"Young master Luca, don't follow him. He's dangerous," Nirre warned, her voice tense.

"She's right," Henry added, his grip tightening on his sword.

Yeah, no kidding. It's Claude Noire. Of course, he's dangerous.

My eyes drifted toward the charred bodies and the piles of bones. I suspected the woman beside him, likely a mage, was responsible for the charring, while the clean piles of bones were probably his handiwork.

Shall I burn him into ash?

Leona's voice echoed in my mind, her tone chilling.

[[ No. Hold off unless he tries something. ]]

Despite how dangerous Claude Noire was, he requested a conversation. He could have easily ambushed my carriage if he genuinely intended harm.

Maybe all he wanted was a chat?

I wasn't sure what he wished to talk about, but my curiosity was piqued.

"Stand down," I commanded my guards. "I'll meet with him. Relax, I'll be fine."

I'd already met with Saga Duex, an Awakened and an Ancient who actively supported the Kobar Empire. Arguably speaking, she was far more dangerous than Claude. Moreover, that meeting had gone smoothly against all odds. Perhaps because of that, I felt emboldened to face another dangerous figure.

"Let's find somewhere more private," I said, turning to Claude and gesturing for him to follow me down the road.

We walked until we were far enough from the carriages, and I turned toward him, keeping a cautious distance. The System had helpfully provided me with the size of the red orb Claude had created in the previous loop, and I was weary of remaining within a safe distance.

Blackened, twisted trees stood on either side of us on the road, contrasting against the vibrant blue sky above. I stood facing the carriages behind Claude, with everyone else still within view, albeit too far to hear.

[[ Leona, position yourself on the road behind me. Should he suddenly try something, you have my permission to burn him to ash. ]]

Understood, human.

Her voice sounded in my head, and I felt her weight leave my right shoulder.

Apophis stayed coiled on my left shoulder, his tongue flicking toward Claude with a slow, deliberate hiss.

~Say… there's something familiar about him.

"You are cautious," Claude observed, smiling like a wolf eying its prey. "You evidently know the bounds of my power. And yet you show no fear—you know what I am capable of but are not afraid."

I crossed my arms, ignoring his comments. There was no point in needlessly revealing additional information with my words. I had a slew of cards up my sleeves that I intended to remain hidden unless the situation took a bad turn.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked.

[[ System, start a Random Character Checker on Claude Noire. ]]

I figured that this was the best use of the skill, if any. A blue screen began rolling over Claude's head like a slot machine.

[ Level 4 Random Character Check in progress for Claude Noire ]

Claude studied me, his gaze searching for something, before finally speaking.

"What is the relationship between you and me?" he asked.

I blinked, caught completely off guard. "Come again?"

My eyes moved up toward the Random Checker, hoping for a hint to the bizarre question. Disappointment filled me seeing the notification.

[ NULL. Random Character Checker failed. ]

Damn it. I knew there was a 60% chance of failure, but why now, of all times?

My eyes fell back on Claude as he continued speaking.

"We've known each other before, haven't we? Maybe not on this timeline, but you certainly appear familiar with me," Claude said, his voice calm but probing. "How would you describe our relationship?"

A wave of déjà vu hit me—like the first time I sat down to talk with Chase Daylan at the palace ball. My right eye twitched involuntarily.

Is this guy also insane?

Our relationship? It was nonexistent at best. Leaning on quite poor, given he was partially responsible for the kidnappings of Leona and Fin and was directly responsible for killing a number of individuals I cared about. Not that I even remembered the deaths to feel anything toward him.

"It's… complicated," I replied.

What else was I supposed to reply?

Claude nodded as if that answer made perfect sense to him. "I figured."

Figured what exactly? I wanted to ask but held my tongue. This conversation was already in deeper waters than I liked, and I wasn't sure where it was headed.

"Do you know of any reason why I would want to protect you?" Claude asked.

I stared at him, even more baffled.

"Protect me?" I repeated.

I was not exactly looking for a new bodyguard, especially not in the form of the guy who killed my brother, Grandov, Leona, Leo, and many others in the previous loop.

"Yes. What is so special about you that I would want to protect you? What do I stand to gain?" he asked, his tone serious.

What is this nutcase even going on about? Unless… this a type of threat?

That seemed likely. Gangs in East Genise would knock on your door and offer "protection" in return for a small monthly tax. The unspoken truth was that the protection was from them—unless you paid up, they'd be the ones smashing your head through a wall.

"How in the blazes am I supposed to know?" I replied, irritated. "I'm certainly not interested in paying some 'protection tax' if that's what you mean."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Claude frowned. "I think there's a slight misunderstanding; I'm not looking to harm you. Let me rephrase. What poses a threat to your safety?"

You, I thought immediately, though I kept it to myself.

I frowned, pausing to genuinely consider his question.

What was a threat to my safety? Death wasn't a threat. Not really, anyway. Heck, even torture wasn't that big of a deal. Though it'd be unpleasant in the moment, the Skill 'Ignorance is Bliss' would ultimately kick in and wipe my memory from going insane if someone like The Farmer or The Alchemist ever got their hands on me. I wouldn't even remember it. If anything, having my memory wiped and my intellect drop had the most significant consequence.

"I can't think of anything, honestly," I finally said. "But that might just be my poor memory."

Though, to be frank, even if I had genuine threats that worried me, why would I ever tell them to him?

"Is that so?" Claude crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing as he studied me thoughtfully. "Would you say there's a possibility for a mutually beneficial relationship?"

I opened my mouth to tell him off, but his expression made me pause. His intensity wasn't threatening—it was... expectant like he was genuinely waiting for me to consider his words. I closed my mouth to chew on the idea.

He's serious.

I examined his face again, half-expecting some telltale sign that he was trying to pull something, but there was nothing. It was unsettling how earnest he seemed, considering who he was.

It's ridiculous, but he appears to be genuinely looking to form a partnership.

'Sometimes, a past evil can help curb another more pressing evil.'

My grandmother's words came to mind from Round 8, where I had confronted her about Azgralos having been awakened and kept alive below the villa.

A shiver crept down my spine as Apophis coiled tighter around my upper arm, his cold body pressing against me, while his head stayed still, his purple eyes locked on Claude, tongue flickering in and out.

I'd already struck a deal with one evil, which was already proving itself worthwhile. What stopped me from doing the same with Claude?

Human, don't fall for it!

Leona's voice filled my mind with curses directed at Claude. Given that she was killed by him the previous round, I couldn't really blame her.

However, strangely enough, I didn't harbor the same anger. As despicable and dangerous as I knew Claude Noire to be, I lacked the proper weight of any personal memories that would have otherwise colored my judgment with emotions. All I knew of him was through the System and second-hand accounts. I didn't even remember my loved ones dying.

I continued to chew on the idea.

Wouldn't he be undoubtedly more beneficial as an ally than remaining as a cumbersome enemy? Especially in the war against the Kobar Empire?

Claude's dark gaze lingered on me. "It seems you believe there is a possibility, but you hesitate."

"There are… a few obstacles to overcome," I replied with a laugh. "And that's putting it mildly."

The most glaring obstacle was that Claude Noire was the head of the Spiders Syndicate and deeply entrenched in the mage slave trade. I had a hard time getting past this aspect of him.

With Apophis, the deal didn't weigh on my conscience or values—he was just a powerless snake who previously did horrible things in another realm. He held dangerous information, yes, but he was not running the largest syndicate on the continent that harvested children, subjecting them to excruciating mana enhancement procedures to turn them into magical commodities for sale.

Claude was a different beast altogether.

Striking a deal with him would be like shaking hands with a wolf while trying not to flinch at the piles of corpses nearby.

My eyes wandered toward the literal corpses and remains beside Claude's carriage.

How would I be able to justify the partnership to myself, let alone anyone else? I couldn't simply overlook the evil his syndicate was involved in, even if the partnership could prove pivotal in the war.

Or were my values a sacrifice I would need to make to beat this Game?

Besides my hesitations, there were the people in my life that mattered.

Leona would be the biggest challenge, though I suspected I could bribe her into reluctant cooperation. After having mastered the kitchen, a feast prepared by Arnold would likely soothe some of her fury. There was also Chase Daylan, but I doubted he'd care. As for everyone else Claude had wronged, be it directly or indirectly, they held no memories of their deaths and no lingering hatred. That included Claude himself—with only tattooed messages to inform him of what might have come to pass. The man before me technically had not harmed anyone I cared about, not yet, at least.

I ran a hand through my black hair, staring down at the ground, my thoughts tangled.

But how was I supposed to explain this to Micah?

"Is one obstacle Micah?" Claude guessed, his voice slicing through my spiraling thoughts.

I looked up, startled by his uncanny accuracy, and found myself smiling despite the situation's absurdity.

"Yes," I admitted. "But perhaps something can be worked out there."

Micah was logical and pragmatic. Surely, he'd see the benefit in having a truce—or even a mutually beneficial relationship—with Claude. If anyone could weigh the risks against the potential rewards without letting emotions cloud their judgment, it was him.

Still, the reality of aligning with Claude Noire required serious thought. His power made him a valuable ally, but his baggage was distasteful, to say the least.

I'd have to iron out how to reconcile that aspect if we were going to move forward.

What I couldn't quite wrap my head around, though, was why Claude was even suggesting this. What had shifted from the previous loop that made him think a partnership was even on the table?

"Indeed," Claude offered. "Whatever the obstacles may be, they can certainly be worked out."

He cleared his throat before speaking again in a more casual voice.

"Then, one final question: do you know how I died in the previous round? Or is that something your poor memory has lost?"

I blinked again.

Does he think I'm his personal recordkeeper or something? I had taken on that role to nurture the talents around me, but why was this guy asking for insight? What is the point of all those tattoos?

Should I make something up and mess with him?

I sighed.

Forget it. Keeping track of lies would be a headache, and this situation was already too strange.

"I was there, but I don't remember it," I replied. "You killed my brother, several guards, my bird, and my friend in a self-destruct explosion."

"If you don't remember, how do you know that much?" Claude asked.

"I had others relay to me what had occurred," I replied.

"I see," Claude nodded thoughtfully.

I could have asked the System for additional details, but why should I? This guy wasn't my friend—he wasn't even an acquaintance.

"Very well, let us meet again in Genise in a few days. I have a lot to think over in the meantime," Claude said, seemingly satisfied to end our conversation.

I was thankful for it to end myself, feeling drained from the mind gymnastics I had been put through.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Master Claude, how was your talk?" Beletris asked as he slid inside the carriage.

Claude massaged his jaw.

"Insightful," he murmured.

As he had suspected, Luca Frey was an Awakened. Yet, the most potent element of an Awakened's power, their ability to recall each loop, was compromised. Luca had been present during the previous loop, at the moment of Claude's death, but he didn't remember it.

Moreover, he appeared genuinely taken aback by Claude's proposition to protect him, indicating he either didn't remember or know about Claude's intention to protect him. Claude had enough experience with liars to tell that Luca was being honest, albeit cautious.

What other memories is Luca missing? Could it be related to the message I left for myself?

His fingers absently traced the code scrawled on his arm, etched with frantic urgency.

'Luca Frey is a treasure. Protect him. Save him at all costs.'

Claude realized the tattoo was a puzzle that might take more time and effort to comprehend.

"Dispatch a few people to follow and protect Luca," he ordered. "And make sure they're discreet."

He still didn't understand enough about the threats that Luca might face and why he had to be protected, but he had enough reason to act.

"And while you're at it," Claude continued, his voice sharpening as he turned to Beletris, "dig deeper into his connections—friends, associates... and any birds he keeps."

"Of course," she replied.

He couldn't fathom the importance of the death of a bird, but since Luca mentioned it, there must have been something to it. As for his companions, Beletris' first report claimed that Luca had no friends. But that was clearly wrong. There was someone Luca considered a friend.

And I killed that friend. Why? Why would I eliminate someone close to him if I wanted to build a solid partnership?

Given his tattoo's notes of the prior loop, he could somewhat explain away having killed the dangerous entity called Micah, but not this other individual.

His gaze drifted out the carriage window as they passed Luca and his entourage. Luca stared back at him, with the black snake on his shoulder seemingly hissing into Luca's ear.

"Master Claude, that snake… its eyes. They're purple. Could it be…?" Beletris' words faded off.

Claude's lips curved slightly. He knew she'd catch on as well.

"It is," he confirmed. "Unless there's another black snake with purple eyes, that has to be Apophis."

He had never met the snake personally, but his mother had described it vividly. It had helped his mother craft the runic tattoo, enabling information to pass between loops. Seeing Apophis now perched on Luca's left shoulder was the final confirmation. Even if neither Claude nor Luca remembered the previous loop clearly, their bond ran deeper than either could grasp.

If that snake had sided with Luca, there's no denying it. Our fates are intertwined. Luca Frey must be protected.