"Milady… is it true that it's not safe outside?" Yeri asked timidly.
"If that's the case, I'd rather go after Sir Keith." A voice came from behind the stairs—it was Rubert.
"Rubert? You're not with His Highness Nicholas?" Leyla asked, startled by his sudden appearance.
"To be honest, His Highness said he had to step out for a moment. I didn't get the chance to ask why, he looked to be in a great hurry."
"Lady Leyla… if it's really dangerous outside, then why are you standing so close to the door?"
Dorothy's question echoed in the tense space, but Leyla's mind was consumed with worry for Keith. She only wanted to make sure he was safe.
"I'll go out and check," Rubert declared.
"I'm coming with you!"
"Lady Leyla, I cannot permit something that reckless. If your words are true—that there are two wyverns outside—then such a decision is nothing but rashness," Josh protested.
"So what do you want me to do? Let Keith die out there?!"
Her shout made Yeri flinch, shrinking back.
"I… I'm sorry for raising my voice. But I must see what's happening outside."
Just then, the creak of the door broke the tension, followed by a rush of cold air spilling into the hall.
Rubert moved first, stepping in front of everyone, ready for whatever threat might appear.
But what entered through the door was Keith—covered in blood, his sword being sheathed as he stepped in.
His eyes swept across the room, sharp, calculating, as if assessing every single person inside.
"Keith… you're covered in blood…" Leyla's voice trembled as she spoke.
"I don't see Sera and Nick."
Those words left Keith's lips like shards of ice, his tone so cold Leyla almost didn't recognize it as his. She had never heard him speak like that before.
"Wait, Keith—can you explain what's happening outside first? Oh, right, I also ran into Seth earlier and told him to deliver your sword. Where is Seth?"
"He's dead."
Keith's voice was flat, lifeless, as though Seth's death meant no more to him than the passing of a breeze.
"K-Keith…" Leyla's eyes welled up. Fear clawed at her chest. The Keith standing before her felt so foreign, so unfamiliar, she wanted to cry.
"Can you answer my question?" Keith turned his gaze to Rubert.
"…Very well. His Highness Nicholas told me he had to take care of something, then left. As for Lady Sera von Helming… I don't know."
"The young lady is nowhere to be found!" a maid's desperate voice broke in, panting from having run.
It was Sera's personal maid.
"I—I can't find Lady Sera anywhere!" she cried, her voice shaking with panic.
Keith stepped further into the castle, his stride slow, unsteady. Leyla noticed his gait faltered, uneven.
"Keith… are you sure you're all right?"
"I already handled the wyverns, but I don't think we're out of danger yet."
'What does he mean by that?'
Rubert rushed out to see for himself. When he looked toward the gates at the castle's southeast, wyverns circled in the air, some flying this way, others breaking off toward the village and the outer borders.
"Sir Keith is right, Lady… outside is chaos."
Keith's voice cut through the room, heavy and grim: "Then we should start searching for Sera and Nick. Before what happened to Seth… happens to them."
His words struck Leyla like a blade. Her strength left her body, and she collapsed to the floor, whimpering as she covered her face with trembling hands.
Keith didn't even glance back at her. He walked deeper into the castle, his blood-soaked steps trailing behind him.
---
"Damn it!"
I cursed, slamming my fist against the wall as water ran down my body. I was washing the blood from my skin, but my head spun violently. Nick and Sera weren't in the castle either.
'This plot is completely out of control.'
"At this rate, even the main characters could die."
Once I finished washing, I stepped out, a towel draped over me. My eyes drifted to the sword propped against the wall.
'If only I'd been faster. Stronger. Maybe I could've saved Seth.'
Suddenly, Rubert emerged from the floor itself, as though he'd been there the whole time. My chest tightened in surprise.
'Damn it! He scared the hell out of me.'
His sudden appearance, clad in the usual black mask he wore, made my stomach twist.
"S-sorry, sir… I didn't realize you'd finished bathing," he stammered.
"Shouldn't I be the one surprised here, not you?"
I exhaled heavily, running the towel through my hair as I stepped closer.
"What do you want?"
"I'll wait outside. Better for you to get dressed first."
He slipped out, slamming the door behind him.
Then why not just come in through the door to begin with?
But the way he appeared just now… that was a shadow spell.
Don't tell me… my suspicion was right. That man is the right hand of Norven's leader.
I dressed, wincing as I pulled on my pants—my leg was swollen, worse than I'd feared.
Damn it… nothing I can do. No one around here can heal me.
When I opened the door, Rubert flinched slightly, then quickly turned his head aside.
"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
Rubert stepped inside, his expression hardening.
"I've received information from… certain friends outside. The wyverns came from the southeastern forest, near Triwheel Village. They're relaying reports to the duke, who's currently at the border. But seeing wyverns swarming the skies… they'll realize soon enough what we're facing."
I thought quietly, considering the situation. He was still concealing his identity, along with that of his master, N. However, it was pointless to maintain the charade with me, as I had read the novel and knew the truth. Despite this, I respected his dedication to the deception.
"So they infiltrated the same way you did earlier? Won't Duke Xerta be shocked?"
"Er… once again, forgive me for startling you earlier."
'This guy is way too serious.'
"How many of your people are there exactly?"
"They're… my friends."
'Skip the useless talk! I'm in a hurry here.'
Seeing my irritation, Rubert quickly answered, "Four in total. Two more are on their way here."
I nodded. "If that's all, I'm heading out now."
"Wait, Sir Keith! Please allow me to assist you. If you're going to search for His Highness, I'll come with you."
'Truthfully, I'm most worried about Sera. Noona… I hope you're safe.'
"Fine. If you want to come, then come."
Rubert's face brightened with relief at my approval. He was far too polite with me, considering we were equals.
"Relax when you speak, Rubert," I told him, patting his shoulder before heading out. He followed me.
Back in the front hall, the air was thick with gloom. Everyone's eyes turned toward me as I spoke.
"I'm leaving. My goal is to find the two who aren't here—Sera and Nicholas."
"Wait, Keith, don't be reckless… you know how dangerous it is out there," Leyla said, gripping my sleeve.
She must have seen the chaos herself—the kind of scene that could scar anyone.
"There are at least five guards already dead," Josh reported to me.
"Though… it seems thanks to their bodies, the wyverns lost interest and didn't descend further," he added grimly.
Moments later, two figures emerged from the floor—Rubert's companions. They dropped to one knee, reporting directly to him.
"We've returned," they said in unison.
"W-wait, who are you two?!" Leyla demanded.
"What's the report?" Rubert asked.
"We discovered something troubling. Wyverns appear in two directions. At the border, there's an even larger swarm than the ones here in the southeast."
"The weather's worsening too—snowfall is turning into a storm. Likely caused by those wyverns circling above."
The situation was dire. Still, I wasn't worried about the border. Epsilon was there. That cheating character could literally split the sea if he wanted.
'I'm not really exaggerating.'
"We also found His Highness Nicholas's trail—it leads southeast."
'Damn it.'
As I suspected. And it just had to be the necromancer's territory—the villain of this arc.
I didn't know why Nick went there, but most likely he was following Sera. He'd always been suspicious of her.
"Then let's head there," I said.
"Keith... I'm coming too!"
Leyla's gaze met mine, a resolute glint in her eyes. I admit that I needed her help to handle the necromancer and, technically yes, that was the primary reason. But now the situation had escalated. Wyverns now swarmed the area as well. "No," I stated firmly.
"Why not? I want to find Sera too! And I know I can help. This time, let me stand with you—let me protect—"
She turned her face away, trembling.
"Leyla von Helming!"
Her head snapped back toward me, startled. "Think of your position," I said coldly.
Her sad eyes lingered on me, her hand slowly slipping off my sleeve.
"…I understand."
I turned to Rubert. "Let's go."
He nodded, and I pushed open the door, staring once more at the endless white stretching before us.
"Let's move!!"