Chapter 162: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (26)
Chapter 162: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (26)
Senior Neris seemed a bit tense, her voice stammering as she began to speak.
“F-first of all, regarding the ‘procession,’ there isn’t much information even if we include the Academy and its surroundings. My conclusion is that there is only one scheduled procession to begin with.”
A strange glint flashed in my eyes at her words.
The fact that there was only one meant she had investigated every single possibility. As she said, she had done her absolute best within the short span of a few days.
A question naturally followed from my lips.
“Only one?”
“Yes, only one. It’s the march that usually takes place during the ‘Homecoming Festival,’ an annual event at the Academy.”
The moment I heard ‘Homecoming Festival,’ a bolt of lightning seemed to strike my brain.
Right, I had forgotten.
After final exams are over, the Academy has a grace period of about two weeks until the grades are announced.
Once the results are out, the students gather in groups to form lines. They then hold an event where they march from the Academy to the downtown area—this was the ‘Homecoming Festival.’
This festival officially marked the end of a semester at the Academy.
It was an event that held many meanings.
When grades were posted, those who failed were also announced, and they had to leave the beloved Academy and return home in loneliness.
It was a final chance for those failing students and their friends to look back on their memories at the Academy. At the same time, it was the day when the top and second-ranked students of each department revealed themselves to the public.
Since it was such an important event, it was a rule that not only students but also many professors participated in the Homecoming Festival. Furthermore, the path leading from the Academy to the city was a main avenue.
While that march could certainly be called a ‘procession,’ there was a reason I hadn't immediately thought of the Homecoming Festival when I saw the letter.
Even for the Dark Cult, the idea of attacking a procession with such terrifying military strength in such an open space was hard to imagine.
Was it not a march involving thousands of current students and professors? To exaggerate slightly, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage even if they went up against an entire legion.
To attack a procession of that scale, a massive force to match would be indispensable. And this wasn't simply a matter of possibility or impossibility.
It was a matter of whether it was worth it.
If Senior Neris’s information was correct, it meant that the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ mentioned by the sender was worth that much.
As my gaze deepened, Senior Neris quickly continued.
“And there is no proper information regarding a dugout. The only thing worth noting is the news that several mysterious tunnels were recently discovered on the outskirts of the city.”
“What’s the scale?”
Senior Neris glanced into my eyes as if trying to read my intentions. She immediately gave an answer with an expression of realization.
“They aren't large enough for a person to enter.”
She was certainly quick on the uptake.
Nevertheless, I clicked my tongue upon hearing that.
According to the letter, it seemed something had happened between me and the sender inside that dugout.
Therefore, if it was the ‘dugout’ mentioned in the letter, it had to be large enough for a person to fit inside.
If it was a hole that a human couldn't even enter, there was no need to even consider it.
My expression grew grave again. The ‘dugout’ seemed like a crucial piece of information, but I hadn't found a single clue about it.
Senior Neris seemed to grow even more flustered as my mood soured.
Of course, it wasn't entirely her fault. The efficiency would have been better if I had provided conditions that could narrow down the information more specifically.
I belatedly added more criteria.
“Look for a dugout large enough for a person to enter. And don't just look for new ones; search for every single dugout out there, whether they're hidden or public.”
“……I will do as you say.”
Senior Neris bowed her head immediately without talking back.
Her attitude was now as if she were my subordinate. Whether that feeling came from the heart was debatable, though.
I couldn't read the eyes of the bowing Neris.
However, she moistened her dry lips with her tongue and brought up the final piece of information as if it were the most important.
“And about the information on the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ you mentioned….”
As she was speaking, Neris’s movements came to a dead halt.
At first, I wondered what was wrong, but after a moment, I realized the reason.
It was the presence of others.
They were approaching as cautiously as they could, but they couldn't deceive the senses of Neris, who belonged to the Intelligence Bureau, or my own senses, which had become exceptionally sharp lately.
There were two of them. Neris went a step further and deduced their identities.
“……It seems to be the Fifth Princess and her escort knight.”
The Fifth Princess would be Cien, and her escort knight would be the one named ‘Irene.’
I had an ill-fated bond with both of them.
To be honest, I didn't hold any personal malice toward them, but the Princess and I were currently in opposition. The fact that it was awkward to run into them remained unchanged.
Senior Neris was staring at me blankly, as if asking what I was going to do.
Even without her saying it, I knew there were only two options.
Should I show the Dragon Blood Runes and reveal my identity, or should I keep deceiving them and move on?
My mouth clamped shut. I fell into thought for a moment.
The former was a means to resolve all these problems immediately.
If I revealed the Dragon Blood Runes and explained that what happened that day was actually for the Princess’s sake, the misunderstanding would be cleared, and all the blades pointed at me would be withdrawn.
But there were two points that held me back from choosing the former.
First, the more people who knew I possessed the Dragon Blood Runes, the greater the danger would inevitably become.
The Princess was especially dangerous.
Unlike Senior Neris, she held a status that allowed her to inquire directly with the Emperor without going through a reporting system.
And second, according to the letter, I had endured the misunderstanding and stigma without saying a word until the very last moment.
Why on earth?
It was reasonable to infer that there must have been a reason why I had to do so.
While I was lost in thought, Senior Neris spoke to me urgently.
“If you are seen with me, they might become suspicious of your identity. You should leave this spot now or….”
“It’s already too late.”
I said in a nonchalant voice.
My Qi sense was telling me. They were already moving with certainty toward the direction we were in.
Hiding now would only arouse more suspicion.
Then, Senior Neris asked me again with doubt etched in her eyes.
“But if it becomes so blatantly known that the Newspaper Club is siding with you instead of Her Highness….”
“We just have to give them a reason for that.”
A reason why the Newspaper Club would have no choice but to take my side, even if I wasn't the Agent of the Evil God.
When Senior Neris’s expression turned blank, I asked her.
“Neris, are you good at screaming?”
“Pardon? What do you mean by….”
It was then that the presence of the Princess and her escort knight reached the immediate vicinity.
Senior Neris was startled and urged me.
“Ian! You must leave quickly….”
“Neris.”
And at the very moment the Princess and the knight barely pushed through the bushes.
Thwack. The sound of an axe blade digging into raw flesh rang out.
Senior Neris’s eyes flew wide at the sudden strike, and she let out a scream.
“Ugh, k-aaaahhhhh!”
As the woman’s body collapsed, staggering, a vivid terror now dwelt in Senior Neris’s eyes.
I knelt down to meet her gaze.
“……I told you not to question me.”
At those words, which I must have said at some point, Senior Neris’s face began to turn deathly pale.
She immediately bowed her head, as if forgetting that someone was watching. A trembling voice flowed from her lips.
“P-please, forgive me….”
It was a brilliant performance.
I smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
Senior Neris’s acting skills, in particular, were outstanding. It almost looked as if she were truly terrified of me.
Even though I had given her a heads-up before striking with the axe, and the blade hadn't gone deep enough to crush the cartilage.
She’s a useful one, I thought, upgrading my evaluation of Senior Neris by one level.
She was someone worth visiting often in the future.
* * *
Neris barely suppressed her sobbing.
Nightmares of the past flashed by one after another.
The stinging scent of alcohol being poured over her burning body, the humiliation of bowing her head while drenched in mop water, and the hand axe that had shattered her shoulder joint in a single blow.
Neris hated Ian.
She never wanted to see his face again.
No, she wanted to kill him.
If she could, she wanted to assassinate him, but the opponent was the owner of the Dragon Blood Runes. Resistance was impossible for Neris.
That fact gifted her a terrible sense of helplessness.
Neris hated Ian. Truly.