[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 36

That thought weighed heavily on him, even disregarding the fact that a basilisk had appeared in the forest. As soon as the fire was lit, the girl began to speak as if a dam had burst. 

"Hey, we should introduce ourselves. We can’t keep calling each other ‘hey’ until we get out of here. We’re going to be stuck together until we’re out of the forest anyway. Come to think of it, trying to run away in Nabimi Forest is pointless. You’re right; it would be a loss for both you and me." 

"......" 

"Would you like it if I kept calling you an ungrateful kidnapper?" 

"......" 

"What’s with the serious look? Who said we had to use our real names? We can use fake names if you want." 

Jade tried to ignore the girl who kept pressing him for a response. It was strange. Even though she was the one tied up, and he was the one holding the reins, why did he feel like he was serving a master? It must have something to do with this ominous feeling. 

He was beginning to suspect that he had gotten himself involved with someone far more important than he had anticipated. 

And it wasn’t just baseless paranoia. 

First of all, this girl knew too much for someone from an ordinary family. She had cursed at him in five different languages, one of which Jade couldn’t even identify. 

Second, she treated him with blatant disrespect. Yet Jade couldn’t find it in himself to argue with her. It was as if her natural arrogance commanded deference from anyone, just as someone who had never had to show respect in their life might inspire others to bow their heads. 

He had figured she must be a noble, but he thought she was just some insignificant lady from a minor branch of a noble family, someone who had been discarded to the East. 

And finally... 

As the girl tore into the roasted bird he had offered her, Jade forced himself to speak. 

"...Miss." 

"Are you finally going to tell me your name?" 

"No. What was in that candy you gave me?" 

That strange candy she had given him. Even Jade, who knew little about magic, could tell that it was something far beyond the cheap concoctions sold by backwoods healers or eccentric magicians living in shacks in the East. 

The moment he put the candy in his mouth, the basilisk couldn’t find them, even though they were right under its nose. The snake seemed to be fuming with rage as it thrashed through the swamp, unable to locate them. 

The monster bit into its own tongue, lashed the water with its long tail, and caused a commotion before finally disappearing. 

A potion that could hide you from a monster's sight... He had never heard of such a thing. If he could carry dozens of those candies in his pocket, being a mercenary wouldn’t be so tough. 

It had to be something made by a high-ranking wizard. How much would it cost to get something like that? 

Cursing Beatrice in his mind, Jade considered the worst possible outcomes. He could succeed and be dragged off as a high-profile kidnapper, only to be executed in front of the palace, or he could fail and end up a beggar in the East after all his contracts were terminated. Damn, both options were equally terrible. 

"I told you, it’s valuable. It hides you from monsters." 

"Who gave it to you?" 

"William Bryce." 

Jade was stunned by her casual reply. William Bryce was the master of the Magic Tower and the most powerful wizard in the Empire. He was a man who had everything—money, fame, and power. Since he lacked nothing, he rarely shared the results of his research outside the tower. 

Jade instinctively grabbed a weapon and pointed it at her, momentarily forgetting that she was still bound. 

"Are you related to him?" 

"...I know him, but not like that." 

She hesitated, realising her mistake. 

"Are you a wizard?" 

"No, I just know him." 

If she were a wizard, everything would make sense. William Bryce was as cold as ice, but he was fiercely protective of his bloodline. He would bring even an orphan from the farthest reaches of the continent to the tower if they had a drop of magical blood. 

Damn, not only was he a wanted man now, but he might also have the Magic Tower after him. 

"I’m not a wizard!" 

Did she expect him to believe that? 

"Prove it." 

"You crazy bastard! How am I supposed to prove that I’m not a wizard when I’m not even saying I am?" 

Jade thought for a moment and realised it was a ridiculous demand. It’s easy to prove you are something, but proving you’re not is another story. 

"My younger sibling’s father is a wizard, and my sibling is also a wizard. But I’m not." 

"Your sibling is a wizard, but you’re not? How does that make sense?" 

She frowned and retorted. Jade quickly realised that his question was foolish. All his brothers had the same father, but that was a rarity in the Mihadas Empire. Well, if she were a wizard, she would’ve used magic to fight back by now. He gave up on pressing further. 

He wanted to pry more into her identity, especially with her connection to the Master of the Tower, but it was clear she wasn’t going to give him any more answers.