The Fourth Imperial Princess, Rosaria (1)
After the spies' assassination attempt on Imperial Princess Rosaria failed, the tournament was temporarily suspended. The spies bound a few who confessed their crimes, while the rest were summarily executed on the spot. The panicked students were evacuated to the academy. The royal family was also in a terrible bind. They never imagined an assassination attempt on the princess would happen in front of everyone. It was a massive blow to the empire's prestige.
Yet in the midst of all that, Cian's reputation soared. Countless spectators had witnessed his courageous act of charging alone to save Rosaria, even at the risk of facing an opponent wielding a real sword. And what he had wrapped around that wooden practice sword—it was unmistakably auror. No first-year academy student had ever used auror before. Shocked spectators began spreading rumors that he would have been the champion if the tournament had continued.
But Imperial Princess Rosaria paid no attention to such rumors. Taking care of Cian, who lay on the bed in the infirmary breathing in ragged gasps, was far more important.
Cian couldn't respond to Rosaria's words. Cold sweat poured from every pore of his body.
Suddenly, a voice came from beyond the infirmary door.
The door burst open. It was Hedy. She froze in surprise when she saw Rosaria already inside the room.
Hedy was completely flustered. She could never have imagined that Rosaria—the idol of the masses and an imperial princess—would be nursing Cian. The princess's crimson hair was silky and soft. Whether from excellent care or natural grace, it looked far more pure and delicate than Hedy's own, radiating an almost ethereal beauty.
After a brief moment of panic, she realized she had to answer the princess.
Rosaria turned her gaze back toward Cian. Hedy also approached the bed where he lay.
Seeing that he still hadn't woken up, Hedy's expression grew grave. This was already the second time he'd collapsed in front of her. Just how reckless was this man? When the princess had been in danger, the participants holding wooden swords had only pretended to protect her while hiding behind formalities. Only Cian had charged forward like a madman and saved Imperial Princess Rosaria. How many people in the world would do something like that? Hedy wondered.
Rosaria gently took the hand of the unconscious Cian. At that moment, Hedy flinched.
At those words, Hedy froze. He had saved the princess? And twice, no less? Just what had he been doing in places she knew nothing about?
Watching Rosaria gaze at Cian with an unusual expression while holding his hand, Hedy's pupils trembled with growing unease. She bit her lip hard.
An awkward tension filled the room. Then—
Knock, knock.
Another woman's voice. Who could it be this time?
At Rosaria's reply, the door swung open again.
The woman who entered, her golden hair swaying, gasped sharply upon seeing Cian struggling on the bed.
Rosaria looked around. Somehow, Cian's small infirmary room was now packed with women. One man surrounded by three women. Rosaria muttered quietly to herself.
As if nothing had happened, Rosaria asked Lucy.
While the two were talking, Emile's voice came from outside the door, saying she had brought a priest. Rosaria quickly opened the door. The priest who entered with Emile was an elderly man in his mid-sixties with white eyebrows and a white beard.
The old priest checked Cian's pulse.
Everyone held their breath at the priest's words. He then cast a purification spell on Cian. It was a purification spell that used holy power rather than mana. He was one of the few who could wield the holy power permitted by the goddess Hea. A person one would rarely see unless summoned by Imperial Princess Rosaria's command.
The priest, who carried the aura of an ancient, weathered tree, slowly extended his hand toward Cian's body. A brilliant light bloomed from the center of his palm.
Whoosh—!
Several minutes passed. The sweating priest finally extinguished the radiant light.
Rosaria asked urgently. The priest shook his head weakly.
At that moment—
Cian suddenly sat up with a shout. The startled priest screamed and fell backward, landing hard on his rear.
Everyone stared at Cian in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the situation.
I really thought I was going to die.
My mana had gone into reverse flow, and my body felt horribly polluted. That forbidden dark mana had mixed into my own and tormented my danjeon. Not only that, it had raised the pressure in every blood vessel throughout my body. I thought I was done for.
Good thing I had insurance. Until I handed the magic stone over to Lucy, I had kept it with me. I never gave it to her. After all, without a magic scroll, the stone couldn't be processed anyway—so why would I give it to her? So I held onto it. That decision had been correct. Thank the heavens.
The moment I was overtaken by the dark mana, I focused my will on purifying my mana and touched the magic stone in my pocket. Even after I lost consciousness, my hand slipped away, but the stone continued working through the barrier of my clothes.
It had been as terrible an experience as the malignant enteritis I suffered in middle school back on Earth. Even while unconscious, my insides burned, my mana raged, and my danjeon screamed in agony. But the magic stone slowly stabilized the mana flow in my veins and expelled the dark mana. That's how I regained consciousness.
The first voice I heard upon waking was Hedy's. When I opened my eyes, I was in the infirmary. So she really had been taking care of me. I felt a surge of gratitude.
I turned my head toward the sound. Then—
…Huh?
The room felt strangely packed. A lot of people were staring at me.
…Why did my room turn into a hotspot?
I had expected my only friend Hedy to be here. But there was also Lucy from the Alchemy Club, what looked like a priest, Imperial Princess Rosaria, and even her exclusive knight Emile. The infirmary was as noisy as a crowded bus.
I twisted my body this way and that before speaking to Hedy.
When I answered casually, Hedy understood immediately.
Lucy, who had been listening, cleared her throat with a small hem! All eyes turned to her.
The old man who appeared to be a priest followed Lucy out in a hurry, clutching his back.
Had he hurt his back? How had that happened?
In the blink of an eye, only Rosaria, Emile, me, and Hedy remained. Hedy turned back to me, hands clasped together, and spoke.
Just then, Rosaria spoke from behind us.
Hedy flinched. We both instantly understood the intention behind Rosaria's question. I was about to speak first to clear up the misunderstanding when—
Hedy answered first, her tone firm. Almost too firm. It felt strangely off.
Rosaria slowly approached me. Since I had saved her from the dark mana swordsman once again, perhaps she had been nursing me as a gesture of gratitude. She opened her mouth as if to speak. What could she possibly want to say?
Anyway, if I got any more deeply involved with the heroines… I might end up tangled with strange forces again, just like before. I had resolved to enjoy a comfortable academy life until graduation, but… at this rate, even ten bodies wouldn't be enough.
Whatever she was about to say, I decided to respond appropriately and keep my distance. I prepared myself as Rosaria spoke to me.
But her completely unexpected words left me speechless.