Chapter 567: Jealousy is My Power (67)
Chapter 567: Jealousy is My Power (67)
“One who inherits the dragon's blood shall fulfill the Imperial long-cherished wish… Iris is obsessed with this prophecy, even though its truth is uncertain. ‘The Imperial long-cherished wish’? To think she’d actually try to carry out such a mad plan….”
“It seems Your Highness Vilteon has no particular intention of fulfilling that wish.”
“May I speak bluntly?”
Setting his glass down with a clack, Vilteon let out a hollow laugh.
“Iris’s dream is anachronistic. Mass-producing Masters to minimize variables? That’s nothing more than a pretext. To become the true master of the continent by killing thousands, tens of thousands of talented young people….”
A faint trace of anger could be felt in the man’s murmuring voice.
A sharp, mocking smile pierced his previously calm expression.
“The era of such blood-stained glory is over. We’ve already passed the stage where humanity should be fighting amongst itself… We still have a common enemy in the ‘demonic beasts,’ so what does she hope to achieve by staining the continent with blood once again?”
That was his final word on the matter.
Clicking his tongue, Vilteon tilted the bottle once more. As soon as the glass was full, he drained it in one go—a hearty way of drinking.
He was a magnanimous man in many ways.
“And to use her own younger sister as a tool for that? Cien is at an age where she still needs to learn and realize many more things. That is why I hope you will look after her well, Sir Ian.”
Having finished his piece, the man slowly rose to his feet.
It was a signal that it was time to wrap things up. Since I had much to do anyway, it was a welcome suggestion.
Nevertheless, the reason I felt a strange sense of regret was likely because the meeting with Vilteon had been unexpectedly fruitful. Though I had only heard his name until now, speaking with him briefly had given me much to think about.
I understood why Princess Iris disliked Vilteon so much.
And I saw what kind of future Vilteon dreamed of.
He was a man whose goals were the polar opposite of Princess Iris’s. It was as if some intellectual entity had split the two apart to ensure they would clash.
However, one question still lingered in my mind.
“Then, would it be better for Her Highness Cien not to become the disciple of the Great Witch?”
It was pure curiosity.
Until now, I had only thought about making Cien the Great Witch’s disciple. After all, wasn't it an opportunity to learn the secret techniques of one of only three Masters on the continent?
My heart wanted to help Cien seize the best opportunity possible.
But to hear that it could actually be poisonous...
Since this was the first time I had heard such a perspective, I wanted to hear more of Vilteon’s thoughts.
It didn't take long for an answer.
Vilteon’s hands, which had been straightening his clothes, paused for a moment, and then he let out a soft sigh.
“Ian Percus, do you know this? Those born with the dragon's blood must choose one of two paths.”
A parting word.
A hand waved lightly over the shoulder of the man who had turned his back. His voice left a trace behind him like a lingering scent.
“To become a dragon, or to become human.”
Then, his blue eyes turned toward me.
They were clear—so clear that I wondered if I was looking into a pristine lake.
“I want Cien to become human… because dragons cannot be happy.”
The sound of his steady footsteps continued without hesitation.
How much time had passed?
I was left alone in the colorlessly bleak garden. Like the bottle with hardly anything left inside, my eyes, staring blankly, were likely just as empty.
After agonizing over it for a long time, I eventually snatched up the bottle Vilteon had left behind and poured the remainder into my glass. It filled halfway as the last drop fell.
I tossed the drink back.
There were many problems to worry about. Far too many.
Time was like a natural disaster.
No matter how much one wished otherwise, time flowed on, and tragedy inevitably arrived. The Academy, facing the impending storm, was already steeped in a gloomy atmosphere.
The Emperor was departing in haste.
Though a detailed explanation hadn't been given yet for fear of causing chaos, the Academy planned to evacuate the students in the near future. They just hadn't cleared a few hurdles yet.
The Vampire’s curse amplifies emotions toward me.
Whether it was affection, jealousy, or anything else, it didn't matter. It was nothing more than pure material to strengthen the Vampire’s spell. Naturally, there was no way the Vampire would let go of such good prey so easily.
Obsession.
That was likely the countermeasure the Vampire had prepared.
“So in the end, most of the students refused to leave the Academy. I can understand affection, but how on earth does jealousy lead to obsession?”
The question was posed along with a puff of cigarette smoke.
The speaker was the Great Witch, one of the only three Masters on the continent.
“How should I know? But according to the Intelligence Bureau’s investigation, the cursed students are suffering from a strange obsession. They say they’re going to uncover the reality of the heroic tales.”
The one answering that question with a hollow laugh was the Sword Duke.
Like the Great Witch, he was one of the three Masters.
He had finally cast off the girl’s prosthetic body. Having reclaimed his original body after a long time, the Sword Duke possessed a profound weightiness that was absent when he was a girl.
Though his inner self probably hadn't changed much.
The Great Witch merely shrugged at the Sword Duke’s exasperated tone.
“Hmph, well… the amplification of emotion itself is a spell no different from a type of hypnosis. Planting a small suggestion during that process would be child’s play. Thanks to that, we have one more thing to worry about.”
“The Academy faculty must protect the students.”
A heavy declaration.
Unlike the Great Witch, who acted as if it were no big deal, the Sword Duke looked incredibly serious.
The blue eyes reflecting the Great Witch grew deeper.
“And I have to protect my foolish nephew… which means almost all the forces I can mobilize are gone. Do we still have a chance of victory, old hag?”
The answer didn't come for a while.
The Great Witch silently inhaled and exhaled cigarette smoke.
Eventually, she spat out a thin smile and asked back.
“……And if we don’t?”
“Then we must plan for the future.”
“This is a plan I’ve put so much effort into; did you think I hadn't considered the possibility of running away? And if I’m not here, the young people of the Academy will all become sacrifices for the Dark Cult.”
“The ones remaining at the Academy can be forced out if necessary.”
“I’m asking if you think the Vampire wouldn't have considered that much of a possibility.”
Only then did the Sword Duke seem at a loss for words, letting out a groan.
His dissatisfied expression remained unchanged.
“The more people there are to evacuate, the larger the gaps become. A caster of the Vampire’s caliber would have certainly prepared for that. No, she might actually be hoping for it….”
“But it’s better than a hopeless fight!”
Before I knew it, the Sword Duke’s speech had reverted to his usual formal tone.
It was likely the way he had always spoken to the Great Witch. It would be hard to discard a long-standing habit all at once.
“The opponent is a monster aided by the power of shamanism! And yet, we have one Master who can’t even use her full strength and one High Expert? The numbers are absolutely insufficient. We should at least ensure both of you survive…!”
“Elder Sword Duke.”
The one who cut off that desperate plea was not the Great Witch, but me.
My voice, breaking the silence, was firm and heavy. As if to prove that my resolve would not waver.
“We still don't know the whereabouts of Celine and Seria. I have no intention of running away from this battle.”
That was right.
I had nowhere left to run.
Celine had vanished after being kidnapped, and Seria had also disappeared after sucking Cien’s blood. And weren't both of them incomparably precious to me?
Even if I were to die, I couldn't take a single step back.
The Sword Duke likely knew my heart as well. That was probably why he wore such a frustrated expression.
Because he wanted to stop me, but he knew he couldn't.
The Great Witch puffed out a cloud of smoke and chimed in.
“Indeed, the one who’s leaving sure has a lot to say. Aren't you the one abandoning us?”
“No, that’s… because there are circumstances…!”
The Sword Duke reacted with fierce resistance to the Great Witch’s point. Since he likely didn't want to leave either, it was a natural reaction.
But that only served to further stimulate the Great Witch’s mischievousness.
“Tsk, tsk, what a shame. Truly a shame… If only there were at least one more person we could trust. At least one person who could find the places where the mana flow is unstable and destroy the core of the barrier.”
In the end, the Sword Duke fell silent at the Great Witch’s continued lament.
A point where the mana flow is unstable.
To feel that, sensitive senses were essential. The Vampire was an excellent caster who had lived for hundreds of years, and her sophisticated spells were extremely difficult to detect.
Even I might have missed it if I weren't careful.
Such talent was rare even in the Imperial Intelligence Agency. At the very least, it was something the Sword Duke couldn't immediately find a replacement for.
The anomaly occurred right then.
“Um, excuse me….”
A small voice.
Two syllables filled with hesitation echoed in the room. The source was the owner of this space, who was lying on the bed.
The 5th Princess of the Empire, Cien.
Although a heated debate had suddenly broken out, this was actually the hospital room where the Princess was receiving concentrated healing. The three of us, who had come to visit her, had simply started exchanging opinions.
This was the result.
Cien had been sitting quietly on the bed like a mute who had eaten honey, unable to join the conversation of the much older adults. After maintaining that long silence, she had finally broken it.
It was reason enough for our attention to be focused on her.
The girl swallowed hard, seemingly nervous under the concentrated gaze. Her slightly hunched posture was pitiful, but Cien spoke with a voice full of brave determination.
“I-I can do that much! My eyes are special!”
However, because the content was so sudden.
The gazes of the three of us crossed in mid-air. Every single one of us looked stunned.
The storm was approaching. From far away, or perhaps from right in front of us.
The assault began the very next day.
Deep underground, where day and night were indistinguishable.
Celine barely managed to open her heavy eyelids.
"Hello."
Even though she knew the scenery waiting for her was always the same.
A woman with a bright smile was crouching in front of her.
Black hair, red eyes.
A woman with a beauty so breathtaking it was suffocating.
Celine used to call this person by a certain name.
'Devil.'