The sight beyond imagination rendered hundreds of mouths speechless.
Puck, puck, puck!
Ian’s fists and feet struck the Imperial Princess without hesitation.
At first, it seemed he was hitting her face, but then he lifted her body and kicked her with his foot. The man trampled on the weak maiden’s arms, unable to even breathe properly.
The screaming princess long since lost her voice, remaining silent as she endured the man’s monstrous violence.
It was a surreal scene that left one frozen.
How could one strike royalty like this?
Even if it was done in the name of royal honor, such behavior seemed excessive. It wouldn’t have been strange if the Imperial Court had been summoned.
Some students attempted to intervene, but soon found themselves at a loss for words.
The violence Ian inflicted was mechanical.
While it appeared to carry some hidden emotion, fundamentally, Ian’s demeanor in assaulting the princess was cold. It seemed as though he was merely acting according to a calculated plan.
Thus, the thoughts of the onlookers became increasingly chaotic.
What kind of calculations must one finish to reach such a conclusion? Only the number of people looking at the princess with pity grew as the assault continued.
However, contrary to the crowd’s thoughts, the princess had somewhat different thoughts.
‘Doesn’t it hurt…?’
Indeed, it didn’t hurt. Of course, when the axe lodged into her shoulder, it was agonizing enough to elicit a scream.
And when she was struck in the face, it hurt too; it was enough to continue screaming in surprise.
It was several minutes later, even as the princess was losing her senses, that she noticed something odd.
The sensations, which were becoming increasingly dulled, eventually dulled to the point where she felt no pain.
She could feel the fists and kicks hitting her body.
Yet, strangely, they did not trigger the pain receptors. The princess was experiencing a peculiar sensation, feeling pressure but not pain.
She soon realized the reason for this.
Shi-en’s consciousness quickly became hazy. She had experienced this state not long ago.
It was anesthetic poison.
This was the central avenue of the Academy. It was evident that Ian hadn’t used anesthetic poison to abduct the princess.
If that were the case, there could only be one answer.
Ian had intentionally used the anesthetic poison so that the princess wouldn’t feel pain.
It seemed the venom had contacted the blade lodged in her shoulder. In hindsight, Ian had only used sharp objects at that time.
There must have been a reason for that.
Ian wished to inflict violence without causing the princess pain. Such a situation was incomprehensible under normal circumstances.
Inflicting violence implied a desire to cause pain.
Thus, assault became a means of letting out frustration and enacting vengeance. However, Ian’s actions were the opposite.
He maintained the disadvantages incurred from violence while eliminating any benefits.
Shi-en stared at Ian, unable to comprehend this point.
Even now, only vague emotions were conveyed from him. Frustration, guilt, and even concern seeped from his heart.
It was then that Shi-en, amidst the ongoing assault, gained a flash of realization.
Ian held no particular resentment against the princess. As soon as she sensed that truth, she felt as if she could soar with joy.
Moreover, Ian was sacrificing himself to help the princess.
This could be seen just by observing how the emotional wave surrounding them was changing.
The air, once filled with animosity toward Shi-en, was now teetering on worry and unease. Perception toward Shi-en was shifting in real-time.
A frail maiden was being assaulted by a robust man.
And that strange sense of unease that Shi-en felt, fearing that the Imperial Court might descend upon them, further incited the crowd.
They were now searching for a new reason.
As they had before, they needed a reason to care for and protect the princess rather than hate her.
Only in doing so could they secure at least a pardon from the wrath of the Imperial Court.
Especially Ian’s reckless actions increasingly impressed upon them the existence of the “Imperial Court.”
The thought that the wrath of the Imperial Court could soon fall upon him made them envision their own fate being decided by the court.
Shi-en found herself tearing up because of this.
Even now, she felt no desire emanating from Ian. He simply took on the role of the villain to save Shi-en.
That realization filled her with gratitude yet guilt.
If it had been another member of the royal family, perhaps their reaction would have been different. No matter what, there would have been anger over publicly assaulting royalty.
However, Shi-en was different.
She knew that Ian was the bearer of the bl**d Mark.
Having the bl**d Mark insinuated that he was a representative of the Emperor. No one would dare criticize the Emperor for assaulting the princess.
Rather, one could only speculate that a tragic decision for the royal family lay within his actions.
Thus, Shi-en was moved.
She had not been mistaken.
Ian treated her sincerely, as he always did. He was the only “real” one.
Of course, the man was not someone who would meekly serve as a scapegoat.
After several minutes of assault, Ian stepped back, panting.
His clothes were already stained in numerous spots with the princess’s bl**d. His golden eyes, soaked in bl**d, scanned the surroundings sharply.
The onlookers could only shy away, glancing down.
They were fearful of the unruly Ian.
Amidst them, the name they had somewhat forgotten about Ian began to resurface.
“The crazy dog of the Academy.”
Yes, how had they forgotten?
Ian Fercurus was uncontrollable. If such a person was insulted, there was little hope for the princess.
All that he had been insulted for in the past now felt somewhat justified.
It was a particularly significant realization.
“What are you looking at?”
With that menacing tone spat out, the crowd desperately averted their gazes. As if to say that making eye contact with Ian would ensure they became the next victim.
“It’s not just the princess who touched me, is it?”
At his sharp remark, several students flinched.
Those were primarily the ones who had tormented Ian and those around him directly. Seeing them, Ian let out a hollow laugh.
“Hey.”
And the axe tore through the air.
As if shot like a ray of light, the hand axe embedded itself before the onlookers. The blade buried itself into the stone floor as if it were soft mud, enough to instill fear in the crowd.
“There will be no more. Remember that.”
With those words, Ian raised his hand.
Immediately, with a snap, the hand axe returned to his grasp.
It was a technique employing the subtlety of calm in motion.
The hand axe, following a predetermined trajectory, was easy to retrieve.
And so, Ian departed.
In the wake of the stormy man, only the sobbing maiden and the silent onlookers remained.
After a while, some of the spectators, glancing around cautiously, approached the princess.
They helped her up and looked worriedly at the injured princess.
“Ah, even so….”
“He’s not a bad person, but he does seem a bit scary.”
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
The warm voices after a long absence caused the princess to weep even more, and as her anesthetic haze hadn’t worn off, she looked up with hazy eyes.
Her gray eyes were filled with joy.
The students supporting the princess exchanged bewildered glances with one another. Despite it all, the princess continued to mutter in a dreamy, maiden-like voice.
“Ian, you’re so cool…”
Including the students helping Shi-en, those who heard this dazed muttering could only return to their dumbfounded expressions.
It was unfathomable that a woman who had just endured such monstrous violence would speak those words.
Did she hear wrong?
However, seeing the crowd’s reactions, it was clear she hadn’t. In fact, the princess continued to mutter as if to confirm it.
“You’re so amazing, the best… Truly, Ian is the only one for me…”
Ultimately, as always, the public reinterpreted the incident in accordance with their own standards.
The princess had broken down.
In their eyes arose expressions of sad pity, while the princess confessed her affection for Ian with a dazed look.
Thus, the man who had arrived suddenly, as if carried in by a letter, tied everything up.
Of course, Ian would not face scorn as before. Many had been saved by him, and such courageous students could not be found in the Academy.
However, if anyone were to ask about “Ian Fercurus,” the members of the Academy would typically only utter one phrase.
“He’s a crazy dog.”
In the role of a friend, he was endlessly reassuring, but as an enemy, he was a terrifying presence.
Naturally, no one wished to regard him as an enemy.
Even the princess could not hope to contend with him.
However, every conclusion inevitably leads to the beginning of a new tale.
The next day, Neoris, who sought out Ian, dropped a bombshell.
“Ian, the Imperial Court plans to send high-ranking officials to meet with you in a few days…”
“d*mn it.”
The inevitable had finally arrived.
