That afternoon, the person who disrupted the castle did so audaciously, stepping in without so much as a knock. With that infuriatingly leisurely and nonchalant gait of his.
Rather than sneaking in unseen, it was easier to find him this way, but the moment I rushed down the stairs, only to be met with that pale face grinning at me, my mood soured instantly.
Even Kyle, who had been following behind me to ensure I didn’t trip, grimaced the moment he saw Nox. In stark contrast, the man, as white as the northern snow, was smiling so brightly he looked like he could burn up the sun itself.
“You weren’t even invited, but you sure found your way here.”
At my unfriendly greeting, Nox merely shrugged.
“Oh, come now. It was a long journey.”
“It would’ve been better if you hadn’t bothered coming.”
“Ahaha. Didn’t you leave without even saying goodbye, as if daring me to find you?”
“Hahaha! As if! And who says I didn’t say goodbye? I definitely did!”
Yeah! I definitely did. With the smuggest expression possible, I told him, ‘You’ll never catch me.’
And then he went and did this to my arm. That snake-like bastard.
Between Nox and me, both grinning at each other, sharp sparks flew.
I glared at him as if I was going to dissect him on the spot. And even though he clearly understood my intent, he didn’t say a word, as if daring me to try. It felt like he was taunting me—like no matter how much I stared, I’d never figure him out.
Fucking infuriating.
As I fumed internally, the system popped up in a flurry of urgency.
[(((φ(◎ロ◎;)φ)))]
Why are you the one freaking out more?
Just then, Kyle, who had been issuing orders to the soldiers, stepped up beside me, as if shielding me.
“State your purpose.”
His voice was cold.
Nox, still suspiciously smiling, glanced at me half-hidden behind Kyle, then shifted his gaze to him before speaking.
“I’d like to negotiate with the lord.”
Negotiate.
I never realized that word could sound so damn unpleasant. Given how he had acted in the mines, there was no way he was as civil as he pretended to be. And since I had no idea what he might demand under the pretense of negotiation, it all felt like a facade, nothing but hypocrisy.
Kyle seemed to share my thoughts. He furrowed his brows and remained silent for a moment. But rather than outright rejecting Nox, he seemed to decide it was better to at least hear him out. His voice, however, dropped to an icy, foreboding level.
“Come in.”
No one welcomed him, yet he acted as if he were being granted a great honor, bowing theatrically with a grin.
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
***
Kyle and I sat together with a square table between us, while Nox took a seat opposite us.
The reception room, not preheated in advance, was slightly chilly—though I wondered if that was due more to the atmosphere between the two men than the actual temperature.
As soon as I got settled, I sent a request to the system.
‘Got any useful info?’
The system hesitated briefly before responding.
[Nox. Ruler of the lawless zone. The White Wraith. The one who conquered the Tower of Frost.]
[Born at the edge of the world. One who defies order.]
No, not that. You’ve told me that before. Give me something new. What’s the point of repeating what I already know?
[Nox. Male. □□□ years old. Nationality: Unknown.]
…Why the hell is his age censored? Don’t tell me he’s lived over a hundred years.
…Disturbingly enough, that actually seemed plausible.
He was already suspicious and bizarre in every way possible. His age being abnormal too? Yeah, that just made sense.
“Mn.”
After a brief silence, it was Nox who spoke first.
Before opening his mouth, he cast a sidelong glance at me, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. He must have noticed that I was locked in an intense conversation with something—or someone.
“I showed you mercy. I killed my own subordinates but spared you all. And yet, the little one ran away. That doesn’t quite sit right with me.”
Leaning back against his chair, he sprawled out comfortably. His next words came out in a voice so lazy it almost sounded drowsy.
“I don’t want to blow this issue out of proportion. So if you simply hand over the ‘unpaid debt’ quietly, I won’t ask for anything else.”
The moment he said unpaid debt, a vein bulged on Kyle’s forehead.
I could feel the tension in his hand, clenched tightly atop his knee. Without thinking, I reached out and gently rubbed the back of his hand. Calm down, calm down. Easy now.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was going to let that bastard of a magician off the hook.
“Trying to talk about honor and fairness with us? Have you lived too long and lost your mind?”
“Ahahaha. You’re quite merciless to your elders.”
Resting his elbows on the table, Nox leaned forward slightly and whispered,
“But tell me… how did you know I’ve lived a long time?”
“You just said it yourself.”
“You’ve gotten much better at word games, I see.”
His blue eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. I tensed involuntarily, as if I had just stepped in front of a predator.
Sensing my unease, Kyle immediately stepped in.
“You are in our territory. The fact that we haven’t killed you already is generosity enough. We have no intention of entertaining your absurd demands.”
His voice was curt, devoid of mercy, so cold it came off as outright arrogance.
“I do not grant mercy twice.”
“Hm, how strange.”
Nox tilted his head, as if genuinely perplexed.
“But didn’t Your Highness already lose to me? In our one-on-one duel.”
Yet Kyle didn’t rise to the provocation.
“The circumstances have changed. You are one, but we are not.”
Nox let out a soft chuckle. “I didn’t take you for a fool, but that’s unfortunate. Do you really think I came here all alone and defenseless?”
A subtle threat.
In truth, even if he hadn’t brought monsters or other mages with him, the mere fact that he was here meant things could get messy if he decided to go on a rampage.
But Kyle didn’t even blink. His response was one of unwavering resilience.
“The North has always overcome crises. This will be no different.”
However, my perspective was a little different.
If this negotiation went south, the one who’d suffer most would be me.
Just moments ago, Nox had raised his voice, saying he had come all this way because I ran away. There was no way the knights and soldiers standing guard beyond the door hadn’t heard that.
As Kyle said, the North had always faced and conquered crises.
But at the same time, the North never forgot its grudges.
If the people found out that this latest threat had come because of me, could they truly refrain from resenting me?
And the worst part was that it wouldn’t just end with me being hated.
The more Kyle tried to protect me, the more his authority as a lord would weaken in the inevitable war against Nox.
…I could just leave when things got tough, but Kyle? I couldn’t do that to him.
“If I go with you, what do I get out of it?”
At least let’s hear him out. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?
But Kyle clearly disagreed. He slammed the table and shot up to his feet.
“Shu!”
This time, his burning gaze wasn’t directed at Nox—but at me.
His crimson eyes wavered like a ship caught in a raging storm.
I knew exactly what he wanted to say.
If it were the kind-hearted Kyle I knew, he would say something like: You don’t have to do this.
“……”
Kyle wanted me to be happy. Just as much as I wanted his happiness—maybe even more.
Because of that, he never wanted his world to become my shackle.
Instead, he wished to be my safe haven, a place where I could rest while I struggled to escape the cycle of death.
That was how he loved.
To him, love meant becoming someone’s home.
So the idea of me risking myself to protect his world was not something he could ever accept.
Even if it meant turning his back on the land he had dedicated his entire life to.
Once, when I was lamenting my past, he had said this to me—
“You can’t do everything.”
The words Kyle had once spoken to me when I couldn’t help Belial were both indifferent and gentle.
“People can’t always do their best. Besides, you don’t even belong to this world.”
So even if I turned a blind eye here, even if my presence caused a direct confrontation between the mages of the lawless zone and the North, Kyle wouldn’t resent me. Instead, he would throw everything he had into protecting me.
Of course, that didn’t mean I intended to lean on his goodwill forever. No matter how much this was just a world inside a novel, I had already grown too attached—to him and to this place—to just use them and run away.
I wasn’t shameless enough to exploit his kindness and then demand protection. If someone treats you well, it’s only natural to want to return the favor.
“Think about it, Nox.”
Nox remained silent, his posture inviting me to continue.
“I can disappear at any time, in any way I choose. Even if you take out your frustration on the North, you won’t gain anything from it. Because I’ll just escape again.”
“Hmm.”
“The situation has changed. Watching from the sidelines while failing to get what you want… I doubt that’s your style. So don’t you need a good reason for me to stay put?”
I deliberately mimicked his own relaxed tone, throwing his words back at him.
“You came here for a negotiation, didn’t you? Mage.”
“…….”
Kyle looked at me with a complicated expression, but as always, he didn’t interrupt or override my decision.
“If you expect me to cooperate with you, to willingly leave Kyle’s side, or even to quietly stay in your lab, you’ll have to offer me something new in return. Something that will satisfy me—a fresh price to pay.”
“…….”
“We don’t have a relationship built on trust and fairness, after all.”
“Oh?”
Nox’s lips parted into a wide, almost dazzling smile.
“How clever.”
…Was it just my imagination?
Because for some reason, that compliment sounded exactly like I’m going to kill you.
