“Clack”.

The soft but decisive sound of the mana amplifier receiver being placed down rang through the command room like a drumbeat in the silence that followed.

Inside Northwall’s central war chamber, a thick, almost tangible quiet blanketed everyone. Not just the usual tension before battle, but a heavy, stunned kind of silence. As though the air itself had been smothered under the weight of what had just transpired.

Lucar and Balzac, both silent.

The knights who followed them, rigid as statues.

Andre, Sol, Alfred, and the Bluewing knights, usually chatty and reactive, now sat frozen like chess pieces waiting for a move that would not come.

No one dared speak. Not yet.

But silence didn’t mean stillness.

Thoughts raced, spun, clashed. Fear and uncertainty skittered behind their eyes. Shoulders tensed, brows twitched, fingers clenched and relaxed in unconscious rhythm.

Aziel, seated at the center, slowly scanned the room, savoring the ripple of unease.

His gaze didn’t flit, it pierced. He looked at each one of them as if to say, I know what you’re thinking. I know what you’re afraid of. And I know more than you ever will.

The more he watched, the more their nervous micro-expressions twisted: grimaces barely suppressed, jaws set too tight, shoulders pulling toward ears.

Above their heads, he could almost see it, floating like a mist. The weave of fate. Some strands unraveling in panic. Others doubling down in resolve.

And beyond this room, fate twisted elsewhere too.

Across the northern territories, the threads of destiny had begun to warp and writhe, reacting to his declaration. A quiet rebellion had been spoken into being, and even the idea of it was enough to jolt the Empire’s foundations.

From here, he could almost taste it. The chaos rippling outward, the empire’s gears clunking and grinding as they scrambled to respond.

How different this was from his last life.

In his past life, he’d been dragged behind fate like a cart tied to a mad horse, jerked this way and that by other people’s decisions. But now? Now he was the one pulling the strings. Even if just for a moment.

He wasn’t hanging from the Empire’s noose. The Empire was dangling from his fingertips.

It was exhilarating.

That fleeting moment of dominance, of having the world turn because he pushed it, made his whole body tingle. His limbs grew languid with satisfaction, the pleasant fatigue of purpose flooding his muscles like warm honey.

What must I look like to them? he wondered lazily, watching them squirm. A mad prince? A tyrant in the making?

They weren’t wrong.

He would play that part as long as it meant surviving.

Aziel let the thrill settle, let the feeling steep into his bones, then, like tossing a log onto a fire, he threw out one casual line to shatter the room’s balance again.

“Things must be getting pretty wild right now. I bet it’s entertaining.”

Several pairs of shoulders visibly jerked.

“Entertaining?” Sol whispered under her breath.

Even Andre, usually unshakably loyal, gave Aziel a sidelong glance of silent concern.

Their expressions turned a shade darker, grimace edging toward despair. Apparently, he was the only one amused.

So he smiled.

Because what was the point of joy if you didn’t share it?

“Why so serious, everyone?” Aziel said, stretching his arms. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Smile. All of you. Smile unless you want me to think you’re about to run screaming from the room.”

The threat wasn’t subtle.

And it worked. Slowly, awkwardly, smiles formed.

Toothy. Trembling. Miserable.

Mouths curved up, but eyes filled with dread.

Now I look like the villain, Aziel mused. How charming.

After a long, uncomfortable pause, he leaned forward. “Count Balzac”. Gather the northern forces and deploy them beyond Northwall. We’ve seen what’s hiding out there. Find the hidden camps. Burn them.”

“Yes, Your Highness. We’ll begin immediate reconnaissance and purging operations.”

“Lucar,” Aziel continued, turning to the towering former marquis. “I assume among your merry band of elderly madmen, there are more like that red-nosed geezer?”

“A few,” Lucar said with a faint smirk. “And while tracking the Eskimos, we found several monster nests and strongholds.”

“Good. Share the knowledge. Smash them to ash.”

“Consider it done.”

“Focus on flying monsters,” Aziel added. “Any signs of aerial nests, send knights or units. Wipe them thoroughly.”

He continued to issue instructions, clear and confident.

The entire northern force would now move like a blade. Veterans would lead hunts, crushing hidden threats before they had a chance to mobilize. The Bluewing knights would coordinate with mages to seal vulnerable paths. He would strangle the Eskimos before they could organize.

In his last life, they had failed to prevent the air strikes.

The aerial assault had decimated the defenses during the real battle. Now, Aziel would not let history repeat itself.

“Andre. You’re assigned to that old tracker from the blizzard,learn from him. Sol, rotate through mage units. Help them. Widen your experience.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Alfred,” Aziel continued. “Follow the red-nosed elder. Test your tracking, stealth. Extract anything useful.”

Alfred cleared his throat. “As your chamberlain, my place is at your side.”

“Your talents have been underutilized lately. Broaden your field. You’ll be needed in ways neither of us can predict yet. Go.”

Alfred hesitated, but the implication that he was thinking long-term pleased him.

“…Very well. I shall go.”

Aziel smiled inwardly.

The pieces were moving.

“To those worried about my safety,” he said, voice rising, “know that I will be protected by none other than Lucar Dvorzak, one of the Empire’s greatest Swordmasters.”

“I thought I was being deployed to the front,” Lucar blinked.

“You’ll be deployed when I say,” Aziel said airily. 

“Until then, stay close. I want you at the bonfire. If something goes wrong, I’ll throw you at it.”

Lucar sighed. “That… may be the most dangerous assignment of all.”

Aziel ignored him.

He turned to the commanders. “This isn’t about fighting head-on. We’re here to bait them. If you hear whispers in your mind, if something feels off, don’t hesitate. Retreat. Immediately.”

“But, Your Highness,” a knight objected, “wouldn’t damaging the enemy be worth the risk?”

“Right. We could deal a significant blow if we … ”

“No,” Lucar interrupted sharply. “The Prince is right.”

He stepped forward, face grim. “These things aren’t defeated by numbers. You run. You don’t fight. If your mind hears them, sprint.”

Aziel nodded. “He gets it. If you feel even the hint of wrongness, if the wind turns strange, run. Do not turn around.”

“…Understood.”

“Then go,” Aziel said, waving them off. “This room is starting to stink of sweat and fear.”

They left in a rush.

Only a few remained,those who kept the north running. Household staff, administrators, bonfire management.

Aziel turned to the quiet young woman who stood near the wall.

“Sophia. Did you finish tracing where the bonfire’s resources were diverted?”

“Yes. And we mapped their total assets.”

“Thoughts?”

She tilted her head. “Some interesting opportunities. We’re drafting plans. There’s money to be made.”

“Good. Draft proposals. Coordinate with the chamberlain.”

She nodded.

“Chamberlain,” Aziel continued. “I hear you seized the corrupt managers’ property?”

“Yes, under detainment. We secured their wealth, documentation, and evidence.”

“Divert it.”

“…Pardon?”

“I thought we were investing it?” Sophia blinked.

Aziel gave a wolfish grin.

“Document everything. Make sure it’s mobile. Portable. Accessible. All of it. Not just from the Dvorzak estate, everyone’s. We’re not planning to stay. When the Eskimos hit, they’ll scorch the earth. We move or we die.”

They went silent.

Then, slowly, nodded.

“Understood.”

“Best effort,” Sophia added softly.

When even they had gone, Aziel rose, stretched his shoulders, and made his way to the Bonfire Management Office.

No guards. No aides.

For the first time since descending into the underworld to confront demons, he was alone again.

And he walked proudly.

The office was as he’d last seen it. The seat of the former chief,smashed skull and all, had been cleaned up, polished as if nothing had happened.

He sat.

Not long after, a knock.

“Your Highness. I’ve come to speak about the bonfire’s condition.”

“Come in.”

The man entered, reeking of something sweet and coppery.

Blood…

“What did you find?” Aziel asked casually. “Any artifacts of interest? Anything similar to your kind of ‘mystery’?”

“…I only came to discuss operations.”

“We are discussing them. Tell me, what did it feel like?”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“Save it. I don’t tolerate liars. My predecessors bashed heads for fun. I do it for principle.”

The man’s face melted like wax, the illusion falling away to reveal a cascade of crimson hair and a smirking, beautiful woman.

“How do you do that?” Bloody muttered, annoyed. “Is there elf blood in your veins or something?”

“Thief. How did the heist go? Steal any fire lately?”

“Y-You bastard!” she snapped, blinking. “How … how did you know?”

“Because I told you to stay in the north. And you didn’t show. Of course you’d be crawling around the bonfire trying to sniff out imperial mysteries. Red-handed thief.”

“We just checked … that’s all!”

Aziel grinned. “Crimson thief. Filthy burglar.”

“Enough!” she exploded. “If I’m a thief, you’re a mad prince! Skull-cracker extraordinaire!”

“Yes. And better than a thief. Because I’m royal.”

“You …! You’re such a …!”

“You thought I invited you here to pick pockets? Pathetic.”

“Grrr… I swear … ”

“Easy,” Aziel said, eyes glinting. “The Eskimos love elf meat. Especially sweet, spoiled meat.”

The moment he said it, her rage vanished.

In its place … steel-eyed calm.

They both knew …

Now the real game would begin.