Chapter 529: Jealousy is My Power (29)
Chapter 529: Jealousy is My Power (29)
Not many people enjoy conflict.
Even mercenaries, who make war their trade and think nothing of staining their blades with blood, feel the same. There are even studies suggesting that sword fights, bare-knuckle brawls, and even petty arguments cause significant fatigue.
Naturally, I was no exception.
Even though I had crossed the line between life and death countless times and subjugated numerous powerful foes, I still hated fighting. In fact, one could say I was going through all this trouble precisely because I hated it.
I wanted to reclaim peace.
No matter what anyone said, I was a 'pacifist.'
In that context, my greatest concern lately was something else entirely.
How could I stop the women from fighting?
Or rather, was it even possible?
Even Senior Delphine, whom I had trusted, was subtly tormenting Seria. As for the Saintess or Senior Elsie, there was no need to even mention them.
I had been agonizing over this in many ways, but after seeing the scene before me, I could only let out a hollow laugh.
"No matter how I look at it, this is the first time I've seen her... Where on earth did this girl come from? And why is she clinging so tightly to Sir Ian?"
"N-No... you've got it all wrong, Cien. I, well...!"
"Do you like Sir Ian? How presumptuous... And why are you speaking so informally when we've just met? Do you know me? Are you that confident?"
The Sword Duke could not withstand Cien's rapid-fire offensive.
If it were a matter of blades, it might be different, but there was no way he could match Cien in a war of words.
From the sidelines, it looked like nothing more than a chick pecking at an earthworm.
Especially with Cien standing there, cheeks puffed out and hands on her hips. Seeing her like that, I couldn't suppress the chuckle that escaped me.
However, the one on the receiving end seemed to feel differently.
At the sound of my laughter, the Sword Duke shouted in a fit of rage.
"Y-You're laughing? Ian Percus, you scoundrel! Stop Cien this instant...!"
"And what's with that strange way of speaking? Ha, do you think you're someone's grandfather or something?"
By now, the Princess's tone had turned mocking. She probably couldn't imagine that her random guess was touching upon a facet of the truth.
Instead, Cien snorted as if it were absurd, spreading her hands and shrugging her shoulders. Her face was the picture of utter bewilderment.
"Hmph, you've certainly committed to the persona."
"N-No... it's not a persona..."
"Then what is it? A young girl using an old man's speech... the only answers are either mental illness or acting. Should I introduce you to a trustworthy priest?"
Every word she said was perfectly logical.
In fact, the Sword Duke's current state could be described as something akin to a mental illness. How else could one define a state where the mind and body do not align?
There were only two solutions.
Either reclaim a body suited to the mind, or have the mind adapt to the body.
Of course, the reality was that neither option was available right now.
It was around the time I was nodding to myself in agreement.
The Princess was now growling, showing blatant hostility, while the Sword Duke sent me a desperate, pleading look.
He was begging for help.
"Hmph, unfortunately for you, it's already too late! All the spots by Sir Ian's side, even the one for a pet dog, are already taken! So, drop the weird act and...!"
"Please, don't be so harsh, Your Highness."
At my calm intervention, the Princess finally regained her composure.
"Ah!" With a short gasp, Cien immediately began to fidget and offer excuses.
"S-Sir Ian? It's a misunderstanding... Surely you don't think I'd try to bully someone? I-I'm too busy reflecting on my sins against you... It's a misunderstanding! Truly...!"
If I left her be, she looked ready to burst into tears and drop to her knees.
I calmed the Princess down before it reached that point.
"I know. However, there seems to be a slight misunderstanding... This child is actually suffering from an illness."
The reactions of the two girls to my words were polar opposites.
The Princess's eyes went wide with surprise, while the Sword Duke's face immediately contorted into a scowl.
"...What?"
That voice, dripping with displeasure, spoke volumes of the girl's—no, the man's—feelings.
His burning gaze was somewhat burdensome. I could clearly feel his resolve to tear me apart if I didn't provide a proper explanation.
Feeling a drop of cold sweat roll down my neck, I added a low explanation.
"I heard she spent her childhood training alone in the mountains with her grandfather. Her special admission to the Academy was decided recently, but when her grandfather passed away, her mind... well, yes."
It was a hastily fabricated story, but fortunately, it possessed a minimum level of plausibility.
Especially since the listener was Princess Cien.
The girl, who couldn't even conceive of the idea of doubting me, gasped and clasped her hands together.
A deep sense of pity flickered in her pale gray eyes.
"I see... how tragic."
However, the other girl could not possibly accept my excuse.
After clutching her forehead as if dizzy for a moment, the Sword Duke's voice gradually rose.
"No, no, no... what kind of nonsense is this fellow...!"
"Your Highness, you also have a grandfather, don't you?"
But the Sword Duke had no choice but to fall silent.
Before Cien was even born, the Late Emperor had lost his life after a battle with illness. Thus, there was only one person Cien would refer to as a 'grandfather figure.'
It was the 'Sword Duke.'
Cien also began to chime in with a naive smile.
"Aha, you mean my Great-grand Uncle? Of course, he is a respected elder of the Imperial Household."
"Have you ever met him, Your Highness?"
"Naturally! He has a bit of a mischievous side, but he is a kind and dignified person. He truly feels like the great elder of the Imperial Family."
At the unexpected praise, the Sword Duke cleared his throat with a "Hmph, hmph," and subtly averted his gaze.
However, his flushed cheeks and the strange tension in his shoulders betrayed his true feelings. He seemed quite proud, after all.
Then again, wasn't he the one who had ended his long years of wandering out of deep affection for the Imperial Family?
There was no way his grand-niece's praise wouldn't make him feel good.
So, I decided to deliver the finishing blow at this point.
"What if that Elder Sword Duke became a young girl?"
"......Huh?"
Cien, who had been responding in a gentle tone, suddenly had her thought process grind to a halt.
How much time passed while she remained frozen like that?
Suddenly, Cien burst out laughing.
"Pfft, ahahaha! S-Sorry... pfft, kuku... but that's just too ridiculous..."
"It is, isn't it?"
"Of course! No matter how much I respect you, Sir Ian, you must refrain from such sacrilegious remarks toward the great elder of the Imperial Family. I'm afraid someone might hear... ehehe."
As Cien's cheerful assertions continued, the Sword Duke's complexion darkened by the second.
Eventually, Cien cautiously approached the Sword Duke, whose face had turned a murky shade of gray. Then, with eyes full of pity, she reached out and grabbed both of the Sword Duke's shoulders.
It was, without a doubt, Cien's hands.
She spoke in a warm yet firm tone.
"So that's the sad story behind it... Don't worry too much. You were surprised by the sudden change in environment, weren't you? I'll help you adjust from now on... By the way, how old are you?"
"I, well, uh......"
Unable to process the sudden turn of events, the Sword Duke's words trailed off.
I didn't miss the opportunity and spoke up.
"She is one year younger than Your Highness."
"I thought so! Special admissions are usually early admissions... Now then, why don't you try calling me 'Big Sister'?"
The Sword Duke squeezed his eyes shut and trembled.
For a moment, I sensed a faint murderous intent in the gaze directed at me, but what could I do?
Setting the age younger made the story more convincing.
As if making a final stand, the girl attempted a pathetic rebellion.
"I, uh, that... I find this way of speaking more comfortable..."
"......'Big Sister'."
But because the voice of the smiling Cien sounded exceptionally chilling...
In the end, the Sword Duke could only let a tear escape.
"Yes, Big Sister..."
Afterward, in front of the Princess who was excited about having a new younger sister, I whispered to the Sword Duke.
"You must be happy. Having such a pretty big sister..."
"Stp... it...?"
However, the Sword Duke's rage as he spoke through gritted teeth was no joke. The force with which he pinched my side was enough to slightly tear the skin.
In the end, I had to walk on in silence, unable to even scream.
My side stung. It was a scratch that could be healed in an instant if only the Saintess were here.
Lost in such idle thoughts as I walked, the path eventually led to a certain building.
The buildings where those suspected of being Vampire Kin were being held.
I intended to enter one of them and conduct interrogations alongside the Princess.
The Princess's 'Dragon's Eye' was incredibly useful during interrogations.
I prayed that the truth would be revealed without much difficulty.
I prayed that the hundreds of students would not have to suffer through the ruthless interrogations of the Imperial Intelligence Agency.
It didn't take long to realize that my worries were unnecessary.
It started with a very small trigger.
The moment I entered the secret room to interrogate one of the missing persons.
"The scent... I smell it..."
Dazed, the missing person began to mutter.
My bewildered gaze turned toward the Princess standing behind me. But the Princess also looked like she had no idea what was going on.
The Princess's stunned voice followed.
"Appetite, lust... the colors are too strong. It's hard to look into any other part of her heart..."
Soon, a wet, rasping sound of breathing—enough to be irritating—tickled my ears.
With her chin tilted up, staring at the ceiling light, her gaze held a dangerous longing. Despite the restraints on her hands and feet, the woman, who had been twitching and convulsing, finally let out a scream.
"The scent, the scent... a sweet scent, a scent that's driving me craaaaaazy!"
And then, with a sickening crack.
The woman's bound hands and feet twisted and tore, unable to withstand the contraction of her muscles. The experience of seeing muscles tear along with the skin was not particularly pleasant.
The body, having lost its hands and feet, collapsed to the ground, only to spring forward with incredible speed.
Straight toward my waist.
The only problem was that I wasn't the type to just stand there and take it.
A few seconds of leeway.
That was more than enough. Behind the silver flames that swept through my vision, a world dyed in monochrome appeared.
A world where all momentum had been stripped away.
The only thing moving through it was a single blade.
"Khe... kkeeeeeeeek!"
The torso, having lost its limbs following its hands and feet, fell pitifully to the floor. Since I had dealt with Vampire Kin before, the woman's limbs had been thoroughly neutralized.
The eyes of a frightened girl were staring at me.
Come to think of it, had the Sword Duke said he would wait outside just in case?
At that moment, several noises hammered against my eardrums.
Thump, thump, thump!
Kreeeeeeek!
Kieeeeeeeeek!
The intent behind the monsters' screams echoing from all directions was clear.
I could only let out a hollow laugh.
"Have they all lost their minds at once...?"
Every vampire in the building was targeting me.
I couldn't even guess the cause, but what I had to do was clear.
"S-Sir Ian... Kyaaaak?!"
I immediately tucked the Princess under my arm and began to run. Surprisingly, the Princess leaned into my embrace quite willingly, even blushing slightly.
Well, that was a good thing, I suppose.
The Sword Duke was waiting outside anyway. The chances of a vampire's reach getting to us were infinitesimally low.
The only problem was one thing.
The people trapped here weren't just Vampire Kin.
There were likely innocent missing persons as well.
And among the monsters was someone who must not be killed.
Lady Ruphesia.
I kicked off the ground with all my might and shot forward.
Not toward the vampires, but toward a monster far greater than them.
I had to find the Sword Duke somehow.
Before he erased every living thing here except for us.