Silence weighed heavily.
The building crumbled down the sloped surface, causing an occlusion. The dying gasp of the stone structure battered my eardrums, a thunderous noise that shook the ground.
Yet, no one could open their mouth in that situation.
Both I, who gripped the collar of the Swordmaster, and the Swordmaster, dangling from my hand, as well as Shi-en, who had just regained her senses, were the same.
A loud crash echoed as the building collapsed.
At that moment, Shi-en startled back to her senses and shook her head. The way she placed her hand on her forehead, along with her empty smile, felt unusual.
“Hah, haha… Sir Ian, I think I’m hearing things. That girl is my great-grandfather….”
Fortunately, it seemed the Imperial Princess was experiencing cognitive dissonance.
It was, after all, understandable.
The title of ‘Swordmaster of the Empire’ carried a weight beyond imagination. The strongest warrior in the Empire, a figure who added gravity as a senior member of the royal family.
But suddenly, to morph into such a small girl.
It was more bizarre to believe it easily, unless, of course, we witnessed undeniable proof, like the Emperor.
Then, it was not too late.
With a judgment that pierced through my mind like a needle, I shook the Swordmaster, who had fallen into a panic. His head bobbed, and gradually, the light began to return to his blue eyes.
I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
“What do you mean… Your Highness the Imperial Princess, are you mistaken? I never called the Swordmaster.”
“T-that’s the case! Shi-en, this old man… Gah!”
I shook the Swordmaster once more to regain his attention.
It seemed the Swordmaster had finally snapped out of it, having almost made a fatal slip of the tongue.
“S-so, what I mean is… the g-girl is the ‘Swordmaster’? What blasphemous words….”
‘Girl’?
What kind of outdated first-person perspective is that?
I wanted to point it out, but Shi-en seemed to want to find her stability, so she did not insist on the matter. It might have been an instinct to protect her sanity.
A sigh of relief escaped the Imperial Princess’s lips.
“Indeed, I thought so. I’m sorry, Sir Ian… I’ve been so flustered…”
“It’s alright. Everyone has moments like that.”
I managed an awkward smile and relaxed my grip on the Swordmaster’s collar.
The freed Swordmaster scoffed, adjusting his clothes. A faint annoyance shone through his disgruntled gaze.
What was he so proud of?
Just as I grumbled inwardly.
“Grrr, ugh!”
From somewhere, a moan drenched in malice escaped.
Startled, my gaze hastily tracked its source. There was no need to search far for signs of life.
Amidst the rubble of the collapsed building, a slender arm stretched out like a gravestone.
Her skin was pale, contrasting sharply with the darkening surroundings. As the dust settled, something rose awkwardly from the broken stone tomb.
An eerie blue flame appeared in the void.
The once golden hair of the woman was gradually becoming gray. While Shi-en and I stood stunned into silence, the Swordmaster chuckled.
“Hmph, it seems there’s more than just prey here.”
“No matter the case, we can’t sacrifice the remaining people…”
“The children who shouldn’t die are still alive. Your friend, the girl, was never in this building in the first place.”
With successive counterarguments, I swallowed my silence and closed my eyes.
Indeed, I could feel a few breaths trapped in this precarious moment. I didn’t know how he managed it, but the Swordmaster seemed capable enough to protect several people even amidst the building’s collapse.
It was a peak of skill, to the extent it could be described as a feat. I felt a shiver at the unfathomable swordsmanship of the Swordmaster.
And his ability to pinpoint the ‘friend of a precious person’ with such accuracy.
He was the continent’s greatest swordsman and the head of the Empire’s Intelligence Department.
Yet these thoughts did not last long.
The vampire’s bloodline, who had risen from ruins, burst into laughter.
“Phew, haha… how did you know? I thought I was hidden well!”
It wasn’t something she did knowingly.
But there was no reason to reveal the truth. As I glanced at the vampire’s gaze filled with caution, I stepped forward to protect the Imperial Princess.
“…You must only have gathered students here.”
“Haha, really? So, it was you. The source of this delicious smell…”
The vampire’s bloodline did not answer my question.
She merely licked her lips, her eyes glinting with a cunning light.
There was an overt sense of desire emanating from her gaze. Was it hunger? Was it lust?
Then a voice filled with excitement followed. It had an unsettling tone.
“Little one, little one… what exactly are you? How can you give off such a delicious scent? Furthermore… you are at the center of the barrier! Ahaha! My sisters have been drawn to this smell!”
It was a monologue that didn’t leave much room for me to interject.
So, I decided to deliberately ignore her babbling and ask a question. She seemed excited enough, so perhaps she might divulge an important clue.
“Where’s Celin?”
I lowered my voice and scratched my throat, throwing out the inquiry.
The vampire donned a smile that seemed to understand yet not understand. Her index finger teasingly brushed her lips.
“Celin? Celin? Well, I don’t recall her. Did one of my sisters eat her?”
“The woman with black hair and amber eyes.”
“Hmph, I said I haven’t seen her, didn’t I? Ah, but you look appealing when you’re angry. What do you say, little one? How about spending a passionate night with me?”
This was not a conversation I could engage in.
Letting out an irritated sigh, I slid my hand toward my waist.
It was a sort of intimidation.
Ironically, someone else was provoked by the vampire’s suggestion.
“You, you… lewd she-wolf!”
It was none other than Shi-en.
The flustered Imperial Princess stepped forward, bristling with fur all over her body as if preparing for battle—a cat in defense mode.
“Do you think Sir Ian would fall for the temptation of a wretch like you?! Sir Ian has slept with women who look better than you!”
“What do you mean by that….”
As she rambled like it was firsthand experience, I wanted to ask her something, but there was no time to easily do so.
The vampire had slashed her own throat.
With a pop, the blood burst forth like an invertebrate, twisting and flowing. Soon, globules of blood poured down over the surrounding debris.
I stood paralyzed, unable to grasp the vampire’s intent.
It wouldn’t take long to understand her machinations.
Crackling, the sound of bubbling emerged, and a voice oozed from the vampire’s severed vocal cords.
“Cough. Gurgle… don’t go too far… cough… I know too, Ian Fercurus… you battled the saint at the Mountain Court, didn’t you?”
While saying this, the vampire clutched her head with both hands. Then she suddenly regained her composure with a thud.
The vampire’s wound sizzled with a searing heat.
She smiled calmly as if nothing had happened.
“Of course, I’m not at the level to face you head-on… but if I have hostages?”
Only then did my senses hurry to search through the blood-splattered debris.
As the vampire said, faint breaths were audible from within the rubble. They were likely innocent missing persons.
Just as I was about to grit my teeth and brace my sword.
“Then you’ll die?”
With a blood-stained smile, the vampire’s retinue let out a vile laugh.
“Trying to raise some aura, huh? Then they’ll die right away. Want to experiment if it’s a joke?”
“This crazy….”
I felt an overwhelming urge to cut off that mocking head immediately.
Yet I needed a few more seconds to cross the ‘boundary.’ Once time stopped, there was no telling what would happen, but if I raised my aura and instantly snuffed out the hostages’ lives, I would be left helpless.
In truth, the conversation wasn’t worth keeping.
Dialogue? It was rather expected.
Still, I decided to act as if I were bluffing, not wanting to lose my momentum.
“Your life seems more valuable than a few hostages.”
“If that’s what you think, do as you please. After all, my defeat was determined the moment the building collapsed… I’d gladly offer my neck. But only if you join me, of course.”
In the end, I had no choice but to grunt and remove my hand from the sword.
The opponent was in a state of desperation as well.
If death was preordained, he would want to increase his chances for escape.
Both of us needed dialogue. I decided to refrain from unnecessary provocations.
“…Alright, then let me ask just one thing. What exactly are you planning at the Academy? Why the Academy of all places?”
“If I tell you, will you spare my life?”
Her voice had a false innocence yet was tinged with flirtation.
Shi-en whispered in my ear, growing even more suspicious.
“Don’t trust her. It seems like she’s hatching some plot.”
Her gray pupils had already slashed open vertically.
Yet there was no option left for me but to continue the conversation. If I missed this opportunity, I would not have another chance to gather clues.
“What do you know?”
“Hmm, I think I know a lot more than you do… little one.”
It was a deliberately vague response, leaving room for interpretation.
The wordplay was annoying, but it was me who was urgently seeking answers.
I exhaled deeply, trying to suppress my boiling anger.
“…It depends on the quality of the information.”
“I don’t like such vague promises.”
“Don’t provoke me too much.”
Using a cold tone, I scratched my throat and tapped the hand axe hanging at my waist.
“Do you think I’ve dealt with your kind many times before?”
Hmm, only then did the vampire’s retinue display a slightly more cautious glance.
If he had heard my reputation, he couldn’t help but know.
That this wasn’t mere empty talk.
In the end, the retinue shrugged and had no choice but to disclose a few bits of information.
