After a brief battle, I found myself needing to welcome an unexpected guest.
It was none other than Shi-en and her mysterious entourage. Though it looked like there were only a couple of them at first glance, I knew better. My heightened senses were capturing the presence of dozens.
Is it a royal guard?
Not only did they have numbers, but they also possessed remarkable skills. There were few powers capable of deploying such talented individuals regularly across the Empire.
My gaze naturally drifted to the woman standing next to Shi-en.
She was a beauty with impressive silver-blue hair. Although it was our first meeting, the moment I saw her pale complexion, a name suddenly flashed through my mind.
The Second Imperial Princess, Iris.
Aside from the Emperor, she was one of the most powerful figures in the Empire. Moreover, she was a notable enough person to command dozens of capable guards.
Even I found myself momentarily pondering how to breach that protective barrier.
Of course, that did not mean I felt like I would lose.
How long would it take, I wondered.
A bitter smile appeared on my face as I unconsciously concocted a plan to subdue the guards. I seemed unable to shake off the thrill of battle just yet.
Why on earth would I want to threaten a likely heir to the throne?
It was a pointless fantasy. Besides, if the goal was ‘intimidation,’ there was no need for that.
Princess Iris was rigidly gazing at me, her jewel-like blue eyes revealing undeniable fear.
With a sigh, I glanced around.
Really, it was not a sight one would want to show to anyone else.
Bloodied corpses and severed limbs littered the clearing.
But I had my own story to tell.
“I-Sir Ian!”
Just as I was feeling exasperated, Shi-en, the princess, approached me with urgency.
A mix of shock and concern spilled from her lips as a small girl hastily ran towards me.
The princess’s trembling hands rummaged through her own clothes. Soon I felt a soft handkerchief brushing against my face.
And yet, I had not a single wound on me.
What a commotion.
I smiled wryly at the princess’s overprotectiveness but could not bring myself to reject her gesture. I merely raised a hand to signal that I was fine.
Nonetheless, Shi-en could not erase the look of distress from her face. Her voice was thick with worry.
“W-What happened?! How is it that you—Sir Ian—are here…?”
“I encountered the twins from Alphenhausen. I needed some information, so I formed a temporary alliance.”
Regardless, it was a perfect opportunity to share my circumstances.
Princess Iris still had her guard up, her eyes fixated on me as if I were a mad killer, which I personally felt was an unfair assessment.
For the future, I had to cleanse this bloodstained first impression.
Thus, I promptly needed to reveal the background of this carnage.
About the unavoidable blood I had encountered.
*
When I first arrived at the clearing, I noticed an unfamiliar woman.
She was standing there, lost in thought, creating an oddly dreamlike atmosphere. Perhaps it was just my impression, but she appeared to have exceptionally pale skin.
She was undoubtedly the person I had been looking for.
Her appearance matched the description I had received from Luna just a few minutes before.
She was one of the students who had gone missing after leaving at night. Her name was ‘Adella,’ and it was said that since her return a few days ago, her daytime outings had drastically decreased.
‘Missing Person.’
I did not like the ominous connotation of that word.
Kidnapping and alteration were methods commonly employed by the Dark Cult. They had spent thousands of years devising ways to conceal their identity, so they certainly had means to effectively hide their pawns.
No matter how close they were, it would be difficult to notice.
I, too, had experienced a case of my younger sister being swapped with another. Admittedly, since both were indeed my younger sisters, there may have been an issue with that expression.
Recalling my complicated family history, a somber expression crossed my face.
Looking back, ‘Greed’ had also hinted at the forthcoming incident.
But pondering it now would be futile.
It would be more rational to focus on the clues before my eyes. After finishing my thoughts, my strides led me directly towards the unfamiliar student.
“…?”
A questioning gaze returned from her.
It was a natural reaction. After all, a man she had never seen was approaching her.
I purposefully cleared my throat, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.
“Hello, is your name ‘Adella’?”
“Ah, yes… I am Adella.”
With that, Adella glanced at the color of my cloak.
My cloak was red, while Adella’s was brown. This indicated that she was my junior.
The brown cloak was a symbol of the second-year students.
Even with her casual speech, it was why Adella still showed me respect.
I stood at a distance to give off the most harmless impression I could. Of course, my senses were already on high alert.
I scrutinized Adella from head to toe, but there were no signs of anything unusual yet.
That made perfect sense. If her disguise had been that poor, the people around would have noticed long ago.
However, I heard that Adella’s acquaintances had not sensed any changes. Therefore, even the twins from Alphenhausen were still in doubt about their conclusions.
Whether the ‘missing persons’ had anything to do with the sudden heat wave was now my problem to solve.
What should I do?
After a considerable amount of pondering, I could not derive a suitable answer. In the end, I had no choice but to throw out a mundane greeting.
“Why are you alone?”
“……Excuse me?”
Adella tilted her head in confusion, not fully grasping my question.
Her innocent face unintentionally stirred my guilt. Upon reflection, I regretted sounding like a typical smooth talker trying to charm a girl.
But at this point, I pressed onward.
With my nerves steeled, I continued the conversation.
“You just looked lonely, so since I happen to be alone too, I wondered what you were up to.”
“Ahaha….”
A change in Adella’s expression began to unfold.
Initially vigilant, it was now morphing into curiosity. She seemed eager to know what more this man would say.
Although I was the one feeling jittery about trying something new, I decided to meet Adella’s expectations.
“First and foremost, you do feel lonely, right?”
“Well, I suppose it depends on how you look at it, doesn’t it?”
The corners of Adella’s eyes gently curved.
That signaled a passing grade for me. I quietly expressed my gratitude to Adella for indulging my clumsy attempts and cautiously sat down next to her.
The tree stump was surprisingly wide. There was enough space for two to sit comfortably side by side.
Afterward, it was straightforward.
With the slight barrier of her heart lowered, Adella engaged in conversation. Whenever an awkward silence emerged, Adella took the lead in keeping it going.
“You are Senior Ian Fercurus, right?”
“Uh? Ah, yes, that’s true.”
I replied with an awkward smile.
No matter how many times I experienced it, this situation still felt unfamiliar. After all, it had only been a few months since I began to gain any real fame.
Adella was likely attending the academy as well, so it was only natural that she recognized me.
Thinking about it made me feel a bit embarrassed. It felt as if I were using my name to charm Adella.
That was not my intention, though.
Adella surprisingly had a teasing side to her.
“I hear you’re quite the notorious rogue— is that true?”
“Well, that might be a misunderstanding…”
“Eh, seeing you today makes it seem like it might be true.”
Now it was my turn to offer an awkward smile.
I had no words, given my offenses. Here I was, trying to deny being a rogue while flirting with a newly met junior.
Could there be a less convincing statement?
Adella beamed and continued to tease me.
“Do you have one woman in every country? The Holy Kingdom has the Lady Virgin Saint, and the Empire has Senior Rainelle… so who do you have in the Southern Kingdoms?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
I smiled wryly while engaging in her banter.
“How about you? You looked heartbroken earlier. Do you have some worries on your mind? Perhaps some romance troubles?”
At my question, Adella burst into laughter, as if she had just seen something adorable.
“Isn’t that a bit of an old-school tactic? Pretend to be sympathetic, then reel in the wounded woman…”
“I genuinely want to help you.”
That single line was the signal.
Adella sealed her lips tightly and stared blankly at me.
“Really, nothing unusual has happened lately? It’s just that something unbearably sticky is bubbling up inside you?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“The vision of a strange woman may appear. In that case, you must not answer carelessly, or your soul might cross over.”
“Ahaha, Senior Ian… you’re suddenly saying strange things. Why would I do that?”
Even so, I merely made a peculiar sound and looked away.
Adella wore a face of bafflement as if she did not comprehend the intent behind my questions.
Once again, Adella’s figure was imprinted onto my retina.
“Adella, you know…”
With that, I leaned slightly forward. As a man’s hand brushed against her cheek, Adella flinched and shrank back.
A few strands of her brown hair were caught in my hand.
Among them, a particularly striking color stood out.
“…Was your hair originally gray?”
Then Adella’s breathing halted.
