The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

My stomach still felt uncomfortable. I let out a light gasp at the pain that felt like a thin rod was scraping the path from my throat to my solar plexus.

Wasn’t this a bit too much for just a hundred clovers? If I recharged twice, I’d probably die.

During the brief silence that followed, the “meticulous lunatic” in the white uniform scrutinized me thoroughly. From head to toe, every corner—practically radiating the desire to take me away and dissect me.

“Good.”

Good, my ass!

This guy wasn’t just any ordinary lunatic. A shiver ran down my spine.

Kyle stepped in close, gently pushing me behind him. I nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder, and hid more than half of my body behind his broad back.

“Are you alright?”

There was a trace of anxiety in Kyle’s voice.

Considering I had just coughed up blood, it was natural for him to be startled. If the situation weren’t so dire, he would have probably scooped me up and taken me somewhere safe, watching over me all day.

But right now, we were on the brink of battle. He was dying to check on me but couldn’t afford to turn his head. Ironically, even in his refusal to look, Kyle’s affection was palpable.

I responded in the calmest voice I could manage.

“Of course. I’m fine.”

“…….”

I could guess exactly what kind of expression Kyle was making. He was probably looking utterly displeased but holding his tongue because he didn’t want to scold me too harshly.

Even so, he refused to back down in front of me.

He knew my power wouldn’t last forever. And in a situation where my strength ran out, fighting that man a hundred times would only result in danger all hundred times. Yet, he still chose to stand his ground.

Because in the North, giving up was never an option—even if the end meant death.

“Hmm.”

The man hopped onto a high boulder as if retreating, then perched on it in his usual casual stance, resting his chin on his hand. His pale eyes flitted between me and Kyle, a hint of contemplation flickering within them.

“What to do? Killing you now would certainly be the easiest option. If I stir things up ambiguously, you’ll just hide and not come out… which would be rather troublesome.”

I had no idea what the hell he was saying.

I gave up trying to understand his words and instead focused on surveying the surroundings with wary eyes, determined to protect Kyle.

Then, the man suddenly clapped his hands together—clap!—and looked down at us.

“Alright then, Your Highness the Grand Duke. How about this?”

His voice dripped with mockery, utterly devoid of respect.

“If I kill you now, my future will be much easier, but I do enjoy taking the long way around now and then.”

“…….”

“Besides, you are quite admirable, struggling so earnestly for your territory. So, how about I give you a tempting little gift? Of course, it won’t be for free…”

If a gift isn’t free, is it really a gift? Sounds more like extortion.

Just as I was about to retort, the man lifted a pale finger and pointed straight at me.

“Didn’t I say it already?”

Kyle asked, his voice flat.

“I’m sick and tired of the so-called ‘gifts’ you lawless bastards offer.”

“Oh dear, Your Highness. You should always listen until the end.”

His blue eyes gleamed with a cold, piercing light.

“Leave the little one behind. If you do, I’ll pretend I never saw this perfect opportunity.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Kyle immediately lowered his stance, looking as if he would charge at any second.

But I could tell. Fighting him again like this was dangerous.

This was the man who had killed James Russell in the original story. And just now, with fewer than ten daggers, he had fought Kyle to a standstill. If he had any more tricks up his sleeve, we’d be at an even greater disadvantage.

Moreover, if he was one of the factors that shortened Kyle’s expected death time, then we had to be especially cautious.

[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time until death: Approximately 0 days remaining.]

We still weren’t safe. My mouth felt dry.

“I’ll even make sure the stranded men in that cave return safely. I promise.”

The man, now completely at ease, spoke in an annoyingly smooth voice.

“I have no intention of begging for my life. I reject your offer.”

Our dear Grand Duke Kyle—stubborn as steel.

Then again, who in their right mind would agree to an offer where they had to leave their lover behind in exchange for survival?

…Honestly, this should be a touching moment, but if he kept being this obstinate, we’d both just end up dead. That wouldn’t be love or anything—it’d just be a double suicide.

I was at a loss, unable to bring myself to say that fighting any longer might mean death at that lunatic’s hands.

“Offer?”

The man tilted his head, his snow-white hair cascading like a waterfall of frost. A pure, untainted curiosity surfaced on his pale face.

“Did I make an offer? I don’t recall making one…”

“Your Highness!”

At that moment, the knights who had safely navigated their way out of the cave without causing a collapse approached us. Ice chunks clung messily to their hair and armor, making them look as if they had just trudged through a snowstorm.

The knights positioned themselves behind us, drawing their swords in unison.

The clean, sharp sound of blades being unsheathed sent a chill down my spine, but the man sitting there alone didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow.

“Shu, step back a little more…”

James had just started to advise me when I found myself lost in thought, staring at the man who continued to smile serenely.

A white wraith.

That man had undoubtedly caused a magical explosion in the mines. Since that explosion had harmed the people of Blake’s territory, he must have known that the knights would move to handle the situation.

And yet, he came here alone.

No.

‘Is he really alone?’

My head snapped up involuntarily.

A sudden, chilling sense of foreboding clenched around my heart, and I recalled James’s death as it had been set in the original story.

[James suffers a fatal wound from a mutated goblin.]

“Be careful!”

I shouted instinctively.

“He’s not alone!”

He must have brought the mutated goblins with him. After all, he was the mage of the lawless zone—he was the source of this madness. And that was how it was supposed to go in the original story!

The moment my words left my mouth, the mage clapped his hands in genuine admiration. Then, with a face overflowing with curiosity and amusement, he stared at me intently.

“You’re smart. Really smart. So smart that I’d love to torture you just to find out how you figured it out. I was sure I’d completely erased their presence…”

“…No way.”

“I told you, didn’t I? I never made an offer.”

Behind the man in the uniform, something cracked—snap, pop—as bones and joints twisted unnaturally.

And then they rose.

Creatures wrapped in shriveled, indigo-hued skin. Small in stature, hunched bodies, grotesque hooked noses.

Their eyes were sunken and unfocused, filled with a lifeless despair.

Mutated goblins were gathering. Their sparse, rotten straw-like hair swayed unpleasantly.

There were a lot of them. Even with a quick glance, I counted more than thirty. The thought that these things had been hiding all around us, suppressing their presence, sent a shiver down my spine.

My fingers twitched.

If they were mutants, they had to have a core somewhere in their bodies. If I could just pinpoint where those cores were, things would be a lot easier. But if I suddenly pulled out my glasses and put them on, that would be incredibly suspicious.

“You don’t need to worry so much.”

Noticing my restless demeanor, the man spoke with a gentle smile.

“As long as you stay behind, these guys won’t do anything.”

At this point, I couldn’t help but be curious.

I asked bluntly, “Why do you want me?”

I have a lover, you bastard. Stop wanting me.

“Well… there are quite a few reasons. For starters, I’m extremely curious about what’s inside that head of yours. You’re the one who predicted their ambush, aren’t you?”

“Stop calling me a kid.”

With my build? Kid? That’s ridiculous. Quit with the creepy nicknames.

“Even if I do go with you—”

“Shu!”

Kyle spun toward me, his reaction instant, his jaw clenched so tightly that his bones stood out.

I reached out, almost in a trance, and placed my hand on his cheek, giving it a soft pat.

Good boy. Don’t bite. Biting a lunatic will only give you rabies.

No need to shave years off your lifespan. Please.

“How can I believe that everyone here will return safely to the territory?”

Judging by his personality, he was exactly the type to stab us in the back, then laugh and say, Well, what an unfortunate turn of events!

Retracting my hand from Kyle’s face, I planted it firmly on my hip and shot the mage a challenging look, as if daring him to try and talk his way out of this.

Still seated atop the ice-covered boulder, he merely wiggled his fingers in a dismissive gesture and grinned.

“If it’s too much trouble, then don’t believe me.”

“…….”

“But if you don’t believe me, then what happens? Simple—we all die together, side by side. If I were you, I’d at least gamble on the chance of survival.”

“…Hah.”

“Kid, what you need right now isn’t trust, born from someone else’s proof.”

His smile stretched wider, stark white against his pale face—beautiful and unsettling, like a portrait painted by some deranged artist.

“What you need is desperation.”

I hesitated.

There was some truth to his words.

Right now, what we needed wasn’t trust.

Which meant that he had no obligation to keep his word—and neither did I.

Fighting here was risky. Even if we managed to take care of the goblins, reinforcements could arrive. The longer we lingered, the worse our odds became.

Then… wouldn’t it be better to take the slimmest chance available?

Besides, I could escape the moment I deactivated Reload. I could return to the territory as if nothing had happened.

Normally, there were restrictions on where I could teleport when canceling Reload, but Kyle’s hamster house was an exception.

Right. I’d pretend to go quietly, then escape.

Even if Reload failed, I could just buy some items from the nut shop and figure something out.

“Have you finished your calculations?”

The man prodded me gently, watching me with an indulgent smile.

I lifted my head and grinned.

“Pretty much.”

“So? Your answer? I hope you won’t disappoint me like the Grand Duke did.”

“Of course…”

A cold silence fell over the battlefield.

Neither the creatures nor the humans moved.

The mage, Kyle—everyone was waiting for my answer.

“I’ll go with you. As long as you keep your promise.”