Frozen Milk was carried by Prota and didn't realise anything that was going, however, his OP characters immediately became aware of the soldiers.
Glimpse Water walked to Oppoa and Vil and whispered, "Hey, hey, what's going on? Ain't you the crown prince? Why they being so hostile?"
Vil was also confused if he was honest but he kept a straight face, he couldn't lose his reputation like this. But he still wondered if he did anything wrong, the last time he was in the main castle he definitely parted on good terms with everyone, so what did he do?
Oppoa on the other side was way too excited, "This is good. Fabulous! Exactly what I wanted!"
This fighting maniac had his brain divided up in his hands.
However, as they continued through the jungle towards the castle, the soldiers just followed them jumping from tree to tree without taking any actions, yet there was something wrong.
Even Frozen Milk sensed it and looked at Prota and the others, "What's wrong?"
The atmosphere turned tense all of a sudden, how could he not recognise? He just closed his eyes for a bit and whoops, sinister sensations tried to enter his pores.
Were they fighting again? It didn't seem so but they were all alert. Frozen Milk might be stupid but he was sharp when it came to reading other people, so he immediately knew they were acting strange.
"Nothing's wrong, go back to sleep," Prota coaxed Frozen Milk.
Frozen Milk almost believed him and almost fell for Prota's gentle face. Frozen Milk shook his head, no he was straight. As straight as a 90-degree angle would be... wasn't he just digging his own grave deeper at this point?
Frozen Milk was really a sucker for beauty. His characters were too attractive, too attractive! He shouted that a hundred times but he still couldn't believe people like this existed, especially not coming from his own hands!
"Host."
Frozen Milk already wondered why his system didn't give its two cents.
"What?"
"Host might have noticed already the hiding people in the trees following you since you have entered the centre."
Frozen Milk gulped. He didn't! He absolutely didn't! Screw this! How was he this weak? He was above average!
So, this was what his characters were worrying about. This was why they all turned solemn.
Frozen Milk looked around, up in the trees but for the love of his own belief for his strength, he couldn't sense or see anyone.
Frozen Milk curled up into a ball in Prota's arms and wanted to cry out all of his pain. This was not fair...
"It's ok, it's ok," Prota thought Frozen Milk was too tired and threw a tantrum.
If Frozen Milk could read Prota's thought, he would've taken him by the ears and beat the coaxing out of him. He was treating Frozen Milk as a kid? This old man here?
Frozen Milk looked in front of him and saw how GLimpse Water walking with Vil and Oppoa. They were constantly whispering something.
Frozen Milk felt this sight was too funny and wished he would've had a camera so he could capture this moment and use it whenever they would start to bicker again.
However, not everything could be this easy and he didn't knew of the record function his system had and his system, who always loved to read Frozen Milk's mind, didn't mention anything because it truly lived off Frozen Milk's pain and embarrassment.
Frozen Milk thought it was unusually quiet around him and looked back, then he looked to the left and right, made a 180 degree and almost completed a 360 degree in Prota's arms, when Prota couldn't properly hold Frozen Milk anymore,
"What's wrong, Frozen Milk?"
Frozen Milk jumped off Prota's arm and froze.
Vil, Glimpse Water and Oppoa also turned around as Prota called out to them because Frozen Milk refused to move.
"Father?"
Frozen Milk turned to them and then finally choked out the words, "Where's Holbe?"
"Right-" Prota pointed next to him but stopped.
She wasn't.
She was nowhere to be found.
"Shit," Glimpse Water cursed.
"Did they take her?" Frozen Milk referred to the soldiers he couldn't sense but were apparently in the trees.
No one said anything. How could they be so careless? How could they not notice that Holbe disappeared? Were they this weak? Were the opponents this strong? How could they face Frozen Milk after this?
Holbe wasn't weak by any means, if she was kidnapped, she would've put up any resistance or at least made any noises but she just disappeared like that.
No sound. No fight. Nothing.
Only silence.
This frightened Frozen MIlk. He was so sure that his characters were the strongest. The existence of the presence was already unsettling but now there were others that were even stronger than his main characters?
Where did they come from? How did they appear and how was this possible?
No way, was this another one of Glimpse Water's creations?
"System?" Frozen Milk used his last resort.
"She was indeed captured, host."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
System remained silence. Frozen Milk could swear he saw a flash of regret if the system had a face.
"You!" Frozen Milk was bursting with anger, "How often, how often should I tell you vile system to not fight with the other system! Everyone knows you're superior! Isn't this trope too overused now? Read the atmosphere!"
"I apologise, host."
Frozen Milk had no right to get angry at his system because he also didn't realise anything and just comfortably laid in Prota's arms.
"Your soldiers took them."
Frozen Milk's words switched a handle in Vil's mind.
No, if Frozen Milk said it like this then he was putting the blame on Vil and Vil didn't like this. He felt bad and guilty. He needed to get rid of this feeling. It wasn't his fault.
Frozen Milk obviously didn't mean it like this, he just wanted to clarify. He would never pin the fault onto anyone but himself but the words were already spoken and couldn't be taken back.
In an instant, Frozen Milk felt a murderous aura again. It was familiar and came from Vil. Frozen Milk gulped, did he say anything wrong? Was his demise near?
Yet the killing intent wasn't directed to Frozen Milk. Vil jumped into the trees and within a second he brought down the soldiers hiding and slammed them into the ground.
Frozen Milk was shocked at the sight. Vil showed no mercy to his soldiers. Blood dripped from their heads and they coughed violently.
"Where is she?" Vil had no patience and used even more force.
Oppoa wanted to join in on the fun but Glimpse Water held him back. Any more and the whole street would collapse and they'd fall into the jungle where the animals were just waiting to eat them.
Yet Vil didn't care and applied more pressure. The whole air surrounding them turned to a suffocating smoke and Prota shielded Frozen Milk to make it easier for him to breathe.
"Don't make me repeat again, where is she?"
"C-Castle," the soldiers were able to choke out and afterwards were thrown down.
"Let's go," Vil had an overbearing aura and marched forward.
Along the way, he and Oppoa tore down each soldier in the tree and they all landed down at the bottom of the jungle fending for their own lives.
Of course, they were strong enough not to die.
Meanwhile, at the castle, another handsome youth with honey blond hair and diamond eyes awaited the arrival of a messenger.
The messenger bowed before the youth and said, "The crown prince has indeed fallen for the trap. It seems like he's coming for the beauty."
The handsome youth took a glass of wine his servant poured him and smiled. The smile was blinding and too beautiful,
"Good. Let him come. I will await him eagerly. I've never thought my dear brother would one day protect someone. Especially not,"
he poured the wine over the female lying in front of him and then got out of his chair,
"A beauty like this."
He caressed Holbe's hair and chuckled.