Chapter 180: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (44)
Chapter 180: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (44)
The Princess could not shake a lingering sense of dread.
This remained true even as she entered the secret escape route, known only to the Imperial family, accompanied by her guard knights.
The tunnel located beneath Versia Palace remained sturdy despite the passage of centuries. Luminescent stones emitting a faint orange glow scattered a clear, soft light.
There were hundreds of these lights stretched along the seemingly endless path.
It was a testament to the immense effort the Imperial Household had poured into creating and maintaining this tunnel—though even Cien, a member of that very family, could not fathom the reason why.
After all, it was merely a tunnel.
If they had wanted to create a secret space, it would have been more rational to undertake a more formal construction project. Yet, it was hardly a haphazardly formed space; traces of meticulous care were evident everywhere.
Meanwhile, on the surface, hundreds of demonic beasts were tearing through the Academy.
There was no time for idle musing. Nevertheless, the Princess found herself summoning her anxieties out of habit.
Something was wrong.
To begin with, the fact that over a hundred demonic beasts had been stationed around the Academy was bizarre. It meant that no one had noticed their presence.
Furthermore, the beasts that had ambushed the Homecoming Festival procession seemed different from ordinary ones.
Beasts that pretended to be stray cats at first, only to suddenly self-destruct or swell in size to fall upon people...
Though the Princess had access to all sorts of information, she had never heard of such creatures.
Above all, she could read no emotion from them.
To be more precise, she could feel emotions, but not a shred of hostility or murderous intent. No matter how much of a master of emotional control one might be, it was only natural to reveal aggression right before an attack.
But the beasts that struck the Academy were different.
Far from showing any signs before the ambush, they didn't show even a ripple of emotion during the heat of battle. It felt more like watching a stray cat enjoying a leisurely stroll.
They bared their teeth and swung their claws, yet their hearts were no different than when they were sunbathing.
That point frightened her more than anything.
Vision was power.
Human history began with observation.
That which can be seen can be controlled, and that which can be controlled can be possessed. Thus, Cien both loathed and loved her eyes with a passion.
It was because they allowed her to manipulate the emotions of others.
But the limits of that ability had just been exposed.
This was why the Princess could not keep her composure following the sudden raid. Usually so dignified, she found herself unable to cast off her anxiety.
Spasmodically, Cien’s pale gray eyes scanned her surroundings.
Every time she did, she felt the waves of emotion surrounding her.
Tension, nervousness, and even goodwill toward the Princess, along with a faint internal conflict, were caught in her sight.
This was normal.
At the very least, no one among them harbored hostility toward her. she tried to soothe herself, telling herself it was a vain worry.
Yes, these were people she had handpicked to ensure she was surrounded only by those she could trust.
There was no need to worry about betrayal.
Perhaps noticing Cien’s unease, a beautiful female knight with blue hair spoke up cautiously.
"Your Highness, is something bothering you?"
As if that question were a signal, the group’s gaze focused on the Princess.
They, too, had been inwardly gauging her mood. She was the one they had to protect, the woman with the noblest blood in this place.
Cien gave a bitter smile at the anxiety faintly leaking out from them.
As their superior, she had caused them unnecessary worry.
Determined not to let it show anymore, Cien shook her head and spoke.
"No... I was just a little startled. More importantly, how much further do we have to go?"
Irene, who had served the Princess for a long time, looked a bit suspicious.
But if the Princess said so, then so it was; a guard knight had no room for rebuttal. She soon closed her eyes and estimated the distance they had traveled.
It didn't take long for an answer to flow from Irene’s lips.
"I believe we have reached the one-third mark. If you wish, we can continue straight ahead, or we can take a rest. There may still be remnants of the demonic beasts outside the tunnel, after all."
The Princess fell into thought for a moment upon hearing those words.
The location of this tunnel was a secret anyway. Even if someone knew of it, it would likely only be the successors of the Five Great Noble Families who had been hinted of its existence.
There was no way the demonic beasts would have information about this place.
In that case, it might be better to rest just in case.
If they left the tunnel too early, they might get swept up in the chaos outside. Though the beasts were numerous, the Academy’s military strength was not to be underestimated.
She judged that the situation would surely settle down after some time.
Having made her decision, the Princess spoke in a calm voice.
"……Then let us rest here. Not for too long, but we should set off after catching our breath for a moment."
At those words, the guard knights let out sighs of relief.
They had just reached the point where they could taste the sweetness of exhaustion in their breath. They were the ones who had not only broken through the path to the Academy at high speed but had also cut down numerous demonic beasts.
No matter how strong they were as Experts, they couldn't help but be exhausted.
The Head Maid, who had once been an Imperial intelligence agent but had long since retired, was the same.
She let out a long breath and trudged forward with a weary face.
Her steps were headed toward Irene.
Since the two shared the commonality of being the Princess’s closest confidants, they often gathered their opinions together before making suggestions to her.
This was also part of the process of maintaining a clear hierarchy.
The subordinates would deliberate to decide on a plan, and the Princess would only decide on the approval or rejection of that agenda.
Because it was a familiar routine, the Princess soon turned her attention away from the two of them.
Yes.
And so, Cien’s perception remained detached from reality for a while.
Phut.
The sound of blood spurting rang out.
For a split second, the Princess failed to react to the auditory stimulus. She merely cast a languid gaze toward the source, wondering what was happening.
No, it wasn't just the Princess.
Everyone gathered there was unable to react.
Even Irene, who had a dagger buried in her shoulder, merely stared blankly at the woman in front of her as if she couldn't even feel the pain.
A black-haired woman with a weary face.
Not a hint of hostility or murderous intent could be felt in her eyes. That dissonance was stripping away the sense of reality from the Princess and the rest of the group.
In her hand, which moved with a mechanical creak, threads made of mana were already forming.
"Head... Maid...?"
Irene stammered the question while clutching her shoulder.
Her bond with the woman was quite long. It must have been years by now.
Irene knew. She knew how much affection and loyalty the Head Maid harbored for the Princess.
The Head Maid merely tilted her head as if wondering what was wrong.
"Yes, Sir Irene? Is something the matter?"
There was no hesitation in her nonchalant attitude.
Irene looked down at her dripping shoulder once, then back at the Head Maid. The Head Maid’s face showed no sign that she felt anything was amiss.
That was why it was so strange. Irene felt a sudden, piercing chill.
Her instincts began to scream.
Irene immediately moved her remaining hand to the hilt of her sword. Then, she barked at the guard knights who were still sitting there dazed.
"Subdue her at once! Get Her Highness to safety!"
"Pardon? What do you mean by—"
The Head Maid still wore an expression as if she had no idea what Irene was talking about.
Regardless, Irene drew her sword in a single motion.
An azure aura, resembling the color of her hair, left a trail in the air. The Head Maid evaded the strike like duckweed floating on water.
Then came the natural follow-up: a dance of threads.
As the Head Maid’s body spun twice, the mana threads formed in her hands moved in complex patterns. Rising on the rebound force, the white strings burrowed into Irene’s shoulder like snakes.
It was a technique she had never seen before, but Irene could roughly guess its roots.
The Imperial Intelligence Agency handled all sorts of bizarre armaments. She had heard that among them were agents who had mastered the art of fighting without any weapons at all.
This must be the skill the Head Maid possessed back when she was in her prime.
However, Irene’s physical abilities, having reached the level of Expert years ago, were at their peak. She was not at a level where she would be pushed back by a retired agent.
Yes, that was certainly how it should have been.
But the moment the mana threads coiled around her sword, Irene felt something strange.
The flow of mana that should have been coursing through her meridian points had stagnated.
Before the thought of why could even form—
The mana threads coiling up her sword slid onto her arm.
And then, with a sickening crunch, the sensation of bone being crushed turned her mind white.
"Guh, aaaaagh!"
"Sir Irene!"
While Irene gritted her teeth to suppress her scream, the guard knights, having regained their footing, lunged forward instantly.
The charge of trained knights was like a cannonball.
In particular, if multiple knights charged while forming a complex web of blades, there were few experts who could withstand such a chain of attacks.
But the Head Maid did it.
The method was simple.
A single mana thread, wriggling as it rose, touched the ankle of one of the guard knights.
That was all.
Starting from the ankle, the guard knight’s body began to swell grotesquely. The knight seemed completely unaware of the change occurring in his own body.
It happened in a mere heartbeat.
Before the knights' onslaught could even reach the Head Maid, a storm of light and heat swept through the tunnel.
BOOM!
The roar shook their eardrums a moment later.
With screams, the guard knights were blown back. The knight who had served as the medium for the bomb turned into a spray of blood and fell to the ground in droplets.
Even then, the Head Maid’s expression remained perfectly nonchalant.
With a face that seemed to truly not understand what had just happened, her hand fired several poison needles.
Thwack, thwack. The needles buried themselves into the meridian points of the groaning guard knights.
"Guh... ugh..."
Normally, they should have been able to slowly stand up even after taking a direct hit from the explosion, but the knights who were struck by the poison needles could only twitch, unable to move their bodies at all.
Irene’s consciousness began to fade.
Her mana was frozen as if it had hardened, and she finally lost her strength and fell to her knees.
Her gasping breath was ragged.
Fixing the Head Maid in her trembling vision, she asked in a fierce voice.
"What... what have you... done...?"
Even so, the Head Maid only tilted her head a couple of times.
"Sir Irene, what is wrong? Why is everyone lying down... Your Highness?"
The Head Maid’s eyes flickered toward Cien.
The Princess was stumbling backward, her eyes filled with terror.
It was exactly the same.
Even looking through her slit pupils, the Head Maid’s psyche was no different than usual. If anything, it was even tinged with worry.
As if the person moving the body and the personality inside were separate entities.
It was the same pattern as the demonic beasts that had attacked the Academy.
The realization sent a terrifying chill down the Princess’s spine.
The target of the demonic beasts was not the Homecoming Festival procession or the Academy.
It was her.
And the Head Maid, meeting the Princess’s horrified gaze, was slowly walking toward her.
With a face that claimed to know nothing.
That discrepancy felt so terrifying that Cien found it unbearable.