Chapter 156: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (20)
Chapter 156: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (20)
The floorboards shattered, and a cloud of dust rose into the air.
Perhaps because I’d been stabbed in the shoulder, the strain on my body felt even heavier than before. After slamming Senior Neris down with all my might, I stumbled back, my steps unsteady.
My hand reached up and roughly yanked the dagger from my shoulder, tossing it aside. Blood poured from the wound, and a groan escaped through my gritted teeth.
My vision was blurring. The effect of the anesthetic was more potent than I’d anticipated.
And it might have been my imagination, but my strength was failing. The drug seemed to be spreading faster by the second. Panting, I reached down and retrieved my fallen hand axe.
I had to end this now. Surely, Senior Neris couldn't have come out of that unscathed.
However, to my surprise, Senior Neris merely burst into a fit of delighted laughter.
“Ahahahaha! Pfft, ha… ha, ahahaha…!”
A chill ran down my spine.
Though a hint of a stagger remained, the fact that she could laugh meant she had already regained her senses.
The impact of ‘Moon Reversal’ was devastating; normally, once hit, it should be impossible to stand for quite some time. The shockwave was supposed to paralyze every muscle in the body. Yet here was Senior Neris, wobbling slightly but already pushing herself back up.
Senior Neris coughed, spitting out a glob of blood. It was only a small amount, though.
Her green eyes shimmered with an intrigued light. For a moment, I felt as if I were staring into a pool of pure poison.
“H-how… how long has it been since someone got me like that? My head is spinning! It’s actually quite refreshing, Junior.”
I let out a hollow, breathless laugh. The mere fact that she was standing was proof enough that the technique hadn't landed perfectly.
But how? The question left me dazed, my gaze turning vacant.
Senior Neris smirked and pulled another dagger from her robes. Again.
Only then did I realize where those daggers were coming from.
“…An Expanded-Space Pocket? You had something like that attached to your uniform?”
At my voice, thick with disbelief, Senior Neris simply wore a peculiar smile.
Even a simple pouch made with that magic was so expensive that most nobles couldn't afford one. To have one integrated into the inner pocket of a small uniform… even a rough estimate suggested an astronomical cost.
It was undeniable proof that the Imperial Household had money to burn.
Senior Neris spoke again, her voice having regained its composure.
“I have over a hundred daggers left, Junior. Shall we start for real now?”
I muttered a curse under my breath and resumed my stance.
But my body felt strangely heavy. My vision was blurring even further.
I managed to steady my swaying frame and tightened my grip on the hand axe.
That was when Senior Neris lunged.
Her dagger traced a pitch-black line as it swung down. I tried to parry it with my axe.
Clang!
With the screech of metal on metal, my hand axe slipped and was knocked aside.
That shouldn't be possible, I thought, but in that split second—
Thud!
Neris’s kick slammed into my solar plexus.
I was sent flying through the air. The heavy impact was enough to make me lose consciousness for a fleeting moment.
Before I knew it, I had crashed into the desk where Senior Neris usually performed her duties. My head was spinning violently.
I exhaled a ragged breath. Slowly, I lifted my arm, opening and closing my hand repeatedly.
The strength I wanted wasn't there. It was a familiar sensation, though.
It was the feeling of not being able to use mana.
“It’s venom from a poisonous insect found in the Great Southern Forest.”
Senior Neris kindly provided the explanation. I looked up at her blankly.
“It interferes with the flow of mana, making it impossible to use for a while. Isn't it amazing? To think a naturally evolved creature could produce such a precise toxin…”
“…You certainly have a fondness for poisons.”
It was a simple observation.
A poison that disrupted mana flow—I’d heard of such things, but their price was exorbitant. It wasn't the kind of thing one would waste on the second son of a rural viscount.
And my condition was particularly poor because of it.
Once the flow of mana was bound, the anesthetic I had been suppressing with my mana was free to spread through my system. That was why my mind felt so hazy.
Senior Neris didn't hide her joy. She flashed a cute smile and said, “Yes, I love them. It’s a bit underhanded, but it’s great for crushing an opponent, don't you think? Especially since I have a bit of a hobby—trampling over stuck-up nobles.”
Staggering, I tried to force myself up.
I had to settle this somehow. My body was moving on nothing but pure competitive instinct.
But the moment I stirred, another dagger pierced my thigh.
Blood trickled down. I didn't even scream.
I simply noted, with detached indifference, that a blade had torn through my flesh.
The pain was dull. It was proof that the anesthetic had already saturated my entire body.
My body slid back down, propped against the desk.
“Living as a commoner, I saw all sorts of disgusting things… It was pathetic, really, especially the nobles. But my fortunes turned when I was recruited into the Imperial Intelligence Agency.”
Senior Neris walked over and knelt slightly, bringing her eyes level with mine. Her face was twisted in a sneer, but I couldn't even lift a hand.
An unmasked euphoria was spreading through her eyes.
“All those hideous secrets people can't tell others… I collected them, categorized them, and used them for blackmail. It was for the sake of the Imperial Household, of course, but it felt wonderful. People who looked down on me as a commoner just a while ago started groveling at my feet… Pfft, can you imagine how good that looked?”
My mana was freezing up. It was becoming harder and harder to hold onto the threads of consciousness.
The feeling that I might just slip away at any moment.
Regardless, Senior Neris’s voice continued to bore into my hazy ears.
“I wonder what kind of screams the famous ‘Hand Axe Young Master’ will let out? I’m really looking forward to it… and finding out who gave you information about our branch. Was it Yurdina? Lainella’s rank is still too low to know about us…”
Her rambling began to sound like a lullaby.
My head slumped forward. Just as I was about to drift into a heavy sleep—
“…Ian Percus.”
The solemn voice of an old man echoed in my ears.
Startled, I snapped my eyes open and lifted my head. I found myself kneeling inside an antique, high-class bedroom.
A luxurious bed sat across from me. Upon it, a withered old man was struggling to sit up, staring at me.
He looked deathly ill.
His gaunt face, with sunken cheeks, looked frail. Even the arms resting outside the covers were skeletal. Anyone looking at him would immediately think of death.
But his eyes were piercing.
It felt as if all the old man’s life force had been sucked into those pupils. In the dim lighting, his blue irises burned alone.
He was a born ruler. My head bowed instinctively before his majesty.
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor of the Empire. I didn't know why, but I already knew this old man’s identity.
“How is the front line lately?”
“As you know, it is not good. However, I will ensure the final line of defense never falls. As long as I am alive, they will never cross the Great Wall.”
“As long as you are alive, indeed…”
I kept my mouth shut. I couldn't guarantee anything beyond that.
The world was already on the brink of destruction.
All six Masters had perished. The army of Omeros, led by Delphirem, had surrounded the Great Wall and continued their invasion day after day.
Everyone had their limits. I was no exception.
“Hehe… How absurd. Is the centuries-long history of the Empire to end like this? No, that is not it. The history of humanity itself is nearing its end.”
I wanted to offer some formal words of comfort, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Vain hope was worse than death.
The old man’s eyes turned toward me once more.
“Ian Percus… Humanity’s last Master, and my loyal subject.”
The voice coming from his mouth grew increasingly raspy. It meant the end was near. I could feel the traces of life flickering out from his aged frame.
Sensing this, my gaze took on a mournful depth.
“I shall pass the Dragon Blood Runes on to you.”
“But, Your Majesty. The Dragon Blood Runes are the prerogative of the Emperor. You must pass them to the next Emperor…”
“Does any of that still matter?”
The words I’d rushed to speak were instantly scattered by that single sentence.
That was the reality.
The Empire that once boasted brilliant power, and the throne that symbolized its peak, no longer held any meaning.
The old man continued in a calm tone.
“…Instead, I wish to leave you with one request.”
I didn't open my mouth again.
When I looked up and met the old man’s eyes once more, my soul was overwhelmed by those piercing blue flames.
The master of the throne, who bore the weight of centuries of Imperial history, issued his final command.
“Ian Percus.”
I hurriedly lowered my head. it was the highest mark of respect a subject could show his sovereign.
The old man had to be the Emperor until the moment he died. At least, he was to this man.
Along with those burning blue eyes, a voice that would remain lodged in my heart forever struck my ears.
“…Save the world.”
With that simple sentence, the blurred boundaries collapsed.
That was when my consciousness surged back to reality.