CH-108

108 Are You Afraid?

Claude naturally had not forgotten his silver ring.

On this trip, although the mission required the immediate severance of alchemical secrets, the actual goal was to bring the homunculus back to the capital.

And this silver ring was the sealing tool.

Silver itself is a metal that guides magic and repels otherworldly beings.

And inside the ring, a containment spell was engraved.

Yet on its surface, it bore no ornamentation whatsoever, and would not arouse any extra vigilance in others.

Who would have thought that this ring, while investigating and tracking Shu Li's identity, would fall into the bushes and be picked up by him.

Now the silver ring had been taken by Shu Li as his own.

Several times before, he had wanted to make a move against Shu Li, but this person was too cautious, never alone, always surrounded by others, making it impossible to strike.

It wasn't easy waiting until everyone was asleep, and Claude followed suit to make his move.

Even if Shu Li had made the ring disappear right before his eyes, Claude's intuition told him the ring was hidden somewhere on his person.

It was precisely because of this that Claude had to fumble in the dark to find the ring.

In truth, the best method would have been to kill the man at night, drag him to a secluded spot, and search the body. That way, there would be no resistance, no struggle, and certainly no risk of anyone appearing to interfere.

But despite all his thoughts, Claude had never considered directly killing Shu Li.

Setting aside his professional knowledge of baptismal rites, which rivaled that of a capital bishop, the mere fact that he could point out the location of a lost item for someone he had never met gave Claude pause.

Father often said: "Men are divided into ranks. The useless are not worth mourning; the harmful deserve more than death; but for a valuable person to die without being used by me – that is the most regrettable waste."

Although this was what his father said when placing high hopes on him, Claude truly felt it would be a waste.

It would be a pity to kill him.

Besides, a dead body appearing here would also cause trouble.

It was the height of summer, and dozens of children were crammed into one room with poor ventilation. Everyone simply collapsed onto the hay and fell asleep naturally. Yet the target insisted on covering himself with a thin blanket, obstructing Claude's view.

After all, from Claude's experience in searching bodies, most people liked to hide things around their waist or groin area, especially weapons.

Because those were the places the hands could naturally reach.

However, his hand had only just slipped into Shu Li's first pocket, not even reaching the bottom, when his fingertip brushed against something – through the thin fabric, it felt soft yet resilient, half-soft and half-hard, seeming to radiate a faint warmth against body temperature.

Suddenly, an almost instinctive alertness made him freeze, his fingers stiffening in place, not daring to move further.

The sensation was like something had gently bitten him.

A chill shot from his fingertips into his bloodstream, and his heart seemed to skip half a beat.

He abruptly looked up towards Shu Li's direction.

The other man was actually wide awake, the light in his eyes dazzling enough to make one numb, yet his expression held a hint of laziness. His hands were casually pillowed behind his head, and the corner of his mouth even curved into a faint, enigmatic smile.

Though the light was dim, Claude distinctly heard him whisper: "I left a piece of dry bread in my pocket for you. Don't mention it."

It was clear that Shu Li knew Claude would come to steal the silver ring while everyone was asleep, and had staged this whole charade.

The ring was obviously not going to be hidden in such an obvious or conventional place.

Claude's fingers withdrew from the pocket, a cold aura emanating from his entire body.

For a moment, Shu Li thought Claude, humiliated by the trick, would become enraged and resort to murder.

Numerous thoughts flooded his mind, yet none coalesced into a complete, strategically sound conclusion.

However, unexpectedly, at that moment, Claude merely sat up with a cold face, rose from the haystack, and returned to his own bed.

Shu Li: "?"

That's it?

He had planned to start a fight with Claude right there on the bed, conveniently waking Kyle in the process and dragging Kyle into his fight as well. Given the current situation, Kyle was pretending to be on his side.

Either he would have to fight alongside Shu Li, or he would have to help mediate.

Either way, dragging him into this mess was definitely the right move.

So, Shu Li blinked on his hay bed, turned his head, and looked towards Kyle, whose eyes were still closed—

His breathing was steady and deep, exceptionally calm.

Shu Li's gaze bore into him intensely.

Less than thirty seconds later, Kyle, as expected, couldn't hold out. Unable to endure the stare, he simply rolled over to face the other way, avoiding Shu Li's gaze.

Seizing the opportunity, Shu Li spoke: "If you can't sleep, come take a walk with me."

Kyle, his back to Shu Li, opened his eyes. Knowing Shu Li had guessed he wasn't asleep, he replied bluntly: "I'm not going."

Shu Li's request for company wasn't because he truly considered Kyle a friend; it was simply that in this unfamiliar place, it was safer for two people to look out for each other.

He couldn't sleep.

On the other hand, although Kyle refused Shu Li, it wasn't because he truly wanted to rest.

Even lying down, he wouldn't truly fall asleep. He merely closed his eyes, maintaining the appearance of sleep, ready to react at any moment. Then, he heard Shu Li start calling out to Phillips next to him.

"...Phillips."

"Wake up..."

Kyle: "..."

He found Shu Li very strange.

When he needed you, he stuck close, clingy, acting as if he couldn't bear to be apart. But once you were no longer useful, it was as if he completely forgot who you were, casting you aside without a backward glance.

Phillips was a clear example.

Sometimes close, sometimes distant, warm one moment, cold the next – it left people dizzy and disoriented, like walking through fog.

Kyle wasn't the one involved, but even he found it irritating to watch, especially that feeling of "You don't mean anything to him, but he insists on making you think you do." It was repulsive to the point of itching.

Phillips was finally shaken awake, responding groggily, "...What?"

"I can't sleep. Can you come take a walk with me?"

If he fell asleep now, there was no guarantee Claude wouldn't try to attack him a second time.

Hearing such a dull proposal, Phillips instinctively refused: "I'm so sleepy."

Shu Li also felt it was a reasonable point; the man genuinely needed rest. But Shu Li didn't want to wander outside alone, so he added: "What if I go to the kitchen and make you some snacks?"

Although Shu Li couldn't boast of being some culinary prodigy capable of creating legendary dishes, he was at least of Chinese descent and knew how to make better food than Europeans.

Besides, Shu Li genuinely believed his foodie skills were what allowed him to establish himself in Savoy.

He was very confident!

Shu Li continued to coax: "Don't you think my fried rice is delicious?"

Phillips's ears indeed twitched at this, and he was about to respond when Kyle spoke up: "I'll go with him. You go back to sleep."

Phillips struggled between appetite and sleepiness for less than half a second before falling asleep again.

Kyle patted Shu Li's shoulder. "Let's go."

Shu Li quickly helped pull the blanket over Phillips's stomach, then followed Kyle out. Passing Claude's bed, he placed the dry bread from his pocket on Claude's headboard.

It hadn't been there a second before the bread was tossed onto the floor by Claude.

Shu Li's half-formed idea of hiding the silver ring inside the dry bread instantly faded.

He naturally knew Claude was difficult to deal with, but he hadn't intended to do anything to him anyway.

They could just joke around, and even after arguing, there was no need for a reconciliation process. Just getting things done properly was enough.

But Shu Li really disliked placating people with this kind of personality.

Fortunately, Leslie hadn't inherited his father's temperament; his character was very agreeable. Otherwise, Shu Li really wouldn't bother – just looking at him was annoying.

Use your brain! I'm not close to you; do you really think I'd specifically bring you food?

Shu Li glared at the back of Claude's head, wanting to curse. He considered letting the silver ring fend for itself, but worried it would be a hassle to find again, so he picked up the dry bread and put it back in his pocket.

"Are you that familiar with him?" Kyle probed after they stepped outside. "You even brought him food specifically."

"You weren't asleep just now. If you had opened your eyes, you would have seen the murderous look on his face," Shu Li tilted his head. "Do you think I'm familiar with him?"

Kyle smoothly asked: "Then what did he come to you for?"

Shu Li naturally knew Kyle and Claude were in cahoots. He was about to mention the silver ring but remembered the original timeline, where the two were at odds, with Kyle determined to kill Claude's son, Leslie.

"..."

However, Phillips also knew about the silver ring. Hiding it would only arouse more curiosity.

Shu Li put on an innocent face and said: "Revenge, of course."

He began speaking, half-truth and half-lie: "I accidentally bumped into him while walking. We got into a physical altercation, and he claimed the silver ring I found was his. I think he just wanted to claim it to sell for money, so we became enemies."

His tone was light, but his eyes held a hint of sarcasm and mockery.

Kyle's mind was quick, not fooled by Shu Li's words. He merely glanced at him without changing his expression, pressing for the core issue with a casual tone: "Yet you still brought him food?"

"He looks fierce. I wanted to bury the hatchet. The journey to the capital, Levanci, is long. If he keeps targeting me, it'll be very unpleasant."

Kyle stared at Shu Li's face. "I don't see you being afraid of him."

Shu Li said casually: "I don't easily show my feelings on my face. You don't know this, but I'm quite afraid of you too?"

This actually caught Kyle off guard. "..."

He prided himself on playing the role of a friendly and kind person well. At least, none of his classmates at the academy had discovered his true nature.

Realizing this person was excessively perceptive, Kyle felt his shoulders stiffen slightly.

But the next second, Shu Li added: "When we came back that night, you seemed very angry. I was wondering if it was because we went to the kitchen to get good food and didn't invite you, so you were unhappy?"

Hearing this, Kyle carefully studied Shu Li's expression. It seemed he truly meant what he said.

After a pause, Kyle said: "I wasn't angry."

He was merely planning to beat someone up after finding the extra portion of food he'd prepared for someone was left untouched and the person had already left.

As soon as he said this, Shu Li smiled at him.

It wasn't a smile of relief, but the kind that said, "I know you're lying, but I won't expose you."

Kyle found he didn't dislike his smile.

This person gave him a very bright feeling.

He looked like a round, sweet-and-sour plum.

His skin was fair and delicate, with a healthy rosy glow.

His facial lines were soft, and the corners of his eyes held a youthful, unpolished bluntness. He looked fresh and captivating, exuding a rich sweetness even before one took a bite.

"...You have a very cheerful personality."

Perhaps because his own thoughts tended towards the gloomy, Kyle, from past to present, had always been subconsciously drawn to those sunny and lively individuals. As if getting a little closer to the sunlight could make him seem less dreary.

Later, back at the military academy, when recalling these interactions and feelings, Kyle thought, perhaps it was simply because he was beautiful, pleasing to the eye.

Shu Li's inner social anxiety flickered with awkwardness for a moment at this statement.

However, many people unfamiliar with him did often find him very cheerful.

Just as he was about to say something, Kyle added: "You don't need to be afraid of that guy."

Shu Li looked at him questioningly.

He couldn't possibly expose his identity at this point, could he?

Kyle continued: "With the knights in the group, he wouldn't dare cause trouble."

This was a safe, standard response, revealing no extra information.

"I see we're both so energetic," Shu Li said, not wanting to accidentally expose himself either. "Could we go see the old lady's body?"

"...?"

Kyle thought they would go to the kitchen...

Why was it snacks for Phillips, and viewing a corpse for him?

Not hearing a response, Shu Li asked again: "Are you afraid?"

"No."

Shu Li maintained his cheerful persona, smiling: "I figured you had a strong nerve, wouldn't be afraid of this."

This sentence made Kyle feel Shu Li wasn't like a plum, but rather an ugly little potato.