"You mean the Arcane Mage Killer?"
Linen asked carefully.
"You seem pretty well-informed, Linen. That's classified intel, even within the Shadow Knights."
Silva laughed softly, covering her lips without directly answering, though her attitude made it clear enough.
Linen felt a headache forming.
Sure, he had resolved to keep provoking the female protagonists to get stronger—but he still had a clear understanding of his own limits.
Before he could confidently stand against fate's chosen protagonists, he'd intended to bully only harmless little brats like Hysteria, who barked a lot but had no real bite.
But that crazy woman from the Tower of Chronomancy wasn't supposed to become his enemy so soon.
To grow stronger, Linen needed to provoke the heroines, drawing out their anger and rejection. But that meant continuously engaging with the Tower of Chronomancy, inevitably crossing paths prematurely with that madwoman. Yet to handle her, he needed to become stronger first.
To become stronger, I need to provoke…
Damn it—why does this feel like a perfect, vicious circle?
"I could offer you a little more help, you know? All it'd take is a small price."
Silva's eyes wandered meaningfully over Linen, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
But Linen only shook his head again:
"Sorry, Sil. I know what you're implying—if I simply submit to my almighty mother, she'll protect me, right? But losing both my freedom and my life to someone else's whims isn't exactly my style."
"What did you just say?"
"I said losing both my freedom and my—"
"No, the sentence before that—the very beginning."
"Sil?..."
"Correct password~"
Snapping her fingers lightly, Silva brushed her golden hair behind her shoulder and leaned close to Linen's ear, whispering softly:
"Since Linen called me by a cute nickname, I suppose I can make an exception and give you a small hint."
"You really don't need to panic so much. According to our intelligence, although that 'Mage Killer' girl has the power to assassinate a Four-Ring Arcane Mage, her actual strength isn't nearly as frightening."
Listening to Silva's whispers, Linen felt as if he'd suddenly gained enlightenment.
Of course! I've been scared stiff by her insane reputation—but I transmigrated early, didn't I? Even if I'm still weak now, surely the heroines are in the same boat. We're all just beginners, pecking at each other. If I prepare well enough, maybe I'm not at a disadvantage after all.
"Good, you look more confident already." Silva smiled and winked. "However, Linen, if you call me cute nicknames a few more times, I might offer even more tips—perhaps extra intel about our Mage Killer or something else interesting?"
This woman was pushing her luck again.
Seeing Silva's eyes glitter with amusement, Linen felt utterly helpless.
Playful people were truly insufferable.
Calling her by a nickname once had been partly due to habit from the original Linen's memories, and partly because Linen saw clearly that beneath Silva's teasing exterior, she genuinely cared for him, touching his heart enough to slip out naturally.
But in terms of understanding the heroines, even the Shadow Knights couldn't match him—someone who'd read the script.
And now, this woman wanted a noble prince like him to lower his dignity and call her cutesy nicknames repeatedly for assistance?
"Fine, that's exactly the answer I'd expect from you."
Seeing Linen lower his head slightly in silence, Silva shrugged boredly and turned away—but was suddenly stopped by a tug on her arm.
Turning back, she found Linen smiling brightly after taking a deep breath:
"Sil, Silvie, Sisi, Vava, Illy, Sil..ly...?"
Silva froze in shock at first, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Truly worthy of you, Linen!"
Linen calmly wiped the corners of his mouth.
"There, a prestigious captain of the Shadow Knights wouldn't cheat me, right?"
"Of course not."
Chuckling, Silva reached into her spatial ring and withdrew a potion.
"This is [Death Angel], a potion exclusive to the Shadow Knights. You know what it does, yes?"
"Of course." Linen nodded, slightly stunned. He hadn't expected Silva to produce something like this.
[Death Angel] had once been immensely popular among adventurers across the continent but was now strictly prohibited.
Both its popularity and ban stemmed from the same reason—its extreme effects.
In every culture, angels were symbols of salvation, but [Death Angel] embodied the opposite—a twisted amalgamation of healing and torment.
It was a potent healing potion capable of rapidly mending severe wounds. However, its preparation was crude and violent; before any healing occurred, the drinker would suffer unbearable agony.
Many users died from the sheer pain before the potion's beneficial effects ever appeared.
Even more absurdly, rumors circulated that drinking [Death Angel] had a tiny chance of awakening hidden potential, prompting countless struggling knights and Arcane Mages to gamble their lives.
Commoners' lives were historically cheap—no one cared until a certain duke's son succumbed to it.
This was why [Death Angel] was explicitly banned. Yet for the Shadow Knights, who lived and breathed danger, it suited their grim style perfectly.
Was this really Silva's intended assistance?
It felt more like she hadn't expected him to actually call her more nicknames and had hastily grabbed whatever was convenient.
Linen had no intention of drinking this cursed potion himself, but as he was about to decline, a brilliant idea occurred:
I might not drink it—but I can trick the heroines into doing so.
Imagine believing your teammate's potion was a life-saving elixir, only to discover afterward it was [Death Angel]. Just the thought of it made Linen's blood pressure spike gleefully.
Seeing Linen quietly pocket the potion, Silva waved cheerfully.
"Alright, let's call it a day here. As Her Majesty's loyal hound, I'm quite busy every day, so Linen, you'd better compensate me well in the future~"
Linen nodded, but recalling how this cunning woman had toyed with him yet again, his eyes flickered mischievously.
"Then I'll grant the Shadow Knights an extra day off each year—on this exact date."
An unpaid day off—how cruelly fitting.
Leaving Silva's expression shifting abruptly from amused to stunned, Linen strolled back to the infirmary.
Silva was genuinely surprised.
After all, in the Zijinghua Empire, only one figure—the supreme ruler—had authority over the Shadow Knights.
Was Linen hinting he intended to join the succession struggle?
In an empire currently dominated by the powerful Empress, did Linen actually plan to reveal his ambitions openly?
How intriguing—I think I've just heard something incredibly exciting.
But soon, Silva understood another implication. The Shadow Knights were the emperor's loyal dogs. Linen had just implied he might one day become emperor himself.
In other words...
Want me to be your dog?
Then let's see if you're qualified first.
Silva's lips curled into a delighted smile.
---
A few minutes earlier, as Silva and Linen left the infirmary, the magical restraints on Elena and Hysteria simultaneously lifted.
"Damn that woman!" Hysteria fumed through clenched teeth.
Used to being treated like royalty, she had always been the one looking down on others. Being suppressed by someone in such a disdainful manner was a deeply uncomfortable first for her.
But compared to Silva—whom she'd only met once—Hysteria's real frustration was directed at Linen.
While everyone else debated the explosive topic of "Did the prince really commit treason?", Hysteria was preoccupied with something more fundamental:
Had Linen actually entered the teaching building or not?
Initially, she'd firmly believed Linen would never dare. But when the Shadow Knights produced their evidence, she panicked for a few seconds, genuinely worried she'd have to wear that maid uniform.
Yet Linen had overturned their claims, proving he'd never been in the building.
She stopped following after that point—geniuses didn't need to analyze every detail, just the outcome mattered.
Upon confirming the final conclusion—Linen hadn't entered the teaching building—she finally breathed easy.
When Silva and Linen left the infirmary for their private conversation, and the remaining Shadow Knights stepped away, Hysteria eagerly turned to Elena to share her happy conclusion:
"Hey, Elena…"
"Listen carefully, Hysteria." Elena suddenly interrupted, gripping Hysteria's shoulders firmly, her voice unwaveringly serious.
"No matter what anyone else says, you must believe—without a doubt—that Linen risked his life by entering the teaching building to save us. Understand?"
Hysteria: ?!