Chapter 202: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (66)
Chapter 202: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (66)
Hundreds of mouths hung agape at a sight that defied imagination.
Thud, thud, thud!
Ian’s fists and feet were striking the Princess without a shred of hesitation.
At first, it seemed he was aiming for her face, but then he pulled her up only to kick her away. The man proceeded to ruthlessly trample the arms of the fragile girl, who could barely even draw breath.
The Princess, who had been screaming, had long since gone silent, her voice likely having failed her.
She simply endured the man’s savage violence.
It was a scene so surreal it left everyone dazed.
How could anyone beat a member of the Imperial Family like this?
Even if he had staked his honor as a noble, this response felt excessive. It wouldn't be surprising if he were summoned to the Imperial Palace immediately.
A few students parted their lips to stop him, but they were forced to shut them again.
The violence Ian dealt was inorganic.
While there seemed to be a faint trace of emotion behind it, Ian’s fundamental attitude as he assaulted the Princess was cold. He looked as though he were acting entirely according to a calculated plan.
This only served to further complicate the thoughts of the onlookers.
They couldn't even fathom what kind of calculation would lead to this. However, as the beating continued, the number of people looking at the Princess with pity only grew.
Contrary to the crowd's thoughts, however, the Princess was thinking something quite different.
‘It doesn’t hurt…?’
Truly, it didn't hurt. Of course, it had been agonizingly painful when the axe lodged itself in her shoulder—painful enough to make her scream instinctively.
And it had hurt when his fist slammed into her face. It hurt enough to keep her screaming in her shocked state.
It was only after several minutes had passed that the Princess, even in her disoriented state, noticed something strange.
Her senses, which had been growing duller, eventually became so numb that she felt no pain at all.
She could feel the sensation of fists and boots striking her body.
Yet, they failed to trigger any pain. The Princess was experiencing a bizarre sensation where she felt only pressure, but no hurt.
She realized the reason not long after.
It was because Cien’s mind soon became hazy. It was a state the Princess had experienced once before, quite recently.
Anesthetic poison.
This was the Academy’s Central Avenue. It was obvious that Ian wasn't using anesthetic poison to knock the Princess out and kidnap her.
That left only one answer.
Ian was using the anesthetic poison on purpose so that she wouldn't feel the pain.
The toxin must have been coated on the axe blade that had bitten into her shoulder. Looking back, that was the only time Ian had used a sharp edge.
Because there was a reason he had to.
Ian wanted to carry out the assault without actually inflicting pain on the Princess. In any normal situation, this would be incomprehensible.
To exercise violence usually means an intent to cause pain.
Violence is a means to vent resentment and exact retribution for a grudge. Yet, Ian’s actions were the exact opposite.
He accepted all the disadvantages of committing the violence while discarding the benefits.
Cien stared blankly at Ian, unable to understand.
Only faint emotions continued to drift from him. Within his heart, she could sense frustration, apology, and even worry.
Only then, in the midst of being beaten, did Cien reach a lightning-bolt realization.
Ian held no particular grudge against her. The moment she felt that truth, her mood soared as if she were walking on air.
Ian was even sacrificing himself to help her.
One could tell just by looking at how the tide of emotions surrounding them was changing.
The air, once thick with hostility toward Cien, was now filled with worry and anxiety. The public perception of Cien was being rewritten in real-time.
A fragile girl being assaulted by a sturdy man.
Furthermore, the strange anxiety that the Imperial Family might descend upon them because Cien was being harmed stimulated the crowd.
They were now looking for a new reason.
A reason to worry about and care for the Princess instead of hating her, just as they had in the past.
Only then could they receive at least a partial indulgence from the wrath of the Imperial Family.
In particular, Ian’s near-reckless behavior was carving the existence of the ‘Imperial Family’ more vividly into their minds.
The thought that the Imperial Family’s wrath would soon reach him naturally led them to imagine themselves being purged by the throne as well.
Because of this, Cien suddenly burst into tears.
Even now, she felt no malice from Ian. He had taken on the role of the villain purely to save her.
She felt deeply grateful, yet equally guilty.
Any other royal might have reacted differently. They would have been incensed that a member of the Imperial Family was being shamed and assaulted on a main thoroughfare.
But Cien was different.
She knew that Ian was a bearer of the Dragon Blood Runes.
Possessing those runes meant he was a proxy for the Emperor. No one could complain if the Emperor chose to discipline a Princess.
Instead, one could only guess that there was a sorrowful resolution for the sake of the Imperial Family hidden within his heart.
Thus, Cien was moved to tears.
She hadn't misjudged him after all.
Ian always treated her with sincerity. He was the only 'real' one.
Of course, the man wasn't so soft as to simply hang himself up as a sacrificial lamb.
After continuing the assault for several minutes, Ian panted and took a couple of steps back.
His clothes were already splattered with blood from the Princess’s body. His blood-soaked golden eyes swept sharply over the surroundings.
The onlookers could only shuffle and cast their gazes downward.
They were simply too terrified of how far Ian was willing to go.
In their minds, Ian’s nickname, which they had somewhat forgotten, was being resurrected.
‘The Mad Dog of the Academy.’
Right, how could they have forgotten?
Ian Percus was uncontrollable. If the Princess had been insulted by such a man, there was nothing she could have done.
All the actions they had criticized before now seemed, in a way, inevitable.
It was a belated but significant realization.
“…What are you looking at?”
At that murderous tone, spat out like a curse, the crowd desperately averted their eyes. It was as if they feared becoming the next victim if they made eye contact.
“You lot are the same. Was Her Highness the only one who messed with me?”
At that sharp accusation, several students flinched and trembled.
They were mostly those who had directly harassed Ian and those around him. Seeing this, Ian let out a hollow laugh.
“…Hey.”
Then, a sonic boom tore through the air.
The hand axe, launched like a bolt of light, slammed into the ground in front of the onlookers. The blade, buried deep as if the stone pavement were mere mud, was enough to strike terror into the crowd.
“There won't be a next time. Keep that in mind.”
With those final words, Ian raised his hand.
Snap. The hand axe immediately flew back into his palm.
It was a technique applying the Secret of Stillness in Motion.
Since the axe followed a pre-determined trajectory, retrieving it was simple.
And so, Ian departed.
In the wake of the man who had passed through like a storm, only a sobbing girl and a silent crowd remained.
After watching the situation for a while, a few of the onlookers crept toward the Princess.
As they helped her up, they looked at her wounded form with worried expressions.
“I-I mean, even so, this is too much…”
“He’s not a bad person, but he definitely seems scary.”
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
It was the first warm voice she had heard in a long time. Cien sobbed even harder, then lifted her head, her eyes hazy from the lingering anesthesia.
Those pale gray eyes were brimming with joy.
The students supporting the Princess could only exchange bewildered glances. Regardless, the Princess merely murmured in a voice like a girl in a dream.
“So cool, Sir Ian…”
Everyone who heard that dazed mumble, including the students holding her up, could only stare blankly once more.
It was a statement one could never imagine coming from a woman who had just been brutally assaulted.
Did they hear wrong?
But judging by the reactions of those around them, they hadn't. On the contrary, as if to confirm their suspicions, the Princess continued to mutter.
“So cool, the best… As I thought, I only have Sir Ian…”
In the end, the public understood the incident by fitting it into their own standards, as they always did.
She’s broken. Her Highness has lost it.
A look of sorrowful pity appeared in their eyes, while the Princess continued to confess her affection for Ian with a dazed expression.
Like a letter, the man who had arrived so suddenly had tied up all the loose ends.
Of course, Ian wasn't criticized as he had been before. It was true that many had had their lives saved by him, and there were no students in the Academy brave enough to challenge him anyway.
However, if anyone were to ask about ‘Ian Percus,’ the members of the Academy would usually just say one thing.
“He’s a mad dog.”
An infinitely reliable ally, but a foe more terrifying than any other.
Naturally, no one wanted to make an enemy of him.
Even the Princess had been no match for him.
*
However, every finale is merely a prelude to a new story.
The next day, Neris, who came to find Ian, dropped a bombshell.
“Um, Lord Ian? The Imperial Household plans to dispatch a high-ranking official to see you in a few days…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
The inevitable had finally arrived.