Blood Witch (1)
Blood Witch (1)
The sweat hadn't been from Yergina — it was just an immune reaction.
The imperial priest who had rushed over explained.
— When mental and physical exhaustion combine with mana drain, the body often produces these symptoms while recovering.
Maintaining the balance between mind, energy, and body matters. Rest is just as essential as restoring mana or stamina. The imperial priest delivered a lengthy lecture while radiating holy power.
'...Oh.'
Come to think of it, was this the first time he had experienced proper holy power? The closest reference he had was Yulan from class, but that guy was a Blood Rock Sect member.
Unlike magical power, holy power was warm and yet unyielding. It began healing his internal injuries as if reversing cause and effect. Just as he thought it felt similar to the Authority he himself possessed—
— Well then.
The priest finished the treatment and walked out.
Ian sat up with a sigh.
He finally felt mobile enough.
"...Don't their backs hurt sleeping like that?"
Danya and Rina were so exhausted they had soaked their blankets with drool as they slept. Well, no wonder. Both of them had drained their mana to the absolute limit. Recovering mana inside Richard's dantian had been impossible.
Still, neither of them had complained once. They had both worked hard.
Ian picked up Danya first and moved her.
— Mmnyah... too big, can't eat it all, nya...
Danya, who had wrung every last drop of her magic power to bloom snow-retreat flowers for her teacher. "Hup." Rina had endured a frigid environment poorly matched to her affinity, kept track of everyone's body temperatures, and even managed monster attacks — it would have been strange if she hadn't collapsed from exhaustion.
— Uugh... press harder, Master...
'...What kind of dream are you having?'
Ian sighed and set Rina down beside Danya. She squirmed for a moment, then let out a soft, satisfied murmur in her sleep.
"Phew."
Looking at them like this, they really had been through a lot.
"I'll be counting on you for the next scenarios, too."
— Mm. Nom. Yummy...
Instead of answering, Danya mumbled and chewed on her own cherry-blossom-pink hair. Ian smiled wryly and gently smoothed down their hair.
Just as he was catching his breath—
— Clack! Clack!
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from a distance. They slowed in front of the treatment room.
Creak.
The door opened cautiously. The Third Princess, looking rather haggard, poked her head through the gap.
"Your Highness?"
The Princess sheepishly stuck out her tongue.
"I heard you woke up."
Squeak.
The Princess carefully opened the door and entered.
"I was planning to just sneak a look at your face and leave."
She plopped down onto the edge of the bed. Her expression was full of worry. It was a remarkably novel sight.
The princess of the treacherous court, Asteria. Asteria, who would do absolutely anything to sit on the throne. That she, who wore a flirtatious mask while hiding a ruthlessly cold true self, would make such a face.
Ian found himself chuckling.
"W-Why are you laughing?! I was genuinely worried that you might not regain consciousness!"
"You look worse off than me, Your Highness."
"Huh?"
Ian held up a mirror, and Asteria blinked. She stared at the area around her eyes for a long moment.
Deep, dark circles had settled beneath them. They were a kind of guilt.
To her, all people were chess pieces — to be used and, when necessary, boldly discarded in the pursuit of the throne. But Ian was different. His talent and peculiar humanity had caught her attention. After he saved her life, Ian became the first person she was genuinely curious about as a human being.
That was how it should have been.
She had needed to send someone north. She needed someone she could trust. Ian had naturally come to mind. But the Northern Duke Richard had been far more ferocious and brazen than Asteria had anticipated. Karen's urgent report had overflowed with nothing but staggering details.
Asteria immediately mobilized every available force and rushed north. What she saw was Ian driving his sword into Richard's heart. And yet, when Ian collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut, having poured out everything — she couldn't help but worry.
Richard was dead. It should have been a cause for jubilation. She should have been ecstatic. Yet oddly, guilt and anxiety over Ian came first. The result was those dark circles beneath her eyes.
"...Th-This is..."
Ian chuckled again as he watched Asteria fidget, so unlike her usual self. Asteria's two sides. Her aggressively flirtatious, somewhat provocative persona and the deathly serious, power-hungry princess — both were unshakably strong in their own ways. But seeing her so deflated and weary, what was the word...
Impiously, she struck him as adorable.
"You must have had a rough time handling the aftermath."
"R-Right. There was too much to do, of course it was rough!"
The princess said that and then fell silent. The tips of her ears seemed slightly red, but Ian attributed it to the lighting.
A brief quiet settled. The candles softly illuminating the room flickered as a cold draft slipped through the window. Just as he thought the silence wasn't so bad, Asteria spoke.
"You accomplished something truly remarkable. Taking down that Richard."
The Northern Duke Richard was dead. One of the Blood Rock Sect's core figures had fallen. This would undoubtedly slam the brakes on their reckless expansion.
And there was more. A key pillar of support for the Second Prince — who had used Richard and the hidden Blood Rock Sect to gain an edge in the succession struggle — had collapsed. Commensurate with the Duke's immense influence, this would bring seismic changes across the empire, and even the continent.
"...Therefore, I must say this to you."
Asteria's night-sky gaze fixed on Ian.
"Thank you, Ian."
Her gentle touch took hold of his hand.
"And."
Silence flowed once more. Along with the wavering candlelight, a heat shimmered in Asteria's eyes.
"I was worried."
"...Pardon?"
"Worried. These under-eye shadows. They're here because I worried about you."
Ian was taken aback. The Asteria he knew was not someone who said such things. Why would the princess who viewed people as chess pieces ever...?
'Is this her seductress mode?'
But the look in her eyes was earnest. This was her serious princess mode. At the same time, her cheeks were flushed, as if embarrassed.
"I worried. I kept thinking that perhaps you got hurt because of me."
Ian managed to respond.
"...There's no way I'd end up in trouble."
"But I told you — a small piece of evidence would be enough. So why take such a dangerous route..."
"Because I had to be compensated. A small piece of evidence meant Numbers. Now, can I expect an even bigger reward?"
Sigh.
The princess exhaled and smiled wryly.
"You really are... sometimes greedier than me."
"I am fairly materialistic."
"That's not what I meant. I meant greed when it comes to people."
"Pardon?"
"You pretend not to know and keep your distance."
Ian felt wronged. He didn't think he'd done that. But without a chance to defend himself, the princess's lips moved again.
"You drive me mad."
Ian thought to himself that perhaps the real Asteria was even more disquieting than her flirtatious persona. Her eyes, which had held a certain dark yearning, soon cleared.
"I'll do my absolute best with your reward."
"Thank you."
She added a few more details. The Numbers items were in the imperial treasury, and she suggested they visit the palace together once things here were settled. Since he already knew that, Ian simply nodded.
The princess added,
"...Honestly, I'm worried that might not be enough, just as you said."
Grin.
She curled up the corner of her lips. It was a smile that blended both sides of her — somewhat devilish yet utterly lethal.
"If it falls short, I'll just give you myself."
◆
The next day.
Ian, Rina, and Danya, sufficiently recovered to move, were ready to return to Lichten. The princess said she would stay a little longer to handle the aftermath. In truth, quite a number of nobles were implicated in the incident. Some had survived when Richard's dantian shattered, but many had not. The princess bore no responsibility.
"If I handle this, the north will soon become my base."
As expected of the Third Princess, she calculated political gains and losses with precision. Yergina, who had ascended to the position of the new Northern Duke, also appeared to need her assistance.
"I'll say it again: you are always welcome."
After exchanging farewells with Yergina, a carriage glided smoothly to a stop. It was the princess's carriage — the same one they had taken to get here. Danya, who boarded first, murmured regretfully.
"Huh? The swing is gone, nya. Hing."
...Wait. Why was she missing that?
The princess approached and chuckled.
"I think I can start dialing back the act now. All thanks to someone."
"Pardon?"
"You wouldn't like it if I flirted with others, would you?"
"?"
Seeing Ian flustered, Asteria smiled and continued.
"Ah, I forgot to mention. You'll notice when you get back, but Lichten Academy — more precisely, the city of Lichten — is currently on very thin ice."
"On thin ice?"
The princess answered.
"Yes. First, that girl Aria, the Saintess Candidate, is in considerably bad shape. Because of that, the conflict between the Order and other factions is gradually surfacing. Furthermore, the Raymond Trading Company's Lichten branch — the one Emilia oversees — is moving by any means necessary to expand its influence. I'm just telling you so you're aware. Don't go sticking your neck out. And be extra careful; we have no idea how the Blood Rock Sect will come after you next."
As the carriage set off, the princess added one more thing.
"I, too, will be able to exercise my influence more directly once I return."
◆
They decided to return via portal. The reason was simple: none of them ever wanted to ride the cross-mountain train through the northern range again. Portals were faster and more convenient, anyway.
The northern base customs checkpoint where they arrived felt distinctly like a terminal.
"Wow, there are so many people."
"As many as ants, nya."
Magitech portals were primarily for wealthy merchants and nobility, but this was feasible because there simply weren't many other ways to travel from the north to the continent. Perhaps because of that, the checkpoint was packed with all kinds of shops and food stalls.
Danya's ears twitched this way and that. Her nose scrunched every time a fragrant scent wafted by. Abruptly recalling her sleep-talking, Ian chuckled.
"Want to grab something to eat?"
"Really, nya?!"
"It's on me. Rina, you pick something too."
— Jingle, jingle.
Ian shook his coin pouch. Part of the payment from the princess. It was money he'd have to split with Rina and Danya, but he could just deduct it from their shares later.
The pair excitedly chose treats. Danya got a towering soft-serve ice cream that reached all the way up to her face.
"...Aren't you cold?"
"Heh."
Rina chose fruit coated in frozen sugar.
'As expected of a social butterfly.'
They enjoyed a brief respite at the checkpoint. The lively chatter of people. Danya and Rina's laughter. A peaceful scene after a life-or-death struggle. A smile naturally spread across his face.
At that moment. Without warning.
His gaze caught someone staggering in the distance. The coffee in the man's hand wobbled precariously, as if about to spill.
"Ah."
Drowsy and disoriented, the man bumped into someone. The cup slipped from his hand. The dark brown liquid spilling down was unnervingly vivid.
— Splash.
Ian vaguely expected to hear that sound when the coffee hit the ground.
But.
—......
Silence.
The sound that should have followed never came. No. It wasn't only that sound that was missing. The entire platform was silent.
"...?"
Ian slowly looked around.
Everyone had frozen exactly in place. Danya's mouth, open to take a bite of ice cream, remained agape. Rina's mouth, frozen in a bright smile as she wrung a handkerchief, did not close. Every droplet of the distant falling coffee was perfectly distinct.
Time had stopped.
Except for me.
The moment he realized it, a drop of cold sweat slid down Ian's spine.
— Step.
He heard the sound of shoes.
Ian turned his head. He couldn't tell whether he had turned his head or the world had spun around him. The motionless background was that disorienting.
— Step.
The sound of footsteps drew closer.
Who on earth was moving? Hidden by the vast crowd, no matter how he turned, he couldn't see the source.
— Step.
Then, in an instant, a figure appeared before him.
Black shoes. Black hair. And scarlet eyes — ominous red, as though forged from congealed blood.
The moment he met those eyes—
— Sssssssssssssss...
A chill spread over him, as if hundreds of spiders were crawling across his skin.
"So you are Ian."