Chapter 353: Bread and Dagger (51)
Chapter 353: Bread and Dagger (51)
Neris Findleston hated Ian Percus.
It was only natural. Their relationship hadn't exactly started on normal terms.
Once, she had even tried to capture and torture him.
In the end, she had only admitted defeat after the humiliation of being set on fire, doused in booze, and then soaked in filthy mop water.
And that ill-fated bond continued to this day.
That fact alone forced Neris to endure extreme mental anguish.
Whenever she saw Ian, only three things came to mind.
Fire, iron, and blood.
Every single one was a horrific experience that made the very marrow of her bones freeze.
A boss who would lop off a finger just for questioning him—even the word "worst" was an understatement. When he was officially appointed to the Academy branch, Neris had honestly wanted to die.
How was she supposed to survive under a boss like that?
And yet, she had to endure.
Neris had dedicated her entire life to becoming a member of the Imperial Intelligence Agency. She couldn't just quit because she didn't get along with her superior.
It was too late to turn back.
She didn't want to make a mockery of all the blood and sweat she had shed until now.
Furthermore, the Imperial Intelligence Agency aimed to be both a "cradle and a grave." Once you joined, leaving was extremely difficult. Even if you did manage to leave, you had to live with various restrictions to maintain confidentiality.
She figured she might as well endure for a few more months.
Neris was a fourth-year at the Academy. This meant she would be graduating and leaving in half a year anyway.
I can endure anything for that long, she had resolved just a few months ago, biting her lip.
Now, the woman paced the room, her heart filled with anxiety.
It was a sorrowful, aimless rotation.
She repeated her barren footsteps, unable to derive any answers. Only the sound of her occasionally biting her thumbnail echoed through the room.
Neris Findleston hated Ian Percus.
Whenever he called her on her day off, irritation flared within her. There were times she had cursed him out repeatedly under her breath.
Being summoned by a hated boss on a day of rest?
It would be strange not to be angry.
Moreover, when he had summoned her all the way to this cold, remote North, she had struggled with the decision several times. She had even indulged in the childish whim of making up a pathetic excuse not to go.
Of course, she couldn't actually go through with it.
It was because she was afraid of Ian.
What if he came looking for her with a hand axe again just because she raised a useless question?
A madman was a madman because he was unpredictable. It was best not to provoke him. In the end, Neris had followed him to the North with the heart of livestock being led to a slaughterhouse.
Yes, that was how it was.
Neris Findleston hated Ian Percus.
Sometimes, he would show signs of worrying about her, acknowledging her, or trusting her. At those times, she had scratched her cheek in awkwardness.
But that didn't mean the resentment lodged in Neris's heart had vanished.
So why, now?
Why was she so anxious and suffocated right now?
It had already been several days since Ian had been trapped in a mysterious veil and gone missing.
Yurdina Castle was, quite literally, fighting a war.
"How many spare troops can we deploy?"
"We need guides to enter the coniferous forest. But many hunters from the nearby villages have died recently due to elf attacks..."
"An envoy has arrived from the Holy Kingdom."
Countless voices filtered into the ears of Neris, who had eventually slumped down in front of the door.
Strings of Aura slipped through the cracks of the door, relaying whispers from all over. But no matter how much she eavesdropped, the information Neris wanted did not reach her ears.
The news that they had found that man was nowhere to be found.
Neris buried her face in her knees and let out a long sigh.
Why did he do it?
Ian had sacrificed himself to save Neris. If he had abandoned her and fled, he wouldn't have gone missing.
The man had looked desperate.
She was just a subordinate, after all.
So why did he put so much heart and soul into saving her, and why did he ultimately have to sacrifice himself?
She couldn't understand it at all.
That was why she felt so stifled.
Perhaps it was guilt. She thought such pure emotions had long since been erased, but Neris was still a woman at heart.
"Is it certain that he's within the coniferous forest?"
"According to the Magic Corps' judgment, yes. The coordinates of the transference formula have been specified to some extent, and they say it's deep within the coniferous forest..."
"Deep within? You want us to search with such vague information?"
The strings hummed as they sent back information.
Neris silently chewed over the story again and again.
"I mean, he might already be dead..."
"They said to find him even if he's a corpse."
After repeatedly listening without a word.
"That is the will of Yurdina."
Neris staggered to her feet. A strange resolve could be felt in her expression.
She wanted to tell herself it was for the best.
An annoying and terrifying superior had simply disappeared. The sin of failing to protect the owner of the Dragon Blood Runes was great, but it wasn't something she had to risk her life for.
But she couldn't stay still.
Because she was anxious, because she was afraid.
Neris fiddled with the whistle in her pocket. By using this whistle, which generated special sound waves, she could search a wide area.
If it was Ian, he would surely react to those sound waves.
However, she couldn't explore the coniferous forest alone.
She needed a companion.
She headed quietly toward the first floor of Yurdina Castle for a while.
Suddenly, Neris noticed a commotion.
"...Liar."
It was a voice that echoed softly through the lobby.
Neris stopped halfway down the stairs and looked down.
A girl with gray hair was standing there.
And in front of her were several women with dark expressions.
They were Ian's companions.
However, the one facing the gray-haired girl wasn't the women.
It was a man who appeared to be a knight of Yurdina Castle, and he looked extremely distressed.
"Uh, young lady? I'm not saying Sir Ian is dead. It's just that his life and whereabouts are unclear..."
"I told you not to lie!"
It was a shout that sounded like a scream.
Clang! With a thunderous draw of her sword, the young knight's body was sent flying. Following that was a heavy thud as he crashed.
Before the knight could even regain his senses, Seria was pointing the tip of her sword at his throat.
Her blue eyes were burning like foxfire.
"Are you joking right now?! Senior Ian was trapped inside a suspicious veil, and you all just stood there watching? Did you want to advertise that you're morons?!"
"B-But Sir Ian told us absolutely not to enter..."
"Don't make excuses."
It was a cold declaration.
Not a trace of her usual polite tone remained. Seria was simply pointing that pale blue sword tip while grinding her teeth.
"You just wanted to live... didn't you? That's why you abandoned Senior Ian in a place that obviously looked dangerous. So that Senior Ian would be forced to sacrifice himself...!"
Seria, unable to contain her rage, tightened her grip on her sword. At this rate, the young knight was in danger of having his throat pierced; he squeezed his eyes shut.
It was a slender hand that prevented the catastrophe.
Tak. Seria's eyes turned fierce as a hand grabbed her wrist.
The Saintess had approached Seria before she knew it.
In a voice drenched in gloom and fatigue, the Saintess spoke.
"That's enough."
"...Aha."
But Seria was already out of her mind.
Seria had arrived at Yurdina Castle with a heart full of anticipation.
She had barely managed to build up enough skill to be recognized by her senior. But to hear he was suddenly missing, and that they didn't even know if he was alive or dead?
It was hard to stay sane.
Seria burst into a laugh that sounded like a sneer.
"Why? Does everyone feel guilty?"
"Miss Seria..."
The Saintess didn't even get angry.
She simply had a sad look in her eyes, as if she had already exhausted all her energy.
"We cannot prioritize emotions on the battlefield. We entrusted Ian with full authority, and therefore, we had a duty to carry out his instructions."
"The duty to leave Senior Ian alone?"
"No, the duty to not let Ian's will be in vain."
It was a calm voice.
However, that voice was trembling slightly, testifying to the fact that the Saintess's heart was still not at peace.
The faint anger dwelling in her pale pink eyes said as much.
"At the time, we couldn't guess the nature of that magic. We only thought it was a barrier, a spatial transference, or a large-scale disappearance spell... In any case, we wouldn't have been of any help."
"At the very least, you shouldn't have left him alone."
Seria countered, clenching her teeth.
But the Saintess still had more to say.
She began to recite the numerous possibilities she had thought of in that short time.
"If it's a barrier that seals the interior, it has to be solved from the outside. Because the moment it's activated, the inside becomes a mess... If it's spatial transference, it depends on the type, but you can't move such a large space over a long distance. In that case, the interior of the coniferous forest is the most likely, right?"
Seria fell silent for a moment at the fluid reasoning.
She still looked dissatisfied, but it seemed she couldn't think of a proper rebuttal.
It was only natural.
At the time, the Saintess's brain had been spinning so fast it was on the verge of exploding.
It was all thanks to facing the crisis of the man she loved.
"Then, assuming specific coordinates aren't set, the possibility of him being stranded is high. If he falls into enemy territory, it's actually more advantageous for him to escape alone. And a large-scale disappearance spell?"
Huhu, the Saintess let out a laugh as if it were absurd.
"If that were the case, everyone would have died... Do you understand? You almost made Ian's sacrifice meaningless!"
"Must be nice for you."
However, even after hearing the Saintess's desperate explanation, Seria's reaction was blunt.
A snort.
The girl turned her back and sheathed her sword at her waist.
"To survive through Senior Ian's sacrifice... I have no intention of doing that."
Seria walked away with an even more murderous aura.
Her steps were headed toward the office of the Head of the Yurdina Family.
She planned to ask for permission immediately after greeting her father and sister.
To head into the coniferous forest.
The one who stopped her, when it seemed nothing would, was none other than Neris.
"...Young lady?"
Seria stiffened and hurriedly turned to her side.
The presence had been faint.
She was standing right next to her, but how?
Regardless, Neris simply gave a thin smile.
"It seems our hearts are somewhat in sync. How about it? Why don't we have a little chat?"
Neris finally felt like things were starting to work out.
Her deep green eyes glanced toward the lobby. The women were still there, their faces grim as they talked amongst themselves.
That was enough.
Now, she could only pray that Ian would hold out.
It was the first time.
The first time she had ever truly wished for Ian to live.
Neris bit her lip, not even realizing that fact.
She wouldn't let him die as he pleased.
* * *
Meanwhile, Ian was enjoying a banquet in the elf village.
Even so, the only food prepared was bread. It was an event that was more of a simple meal than a banquet.
However, the reaction was explosive.
"My goodness, so much bread..."
"I-It's soft!"
"C-Can we really eat this?"
Ian simply smiled without saying a word.
Honestly, he didn't know how to react. It was just that the look in Isha's eyes as she asked cautiously was so desperate that he had quickly given an answer.
"Yes, please eat. I have plenty anyway..."
At the same time, a dozen hands scrambled to grab the bread.
Ian hoped they would eat quickly, but none of them dared to take a bite recklessly.
They simply shed a few tears and offered a prayer of thanks.
"O World Tree, thank you. For bestowing such precious grace upon us..."
The corners of Ian's mouth began to twitch.
It seemed he would need some time to adjust to the life of the elves.
"It's warm...!"
"It's soft and sweet. The bread I had a piece of before wasn't like this!"
"I-Is this really bread?!"
And quite a lot of time at that.
Ian let out a deep sigh inwardly.