)The moment Stranger heard the Grand Guardian's words, he felt a pressure bearing down on him.
Under the Grand Guardian of Avalon's bloodshot, exhausted gaze, Stranger felt his face stiffen.
...Did he kill all of them?
Stranger's pupils widened in fear. He clearly sensed the killing intent that had yet to disperse from the blond knight.
That killing intent was not aimed at him. It lingered in the air like the smoke left behind after a gunshot.
"...If I said I wanted to return, would you kill me?"
After a brief silence, Stranger softly asked in return, "To keep the Stibnite People from obtaining my knowledge and technology... would you kill me here?"
Even he did not know why he had said something so dangerous.
He was not putting on an act, nor speaking sarcastically in an attempt to stay alive. Saying this was undoubtedly equivalent to forcing the Grand Guardian into a corner, which ran counter to his goal of "staying alive."
—He simply wanted to ask.
A strange throb, like some kind of premonition, made him seek an answer to a question even he did not understand.
The Grand Guardian watched him for a while before smiling helplessly.
"No."
The Grand Guardian parted his dry lips, parched from going so long without food or water, and answered with extreme brevity.
"...Why?"
"There is no why... because you are a civilian."
The Grand Guardian stood before the curtain, his posture upright and his gaze calm. "And because I am a knight—I am a knight granted honor by Her Majesty the Queen. I will protect her honor until death.
"I could never attack a civilian, Master Nobel."
At those words, Stranger was faintly moved. He felt lost, yet always sensed that something was missing.
The Grand Guardian's next words made