He would stop at nothing to achieve his desires, throwing away honor, reason, and conscience without a second thought.
Just look at what was happening.
He had stabbed his own brother from behind.
What a bastard.
But that’s what I thought on the inside. Outwardly, I prostrated myself.
"I am in the presence of the great savior!" I shouted, bowing repeatedly as I slammed my forehead against the floor. Praising Kamel with every word I could muster.
I had no choice, right?
I had to survive.
"What’s this?"
"W-what is he doing!?"
The same question came from both Kamel and the captain, almost in unison.
An assassin sent to self-destruct was now surrendering to the target. It was an absurd situation.
Kamel seemed slightly puzzled by this unexpected change from what he knew of the future, while the captain stared at me in disbelief, his mouth hanging open.
I turned my head slightly to meet the captain’s gaze. As our eyes locked, the captain’s face twisted in realization as he ground his teeth.
He finally understood that I had tricked him.
But it was too late.
For the first time, I voiced the feelings I’d been holding back.
"Screw you, Captain, you bastard!"
I raised my middle finger toward the captain, causing the assassins' faces to twist with shock.
"Kill him and the target!" the captain roared, furious.
The assassins charged forward.
Desperate, I turned my gaze back to Kamel, my only hope of survival.
He stared down at me, his expression unreadable.
This guy was really hard to figure out.
Following my plan, I uttered the words I had prepared.
"I was sent by ‘him’!"
"Him?"
"I-I don’t know who exactly, but he called you the ‘reborn savior’!"
"……."
As soon as I said that—
Crack—
Kamel crushed one of the orbs in his hand.
A burst of light emanated from the orb, enveloping both me and Kamel in a soft glow.
A protective shield formed around us.
Clang— Clang—! Thunk!
Outside the shield, the assassins fired crossbows and thrust daggers at us, but the barrier held strong, deflecting every attack with flashes of light. Kamel glanced at the frenzied assassins outside the shield before casually nodding his head.
A small gesture.
At his signal, knights who had been lying in wait stormed in like a lightning strike.
It was an ambush.
"……!"
These were no ordinary knights.
They wore blue capes on their shoulders—the insignia of official knights.
There were ten of them.
Whoosh—
At least 3-star aura users.
Red light flared from the knights’ bodies, and in the blink of an eye, they disappeared from my sight.
They were fast.
And then,
"Urgh!"
"Aaaagh!"
The massacre began.
The captain, who had once seemed so formidable to me, was decapitated in just five sword strikes. By the time I looked at the remaining assassins, they were already lying dead, their bodies impaled from every angle.
It took less than ten seconds. No, maybe even less than five.
‘…Holy shit.’
Seeing the bloodied corpses burned into my retinas, I couldn’t help but curse.
My hands began to tremble.
Why?
Because this was the first time I had ever witnessed people being killed in front of me. It was terrifying.
The only saving grace was that I managed to hold on to my sanity. The memories of the assassin were definitely helping to keep my mental state intact.
With bloodied swords in hand, the knights strode toward me.
Gulp—
I swallowed dryly and looked up at Kamel.
Kamel, meanwhile, was dragging William’s lifeless body toward the window.
Propping his brother’s corpse up against the window, Kamel stood beside him.
His voice, carried on the cold wind, reached my ears.
"Brother, do you see it? The vast lands of Blyer. Father, the vassals, and all the people of this land claim that it rightfully belongs to you. But I disagree."
Kamel pulled the dagger from William’s heart, wiping the blood off as he continued.
"For the good of the Blazer family, give this land to me. I won’t be satisfied with it alone. I will build my throne upon it."
He shoved William’s body out the window. The corpse plummeted down to the ground, and Kamel muttered quietly as he watched.
"You’ll be the first stepping stone for my throne."
"……."
What a brutal bastard.
He was a madman who justified his actions with twisted logic.
Killing one’s own flesh and blood in the pursuit of power couldn’t be excused by any reasoning.
But of course, Kamel was the kind of person who would go on to commit far worse atrocities.
"Bring him here."
The knights grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and threw me at Kamel’s feet.
So far, everything had gone according to plan. But now was the critical moment. I had to be extremely careful. One wrong word and I’d lose my head.
"I’ll ask you again, who is ‘he’?"
"I-I really don’t know!"
"Did he really call me the ‘reborn savior’?"
"Yes! He sent me as his messenger…"
"No. That’s not enough. If he knew my ‘secret’ and understood my situation, he would’ve given you a more specific message. A word that would force me to spare your life."
"……."
"Kill him."
Damn it! Couldn’t he give me a warning before jumping to conclusions?
I saw the reflection of the knight’s sword rising toward the sky.
I was going to die!
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"The Blood-Drinking Chalice!!!!!"
"Wait."
Kamel raised his hand, and silence fell.
The knights paused, their swords held mid-air, and glanced at their master in confusion. They had never known Kamel to hesitate once he gave a command. His orders were always carried out without a moment’s delay, yet now he seemed uncertain.
"The Blood-Drinking Chalice…?"
Kamel’s face, which had remained composed throughout the slaughter, showed a flicker of surprise.
His knights exchanged puzzled glances, clearly bewildered by his reaction.
"Lower your swords."
The knights, visibly taken aback, sheathed their weapons and stepped back.
I let out a shaky breath, feeling the sweat bead on my forehead. The shadow of the blade that had been hanging over my life vanished, but the chill of death still lingered in the air.
That was too close.
My heart was pounding, my throat dry. One second later, and my head would’ve rolled.
‘This bastard…’
I couldn’t think of anything else but pure curses for Kamel. He was playing with my life, and I hated that I had to rely on him for survival.
Kamel crouched in front of me, casually stabbing the dagger into the carpet as he studied me with those cold, calculating eyes.
"The Blood-Drinking Chalice… How do you know that name?"
His voice was low, dangerous. There was a slight twitch in his expression, a hint of something deeper beneath his calm exterior.
I stared back, barely managing to stop myself from trembling. I had expected a reaction, but even now, I didn’t know if I’d survive this conversation.
"I… I overheard it from a man who claims to know you," I said, my voice wavering only slightly. "He didn’t tell me much, but he mentioned the Chalice. He said it was the key to… to something you needed to know."
Kamel's gaze remained locked on mine, his face unreadable.
I held my breath, hoping that the gamble I’d just taken would pay off. The Blood-Drinking Chalice was no ordinary piece of information. It was the nickname of a villain who had killed Kamel in his previous life, a figure shrouded in mystery.
The fact that I knew about it was the only card I had left to play.
"You seem confident," Kamel said, his voice icy. "But you must understand… I don’t like being lied to."
The air in the room thickened with tension. I could feel the eyes of the knights on me, their hands twitching near their swords, ready to strike the moment Kamel gave the word.
"I swear… I’m telling the truth," I pleaded. "He told me you would recognize the significance of the name. That’s all I know."
Kamel leaned in closer, his face now only inches from mine.
"The Blood-Drinking Chalice…" he repeated softly, his breath cold against my skin. "A name from a life I thought I left behind."
His words sent a chill down my spine.
It seemed like he believed me, or at least, he was considering it.
For a long moment, Kamel just stared at me, his eyes searching for something—perhaps a sign of deceit, or perhaps he was simply debating what to do with me.
Finally, he straightened up, pulling the dagger from the carpet and twirling it between his fingers. His expression shifted into something resembling amusement.
"Interesting."
He smirked, though it wasn’t a kind one. It was the smile of a predator deciding to play with its prey a little longer.
"You’ve piqued my curiosity. I’ll spare you for now," Kamel said, sheathing his dagger. "But don’t think that means you’re safe."
My body went limp with relief, but the fear didn’t fade. His words were as much a warning as they were a reprieve.
"Take him to the dungeons," Kamel ordered his knights. "We’ll deal with him later. Make sure he’s well-guarded. He might know more than he’s letting on."
"Yes, my lord!" The knights seized me roughly by the arms, lifting me to my feet.
I didn’t resist. Not that I could even if I wanted to. My legs felt like jelly after coming so close to death.
"By the way," Kamel added as I was being dragged away, "thank you for the tip."
I blinked, confused.
He leaned closer again, his smirk widening.
"You’ve just saved your life… for now."
With that, I was hauled out of the room and toward the tower’s dungeons.
As the knights led me down the spiral staircase, my mind raced.
I survived.
Barely.
But this was just the beginning. Kamel had spared me because of the mention of the Blood-Drinking Chalice, but that wouldn’t keep me safe for long. I needed a plan.
I had to figure out how to use this situation to my advantage—how to stay alive, how to escape, and how to survive in a world full of madmen like Kamel.
I was dragged into the cold, damp dungeon beneath the tower. The door slammed shut behind me, and I was thrown into a cell.
Clang—
The iron bars closed with a loud crash, and I was left alone in the darkness.
My body ached from the rough handling, but the pain was nothing compared to the mental exhaustion that was weighing me down.
I slumped against the cold stone wall, trying to catch my breath.
Think. I need to think.
The fact that Kamel had shown hesitation at the mention of the Chalice was a good sign. It meant he had a weakness. It meant I had something that could be used against him.
But what?
And how?
"Dammit…" I muttered under my breath, rubbing my temples.
I had to figure this out fast. If I didn’t, my luck would run out soon enough.
The Blood-Drinking Chalice… That villain was supposed to be a significant figure in the future, someone who had killed Kamel before his return to the past.
But why would the mere mention of that name rattle him so much?
Whatever the reason, it was enough to buy me time.
Now I just had to figure out what to do with it.
I was so deep in thought that I almost didn’t notice when the door to my cell creaked open.
I looked up, startled, to see a figure standing in the doorway.
"You…"
It was one of Kamel’s knights, a man with a stern face. He stepped inside, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Get up," he ordered.
I blinked, confused. "What…?"
"Lord Kamel wishes to speak with you again," the knight said, his voice cold.
Again? Already?
My mind raced, trying to figure out what Kamel could possibly want from me now.
I had no choice but to follow. The knight grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet, dragging me out of the cell and back up the tower.
As I was led back toward Kamel’s chambers, my heart pounded with a mix of fear and anticipation.
What now?
I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was about to happen next… was going to decide whether I lived or died.