Chapter 570: Jealousy is My Power (70)
Chapter 570: Jealousy is My Power (70)
“I want to save them.”
“Go ahead and try, then.”
Exhaling a sound that was somewhere between a sneer and a sigh, the Great Witch placed her smoking pipe to her lips.
“If you actually can, that is.”
Yes, that is exactly what I intend to do.
Just as I was about to retort, I felt a sharp tug on my collar. Senior Elsie was standing there, her face twisted in a pout.
The girl stood on her tiptoes and whispered softly into my ear.
“...She’s telling you not to bother because it’s a waste of time.”
“Pardon? Why?”
“Because it’s impossible, you brat.”
Senior Elsie crushed my perfectly reasonable question with brutal simplicity.
When I still looked unconvinced, the girl let out a long, weary sigh through her small lips.
“That Celine and Seria? I’ll try my best to keep your juniors or whatever they are alive. But I can’t save those who have already become Vampire Kin.”
This was a conversation we had shared before.
Senior Elsie had said the exact same thing back then—that there was no way to revert those who had become servants of a vampire.
I wanted to ask why.
Hadn't she mentioned before that she had researched ways to treat those turned into Vampire Kin? I felt like I needed to hear a convincing explanation before I could even begin to offer myself an excuse.
But perhaps we had spent too much time talking.
“Lord Ian!”
An urgent shout echoed from a distance. Naturally, everyone’s gaze shifted toward the source.
At a glance, he looked like an ordinary student. He was wearing the Academy uniform and appeared to be in his early twenties.
But I knew better.
That male student was actually a member of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau’s Academy branch, someone I had become acquainted with at the newspaper club. The fact that he was sprinting toward me was enough to plant a seed of dread in my heart.
The Intelligence Bureau wouldn't come looking for me unless something had gone terribly wrong.
I wasn't the only one who felt this premonition. Senior Elsie, standing right beside me, was already narrowing her eyes.
And that anxiety soon manifested into reality.
“V-Vampires... unidentified women are running amok inside the Academy! Most people are taking shelter inside the buildings, but some departments are still in the middle of evacuating...!”
I wanted to swear right then and there, but I did my best to restrain myself in front of my elders.
Actually, there wasn't much need for me to hold back.
There was someone else who could speak for my heart.
“What a fucking mess... we’re screwed, seriously.”
Her words were crudely blunt to the point of being rude, but the Great Witch didn't bother to scold Senior Elsie. The situation was far too urgent for that.
The first to react was the Princess, who had little field experience.
“W-W-What should we do?! Shouldn't we head back immediately? We can always find the Core of the Barrier later...!”
“...Please, calm down.”
It was the duty of the senior-most junior to look after the youngest.
In terms of age, I was the second youngest here, and I was also the one who had the deepest rapport with the Princess.
With that in mind, I began to soothe and coax her.
“There must be a reason the vampires acted first. The fact that the kin moved first suggests they might be trying to split our forces. Or perhaps they want to delay us from searching for the Core of the Barrier as much as possible.”
“He is right.”
The one who picked up my calm explanation was the Great Witch.
Having lived for hundreds of years, the eldest among us showed not a hint of agitation.
“There are professors stationed inside the Academy for protection. Do you think we are the only ones moving? Besides, the students themselves have a fair bit of skill, so there is no need to worry excessively.”
Perhaps the combined persuasion of the Great Witch and myself worked.
The Princess, who looked ready to bolt at any second, finally settled down. She nodded, her eyes filled with infinite trust as she looked at me with something akin to admiration.
“I-I see! As expected of Sir Ian. To think you can maintain your composure even in a situation like this...”
That was only because I had dealt with so many unexpected situations until now.
'Ambush' and 'raid' were words I had heard far too often. Come to think of it, wasn't there an attack by the Dark Cult on the very day I rescued the Princess?
While I was lost in these reminiscences...
“U-Um...”
The Imperial Intelligence agent cautiously pulled me out of my thoughts.
It seemed he had more to say. Judging by the way he was breaking out in a cold sweat, he appeared to be under immense psychological pressure.
Am I really that scary?
The agent squeezed his eyes shut immediately after.
“The, um... among the departments that failed to evacuate... there is news that the Alchemy Department is one of them...”
Silence followed.
I stood rooted to the spot, choosing to keep my mouth shut. Thoughts raced through my mind like an electric current, but in the end, only one thought manifested into words.
“...Emma!”
The moment my feet kicked off the ground, my body shot forward like the wind. I felt incredulous stares burning into my back.
But I didn't care.
My mind was entirely occupied by a single girl who seemed to have a peculiar knack for getting into trouble.
I didn't know why, but I had a bad feeling.
A very bad one.
*
The physical capabilities of a High Expert transcend imagination.
This applied to leg power as well. Not long after I had kicked off the ground, I finally spotted the person I was looking for.
Reddish-brown hair, clear green eyes, and the snow-white lab coat unique to the Alchemy Department.
It was Emma.
She was in the middle of struggling to move some luggage. It seemed she intended to continue her research even after evacuating; the bundle she was dragging looked quite heavy.
The moment I confirmed Emma’s presence, I shouted her name.
“Emma!”
“...Huh?”
The eyes of the woman who had been huffing and puffing as she pulled the bundle turned toward me. Her face brightened instantly.
It was a radiant smile.
Even though the vampire's curse hung over the Academy, Emma’s nature was so inherently kind that she barely seemed affected by it. It was likely thanks to that purity that she could smile so brightly.
Fortunately, Emma seemed unharmed.
“Ian! What happened? You said you had something important today... Ah, did you leave something behind? Do you need the medicine you took yesterday?”
“Emma, listen... I mean...”
I quickly steadied my ragged breath and slowly approached her.
Only then could I be certain that she was safe. There were no abnormal signs anywhere on her body.
I’m not too late.
Thinking that, I placed my hands on Emma’s shoulders and spoke.
“Emma, listen carefully. I’m going to take you to the shelter, so don't come outside for a while. And make sure you stay close to the professors.”
“Eh? But I still have a few things left to pack...”
“It doesn't matter what happens to those things.”
At my firm tone, Emma hesitated and looked away. Her slightly flushed cheeks suggested she was finding it hard to gauge the distance between us.
If I could have it my way, I would have preferred to talk in a more cozy atmosphere.
But now was not the time for sweet, romantic moods.
Emma, seemingly unable to let go of her lingering regrets, offered a timid protest.
“B-But I was drying my mushrooms...”
“Now.”
Of course, her resistance was futile.
Emma hesitantly let go of the rope connected to her bundle. Then, she closed her eyes tight and spread her arms wide without a word.
“Okay! I’m ready!”
Did she think I was going to carry her in my arms?
I had originally planned to carry her on my back, but seeing her like this, I decided it might be faster to just scoop her up and go.
Just as I took a step forward.
Splat.
In an instant, my vision was stained crimson. It felt as if the world had ground to a halt.
I blankly brought my hand to my eyes. Traces of blood remained on my hand where it had brushed against my skin.
“...Huh?”
Dazed, I let out a low sound.
Whether it was a groan or a gasp, I didn't know. My gaze slowly drifted forward. There stood a woman, her eyes wide with shock, staring down at her own body in disbelief.
No, more accurately, she was staring at her abdomen.
Blood was gushing out from a jagged gash. For now, it was just blood, but soon her organs would come spilling out.
Emma forced the corners of her trembling lips upward. As if she wanted to tell me she was okay.
“Wh-Why? Ian, just now, something...”
That was the end.
As if she could no longer endure it, her eyes rolled back and her body slumped forward. With a dull thud, her body collapsed, and a pool of warm, scarlet liquid began to spread around her.
I stood there, shell-shocked, for several seconds.
From a distance, I felt the presence of someone approaching with light, airy steps.
“That’s one, for now.”
My pupils blankly followed the source of the voice. Through the clearing where Emma had fallen, shadows stretched out like the setting sun.
Their appearances varied.
But they shared only two things in common.
Gray hair and blue eyes.
Among them, a woman dressed in ornate clothing spoke to me with a seductive smile.
“Oh my, so you’re ‘Ian’? I heard you only recently became a High Expert...”
A soft chuckle pierced my ears.
“This is a small bit of revenge, you see. Since one of our sisters lost her life at your hands, I suppose we’re even now, aren't we?”
It goes without saying.
That was the last thing I heard while still in my right mind.