Chapter 528: Jealousy is My Power (28)
Chapter 528: Jealousy is My Power (28)
The Emperor, having let out a scream, was on the verge of fainting.
His unfocused pupils were proof enough. Had the Sword Duke not lunged forward first, a catastrophe would have occurred—the pinnacle of continental power collapsing onto the floorboards.
It was truly the kind of reflexes one would expect from a martial artist who had reached the ultimate heights of the sword. For a split second, even I had lost track of her movement.
The only flaw in the situation was the fact that the person who had caused the Emperor to nearly collapse was the Sword Duke herself.
Urgent words tumbled from the girl’s mouth.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Are you alright?!”
I suppose even she used formal honorifics during official business, being a member of the Imperial Household.
However, the Emperor didn't seem to have the mental capacity to notice the change in her tone.
“My uncle... the pillar of our Imperial Household... there’s no way... To think you were hiding a desire to become such a tiny little girl...!”
“...Nephew, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
The sound of teeth grinding echoed through the room.
The source, of course, was the Sword Duke. Though a smile still lingered on her face, the way she clenched her jaw was anything but ordinary.
She was on the verge of exploding.
Sensing this, I began to inch backward. I had no desire to get caught in the middle of a royal spat.
The young woman assisting the Emperor seemed to feel the same way. She had been trying to slip away earlier, only to lock eyes with me and offer an awkward smile.
My premonition soon became reality.
“To even be in a room alone with Sir Ian... Ah, Cien... Forgive your failure of a father...!”
“I told you, that’s not it!”
The Sword Duke’s roar, shouted with a face flushed crimson to the tips of her ears, was so sincere that the resulting shockwave nearly shattered the small furniture nearby. It was only after a few more such outbursts that the Sword Duke and I were finally able to sit across from the Emperor.
“...In other words, the Great Witch turned my uncle into a girl?”
“Yes. Do you really think I’d choose to be in this state? It’s related to the abnormal heat in the Central Region, so I had no choice but to comply... Tsk, what on earth do you take your uncle for?”
It took several minutes to finally convince the Emperor.
Even then, he couldn't quite wipe the suspicion from his gaze. Perhaps he hadn't fully regained his composure yet, as the hand holding his teacup trembled slightly.
And the Emperor did not make the mistake of hiding his doubts just to appease his uncle.
It made sense. Was he not the undisputed pinnacle of the continent?
“Is that really the truth?”
“I’m telling you it is! In the first place, do you really think there are many men who would want to become a young, pretty girl?!”
“Hmm,” the Emperor hummed deeply.
Internally, he seemed to decide that the Sword Duke’s argument held some logic. However, he didn't completely shed his dubious expression.
“My uncle might have at least one secret preference, after all.”
“...Are you serious?”
“Even during the days you wandered the continent, there wasn't a single scandal. You spent every night staring at nothing but your sword, so how could I not have my suspicions? You are, after all, a human made of flesh and blood...”
Now it was the Sword Duke’s turn to be speechless.
She began to feign indifference, clearing her throat with a series of "ahem"s. Her slightly flushed face betrayed her embarrassment.
It seemed she at least had an excuse.
“I couldn't exactly go around recklessly sowing the seeds of the Imperial bloodline.”
“Even so... Sigh, fine. Regardless, I’m glad you’re safe.”
The Emperor let out a deep sigh and changed the subject.
His face said he knew there was no point in arguing further. He chose me as his conversation partner instead of his uncle-turned-girl.
“Ian Percus, you must be going through a lot. I apologize for putting you in my debt once again.”
“O-oh, no! Everyone is suffering, so how could there be any talk of debt?”
It was a response I blurted out in my nervousness.
However, the Emperor surprisingly seemed to like my words. A faint smile played on the old man’s lips as he stroked his beard.
“Truly a statement worthy of a model knight. However, the reason for my gratitude is different.”
“...Pardon?”
It was a confession that made me tilt my head in confusion.
The Central Region of the Empire, including the Academy, was suffering from an unprecedented abnormal heat. I had just heard news that the damage to farming households preparing for harvest was significant.
Furthermore, the 'Vampires' and their kin were a group of Fiends whose very existence made them enemies of humanity.
Naturally, it wasn't an issue that could be ignored. In other words, my words weren't mere humility; they were sincere.
The Emperor couldn't have been unaware of that.
Seeing my bewildered expression, the Emperor wore a bitter smile.
“Did I not mention it before? That I wanted my daughter, Cien, to become the Great Witch’s disciple.”
“Ah, right! You did say that. Since you mentioned it was related to the Empire’s great ambition...”
“Have you ever heard of Dragon Blood?”
At the sudden question, I closed my eyes and fell into thought.
'Dragon Blood.'
There was no way I hadn't heard of it.
“Are you referring to the Dragon Blood Runes?”
“They are also deeply related to Dragon Blood. You received the Dragon's Pure Blood once before, didn't you?”
I nodded without hesitation.
The secret elixir of the Imperial Household, the 'Dragon's Pure Blood.'
It was something that couldn't be easily obtained. Its effects were as potent as its rarity, but there was only one way I could have acquired it.
By winning the Hunting Festival.
At the time, everyone who participated in the festival with me had been awarded one bottle each. Though, in my case, I had finished consuming it while I was passed out from drinking.
The Emperor revealed the story behind it.
“One of its ingredients is high-purity Dragon Blood. It is a substance refined over a long period from the blood of a true member of the Imperial family... And only with that reprocessed Dragon's Pure Blood can one bestow the Dragon Blood Runes.”
I had wondered why the medicine I hadn't even used had disappeared.
'He' probably used it to bestow the Dragon Blood Runes.
Since I wouldn't have found a more rational use for it even if I had used it myself, I didn't bother cursing him internally. It was actually something to be grateful for.
Instead, I simply followed the Emperor’s lead cautiously.
“And the person who knows that method is...?”
“Naturally, only the Emperor of the generation. The Dragon Blood Runes don't symbolize the Emperor’s proxy for nothing... The moment one is bestowed with the Dragon Blood Runes, the power over their life and death is granted to the bestower.”
It was a secret of the Imperial Household that came out of nowhere.
For a moment, I didn't even realize the weight of that information and turned a dazed look toward the Sword Duke.
The Sword Duke, who had been elegantly sipping her tea, provided confirmation.
“...It is as he says. Bestowing Dragon Blood Runes is closer to a concept of changing one's constitution. You could say it's like refining the blood anew. In that process, a great deal of authority is transferred to the bestower. Not just the power over life and death, but even their current location can be known.”
“Wait, then...”
“It’s a structure where the Emperor has no choice but to trust and delegate. However, you were the exception.”
After hesitating for a while, I eventually chose silence.
I couldn't even guess why they were giving me this information.
It was the Emperor who resolved that doubt.
“You would have found out eventually anyway... Did you not have a connection, in one way or another, with the person who bestowed the Dragon Blood Runes?”
The Emperor set his teacup down with a clack and fixed his gaze steadily on me.
I had lost my focus for a moment, but he was an opponent I couldn't afford to be careless around.
He had finished all his calculations in that brief interval.
No matter how valuable information is, it loses its worth once the other party has already acquired it. Rather, by sharing such secrets, he could apply subtle pressure.
A secret that must not be leaked can also act as a sort of shackle.
However, the Emperor didn't seem to have any intention of binding me.
“...Anyway, to continue the story about Dragon Blood. Every member of the Imperial family possesses this Dragon Blood. But occasionally, children are born who inherit this Dragon Blood with exceptional intensity.”
“Her Highness Cien.”
The name that reflexively came to mind was blurted out without filter.
“Is that the case for Her Highness Cien?”
“Yes. To put it simply, her blood itself is different from ordinary people like us... And sometimes, excessive talent becomes a curse.”
The Emperor let out a long sigh and leaned his upper body against the backrest.
His face looked weary even at a glance.
“Throughout the long history of magic, those with such talent have been extremely rare. I hope my daughter doesn't grow to hate her own power... After all, it is the blood I passed down to her.”
“So that’s why you want the Great Witch to be her master.”
“That’s right. All that talk about the Empire’s great ambition... it’s all meaningless. In truth, this is my real intention.”
Only then did I understand why the Emperor had said he was sorry.
“This is a request from a failing father.”
With a sad smile, the Emperor offered a proposal I couldn't refuse.
“Please help my daughter learn to love herself. She has been a child with many scars since she was young... If it’s the Great Witch, she will surely know a way to handle that power.”
If I helped the Great Witch, I would naturally gain a say in things.
As the Great Witch had already declared, I would be able to exert influence over the 'disciple selection' process. He was asking me to push for Cien during that process.
After a moment’s hesitation, I spoke with resolve.
“I will certainly do so. However, since I don't have information on how many Vampire Kin there are right now, I can't give a definitive promise...”
“Ah, that.”
As if he had just remembered, the Emperor pulled several documents from his robe.
It was a list. Next to the names, specific buildings within the Academy were even written down.
When I wore a strange expression, the old man winked playfully with one eye.
“I heard the report and had them all rounded up. Feel free to interrogate them as you wish.”
It was the moment my workload was slashed in an instant.
*
Even as I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling of being dazed.
“Can it really be this easy?”
“What do you mean?”
The Sword Duke’s attitude in responding to my fundamental question was nothing short of indifferent.
She looked so relaxed she was even yawning.
“Are you saying that gathering information and securing key personnel should be difficult? When the Emperor is at the Academy and the Imperial Intelligence Agency is hiding in every shadow?”
“But I didn't think the Dark Cult would be caught so easily...”
“That’s why you have to do your part well.”
With that, the Sword Duke curled her lips into a smirk.
It was a wild yet charming smile.
“Interrogation isn't our job. The Intelligence Agency is currently investigating the movements of everyone who has gone missing over the past few days. Information will come out eventually, but you’ll have to dig out the decisive intel yourself.”
“Wouldn't the Intelligence Agency be better at interrogation too?”
“It’s hard to distinguish the true Vampire Kin. We can manage with the commoners somehow, but we can't just lay hands on this many nobles recklessly.”
Indeed, even the Findleston family, which held key positions in the Imperial Intelligence Agency, was a noble family.
It was difficult to oppress dozens or hundreds of nobles without proper charges.
Nevertheless, the Sword Duke didn't seem particularly worried.
“But you reported it before, didn't you? That the vampires reacted particularly sensitively to you... Also, your body has undergone changes due to the vampire's spell. It’s worth having some expectations.”
“And if it still doesn't work?”
“Then we’ll have to get our hands dirty. What else can we do?”
I didn't ask the stupid question of on what.
The well-being of hundreds of students was essentially in my hands.
It was while I was deep in thought.
“Ah, Senior Ian!”
A girl’s voice caught my attention.
Turning my gaze slightly back, I saw dark blue hair, reminiscent of the night sky, fluttering in the air. And those characteristic pale gray eyes.
The 5th Princess, Cien.
It had been a while since we last met, but she was a junior I was always happy to see. Just as I was about to wave back with a bright expression...
A thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
Wait, 'interrogation'?
While I hesitated for a moment, Cien wore a soft smile and bowed politely before me.
“How have you been? Lately, my ears have been ringing with Senior Ian’s fame.”
The one who was shocked by this sight was the Sword Duke, who was walking beside me.
The sight of the wide-eyed girl jumping in place was quite a spectacle.
Her looks were good, after all.
“No, Cien! How can a member of the Imperial family bow so carelessly...!”
“...So, Senior Ian.”
However, the Sword Duke’s anger didn't last long.
It was because the Princess’s voice, spoken without losing her smile, was exceptionally cold and sharp.
This must be the first time she had ever received such treatment from her grand-niece.
The Sword Duke froze in shock. It was a scene where you could almost hear the sound of something shattering.
Regardless, Cien narrowed her pale gray eyes and asked.
“Who is this girl?”
Her gaze was so clearly tinged with hostility that the Sword Duke ended up looking like she was about to cry.
Autumn was a harsh season for the girl.