Chapter 182: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (46)
Chapter 182: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (46)
Mitram paused for a moment at Cien’s immediate retort.
Her reaction was more proactive than he had anticipated. Mitram looked as if he were weighing his options, his expression questioning whether he should really reveal this much.
But the hesitation was brief. Soon, a smirk broke across Mitram’s face.
Well, the game was already over anyway.
Considering the agony the Princess was about to endure, giving her one last gift wasn't such a bad idea. He could afford to tell her the truth as a parting gesture.
"Actually, I coated you in a scent that demonic beasts find irresistible. It’s a subtle but powerful curse... After all, you were the ultimate target from the beginning. But no matter how long I waited, the beasts never attacked you. That is what I find so strange."
Cien’s mind raced at high speed, processing the information as it came.
'Curse' and 'demonic beasts'—these were the core keywords that pierced through the mystery.
Cien sharpened her focus, wondering what answer these new clues were pointing toward.
"I kept a close watch the entire time, yet there was never an opportunity to break the curse. Unless, of course, someone used an item equivalent to Holy Water... Oh?"
A sudden exclamation escaped Mitram’s lips mid-ramble.
It seemed he had realized something.
He let out a low hum, a nasal sound of contemplation, before his face twisted back into that repulsive smile.
"……Ian Percus."
Suddenly, a scene flashed through the Princess’s mind.
The man had abruptly splashed water on her.
Cien had been so stunned she couldn't say a word. Her enraged escort knights had lunged at him, and Sir Zeros had lost his arm that day.
Only now did the pieces of that incomprehensible incident begin to fall into place.
Like a perfectly fitted puzzle.
Cien wasn't the only one who noticed. Mitram, who had already caught on, let out a cackling laugh.
"To call it a coincidence... would be far too convenient. Ian Percus, Ian Percus, indeed……."
Mitram nodded a few times, then broke into a refreshed smile.
"It seems that after I deal with you, I’ll have to dig into that man first."
With that, Mitram took a step forward.
Danger was closing in, but Cien couldn't pull herself together.
She could only ask herself:
Why?
According to that deduction, it meant the man knew the Dark Cult was targeting the Princess. Even if he didn't know for sure, he at least suspected it.
That was why he had broken the Princess’s curse in a way no one would notice.
No one could have imagined that precious Holy Water would be carried in a common canteen.
Furthermore, the series of shocking events that followed were more than enough to make everyone forget the nature of the liquid.
If he had confessed that the liquid was Holy Water, the story would have been different.
Either the Head Maid or Sir Zeros always accompanied the Princess. The moment Mitram realized the curse had been broken, he would have devised another scheme.
But Ian Percus had broken the curse with a single confrontation and even eliminated Zeros, who was being manipulated by Mitram’s hand.
And in exchange, he had sacrificed his own reputation, his future, and his precious people.
Cien found the reality of it unbearable.
Like a person with an obsession, she repeated it to herself as if trying to brainwash her own mind.
No, it’s a lie.
No matter how I think about it, that’s impossible.
Ian Percus was a human. That was a fact that would never change.
And all humans were selfish and greedy.
At least, that was the case for every human the Princess had seen until now. A human who could devote themselves so selflessly to another without any greed simply did not exist.
This was a conviction she had proven time and again since childhood.
Then why was Cien’s mind gradually growing so hot?
"Ugh..." With a groan, Cien clutched her head.
Her thoughts were fracturing. Like the fuse of a firework, sparks were eating away at Cien’s memories.
It was a blatant warning sign.
But Mitram only laughed again as he watched her struggle.
He seemed to find the Princess’s suffering immensely entertaining.
After watching her with delight for a while, he eventually shook his head and spoke.
"Now then, shall we get to work? If you don't resist, I'll just take your eyes, and it won't hurt—"
It was then.
Thwack!
A blade pierced through Mitram’s body.
The woman’s eyes frantically darted backward. Standing there was Irene, who had forced her sword in with an arm that was violently convulsing.
For a moment, Mitram couldn't comprehend the reality before his eyes.
It was a poison obtained from the venomous insects of the Great Forest.
It was a drug that not only bound mana but also had an anesthetic effect. No matter how much of an Expert one was, there was a limit to how much they could endure.
The proof was Irene’s entire body, which was shaking like a leaf.
There was only one answer.
To deliver this final blow, she had poured out every last drop of her remaining mana. Her strength completely spent, Irene’s body slid down to the ground.
Mitram was silent for a moment. Then, he slowly pulled the sword out of his chest.
A spray of blood erupted. Watching this, a faint smile touched the corners of Irene’s mouth.
I finally protected her.
She looked moved, as if she might burst into tears. It was because she had blamed herself and suffered for so long.
But that happiness did not last.
Clang. Mitram casually tossed the blood-stained sword onto the ground.
Hearing the sharp metallic sound, Irene’s gaze drifted blankly toward Mitram. In the woman’s chest, where a fatal wound should have been, flesh was bubbling and churning as it filled the hole.
It should have been a mortal wound.
Yet Mitram merely looked down at Irene with a sidelong glance, as if he hadn't been affected at all. A person would have shown a more intense reaction to a paper cut.
His gaze was filled with contempt.
"……Your effort was commendable, Sir Irene. I’d love to kill you right now, but you’re a rare specimen, so I’ll let you live."
A 'specimen'? Was Irene to become a test subject for this mysterious dark priest, just like the Head Maid?
The female knight’s eyes shook violently, but Mitram did not delay any longer. He walked forward without hesitation and stood before the Princess.
Due to the effects of the poison, the Princess couldn't even steady her own body.
She could only gasp, her eyes clouded by deep, agonizing thoughts.
Of course, that wasn't Mitram’s concern.
Mitram’s hand roughly grabbed her by the hair.
A kind smile appeared on his lips, as if he were still playing the role of the body's original owner.
"I am going to perform an enucleation now. It might hurt a little, so stay still."
'Enucleation.' Only after hearing that blunt term did Cien snap back to her senses.
Before she knew it, Mitram had closed the distance. Furthermore, the dark priest’s hand was forcibly prying Cien’s eyelids open.
And then, the fingers began to descend.
The intention was unmistakable. Instinctive terror coiled around the Princess’s entire body.
Unable to bear it any longer, she let out a scream.
"N-no! Ugh, ah, ugh... Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak!"
Tears burst forth.
She was filled with regret.
Every decision she had made felt wrong.
What if she hadn't enrolled in the Academy? What if she had been more suspicious of those around her? Worlds of endless possibilities swept through the Princess’s mind like a tidal wave.
And, and also...
What if she had trusted Ian Percus just a little more?
But it was all too late.
Time could not be turned back. The Princess tried with all her might to squeeze her eyes shut, but it was a futile effort.
Just as Mitram’s fingers were about to gouge into the Princess’s pale gray eyes—
A bolt of silver lightning struck down from the heavens.
It was a sharp trajectory. The blade, falling vertically like the edge of a guillotine, severed both of Mitram’s arms in an instant.
Two forearms, detached from the main body, rolled pitifully across the ground.
Belatedly, blood sprayed out, soaking the dirt floor. The warmth of the blood caused a sudden mist of steam to rise within the cave.
It seemed that even with a modified body, it took some time to restore severed limbs.
Only then did the Princess, having regained her freedom, collapse onto the ground, gasping for air. Mitram looked down indifferently at his body as the flesh began to bubble and regenerate the forearms.
The sound of steady footsteps echoed through the silent cave.
The Princess, Mitram, and even Irene, who was barely clinging to consciousness, all turned their gazes toward the source.
A man was walking toward them.
Black hair, and golden eyes that burned in the air like will-o'-the-wisps.
His breath seemed ragged, perhaps from rushing. Nevertheless, he first let out a faint sigh of relief.
He looked as if he were glad he wasn't too late.
He panted, resting a hand on his thigh, then spoke with a smirk.
"……Hey."
Mitram slowly turned around.
A faint smile touched his lips, as if he had finally met a worthy opponent.
Regardless, the man finished his sentence.
"Why are you trying to end it already? You haven't even played with me yet... How disappointing."
A chuckle escaped the woman’s lips.
With eyes tinged with madness, Mitram whispered the man’s name.
"……Ian Percus."
With the Princess behind them, the two monsters faced each other.
It was the start of the battle that would signal the end of the Homecoming Festival.