Despite his ruthlessness towards his foes, Silva was still human. He understood pain and suffering… he was just an ordinary person.

  Bang, bang, bang!

  "What… was that?"

  Suddenly, the heavy metal door of the room reverberated under a pounding from outside.

  "What's going on, Lord Gaius?"

  The door shook under the force of another strike. A frantic shout came through the door.

  "We received reports from the guards of a loud noise from inside just now, so we came to investigate. We understand you are in the midst of the summoning ritual, but please show yourself!"

  "Fak…"

  Hearing the voices outside, Silva clicked his tongue in frustration. It seemed the soldiers, like the ones he had just killed, had realized something was wrong and were gathering outside.

  What could he do now?

  Silva's mind raced with desperate thoughts. Was there any way to escape? But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't find a solution. The room had no windows and only one entrance the door, behind which soldiers were amassing, making escape seem impossible.

  But doing nothing was not an option. Silva had killed Gaius and four soldiers. There was no room for negotiation here. Even if negotiation were possible, Silva would never consider it. His dignity as a human would never allow him to yield to such people.

  Determined to secure a weapon, Silva attempted to pull a sword from one of the dead soldiers. As he rolled the corpse onto its back, a plan suddenly formed in his mind. It was a risky gamble. After a few moments of contemplation, Silva made up his mind.

  "I guess I'll have to take a chance…"

  Bang, bang, bang, bang!

  The door shook again under a barrage of pounding. Despite the door's reinforced metal with an iron bar, it wouldn't last more than a few minutes if the soldiers were determined to break it down. After all, there were people in this world who could cast lightning from their hands, just like Gaius.

  Silva's time was running short. Quickly, he began searching the bodies of the five dead men. In this otherworldly place, even if he managed to escape the castle without money, his options would be limited to theft or robbery. Even if he sought honest work, who could say there was a job suitable for a high school student here?

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  In stories, protagonists often find kind allies who provide for them, but Silva wasn't naive enough to expect such fortune. He collected leather pouches filled with gold, silver, and copper coins from the bodies. This money was his hope for survival. If he couldn't find a job before the money ran out, he would have no choice but to resort to robbery.

  Since he had no idea of the currency's value here, he had no way of knowing how long it would last, but he had no other choice.

  Bang, bang, bang, bang!

  "Lord Gaius! Lord Gaius!"

  The pounding continued, and the shouts grew louder and more frantic. The people outside were convinced something was amiss.

  Silva didn't have time to hesitate. He stripped off his clothes, removed his leather belt, and tightened it around his chest. It looked absurd, but there were no other options. He securely tied the pouches of coins to the belt.

  Next, Silva stripped the armor and clothing from a corpse with a similar build to his own. He dressed the corpse in his school uniform and burned the corpse's face with a torch to make it unrecognizable. Then, he donned the dead man's armor and clothing.

  "Whew… I managed to get dressed somehow," Silva muttered, letting out a sigh of relief. Having never worn this type armor before, it took longer than expected, but he managed it. Fortunately, the armor was composed of separate pieces that could be individually attached.

  Bang, bang, bang, bang!

  Occupied with dressing in armor, Silva had momentarily forgotten about the situation outside the door. It was clear they were about to break in. Silva approached one of the dead soldiers and slit his throat, allowing the blood to pool on the floor. Then, he lay down in the pool of blood, waiting.

  Waiting for the door to be breached.

  "It's a risky gamble, but it's better than a direct fight…"

  As Silva lay on the ground, outside the door, a crowd of soldiers was jostling.

  "Captain of the Royal Guard, Rolf! Lady Celia Walkland, the Deputy Court Mage, has arrived!" a soldier announced.

  Following the announcement, a red haired woman stepped forward.

  "What's going on!? Where is my grandfather?" she demanded sharply, directing her question at the man known as Rolf.

  She had a strikingly beautiful face, but her eyes radiated an intense ferocity. She seemed capable, but not particularly approachable.

  "Calm down, Lady Celia," Rolf's single eye gleamed.

  "How can I be calm?" she retorted, clearly having rushed over in a hurry. Her usually immaculate red hair was disheveled, and her chest heaved with emotion.

  "Calm yourself!" Rolf's commanding voice echoed.

  This man, a seasoned veteran who had seen countless battles as a royal guard, had once taken an arrow meant for the emperor on the battlefield, earning him the title "The Emperor's Shield." His words, coming from a man who had survived more wars than Celia had lived years, cut through the tension in the air, calming the young, gifted Deputy Court Mage.

  Chastened by Rolf's voice, Celia finally took a deep breath to steady herself.

  "My apologies, Lord Rolf. I lost my composure," she said, bowing her head sincerely.

  She seemed to realize her agitation. Smoothing her hair, she tried to regain her calm demeanor.

  "No, I was the one who spoke out of turn. It's understandable for Lady Celia to be upset, given your family ties," Rolf replied, his sharp gaze softening slightly. His eye, though stern, held a gentle paternal warmth.

  "So, Lord Rolf, what is the situation?" Celia asked, her tone returning to its composed state. Present now was the face of a genius known as the "Queen of the Blizzard," both calm and merciless.