Chapter 175: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (39)
Chapter 175: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (39)
A wet cough escaped me, followed by a spray of blood.
It was the result of failing to withstand the sudden impact. Seeing this, the Saintess’s face turned pale in an instant.
She was someone who had seen countless injuries far worse than this. I wasn't sure why she was so flustered, but judging by her stammering tone, her concern for me was genuine.
“A-A-Are you okay?! I-I really must treat you right now…!”
No, you’re the one who hit me.
The words rose to my throat, but I suppressed them with superhuman patience. I already knew she had done it out of care for me.
Of course, that didn't mean my stubbornness would break.
Shaking my head, I steadied my blood-scented breath.
Another bit of bluffing flowed from my lips.
“There are many people around in worse shape; I can handle this much. I’ve been injured so many times before….”
Then, bracing my arms against the ground, I slowly pushed myself up. My movements were unsteady.
A bitter groan escaped me involuntarily, but it was bearable.
At the very least, it wasn't an injury that rendered me immediately unfit for combat.
As if to show my unyielding fighting spirit, I brushed the dust off my clothes. The Saintess looked at me with an expression that bordered on disbelief.
But even that lasted only a moment. Her trembling, pale pink eyes filled with indignation.
She seemed angry that I was trying to head back to the battlefield without even receiving treatment.
Just as the Saintess was about to burst out in a heated protest—
“Ian!”
With a heavy presence, a large man stood beside me. Landing next to me as if he had flown, he immediately slung my arm over his shoulder.
It was Professor Derek. He asked in a worried voice.
“Are you alright?”
He had originally been at the very front, keeping the demonic beasts at bay. It seemed he had sensed something was wrong when he heard the explosion from the center of the formation.
So, he had rushed straight to the center to stand by my side.
It was a swift response. I thought to myself that he truly lived up to his reputation as a veteran who had survived countless brushes with death.
After contemplating for a moment what answer to give Professor Derek, I had no choice but to open my mouth with a bitter smile.
“……No.”
“Then you can handle it!”
At my honest confession, Professor Derek burst into a hearty laugh. To him, an injury of this level was likely nothing more than 'manageable.'
He was a man who had spent decades hunting demonic beasts while putting his life on the line.
Though I didn't know the details, he must have faced death countless times.
However, Professor Derek hadn't come to find me just out of concern. Soon, his lowered voice revealed the main point.
“Ian, a few brats fled toward the Academy without thinking. I didn't care until now, thinking there were only cats, but if there are demonic beasts capable of aerial movement, the story changes.”
“……The demonic beasts might be following them.”
At my cautious prediction, Professor Derek nodded silently.
It was truly a bizarre coordination.
There were currently two types of cat-like demonic beasts attacking the procession.
The ones that self-destructed, and the ones that suddenly grew large to fight.
These two types of cat-like demonic beasts shared only one thing in common: they both had small bodies before their transformation.
That was why they could be carried and moved by the claws of the crow-like demonic beasts.
Because of that, we had to be on guard against both the ground and the air. Even now, flocks of birds that turned the sky pitch-black were flying toward the Academy.
It was hard to believe it was a mere coincidence. The fact that two different species of demonic beasts were cooperating in the first place made it clear that this attack was abnormal.
There was a mastermind.
I had already confirmed this several times in the letters, but experiencing the attack firsthand made the signs undeniable. Reaching that conclusion, I bit my lip for a moment.
If the demonic beasts were being controlled, they would show more intelligent movements.
Dropping the self-destructing cat-like demonic beasts from the air, as they had just done, was one example. It wouldn't be strange if they tried to pick off the lower-year students who had become a disorganized mess while fleeing.
It was dangerous.
It would be even more so if there were non-combat personnel among those who fled. Someone capable had to head toward the Academy.
On a battlefield where the wounded and civilians had to be protected, not many people could leave. If someone had to go, it had to be a reliable, elite few.
Professor Derek had chosen me as the right person for the job.
“Ian, you have plenty of real combat experience, and your footwork has always been excellent. Hurry and follow them to ensure their safety.”
“What about here?”
Instead of answering, Professor Derek swung his greatsword once.
Since he was supporting me with one shoulder, it was a feat performed with only one arm. With that single motion, countless lines of light were etched into the air.
Then, a surging blood-red light erupted.
The crow-like demonic beasts abruptly gained altitude at the unexpected strike. However, the speed at which the aura's sword-net shredded them was faster.
Screams rang out, followed by a pitter-patter of falling blood and flesh.
At the very least, it seemed we wouldn't have to worry about being caught off guard by the crow-like demonic beasts again. Though, even for Professor Derek, he wouldn't be able to use such a technique indefinitely.
I nodded to the slightly weary-looking Professor Derek and immediately turned around.
Just as I was about to sprint off, the Saintess blocked my path.
Having overheard the conversation between Professor Derek and me, she hurriedly stood up and blocked my way as soon as I prepared to leave.
She spoke to me with a determined look in her eyes.
“N-No… you’re injured! Are you trying to come back in a coma again?! I-I won't allow that….”
At her strangely desperate dissuasion, both Professor Derek and I looked troubled.
I felt I had to leave, but since the Saintess, the priest practically in charge of me, was pleading, it was hard to take a step.
However, the reality was that it was awkward to dispatch anyone else but me right now.
It was difficult to send Elsie, a mage, into a mobile battle where small forces clashed, and Delphine, who was leading the group, could not leave her post.
Of course, Seria was also a skilled Expert, but she was a lower-year student and lacked the necessary presence.
Nor was there enough time to accept the Saintess’s treatment.
Pouring divine power into someone didn't mean they would be perfectly healed instantly.
To recover without any issues, repeated and delicate treatment was essential.
If I were willing to risk side effects, I could receive emergency treatment and head out. It was just that, judging by the Saintess’s current attitude, she didn't seem likely to permit it.
In the end, with a sigh, I pulled a healing potion from my pouch.
I downed it in one go. A faint bitterness touched my tongue, and soon the throbbing pain began to subside.
Even this was only a temporary measure. But at the very least, it should be enough to show my resolve.
Even as I trudged forward, the Saintess remained immovable. Her trembling eyelids betrayed her feelings.
It was fear.
I didn't know what she was afraid of. Only one thing was certain: the Saintess was deeply worried about me right now.
Come to think of it, I had shielded the Saintess twice today.
Once from the first explosion, and once more from the explosion dropped by the crow-like demonic beasts.
Perhaps that was why she was even more concerned about my condition. The Saintess was a person who was more fragile and affectionate than one might imagine.
I had only taken a couple of steps, but the distance between the Saintess and me was now negligible.
The Saintess kept her eyes tightly shut, refusing to look at me. It was a sign that she wouldn't listen to anything I said.
She looked like a wife holding back a husband leaving for war. The poignant scene was enough to make even Professor Derek clear his throat and avert his gaze.
As for the others, they were either rolling on the ground with broken limbs or busy dealing with the swarming demonic beasts, so there was no need to mention them.
It was a relief. No one was watching the Saintess and me.
After gazing at the Saintess with a tender look for a moment, I lowered my head with a sigh.
A low voice escaped my lips.
“……Saintess.”
“N-No!”
The Saintess shook her head with strong resolve. A bitter smile spread across my lips, having expected this.
Faint dewdrops were even clinging to the corners of her eyes.
Naturally, ordinary means of persuasion wouldn't work.
So, I decided to take a special measure.
A squish sensation was transmitted through my finger bones.
My index finger was sinking into a resilient mass of flesh. It was the Saintess’s ‘Pouch of Divine Power.’
I had felt it a few times before, but pressing it with my finger made it even more distinct.
It was a magnificent sensation.
So much so that I wanted to keep doing it if possible.
However, before I could fully enjoy the sensation, the Saintess’s immediate reaction followed.
“H-Hyaaaah?!”
With a strange sound, the Saintess jumped and then took a couple of steps back. Her pale pink eyes went wide.
The Saintess glared at me with an expression colored by shock and bewilderment.
Her mouth hung open for a while, unable to produce words. It was only after a few seconds had passed, even after she saw my regretful expression, that a sound was finally let out.
The Saintess’s shouting soon struck my eardrums.
“A-A-Are you crazy?! T-This is sexual harassment… I’m going to have you hauled before a religious trial!”
She was so humiliated that her face turned bright red, and she even pointed a finger at me.
However, despite her threat that wasn't quite a threat, my expression remained calm.
“What does it matter between us?”
“W-What exactly is 'between us' supposed to be…!”
“A special relationship where, if we go to the Holy Kingdom, you’ll let me touch even your private areas?”
At my sudden revelation, the Saintess immediately covered her mouth. Then, perhaps conscious of the gazes slowly gathering on the two of us, she scurried up to me and whispered.
“……W-Why would you say that in front of others! T-They’ll misunderstand!”
“See, we are in a special relationship.”
I quietly placed both hands on the Saintess’s shoulders.
Though she flinched at first, she soon looked up at me with dumbfounded eyes.
A bitter smile still lingered on my lips. It was a slightly playful smile.
“So, I won't die. I have to go to the Holy Kingdom someday and touch that Pouch of Divine Power too. Don't worry, I'm just… going to slice up some demonic beasts. It’s what I always do.”
“……Though you always end up heavily injured doing that.”
The Saintess’s grumbling retort was close to the truth.
Having no particular words to refute her, I smoothly changed the subject.
“Let’s make a bet.”
As if asking what I meant, the Saintess stared at me.
Her gaze was a mix of worry and embarrassment. I found her quite lovely, but I still had work to do.
I spoke, making an effort to steady my breathing.
“I’ll go and settle everything… the friction with the Imperial Household over the past few weeks, and even the attack by the demonic beasts. All of it.”
“……And if you fail?”
Hearing that tearful voice, I shook my head to reassure her.
“Then you win, Saintess. In that case, I’ll grant you one wish. Instead, if I win, you have to grant me one wish too.”
“What is that even….”
The Saintess asked back with a faint smile, as if she found it absurd.
“What am I supposed to do if you end up dying?”
“Well, I need at least one prize to have the motivation to survive, don't I?”
In the end, the Saintess let out a deep sigh with an expression that said she couldn't stop me.
That was her answer.
I patted the Saintess’s slender shoulders a few times and left her with one last request.
“Saintess, the wounded need you. You mustn't waste your divine power. And especially Her Highness the Princess….”
It was around then that my words, which had been flowing smoothly, came to a sudden halt.
'Her Highness the Princess.' Immediately after uttering those words, my eyes scanned the surroundings in an instant.
She wasn't there.
“Her Highness the Princess….”
The Princess was accompanied by several escort knights. Naturally, she should have stood out even more.
But no matter how much I looked around or retraced my memory, the Princess was not within the formation.
That fact meant only one thing.
The Princess had also left.
In all likelihood, toward the Academy.
“……Son of a bitch.”
A curse escaped my lips involuntarily. The Saintess looked a bit surprised, but I no longer had the luxury of worrying about her.
The 'me' from the future had intentionally contacted the Princess and even splashed her with holy water.
At the very least, it was certain that she was one of the key figures in this attack. To think she had vanished before I knew it—it was utterly absurd.
With the wounded appearing one after another, my mind must have been compromised by the thought of saving them.
Anxious, I left only one sentence as a farewell.
“Let’s talk later. Anyway, when everything is over, come to Versia Palace.”
And without waiting for the Saintess’s answer, I immediately kicked off the ground.
Space compressed in an instant. The surrounding scenery stretched into lines, and my hearing grew quiet.
I had to find and protect the Princess immediately.
That sense of duty was urging me on. An intuition close to instinct constantly sent me warnings.
The Princess is in danger.
That conclusion, which had no basis, was driven into my mind like a wedge.
It was time to save the Princess.