Chapter 512: Jealousy is My Power (12)
Chapter 512: Jealousy is My Power (12)
After finishing the brief battle, I was enjoying a moment of weary rest when I was greeted by some unexpected guests.
It was Cien and her mysterious entourage. At a glance, there only seemed to be two of them, but I knew better. My heightened Qi sense was picking up the presence of dozens more.
An escort?
They weren't just numerous; they were exceptionally skilled. There weren't many people in the entire Empire with the power to mobilize such talent at a moment's notice.
That was why my gaze naturally drifted to the woman standing beside Cien.
She was a beauty with striking silver-blue hair. Though it was our first meeting, a single name flashed through my mind the moment I saw her sickly, pale complexion.
The Second Princess, Iris.
Excluding the Emperor, she was one of the most powerful figures in the Empire. She was certainly a big enough player to command dozens of elite guards.
For a split second, even I found myself contemplating how I would break through that defensive perimeter.
Of course, that didn't mean I thought I would lose.
How many seconds would it take?
A bitter smile played on my lips as I caught myself reflexively planning how to suppress the guards. It seemed I hadn't quite come down from the adrenaline of battle yet.
There was no reason for me to intimidate a leading candidate for the throne.
It was a pointless thought. More importantly, if 'intimidation' had been my goal, there was no longer any need for it.
Princess Iris stood frozen, staring at me. Her jewel-like blue eyes were filled with an unmistakable, irrepressible fear.
I let out a sigh and surveyed my surroundings.
To be fair, this wasn't exactly a sight fit for public viewing.
A clearing where every inch was covered in corpses, chunks of flesh, and bloodstains.
However, I did have my reasons.
"S-Sir Ian!"
The one who finally spoke to me while I was wallowing in the awkwardness was Princess Cien.
With an exclamation that was half-shock and half-concern, the small girl came rushing toward me.
The Princess's trembling hands fumbled through her clothes before I felt the soft touch of a silk handkerchief dabbing at my face.
Never mind the fact that I didn't have a single scratch on my body.
Talk about making a fuss.
I gave a wry smile at the Princess's overprotectiveness, but I couldn't bring myself to push her hand away. Instead, I simply raised a hand to signal that I was fine.
Despite that, Cien's distressed expression didn't fade. Her voice followed, thick with worry.
"W-what happened?! How are you here, Sir Ian...?"
"I ran into the Alphenhauser twins. I needed some information, so we formed a temporary alliance."
Regardless of the circumstances, this was a golden opportunity to explain myself.
Princess Iris still hadn't lowered her guard. She was looking at me as if I were some crazed mass murderer—an assessment I found personally quite unfair.
For the sake of the future, I needed to wash away this blood-soaked first impression.
And so, I began to recount the details behind this carnage.
The reason why I had been forced to shed blood.
* * *
When I had first arrived at the clearing, my eyes fell upon a woman I didn't recognize.
She was standing there silently, lost in thought, projecting a somewhat ethereal aura. It might have been my imagination, but she looked rather pale for a student.
She was definitely the person I was looking for.
Her appearance matched the description I had received from Senior Luna just a few minutes ago.
She was one of the students who had gone missing after heading out late at night. Her name was Adela. I'd heard that since her return a few days ago, the frequency of her daytime outings had dropped drastically.
'The Missing.'
I didn't like the ominous ring of that term.
Abduction and modification were favorite tactics of the Dark Cult. Since they had spent thousands of years figuring out how to stay hidden, they likely had more than enough ways to conceal their agents in plain sight.
Ways so perfect that even those closest to them wouldn't notice.
I, of all people, had once had my own sister swapped out. Well, technically they were both my sisters, so that might be a bit of a misnomer.
My expression darkened as I inadvertently dwelled on my complicated family history.
Looking back, even 'Greed' had given me a heads-up about the coming incidents.
But there was no point in worrying about that now.
It was more rational to chase the lead right in front of me. Having finished my internal debate, I began walking toward the unfamiliar student.
"...?"
She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with silent questioning.
It was a natural reaction. After all, a man she had never seen before was approaching her.
I cleared my throat with a deliberate cough, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.
"Hello. Is your name Adela?"
"Ah, yes... I'm Adela."
As she spoke, Adela glanced at the color of my cloak.
Mine was red, while hers was brown. This meant Adela was my junior.
The brown cloak was the symbol of a second-year student.
That was why, despite my casual speech, Adela addressed me with respect.
I stopped a short distance away to appear as non-threatening as possible. Of course, my Qi sense was already sharpened to its limit.
I scanned Adela's entire body, but I couldn't see any abnormal signs yet.
That made sense. If the disguise were that clumsy, the people around her would have noticed long ago.
But I had heard that Adela's acquaintances hadn't noticed any significant changes. That was why even the Alphenhauser twins were half-doubting, unable to reach a conclusion.
They weren't sure if the 'missing persons' were related to the sudden abnormal heat or not.
And now, this puzzle had become my responsibility.
What should I do?
No matter how much I thought about it, no clear answer emerged. In the end, I had no choice but to throw out a cliché greeting.
"Why are you here all by yourself?"
"...Pardon?"
Adela tilted her head, looking confused.
It was a simple, innocent face that pricked my conscience. Looking back, I worried that I sounded like a stereotypical playboy trying to pick up a girl.
But I was already committed.
I pushed forward shamelessly.
"You looked a bit lonely... and since I happened to be alone too, I was wondering what you were up to."
"Ahaha..."
The emotion in Adela's eyes began to shift.
It started as wariness, but now it was curiosity.
She seemed interested in what else this man had to say.
Meanwhile, my lips were twitching at the sheer awkwardness of trying something I'd never done before.
I decided to do my best to meet her expectations.
"First off, am I right about you being lonely?"
"Well, I suppose that depends on you, Senior."
The corners of Adela's eyes crinkled softly.
It seemed I had passed, for now. Internally thanking her for falling for such a clumsy pick-up line, I cautiously sat down beside her.
The tree stump was surprisingly wide—enough for two people to sit side-by-side comfortably.
After that, it was easy.
Having lowered her guard slightly, Adela joined the conversation. Whenever an awkward silence threatened to settle, she was the one who took the lead.
"You're Senior Ian Percus, aren't you?"
"Huh? Ah, yeah. That's me."
I replied with an awkward smile.
No matter how many times it happened, I couldn't get used to this. It had only been a few months since I'd truly become famous.
Since Adela was a student at the Academy, it was only natural she'd recognize me.
Thinking about it made me feel a bit embarrassed. It felt like I was using my reputation to hit on her.
Even if that wasn't my intention.
Adela turned out to be quite mischievous.
"I've heard you're a notorious playboy. Is that true?"
"Um, there's a bit of a misunderstanding there..."
"Oh, come on. Seeing you today, it seems the rumors were right."
Now it was my turn to wear a strained smile.
Given my track record, I had nothing to say in my defense. Claiming I wasn't a womanizer while hitting on a junior I'd just met?
Could anything be less convincing?
Adela kept teasing me with a bright smile.
"Do you have a girl in every country? The Saintess in the Holy Kingdom, Senior Lainella in the Empire... then who is it in the Southern Kingdoms?"
"Who knows?"
I played along with a wry smile.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"You had such a heartbroken look on your face. Is something bothering you? Maybe... girl problems?"
At my question, Adela burst into a fit of giggles, as if she'd just seen something adorable.
"Isn't that a bit old-fashioned? Pretending to offer comfort to snatch up a wounded woman..."
"I just want to help you."
That sentence was the signal.
Adela fell silent, staring at me blankly.
"Has anything strange happened lately? Like... an unbearable, sticky emotion welling up inside you?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"You might see visions of a strange woman. If that happens, you mustn't answer her. If you do, your soul will be taken."
"Ahaha, Senior Ian... you're saying such strange things all of a sudden. Why would that happen to me?"
Despite her denial, I simply hummed thoughtfully and looked away.
Adela looked utterly bewildered, as if she couldn't grasp the intent behind my questions.
My gaze settled on her once more.
"Adela, about you..."
I leaned my upper body toward her. As my hand brushed past her cheek, Adela flinched and pulled her shoulders in.
Between my fingers, I held a few strands of her hair.
Among the brown locks, there was a color that stood out with jarring clarity.
"...Was your hair always gray?"
Adela's breath hitched.