Time to think: one minute.
Failing to answer within that time meant certain death within fifty minutes.
‘Ah, shit.’
Latian’s eyes darted to the wall clock, his trembling gaze scanning the options.
There were no hints.
The choices would be determined automatically based on how Claude interpreted his response.
His hands, growing colder from nerves, clenched together as he fought to stay calm.
His mind raced, desperately assembling his thoughts before his lips parted.
Just as Wibner, watching with concern, was about to intervene—
“As you know, my lord, the Kingdom of Kesid has a ‘Dark Spot’—a place untouched by the king’s grace.”
At last, Latian began, his voice steady.
“A refuge for runaway slaves. A place for orphans abandoned at birth, their origins unknown. A gathering ground for those with nowhere to go, wandering the kingdom until they collapse from exhaustion. Some call it the Nameless Village.”
Claude frowned, one eyebrow arching at the seemingly irrelevant response.
But Latian pressed on.
“A cursed village where no one cares if someone disappears. A land so forsaken even the kingdom itself struggles to deal with it. Technically, it remains under royal jurisdiction, but in reality, it survives on external funding. Thanks to a mysterious anonymous benefactor, incidents involving its people causing trouble in neighboring villages have significantly decreased.”
Claude crossed his arms, watching with an expression that said, ‘Let’s see how far he takes this.’
Wibner, sensing the tense atmosphere, cast Latian a worried glance.
But despite his nerves, Latian showed no sign of backing down.
There was a reason for that.
“The anonymous benefactor who has effectively become the Nameless Village’s caretaker uses the codename ‘Blackker.’ And incidentally, when Earl of Aesistan handles matters behind the scenes, he also operates under the alias ‘Blackker.’”
Latian was sure of it—this was the answer Claude had been waiting for.
“!”
“Do you really think the Empire has been sustaining their mutant army solely with sacrifices from within their own borders? Humans are resources too. The greedy will always prefer to use someone else’s before their own.”
Claude’s shadowed gaze narrowed.
“Latian, are you saying…?”
Wibner’s voice wavered as he demanded confirmation.
Latian nodded.
“Earl of Aesistan has been offering up that village as a sacrifice to the Empire, deceiving the king’s eyes in the process. Since it’s not their own, they wouldn’t hesitate to use it up completely. This is all information I picked up through word of mouth.”
“…….”
A strange gleam flickered in Claude’s eyes as he met Latian’s gaze.
“My lord! If this is true, we need to put a stop to it immediately!”
“Has the envoy to His Majesty not arrived yet?”
“You mean the one regarding Earl of Aesistan? Even if it has, the king won’t act so easily.”
The King of Kesid held Earl of Aesistan in high regard.
If he were told what the count had been doing behind his back, it would shake him.
He wouldn’t believe it easily, and even if he did, he’d hesitate to take action.
That was simply the kind of man he was—someone who wavered, bound by sentiment, unable to sever ties completely.
Without the lords of Winter Fortress, who had defended the northern borders for generations, the kingdom would have long since fallen to the Empire.
“…There’s no point in waiting around for nothing.”
There was only one option left: handle it personally.
“Hah.”
With a sigh, Claude ran a hand over his forehead before raising his head.
“Wibner, summon the twins. We’re going to meet His Majesty.”
“Understood.”
With that, Wibner left the office. Now alone, Latian shifted uncomfortably under Claude’s gaze.
“We leave for the capital tomorrow. You’re coming with us—just so you know.”
“…Huh? M-Me?”
Just as he stammered in shock, the system coldly popped up a new window.
[ ‘A Satisfactory Answer’ Quest Cleared! ]
[…Evaluating successful completion rewards…]
[ Reward assessment complete. ]
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[ Chapter 1 – ]
– You have given a satisfactory answer to the Lord’s question.
– 『The scattered puzzle pieces were put together at last. The man before you.』
– (❗) Claude’s trust in you has slightly increased.
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[(❗) Your status window has been updated.]
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
– Basic Info: Latian Dimeros (new!) / Male / 28 years old
– Trait Info: Strong will to survive / Adapts to situations as needed / Silver-tongued (new!)
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[You are currently the ‘Suspicious New Aide of the Northern Lord.’]
[(❗) The Death Flag has been removed.]
[A significant turning point has been detected.]
[A side quest has been unlocked!]
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
[Side Quest (3)
The Lord wishes to take you along on his journey to the capital. However, the road to the capital is treacherous. Opting for the safer route will take over a month, while the shortcut—though only a few weeks long—is far more dangerous. The quest will be completed once you safely arrive in the capital.
– Success Reward: ???
━━⊱⋆⊰━━
“…Surely… you’re not taking the shortcut, are you?”
“I am. Given the situation, we’ll be crossing the northern-southern border.”
“W-Wait, and you’re taking me with you? Why?”
‘Is he insane?! That border is crawling with monsters!’
The novel had clearly explained that crossing the northern-southern border was so perilous that only a select few awakened warriors were permitted to attempt it.
And yet, he wanted to drag along an ordinary civilian like me?
The system and Claude were in perfect sync, screwing me over together.
“You.”
Claude suddenly beckoned with his finger.
His posture was incredibly arrogant, yet Latian stepped forward without a word.
The moment he did, Claude grabbed him by the hair and yanked him down, forcing him to his knees.
“Ugh!”
Latian grimaced as pain shot up from his knees.
As Claude roughly gripped his hair and yanked his head up, their eyes met.
Claude’s gaze, looking down on him with blatant arrogance, was nothing short of menacing.
“If you talk back one more time, I’ll sew your mouth shut.”
“…On second thought, I am deeply honored to accompany my lord on this journey. My heart is racing.”
Latian quickly put on a bright smile, bowing his head with practiced servility.
As they say, no one spits on a smiling face.
Claude, who had been glaring at him, let go of his grip.
Latian stumbled back from the force pushing him away, rubbing his sore scalp.
‘Ow… Thought he was gonna rip my hair out.’
Good thing my roots are strong.
Just then, the office doors burst open.
“You called for us?”
It was the pair of fraternal twin awakened warriors he had seen before.
“Sir Latian, are you alright? Did something happen?”
Wibner, who had entered behind them, rushed over to help Latian up.
Latian flashed a polite smile.
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I’m perfectly fine.”
He had been threatened and nearly had his hair ripped out, but sure, fine.
“We’re taking him to the capital tomorrow, so get ready.”
Claude’s curt command made the twins turn to look at Latian.
The male twin pointed at him and said,
“Oh, so that’s why we’re here. We just have to guard that, right?”
…Did he just refer to me as “that”?
Like master, like subordinates.
As Latian grumbled internally, Claude gave a nod.
“Just make sure he doesn’t die.”
“Can we also make sure he stays in one piece?”
…Oh, right. I wasn’t supposed to talk back.
Latian promptly slapped his own mouth shut.
Claude, who had been staring at him in displeasure, muttered under his breath.
“Get lost.”
His voice was deep and rich—pleasant to the ears, yet at the same time, it carried the chilling growl of a beast on the verge of lashing out.
When a man tells you to get lost, you get lost.
Latian wasted no time scrambling out of the office, heading straight to the aides’ quarters.
As per Claude’s orders to “keep an eye on him,” Wibner followed.
Watching Latian slump dramatically onto his desk like a discarded piece of fabric, Wibner asked,
“Is dealing with him really that difficult?”
“…Is that a leading question?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell the Lord.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“In that case… yes. It’s exhausting. But you seem like a good person, so I’ll trust you on this.”
Wibner chuckled at the response.
For someone who looked like a trembling puppy with its tail tucked between its legs, he sure had a way with words. It was oddly endearing.
“If things get too rough, let me know. I’ll help however I can.”
“Wow, are you an angel? Thank you… That’s really reassuring.”
It was genuine gratitude, without a hint of flattery. Latian gazed at Wibner with shining eyes, almost reverently.
In this frozen northern castle, Wibner was the only one who could stand up to Claude without backing down.
Having someone like that on his side—how could he not feel relieved?
Wibner smiled, bright and warm like a blooming flower.
“Just call me Wibner.”
“Then, Wibner-nim!”
“Haha. By the way, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-eight.”
“You’re three years younger than me and the Lord.”
As Latian nodded in response, a yawn escaped his lips.
Noticing Wibner’s gaze, he quickly covered his mouth and offered a sheepish excuse.
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night…”
“There’s nothing more to do today, so you should turn in early.”
“…Would that be okay?”
“Yes, I’ll smooth things over.”
How was he so kind?
The difference between him and a certain someone was staggering.
With a grateful smile, Latian slowly inched toward the exit.
“Well, then… I’ll be going now…”
He made his way to Claude’s room, his heart pounding in anxiety.
What if Claude suddenly burst out from the opposite door?
Not wanting to tempt fate, he went straight in.
No detours, no escape attempts. He wasn’t suicidal.
“Ahhh, so good…”
The moment he collapsed onto the bed, the exhaustion that had been weighing on his body all night melted away.
He flailed his limbs like he was swimming, letting out an odd giggle before rolling toward the edge of the bed.
He had only intended to rest for a moment.
He still needed to eat before Claude arrived, and if he was caught sleeping so shamelessly in the Lord’s bed, who knew what kind of punishment awaited him?
But his exhaustion ran deeper than he realized.
He ended up dozing off completely.
What woke him was a violent yank, sending him tumbling off the bed.
“Ugh!”
Jolted awake by the impact, Latian shuddered as a cold sensation crept down his spine.
Slowly, hesitantly, he turned his head.
Standing right in front of him, eyes just as dark and menacing as before—
Was Claude.
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