The Academy’s temple was always bustling with visitors.
It was a place where believers looking for prayer rooms or wanting to attend worship gathered, as well as those in need of treatment for injuries. It was only natural.
The temple, which hosted hundreds of people, was famous for treating everyone equally. Fairness was one of the values highly regarded by the Heavenly Deity Sect.
However, the land they stood on belonged to the secular world, so there were inevitably a few guests who received special treatment at the temple.
One of them was the Empire’s Fifth Princess, Sien.
Although the Empire and the Holy Kingdom were separate nations, the ruling classes of each country on the continent maintained close relationships. The imperial court of the Empire and the papacy of the Holy Kingdom were no exception.
Especially between the Empire, the undisputed strongest nation on the continent, and the Holy Kingdom, which held the powerful authority of religion, the relationship was particularly amicable.
It was because there was no benefit in creating conflict between them.
So it was only natural that Sien would be treated as a VIP not only in the Empire but also in the Holy Kingdom. This was no exception for the Academy’s temple.
Of course, on the surface, she pretended not to enjoy any privileges, but Sien was cunning enough to cleverly utilize her rights as necessary.
Just like right now.
The temple’s Intensive Care Room was usually off-limits to visitors.
Unless one was a close friend, family member, or the attending priest of a patient, one could not enter the Intensive Care Room without the patient’s consent.
The reason Sien could visit one of them was wholly due to her status.
Lady Lupeisia, who had recently been horrendously attacked by Ian.
After that, hearing that she was holed up in the Intensive Care Room, rejecting all visitations, Lupeisia indeed sat there as if her soul had left her body.
The bandages wrapped tightly around her exposed upper arms testified to the nature of her injuries.
Severed limbs.
All limbs except for one leg had been amputated. All because she had merely slapped a commoner girl.
The princess had heard such information, but upon actually seeing the victim’s state, even she could not help but feel aghast.
Was he completely insane?
The act of violence was utterly brutal.
Even if one were to concede that Lupeisia had been at fault for instigating, the thought of severing the limbs of a defenseless opponent was something no sane person could conceive.
At this point, Sien felt a sense of gratitude.
She had not been harmed despite getting entangled with that lunatic. The only price for it was a knight she held dear becoming a recluse.
Thinking of Iris made Sien feel depressed again.
She had to somehow eliminate Ian Fercurus.
Not just for Sien, but it was a decision for the Academy. She had come to define Ian as an incredible evil.
A small cough broke the silence in the dimly lit hospital room.
Lupeisia’s eyes dully turned towards Sien. For a moment, she seemed unable to guess Sien’s identity and wore a dazed expression.
It seemed the mental shock was considerable.
After all, it was bizarre to remain sane after witnessing limbs flying before one’s eyes. Sien, inwardly empathizing with Lupeisia’s feelings, took cautious steps.
The hazy expression in Lupeisia’s eyes came right after that.
“Your Highness…?”
Sien nodded with a benevolent smile. Naturally, her backside connected with the chair next to the bed.
“Lady Lupeisia, are you okay? I’m sorry for not visiting you sooner.”
In truth, Sien did not share a particularly deep bond with Lady Lupeisia.
They had merely crossed paths a few times and exchanged pleasantries to match Lupeisia’s obvious flattery.
However, the attitude Sien displayed now was as if she were addressing a close friend. To an outsider, it would be easy to be deceived.
No, flattery from someone in power can distort the perceptions of subordinates.
Lupeisia narrowed her eyes slightly but soon accepted Sien’s kindness at face value.
Oh, so they must be close.
Unaware of the sharp glint in Sien’s eyes, Lupeisia thought that way.
“…I hear you were attacked by Senior Ian?”
Her voice was subtle.
It felt like a gentle prod, yet the content was so direct that Lupeisia’s body flinched.
Her complexion began to turn pale. Her shoulders trembled involuntarily, revealing an unmistakable expression of utter terror.
Sien felt her heart ache at the fierce emotion.
But she held on and maintained her smile.
Lupeisia was an excellent material. Sien was already looking forward to how she would cook her.
“Uh, uh…?”
“Don’t be afraid, Lady Lupeisia. No one is here. Besides, that man can never come in.”
Sien’s whisper coiled around Lupeisia’s ear like a snake as she repeated the broken words that escaped her lips.
“I couldn’t bear to hear of that unrestrained violence either. Frankly, what did Lady Lupeisia do wrong? She merely slapped a commoner girl.”
As Sien’s words penetrated Lupeisia’s ears, her rapid breaths began to calm down little by little. Nevertheless, the glint of fear in her eyes remained.
Once more, the princess persuaded the woman.
“…Let’s report him to the Disciplinary Committee.”
“Ah, no!”
Lupeisia suddenly shouted in surprise, her eyes shaking violently again.
“That lunatic isn’t the type to care about such things… I figured it out after meeting him personally; he’s like a mad dog that will bite and cling to you the moment you touch him!”
“That’s right, he’s that kind of guy.”
Sien did not outright deny Lupeisia’s words. She simply nodded slowly while uttering another statement.
“…But can you really live with that lunatic in the future?”
Lupeisia’s eyes widened as if struck by lightning.
With a look of disbelief, she gazed at Sien, and Sien wore a faint smile inwardly.
Yes, fear can be controlled by fear.
“Think about it, Lady Lupeisia. There’s still time left in your academy life, right? And during that time, Senior Ian will also be strolling through the academy’s grounds. Anytime, he could be in a position to ambush you.”
“Ah, uh, um…”
Seeing Lupeisia’s trembling body again, Sien became convinced.
Just a little more of a nudge, and she would fall.
It was the case that the greater the psychological scars, the more susceptible one became to fear. Sien had been handling people this way her whole life.
“Instead, we should report him to the Disciplinary Committee and get rid of him from the academy.”
“That… if we do that, then that man will come after me…”
“We can keep it a secret.”
Sien wore a smile, as if that was the only solution.
“I’ll help you. We can hold the Disciplinary Committee in secret and expel him suddenly, leaving only a final hearing… Of course, I guarantee your safety.”
Yet, Lupeisia’s eyes were only filled with hesitation.
As Lupeisia hesitated and could not make a decision, Sien whispered as if it were the last chance.
“…Otherwise, do you want to leave the academy, Lady Lupeisia? That’s too much; the culprit is that man.”
Only then did Lupeisia’s trembling start to settle a bit.
In her hazy eyes, emotions other than fear were beginning to show.
It was anger.
Of course, she would want to eliminate him; she must be as furious as she was terrified, feeling significant humiliation. She must have wished countless times for him to disappear from her surroundings.
Sien was offering that chance now, and yet Lupeisia still hesitated.
The scars Ian had left her were that deep.
Stumbling over her words, Lupeisia finally spoke.
“Yes, but even so, he insulted that family… If it comes down to a duel concerning noble honor…”
“Then we must kill him cleanly. Why would we have to torture ourselves? I can manage that much with my strength.”
Sien held Lupeisia’s trembling hand with a warm smile, reassuring her not to worry.
She whispered one last time.
“I’ll help you with your revenge, Lady Lupeisia… That’s what I want too. The imperial court and the mad dog running rampant without knowing his place. Which side would you prefer?”
It was a question that did not need to be asked.
Having received the desired answer, Sien stepped out of the hospital room with a pleased smile. However, she suddenly bumped into someone.
A soft sensation felt familiar, and the gentle elasticity immediately bounced Sien back.
Dumbfounded, the princess stared at the identity of that feeling.
It was the Lady Virgin Saint. She seemed surprised too, her eyes wide open as she stared blankly at Sien.
Sien quickly put on an awkward smile and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry, Lady Virgin Saint. I was distracted for a moment…”
“No, Sister Sien, I didn’t expect anyone to be in Lady Lupeisia’s hospital room either.”
The saint smiled gently, as usual, and Sien felt compelled to retreat awkwardly.
The curves of her body were overwhelmingly imposing.
Who would have expected that the identity of that cushiony feeling was her bosom?
Still, Sien couldn’t help but momentarily entertain a vague suspicion.
Now that she thought about it, she had heard that the saint had gone out for practice with that man. There had also been information hinting at her being anxious about him.
She wondered if she might spill some of the things she overheard?
But soon, Sien shrugged off that thought with a light laugh.
The saint was the beloved daughter of the fair and just Heavenly Deity and was known to have a clear distinction between public and private matters, not tolerating violence.
There was no way she would convey such sensitive information as about the Disciplinary Committee.
Unless they were in a romantic relationship, which she had never heard of. Even if she ‘opened her eyes,’ she found no proper clues, so it was almost certain.
Thus, the princess remained oblivious.
She did not notice that the virgin saint’s light pink eyes had momentarily narrowed as she looked at her back.
The saint, sighing, had some thoughts and shook her head.
All in all, Ian Fercurus had been entangled in too many accidents.
Well, she would let her know about the Disciplinary Committee.
The saint thought as she entered the hospital room to treat Lupeisia.
It was an unfortunate reality for Lupeisia.
Sien was walking, accompanied by Iris for the first time in a while.
Iris’s complexion was exceedingly dark. Even though it was a rare outing, she did not seem cheerful or in good spirits.
But it did not matter. Sien believed that there would come a day when Iris would be herself again.
Although it was slightly ambiguous that the method she chosen was shock therapy.
Sien and Iris wandered through the remote areas of the academy. They were looking for Ian.
She was keen to discover what means he had employed to seize control of the News Department.
Despite being Ian, he wouldn’t suddenly ambush a princess. Honestly, hearing the recent rumors made her slightly anxious, but surely, humans have their limits.
Especially if Ian had taken control of the News Department, his means would inevitably connect with the imperial court.
There was no one other than the imperial court that the Empire’s Intelligence Department could prioritize.
Perhaps Ian’s inept older siblings had attached themselves to him.
Ridiculously, Sien scoffed.
It would be difficult to confront her, who was favored by the emperor, unless it were the First Prince Bilteon or the Second Princess Iris.
They had no ambition for power, making it awkward to carry out an assassination; hence all they could do was this childish kind of interference.
Ian probably grasped that thread somehow and begged the News Department.
The head of the News Department, Neoris, must have looked troubled for a moment but, unable to resist the annoyance, eventually agreed.
Then that low-ranking noble must have bowed his head with a look of immense gratitude.
That was the common sense. However, confirming the identity of that ‘thread’ was important, which was why the princess was personally on the move.
Chasing and tracking eyewitness accounts, the princess and Iris finally picked up on some presence.
It was an open area in the Southern Forest.
No one had visited since a monster had appeared, except for the investigation team, and there stood a young nobleman with black hair.
It was Ian Fercurus. Although he was turned away, making it impossible to see his face in detail, it was certain given the hand axe he held.
An unusual man capable of emitting such a strong smell of blood just by wielding a hand axe was rare.
As soon as she confirmed that back, Iris tensed up, but Sien held her hand and offered comforting words.
“It’s alright, Iris. It’ll probably be nothing when we meet… If we don’t provoke him, he shouldn’t have a reason to chop us up…”
Then came a sudden scream.
“Ugh, ahhhhhh!”
At that clear wail, Sien and Iris froze at the same time.
Sien turned back to Ian with a bewildered expression. There, she saw a woman collapsing to the ground, blood scattering around her.
It was Neoris, the head of the News Department.
An expert with a level of prowess that had reached expert status and a promising agent of the Empire’s Intelligence Department.
Why on earth was she here?
Before she could even ponder such a question, Neoris, struck on the shoulder by the axe, looked up at the man with eyes filled with fear.
The man quietly knelt down.
And locking eyes with Neoris, he said a single sentence.
“…I told you not to question it.”
As soon as she heard those words, Neoris’s complexion drained of color. In a hurry, she straightened her posture and bowed her head.
“Please, forgive me…”
Sien’s eyes went blank as she watched that scene.
What sort of situation was this?
No, is this really reality?
Instinctively, Sien shifted her gaze toward Iris. She wanted to ask if the scene reflected in her eyes was the truth.
But Sien soon realized.
There was no need to ask.
Iris’s face had long since drained of color.
Sadly, it was reality. Unbelievably so.
