The Princess's Request
The Princess's Request
Fanta X Aca featured numerous interactions between mana elements.
Damage and effects could shift dramatically depending on how elements reacted with one another.
It was only natural that players who had reached a certain level would delve deep into these "interactions."
Some of those interactions were famously garbage.
The poster child was <Sprouting>, the interaction between Earth and Grass.
Sprouting's only effect was a visual flourish of a tiny sprout appearing on the screen.
Unsurprisingly, given its name, the community had firmly nicknamed this combination "Cancer."
The Earth-and-Grass pairing was notorious for being so utterly worthless.
That is, until one player stumbled upon its unique property.
- If you use Sprouting on a barrier and a sprout appears, the barrier cracks.
As it turned out, "Sprouting" was capable of shattering almost any protective barrier.
By the time the effect was discovered, though, Fanta X Aca had already become a dead game...
— Crack-crack-crackle!
Ian was the one who had originally discovered Sprouting's effect.
"Wha— What? Why, why is it breaking?!"
Yulan's eyes flew wide in an instant.
'M-My Absolute Immunity...!'
His barrier granted "absolute immunity" to physical, magical, and holy forces alike. That barrier had played a major role in propelling Yulan all the way to the Blood Rock Sect's upper ranks.
After all, anytime, anywhere, as long as he willed it, Yulan could execute the Blood Rock Sect's supreme technique, the Grand Blood Absorption Art.
Compared to other life-absorbing methods, the Grand Blood Absorption Art's procedure was more complicated and restrictive, but it had the advantage of being able to drain an opponent's life force and abilities to their absolute maximum.
'...I can't break contact here.'
While executing the Grand Blood Absorption Art, no matter what happened, contact with the target could not be severed.
It was obvious that forcibly halting the art—one he had initiated while trusting in his barrier—would inflict severe internal injuries.
So it was only natural that Yulan's eyes darted frantically from side to side, even as he drank the imperial princess's life force.
"Ahaha. Ian, why don't we talk this over for a moment?"
Ian, naturally, ignored him.
—KWA-BOOM!
Ian's fist detonated directly into the crack where the sprout had emerged.
Yulan's barrier crumbled like glass made of sugar, showering down in granules.
Bewilderment, indignation, fury.
Seeing Yulan's smile utterly obliterated, Ian grinned.
"Told you. You're fucked."
◆
Suffering massive internal injuries, Yulan fled.
Ian didn't bother chasing him.
Even wounded, Yulan's remaining combat strength was hard to gauge, and on many levels, he was a man of endless variables.
Instead.
The fleeing Yulan Altisichi would now be burdened with charges including attempted imperial kinslaughter, attempted murder of an imperial family member, and a host of other crimes.
Even if he overcame his internal injuries, his future activities would be severely constrained.
The next day.
The imperial princess's quarters, the reception room.
The moment she awoke, the princess summoned Ian.
When he arrived, Asteria, who had been sitting there looking somewhat haggard, shot to her feet.
"I am alive thanks to your efforts."
"I merely did what needed to be done."
In the original storyline, this was an incident meant to be resolved by Rina or Sharon while they were enjoying the festival. Sharon Pierce had returned to her family, and Rina was in a state where it was hard to tell if she was in her right mind.
But that didn't mean I could just leave a key character from Chapter 2 to die.
It was simply what needed to be done.
And, incidentally, a way to gain her attention.
"Please accept my sincere gratitude. Thank you, Ian Blackangus."
Asteria bowed her head.
Even with a face that looked worryingly gaunt, her bearing remained impeccable.
Was it because her energy was completely drained? With her flirtatious edge gone, Asteria seemed, if anything, elegant.
Meanwhile, Asteria's black-haired guard, Karen, was restless at her side.
She'd failed to protect the princess properly, which was no different from forcing the princess to bow her head to someone else.
"My apologies, Your Highness. I failed to perform my duties as your escort..."
"Karen. I told you, didn't I? This is not your fault. Would you please stop making that face now?"
True to the princess's words, Karen's face was crumpled into a woeful expression that didn't suit her sharp eyes at all.
"But, Your Highness... it's because I wasn't able to see through those traps that you're in this state..."
"Huu. Honestly, you standing there making that face is more of a burden to me. Look. Even Ian is walking on eggshells because of you."
Ian was troubled.
Not because he was walking on eggshells around Karen; he'd been preoccupied wondering if she resembled someone he knew.
"Ian, you say something to her."
"Me?"
"Yes."
A stray spark had jumped his way, apropos of nothing.
Ian thought for a moment, then spoke.
"For a guard, you were far too incompetent. You must dedicate yourself more rigorously to your training."
"Uck—!"
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
Karen fled the reception room as if running for her life.
Asteria watched her fleeing back in disbelief.
"You're rather something yourself, Ian."
"?"
"I think this is the first time I've seen Karen become that emotional. Normally, she's a quiet child who only gives curt answers."
"There are times when someone needs to be scolded. That's a necessity, too."
Ian recalled someone who had clung to him not long ago, begging to be scolded.
"Hmm...?"
There was no way Asteria would let a topic like this slip by.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Surprisingly strict, are you?"
"Pardon?"
"Are you this strict at night, too?"
"......."
Just moments ago, Ian had still felt some concern for the haggard Asteria.
But the instant he saw those curved eyes, that worry evaporated completely.
'Figures. Never worry about an imperial.'
Watching Asteria, who had already recovered that cryptic smile of hers, Ian let out a small sigh.
The corners of her lips upturned, Asteria patted the seat next to her.
"Don't just stand there looking terrifying. Come over here and sit."
"Excuse me, then."
The sofa was wide enough to lie down on.
Ian deliberately sat one seat apart from the princess.
It became meaningless when Asteria immediately scooted over one space toward him, though.
"There's something I'd like to ask you."
"Ask whatever you like."
"Truly, you look at my body and feel nothing at all?"
It was a provocative question, asked while subtly pressing her chest toward him, but Ian remained composed.
"Yes."
"...Really? Even me, like this, looking so pitiful and sick? It's rare to find a man who won't spare me a single glance in this state."
Ian knew Asteria's true nature.
And because of that, when she acted this way, she was simply annoying.
"It would seem I happen to be that rare sort of man."
Her expression went slightly blank at his firm reply.
Asteria, truthfully, had been flirting with him half in jest, out of a desire to get closer to Ian.
'Is my seduction truly not working on him?'
But the idea that her body had no effect whatsoever was a different matter entirely.
If that were the case, it meant this man Ian was one of two things.
'Either a sage with experience and wisdom deep enough to resist my temptation.'
Or...
"Are you, perhaps, a eunuch?"
Ian set down the teacup he'd been sipping from.
"I am not. More importantly, I think you might want to cover yourself."
"Why? I'm perfectly comfortable as I am."
Wordlessly, Ian gestured toward her chest.
Asteria's thin, airy indoor clothing had become damp with sweat, rendering it nearly transparent.
She hurriedly covered certain rather prominent areas with both hands.
"I-I wasn't th-this exposed, you know!"
Where had that endlessly composed expression gone? Asteria's face flushed bright red in an instant.
"I'm aware."
Hastily, Asteria wrapped her upper body in a blanket.
Averting his gaze into the distance, Ian spoke.
"In truth, I'm more interested in something other than your body, Your Highness."
"And what's that?"
"A commission."
The princess's hands, which had been fastening her buttons, paused.
She murmured.
"Just how much do you know?"
"That you intend to cut off the First Prince's hands and feet. Something like that."
—Sssk.
At the cold sensation against his neck, Ian lowered his gaze.
Karen's sword had drawn a thin, blood-red line across his throat.
'As expected, she's remarkably skilled.'
He hadn't sensed a thing as she approached.
That clean movement instantly brought to mind the Black Cat Troupe, a renowned clan of assassins. He was certain he wasn't mistaken.
"Shall I cut it?"
"It's fine, Karen. I think you're overreacting a bit."
"This is confidential information that must never leak anywhere."
Asteria nodded.
"That's true. But he is my savior. Withdraw your sword for now, Karen."
The cold presence against his neck vanished.
"That stings."
Ian smiled.
It seemed they could finally get down to business now.
The proof was in the serious glint that had entered Asteria's eyes.
"Can you explain how you knew this, Ian?"
Her voice, endlessly playful before, was now impossibly deep and solemn.
'There you are at last. The serious imperial princess.'
Ian began to speak.
"Your Highness is notorious as a fool and a sex-crazed degenerate."
"True."
"I made one assumption. What if the Third Princess is, in fact, putting on an act? You lack the established foundation of your elder siblings. In that case, you would naturally be lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. And yet, someone like you deliberately came all the way to a remote place like the academy."
"Keep talking."
"Without any reliable operatives you can move quietly, your plan would have been to lure a few naive students here and put them to use. The academy is a good place to hide and build your strength. Plenty of unpolished gems to be found, too."
"Are you looking to insult Her Highness?"
Karen's voice cut in, cold.
Ian shook his head.
"It's not an insult. It's being cold-blooded. I would have done the same. If your ultimate goal, Your Highness, is to succeed the imperial throne... or rather, to seize it."
Expressionless, Asteria stared at Ian.
She had already believed him to be a capable mage.
But she hadn't known he was this astute.
'It feels almost like dealing with the Grand Sage.'
Her teacher had always said that wisdom meant piercing to the essence of a person.
She had originally planned to send others for this commission and observe him a while longer.
The princess revised her plan.
"The objective is the head of House Pierce. To collect proof that he is a member of the Blood Rock Sect."
As Karen stood bewildered by the princess's sudden frankness, Asteria and Ian exchanged opinions rapidly, as if continuing a conversation they'd been having for a long time.
"How certain are you?"
"One hundred percent."
"If we succeed, what's the reward?"
"Do you want gold coins?"
"Not bad, but I prefer something with a bit more value."
"In that case... I shall grant you one of the imperial treasures."
Karen's eyes widened as she finally caught up to the conversation.
Imperial treasures were artifacts the Empire had collected from across the continent.
By their very nature, they were objects no one outside the imperial family could lay hands on lightly.
'Still. If it's not one of the Numbers, it's fitting, given that he saved her life.'
Among them, the value of those classified with serial codes, the so-called "Numbers," could not even be gauged in gold coins.
While Karen was rationalizing it to herself, the princess continued speaking.
"One from the 100 to 110 range."
"Your Highness!"
As a horrified Karen tried to intervene, Ian smiled and took the princess's hand.
"In the 100 range... that's perfectly agreeable."