Chapter 203: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (67)
Chapter 203: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (67)
Peace had finally returned to the Academy.
The investigation was in its final stages, and after a thorough search, the last remnants of the demonic beasts had been subjugated.
Fortunately, no other traitors were discovered within the Academy.
Of course, the group that had planted a puppet in the inner circle of the Imperial Family was the Dark Cult. While it was impossible to know if other spies remained hidden within the Academy, the conclusion was that, at the very least, no one else had participated in this particular raid.
This was the result of a meticulous investigation by a joint task force from the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the Southern United Kingdoms. It was difficult to doubt their findings, and the Academy students finally began preparing for their long-delayed journey home.
There hadn't been a single quiet day at the Academy since the beast attack.
A student who had suddenly been treated as a public enemy was now being hailed as a hero. In his place, the Princess, who had been made a scapegoat, had broken down and wailed in the middle of the street.
And above all, there was the chain of violence that had occurred on Central Avenue.
The perpetrator was the man who had been elevated from public enemy to hero through the course of the raid. His name was Ian Percus.
It was me.
To be honest, it had been a somewhat impulsive decision.
I had just barely regained consciousness after being in a coma for a long time. To find that the Princess I had gone to such lengths to save was falling apart because of past trauma—I couldn't help but feel utterly exasperated.
At the time, no one even suspected the cause of her breakdown.
Senior Neris and the other members of the Newspaper Club seemed to have a general idea of the circumstances. However, since the raid on the Newspaper Club, their command authority had been delegated to me.
In other words, the Imperial Intelligence Agency, which had to treat their superiors with the utmost deference, had no moves left to make.
Actually, they still had some degree of discretion, so I had hoped they would take some kind of action, but ideal scenarios and reality often differ.
Then again, I had never shared my true thoughts with the Imperial Intelligence Agency either. They had to be cautious in their own right, so in a way, I had brought this on myself.
That was why I had stepped forward to untie the knot myself.
The results were excellent.
There was no one left in the Academy who hated the Princess; on the contrary, a wave of sympathy was growing. Since no negative rumors were circulating about me either, everything was going perfectly.
At least, that’s how it looked on the surface.
That morning, the Saintess visited me early to scold me for running out of the infirmary on my own the previous day.
She looked ready to raise her voice in indignation, but as soon as she saw me, her expression shifted to one of confusion.
"Ian... I clearly told you yesterday that strenuous exercise would be impossible for a while...! Ian?"
Rarely for me, my hands were trembling.
I let out a long sigh, but it was hard to hide my agitation.
Still, determined not to let it show, I forced a smile.
"Ah, Saintess."
"......Is something wrong?"
The Saintess's eyes had already turned cold as she asked. Suspicion flickered in those pale pink pupils.
It was only natural. I was someone who hadn't trembled once, even in the face of death.
This might have been the first time the Saintess had ever seen me looking anxious.
But there are things one can talk about, and things one cannot.
I could only shake my head with a bitter smile.
"It's nothing. It seems the muscle pain hasn't subsided yet."
How could I tell her?
How could I repeat the words Senior Neris had whispered to me when she visited in secret at dawn?
The Imperial Household was planning to send someone to see me.
They said it would be in a few days, but the matter concerned the Dragon Blood Runes. Naturally, the person dispatched would be someone of a status commensurate with the importance of the matter.
At the very least, they would be a possessor of the Dragon Blood Runes.
And someone of that standing possessed the power and authority to erase the second son of a rural viscount without leaving a trace.
No, it would be a mercy if they simply killed me quietly.
They could easily slaughter my entire family on charges of insulting the Imperial Family and torture me for an eternity, and I would have no recourse.
Even if I claimed it was all to save the world, the process of making them believe that would undoubtedly be long and grueling.
That was what made me so tired and worried.
It was the reason I was agonizing and why my hands were shaking.
Of course, I couldn't explain all these complicated details to the Saintess. Given our relationship, I might tell her the truth someday, but today was not that day.
Even if I did tell her, she didn't have the leeway to help. There were only a few days left, after all.
So, I could only clear my throat.
"......It's true."
"Who said it wasn't?"
The Saintess scoffed and rebuked me, but her pale pink gaze didn't leave my face for a long time.
Her intense scrutiny was becoming burdensome.
In the end, I had no choice but to let out a long sigh.
"Saintess."
"......Hmph, what?"
The silver-haired woman was making it very obvious that she was pouting. She kept glancing at me as if wanting me to notice her mood, so it definitely wasn't my imagination.
I liked to think I had mastered the female psyche thanks to Reto's crash courses.
But that delusion was shattered every time I faced a new challenge. I could guess why the Saintess was upset, but I had no idea how to soothe her.
If she felt we were close, it was only natural for her to feel hurt if I was hiding something.
After debating what to do, I eventually chose evasion.
I brought up another topic.
"By the way, how is Her Highness the Princess?"
"Ah, that woman..."
At my question, the Saintess's expression turned slightly sour. She averted her eyes for a moment, then looked back at me with a knowing, suggestive glint in her eyes.
"I heard you hit her. Were you worried about that?"
"No, well... something like that."
To be precise, I was more worried about the 'Dragon Blood Runes.'
Beating a member of the Imperial Family on a main road could be seen as an insult to the throne. However, as long as the Princess herself didn't bring up 'Imperial Honor,' the Imperial Family wouldn't openly intervene.
But the Dragon Blood Runes were different.
They were a power that symbolized the legitimacy of the Imperial Household. No matter how shocking the news of the Princess being beaten was, it wasn't as important as the news that the Dragon Blood Runes had been leaked.
It was an answer I gave as a makeshift excuse because I couldn't explain the real situation, but the Saintess nodded as if she understood.
She knew all too well how much an Imperial noble feared the throne.
"Don't worry too much. When I went to treat her, she was... completely broken."
Broken?
I tilted my head in confusion, but the Saintess only gave me a meaningful smile.
"So I gave her a little education before I left. We can't have her causing trouble later."
"......You didn't do anything strange, did you?"
"Strange? I simply helped her realize her position again. One way or another, the reason you were gravely injured was because of her incompetence."
Another groan escaped my lips.
She wasn't wrong.
Failing to manage one's subordinates is ultimately the leader's responsibility. Allowing a gap for a Dark Priest to infiltrate could be considered the Princess's sin.
Of course, it was a harsh reality.
To place such a heavy burden on a girl who had only just become an adult—but once born into the Imperial Family, rights and duties were equal.
One could not have one without the other.
Because I understood that, I sighed and didn't add anything more.
If things looked like they were going sideways later, I could stop it then. For now, the problem right in front of me was more urgent.
As my face grew serious again, the Saintess let out a curious sound.
Her pale pink eyes were now narrowed. Seated in the chair next to my bed, she began poking my side with her finger.
"You really are hiding something, aren't you? Come on, tell me."
"What good would it do to tell you?"
My detached voice seemed to pique the Saintess's curiosity even further.
Perhaps she was even feeling a bit desperate, as she began to persuade me in a somewhat coquettish tone.
"Don't be like that, just tell me, okay? Between the two of us."
"And what exactly is 'between the two of us'?"
At my retort, the Saintess looked momentarily annoyed.
But it was only for a second; she soon let out a deep sigh as if she hadn't expected much anyway.
"......Fine," the Saintess said, her face set with resolve. "If you tell me your secret, I'll grant you a wish."
"A wish?"
At my hollow-sounding voice, the Saintess nodded with a benevolent smile.
It was an expression I hadn't seen in a long time.
She was beautiful enough to make any man's heart flutter. My own heart began to beat with a certain rhythm.
However, the reason I was getting excited was a bit different.
It wasn't so much a reaction to the Saintess's beauty as it was a memory flashing through my mind.
Come to think of it, I had made a promise to the Saintess.
It was a bet we made—that if I returned after resolving everything, she would grant me one wish.
The Saintess didn't seem to have recalled that memory yet. On the contrary, unaware of the danger she was in, she even emphasized her luscious breasts by propping them up with her arms.
It was like a butterfly caught in a spiderweb flapping its wings.
The Saintess's voice, laced with coquetry, washed over my ears.
"Yes, a wish... I'll do anything you want."
I couldn't hide my anticipation as I asked back.
"If it's a wish, can I do anything?"
The Saintess gave a slight eye-smile, as if she had expected that reaction. Her lips curved into a breathtakingly attractive arc.
She shifted her arms slightly, making the curves of her chest even more prominent.
And then, the finishing blow.
"......Yes, of course. It's a wish, isn't it?"
In that case, there was no need to hesitate any longer.
My hand immediately reached out and grabbed the Saintess's supple flesh.