“The Academy branch of the Empire’s Intelligence Department is now under my jurisdiction.”
The first words the man spat out were such.
His voice was unwavering.
Those few casually uttered lines felt like a declaration. It was a language devoid of all elements except for the fact he intended to convey.
Emotion, pitch, even the context or reasoning.
He had every right to be that way.
He was a holder of blood-lettered symbols and had come bearing the seal of the Imperial Court as the Emperor’s representative. His every word carried the authority of the Empire’s rulership.
Elaborating on reasons was a deed for the weak.
A true strongman only needed to convey the conclusion.
There was no need to convince the opponent anyway.
The one who needed to be convinced was, in fact, the listener. As if to prove that truth, the aspiring agents belonging to the Academy branch immediately bowed their heads.
“Please take care of us from now on!”
Even at that fresh greeting, Ian merely responded with an indifferent gaze.
His eyes were incredibly weary.
Anyone who met his golden pupils would inevitably sense the man’s overwhelming fatigue. They were eyes whose depths felt as unfathomable as a swamp.
Neoris was particularly afraid to meet those eyes.
Ian was always a terrifying opponent, but today he seemed especially so. Neoris’s instincts were ringing alarms.
Do not stand against this man.
At least not right now. Neoris realized that she shouldn’t provoke the man’s mood, and she immediately reflected that in her actions.
While internally cursing the man, she respectfully knelt.
This was the proper etiquette when addressing the Emperor’s representative.
“…I heed the command of His Majesty the Emperor.”
Fortunately, Ian did not pick on Neoris.
With an emotionless face, he nodded once and gestured for Neoris to rise. She stood up and took her place humbly across from Ian.
This was the conference hall located beneath the News Department.
She had visited after Ian had assaulted the News Department earlier, but now, with the Emperor’s representative appointed to the branch, all the members of the News Department were present.
It was a moment of considerable significance.
The Academy branch of the Empire’s Intelligence Department was merely a temporary branch.
It served as a training ground for interns and was distanced from the core of the Intelligence Department to the extent that only a portion of the Academy was even aware of the branch’s existence.
Yet now, the Emperor’s representative was being assigned to that Academy branch.
The mismatch was staggering.
Without needing to exaggerate, the man sitting at the highest position and receiving Neoris was imbued with formidable power.
Literally, the matter of life and death regarding agents was only a part of his authority.
Conversely, one word from him could also elevate someone’s career.
That was why the aspiring agents of the Academy branch couldn’t help but be on high alert.
The man seemed too accustomed to such gazes filled with longing and fear. In an utterly unexcited voice, he issued his first order.
“First, I’ll say this. Don’t suspect me unnecessarily. It could lead to dire consequences. Also, you need to undergo training again. Starting with the urgent torture resistance training.”
The atmosphere, which had been tense, stirred at those resolute words.
The eyes of the interns, who had been dripping with cold sweat, widened. They exchanged bewildered glances with one another.
Some even turned pale.
What was torture resistance training?
Without needing to go far, it referred to the training aimed at ensuring that one wouldn’t leak confidential information even under torture. All training that dulls pain and strengthens mental fortitude fell under this category.
It was undoubtedly the most loathed training among the agents of the Empire’s Intelligence Department.
The reason was simple.
Because it was predicated on situations akin to torture, one had to endure immense pain.
No one liked pain. Even if there were some, it was a taste shared only by a few perverts. Even they could not welcome pain that exceeded their limits.
It was an understandably terrifying proposition for fresh interns barely in their twenties.
Neoris, who was preparing the signed documents to formally confirm Ian’s appointment, cautiously opened her mouth on behalf of the interns.
“Um, Ian…?”
The man’s golden pupils narrowed towards Neoris.
Upon meeting that indifferent gaze, Neoris instinctively trembled. She sweated coldly and mentally cursed.
Who would be such a violent sadist? That stare is lethal. What a madman.
Of course, Neoris had no courage to voice this.
In an even more polite tone, she stuttered and continued speaking.
“Well, the torture resistance training has been abolished at the request of agents for several years now. Of course, I do not deny its value, but… this is training that some agents need, particularly forbade by Marquis Findelstone for the Academy branch, where there are a lot of interns…”
“…Neoris.”
At the man’s short call, Neoris immediately bowed her head, trembling.
Did I speak too audaciously?
She could have taken more time to persuade him. Alternatively, it could be an opportunity to introduce herself to the branch’s agents, but how dare the branch head defy the Emperor’s representative by getting angry.
She regretted speaking as soon as the words left her mouth.
However, surprisingly, the situation she feared did not happen.
Ian, without saying a word, merely gave Neoris a slight nod. After standing there for a moment with a questioning expression, she soon remembered the documents she held.
Then, it came to her that only after this document was stamped would Ian officially be appointed to the Academy branch.
Until then, it might have meant he would overlook things.
With that conclusion, Neoris’s expression brightened instantly.
She thought being served by Ian as a superior might not be so bad, and she placed the documents on Ian’s desk in front of him.
And just as she politely attempted to push those documents toward him, a splatter of blood burst into the air.
It was before the relief that had begun to show on Neoris’s face dissipated.
She didn’t even catch a hint of what was happening.
Before long, a pure white streak fell, tracing a trajectory. At the end of it lay the delicate fingers of Neoris that had been resting on the documents.
Those few fingers scattered into the sky.
Neoris’s eyes, failing to comprehend the situation, grew blank.
What was happening?
Before that question, a sharp pain pricked into Neoris’s mind like a hot iron skewering her brain.
Accompanying it, the man’s indifferent voice resonated in her ears.
“I told you not to suspect me.”
A scream burst from Neoris’s lips.
“Ugh… Gaah, Gaaahhh!”
Neoris crumpled to the ground, clutching her hands, which bled profusely. Two of her fingers, from her index to her middle finger, had been severed. Neoris’s trembling gaze was fixed on her fingers.
It hurt. And it was scary.
With her emerald-green eyes now brimming with tears, Neoris looked up at Ian.
He seemed astonishingly devoid of any change in emotion.
The atmosphere grew icy in an instant.
Some interns took hesitant steps back out of fear.
Regardless, the man ordered in a chillingly cold voice.
“…Stand up.”
“Ugh, Huh… Yes, yes!”
The unexpected pain triggered past nightmares, almost causing Neoris to burst into tears.
But right now, fear of Ian outweighed everything. Stumbling, Neoris hastily rose and bowed her head deeply.
“Are the instructions from Marquis Findelstone above the authority of the blood-lettered symbol?”
“N-No!”
Neoris answered immediately, her voice trembling.
Foolish girl, why did you touch that madman?
A tear fell, soaked in regret. Neoris wished for this time to pass quickly.
Ian silently observed Neoris shaking, then drew out the seal of the Imperial Court from his bosom and stamped the documents.
He didn’t even need the ink.
After all, Neoris’s blood had already stained it.
The only downside was that the shape of the seal would soon vanish as the blood spread. However, the man showed no sign of caring about that.
“Alright, from now on, I am Ian Fercurus, officially appointed to the Academy branch. First, investigate the disappearance cases occurring around Perkus Manor.”
“…Understood!”
The interns’ responses were thunderous.
It was understandable, as even the strongest among them, Neoris, had collapsed under the man’s axe-like demeanor. How much more so for those weaker than her and of lower status.
An instinctual fear evoked an oath of resolve within them.
After a moment of heavy breathing through her mouth, Neoris eventually asked, as she always did of her superior.
“Ian, what purpose is… Gah, Gaaahh!”
The hand axe shone once more.
This time it was directed at Neoris’s shoulder. The thrown axe shattered her shoulder cartilage, bursting forth blood.
Internally, Neoris cursed.
What a madman, was he saying not to harbor any questions?
If that was the case, he should have said so earlier. However, Neoris’s anger evaporated the moment her gaze met Ian’s golden eyes, like morning dew.
Tears welled in her eyes.
That man seemed to inflict such pain upon her and yet displayed no sign of feeling it. His attitude suggested it was a task that needed to be done, his gaze devoid of any hint of humanity, further amplifying Neoris’s fear.
Trembling, she immediately bowed her head.
Even as the axe was effortlessly pulled from him and returned to his hand, she merely let out a faint whimper. Having allowed successive blows, Neoris struggled to maintain her sanity.
It was terrifying.
I hope this time ends soon.
With that desperate longing hoping to reach the heavens, Neoris gripped her bleeding shoulder tight.
Perhaps it would lessen the pain a bit.
Fortunately, it seemed Ian had no further words left to say.
He gradually rose from his position. The members of the News Department hurriedly bent at the waist in a farewell gesture.
Neoris thought thankfully.
If she stayed like this, she might embarrassingly burst into tears. No matter how she thought about it, Ian Fercurus was the worst superior.
The sight of the woman shivering while holding her shoulder was pitiful to behold.
But unfortunately, Neoris’s trials were not over yet.
“And Neoris, the branch head, will accompany me to Perkus Manor.”
At those short orders, Neoris’s breath caught in her throat.
She looked up at Ian, who was adjusting his attire with a bewildered expression. Her eyes, which held a desperate light, glistened with tears.
“…Y-yes?”
“I said the branch head Neoris will accompany me to Perkus Manor. However, do not reveal your presence outwardly. This is purely for information gathering.”
Neoris could no longer hold back the tears that had risen in her throat.
How could this be?
Just in the few minutes spent facing Ian, her body had already borne two scars. And yet, to be told to accompany him to Perkus Manor, an endeavor whose duration was unknown?
It was simply unbearable.
So, Neoris committed a mistake she would never have made had she been in her right mind.
“W-why… Ah.”
Once more, silence fell over the conference hall.
