Three questions were allowed for today. There were many things I wanted to ask, but opportunities were limited.
'So, be as careful as possible...'
I sat on the test bench and let out a low groan. Knox had been going on all this time, waiting patiently without urging me.
'What's going on? That grumpy wizard man.'
There was quite a lot of information I got from the previous conversation. If I referred to their conversation from last night, the wizards currently active in the North were...
"'Empty Soul,' 'Drowning Body,' 'The Undertaker,' and 'The White Wraith.'"
Knox, wearing monocles, was still smiling incomprehensibly. It was difficult to distinguish whether he was happy, troubled, surprised, or feeling murderous.
But it didn't matter. If I had questions, I would ask them directly, and if I didn't hear the answer, it would be enough to find it by force.
"Are these four wizards who can be called the core of the Northern Wizards?"
First of all, the most important thing was to determine what to investigate first. Whatever the System said, before writing, I needed to clarify the scope of what I needed to do and recognize what I needed to know.
Knox nodded. "That's right. That's correct."
"And among them, Lukit, who is called 'Empty Soul,' is a person who died a long time ago. That's right. His soul would have been torn to shreds, leaving only an empty body."
An accident that occurred a hundred years ago killed Lukit. This was what I had investigated at the estate. And if you add to that fact the information you heard from them yesterday...
"The three of them are using Lukit's empty body as a passageway, right? Like my System."
"You're smart. You have the qualities of a sorcerer." He added with a single smile. "Should I take you as a disciple and raise you?"
"What kind of disciple is a disciple who will freeze to death? I refuse."
"It's a pity. It's a rare opportunity."
"It's a rare opportunity and it's a rare opportunity. So, what's the answer?"
"That's also correct, yes." Knox's eyes crinkled lightly. "By the way, your helper. 'System.'"
'…Whoops. I didn't have to say that. I did a good job for no reason.'
When I clicked my tongue, Knox poked my shoulder with his index finger, telling me not to be too rude.
"You hide your favorite expression and say it. After all... It's okay. That's enough because it's a harvest of resentment. So, let's move on to the next question."
"You don't hesitate to ask questions for something you've been thinking about for a long time, right?"
"Because I thought about it for a long time. And even if you miss the little things, there's always tomorrow."
"I'm talking about it as if I can survive tomorrow." I replied with a confident smile. "Obviously. Your Highness can't let me die, right?"
"Hmm..."
While Knox shrugged, my question followed.
"That disappearance occurring throughout Meinhardt."
"I would have said that I wasn't behind it, kid. You asked me the question the other day."
"No. I don't want to ask you that today."
The noose around my neck and Knox's only responds to 'lies'. In short, he said that there was nothing he couldn't do with the trick of concealing the truth. Knox would not have directly ordered the series of disappearances. So, he hadn't lied to me.
But, if that wasn't all.
"Is the disappearance related to the creation of 'Heart of Winter'?"
"...."
There was a short silence. Knox smiled, baring his teeth slightly.
'Oh, I think I know now. What does this cold flag mean?'
Half curiosity and half hostility. He tried to approach me and see through me at will. It was an instinctive hostility towards the other person.
"It's faster than you think. It's also bold."
"You have to answer."
"...Well, good. In the yard where I was caught anyway." Knox replied, bowing his head slightly. "Yes."
Silence flowed again. Even a sense of crisis that was much more unnatural than before. It was silent. I felt like I was getting goosebumps on the nape of my neck.
'Is this really okay?'
He wouldn't tie me to a test bench and try to separate me, would he? Still, the magic system, I even wrote a contract, but I tried to be so impatient.
At that time, a blue system window appeared in front of me.
[Shu]
'The Message of Love!'
It was Kyle's message. Before I knew it, my back was tightening.
However, before I could answer, a few more messages arrived.
[Q]
[trapped]
[Attack]
[Corpse]
[To you now]
'…What?'
Unusual messages arrived one after another. In the end, I couldn't stand my nervousness and jumped up from the bed.
'What is it? What happened? What's going on? Could there be any problem with Kyle? There's no way that such messages will be sent one after another if he's not in a hurry.'
First of all, let's find out Kyle's estimated time...
"Why are you working so hard?"
At that moment, a big hand came like a thunderbolt and grabbed the nape of my neck. Before I knew it, Knox's bright blue eyes were shining with a cool color, close to mine.
"The experiment is not over yet. If all six hours will pass, two more hours will pass. It's left, kid."
'This is not the time for this.'
I struggled even though I was strangled, clutching his wrist face to face.
"...I think you tore it up enough, but today the option is to finish it a little early. Huh?"
"Unfortunately, I don't want to. It's been less than three days since I saw the sick guy's condition. That's it."
"...."
'Kyle... Even if it's just Kyle's remaining time.'
However, the moment I was about to call the System, my strangling hand gained more strength. It wasn't threatening my life, but it was hard to breathe.
"It seems like you really want to go somewhere. Your beloved Highness is in a difficult situation, did he?"
It was as if he knew why I was so restless.
'After all, you know everything.'
He is an unlucky child at any time.
"It seems that you have planted a lot of subordinates in the tower. I don't think I've seen many living people."
"I saw you well. It's annoying when there are a lot of things I buy around, so I tend not to leave them behind. I would say that the little boy and the Grand Duke are a little special exception."
Come to think of it, even if the living subordinates moved and watched Kyle, I didn't know. Since we came in, no one has knocked on the door of the lab.
'…If you communicate with the dead, not the living.'
There was nothing that servants couldn't do in the yard where they communicate with wizards, so if they did, there was some possibility. The power used by Knox, 'Incident', and the 'Miracle' I use have a similar texture. I thought.
"You look uneasy, kid."
I replied bluntly, "Don't worry about it."
The strength slowly drained from the grip on my neck. After a few dry coughs, the discomfort in my throat disappeared completely.
And just as I was clearing my throat, the door to the lab opened wildly. Far from knocking, it wasn't an ordinary doorknob to open.
"No matter what. If you kick it, it will kill you." Knox clicked his tongue as if he knew so.
Kyle stood beyond the door. Kyle pulled out his sword, which shone brightly. He was looking at this side with sharp eyes, and his clothes were soaked with dark blood.
"Your Highness."
I ran to him in a month. Kyle hesitated, perhaps because of the blood, but soon after, he let out a short sigh and hugged me lightly.
"You're safe. I came to pick you up."
"I signed a contract, but isn't there too little trust? I don't mean to hurt the kid, Grand Duke."
"But your servants showed me murderous intent."
"It's not time to leave the tower yet. You tried to force the door open, didn't you?"
I asked blankly as I listened to their conversation.
"...Door?"
Come to think of it, I said I would look for a way out. He was probably trying to open the door that connected to the outside... Breaking or releasing the lock by force. It seemed that he had a conflict with the servants. They were just corpses that had been treated incorruptible, and the dark red blood that Kyle had turned over also made sense.
"It looks like they fought quite spectacularly." Knox, who had been pondering something for a moment, grinned. Kyle squinted and retorted, "Is there any reason to look at this situation where my life is threatened?"
"Oh, that's wrong. I knew I would never die from such a petty attack. Yes. Anyway, thanks to that, it's not a breach of contract."
"Put away the puns. I'll take Shu with me."
I grabbed Kyle's arm with an anxious gaze. Knox said no, but as long as he doesn't bend his will to take him, will it fight? I was worried about keeping the exhausted Kyle and the still strong Knox on the table.
[Current abnormal interference rate is 30%]
It had increased quite a bit, but this level of interference wouldn't help much.
'What should I do...'
While thinking for a while, Knox unexpectedly withdrew. "Well, okay."
'Oh no! Just contacting Kyle would make you choke on the subject!' I glared sharply, and he shrugged.
"I thought of an experiment that I could do tomorrow. The same goes for questions. It's going to be a hard day, so rest in advance."
"...."
"It means you need to be mentally prepared, kid."
'What the hell are you trying to ask? Did you notice something about me?'
I felt an ominous feeling, but I wanted to hide my agitation in front of the two of them. I nodded with as sour a face as I could manage.
"Then, I'll go without hesitation."
"I'll send you some bath water. So, have fun."
Kyle, who made sure that Knox wouldn't bother me, hugged me in a flash. It seemed that he didn't want to stay here any longer.
"Your Highness! You can walk!"
"I know."
I think he just knew. I don't think it was a reference at all.
'I'm a good boy too!'
Regardless of the cry in my heart, Kyle walked three steps up the stairs with me in his arms. At the same time, it was basic to be vigilant about his surroundings with a sharp eye. Even though he arrived at his room in no time, Kyle didn't show any signs of relief. Kyle looked around several times, then put me on a chair, knelt down on one knee, and began to look closely at my complexion.
"You look anxious, Shu."
It was the same thing I had heard before. But strangely, only what he said made me feel a little relieved.
"Do you know now just by looking at your face?"
He smiled bitterly as he swept the nape of my neck, which was left with a gray handprint. "Because I'm interested in you."
"That's right. Because he likes me."
"Yes, but is it overly greedy to want the person I like to be safe?"
Kyle gently hugged my waist. It was like a foolish attitude.
"I guess my eight sons are very fierce. You were discouraged because it didn't go your way, were you?"
With his head in my arms, Kyle muttered to himself.
"No."
"...."
He said as if he had vowed, and as if he had sworn an oath, "I don't care about anything. I will definitely protect you."