No.
Shi-en felt an urge to shout this out immediately.
What do you know, you who are not worth mentioning? There was a time when she was born with a power she didn’t want, when even her own mother choked her and left. The days when the whole world hated and denied the girl.
Perhaps that’s why.
Since one day, Shi-en even began to hate herself.
She disliked the eyes that showed all kinds of ugly emotions. She hated a world that moved solely by desire, and she was terrified of the fate that forced her to live within it.
That’s why she wanted to dominate.
The reason she laughed at everything except herself, looked down on them, and put on a cynical front was precisely this. What a pitiful and ridiculous selfishness it was.
In that moment, the person she met was I-an.
For the first time, he showed her goodwill without expecting anything in return. Moreover, he confirmed the eyes she had denied all her life.
Unveiling her heart without disguise.
It was undoubtedly the most beautiful scenery she had ever seen in her life. Only then did Shi-en begin to feel a little love for herself.
Yes, finally.
She had received an uncountable grace. Naturally, she had no right to interfere with I-an’s relationships.
But in the end, Shi-en couldn’t spit out the words that were swelling up in her heart.
Despite numerous counterarguments, there was one point she couldn’t deny.
“I don’t want to be hated.”
While Shi-en kept silent, Ceria’s gaze flickered toward somewhere.
“Puhuh, kuhuh… Jealousy, oh jealousy!”
Before long, the mud that had approached responded to Ceria’s gaze and squirmed. Though it was difficult to distinguish its form as it resembled a clump, it seemed to want to bow its head to show respect.
“You must do as you wish. As you wish… everything will go according to your will.”
What do I desire?
It was when Ceria involuntarily pondered this question.
A dizzying fragrance brushed her nose.
Such common expressions as fragrant or sweet could not describe this enchanting smell. Like a long-starved beast, Ceria’s gaze instinctively chased the source of the scent.
It was a wound.
Small scratches created from debris when interrogating the vampire’s retainers.
Though the bleeding had stopped, it was impossible to hide even the faint scent of bl**d entirely. And Ceria’s pupils, drawn to the pale pink streaks, were dilating and contracting.
Thump, thump.
Amidst a time that seemed to stop, the heartbeat echoed alone. As Ceria felt that pulse, she recalled the advice of her mother encountered long ago.
“Follow your instincts.”
Before long, Ceria’s lips began to part involuntarily.
It was then that Shi-en clenched her fist and summoned her courage.
“B-but…!”
Unfortunately, that sentence couldn’t even be completed.
With a soft poke,
the fangs gently sank into her skin. So natural and swift was the process that even Shi-en, bitten on the neck, couldn’t grasp the situation for a moment.
What is happening?
That question didn’t linger long. Soon, there was the feeling of a tongue licking her nape along with a fierce dizziness.
“Ugh, huh… huh?!”
Shi-en couldn’t even resist. Like prey bitten by a spider’s fangs, her body twitched, but that was the extent of her limits.
As if paralyzed, her limbs wouldn’t move. Every time the woman lapped at her neck, a chilling current flowed down her spine, escaping only peculiar moans.
The girl’s vision shrank in an instant. The last scene Shi-en remembered was the unfamiliar face of her senior wiping the bl**d from her lips.
Crimson eyes.
With the color of the reversed pupils as her last memory, the imperial princess lost consciousness.
Without even knowing what her bl**d had awakened.
In the intensive care room of the temple.
It was a place I often relied on while attending the academy. I would prefer not to rely on it until graduation, but unfortunately, I tended to visit here periodically.
For two main reasons.
One was undoubtedly when I was hospitalized, and the other was when my colleagues were hospitalized, and I came to visit.
Today’s purpose of visit belonged in the latter category.
The injury of a colleague was always a heartbreaking matter. So the hospital room was always shrouded in a heavy atmosphere, but today, a heavier air was flowing through the room.
The reason was simple.
The figures standing here were that fearsome.
The emperor of the empire, the sword master, and even the great witch of the southern kingdoms.
The leaders of the hegemonic countries of the continent were gathered in one place. If this were a conference room, every word from them would have been worth its weight in gold.
But this was the hospital room they occupied now.
There was no need for convoluted discussions. As evidence, the old man, considered the pinnacle of the empire, let out a long sigh.
A tender light glimmered in the emperor’s blue eyes.
“Thank goodness. They say there’s no danger to her life…”
“We were foolish. Distracted by chasing the vampire, who could have imagined such a thing happening from behind?”
I remained silent while listening to the conversation between the emperor and sword master.
It was full of incomprehensible words.
The vampire fled in a pitiful state. Of course, it was the expected result since I, along with the sword master and the great witch, came from the future. Yet I felt a strange unease.
Is this all there is?
One of the Seven Stars of the Dark Cult, a legendary mage that had put fear across the continent.
Furthermore, ‘Greed’ had even approached me to restrain that woman. If she were such a trivial opponent, Greed wouldn’t have resorted to such means.
Then another missing person incident occurred.
The imperial princess lay faint with a pale face, and Shi-en had vanished. According to the testimony of the priest in charge of her treatment, Shi-en seemed to have lost a significant amount of bl**d just prior.
What transpired would soon be revealed.
If Shi-en regains consciousness, that is.
Even while I was lost in thought, the conversation among the senior figures of the empire continued.
“Kid, the academy might be more dangerous than you can imagine. Shouldn’t you quickly take care of yourself? While we’ve lived our lives, the fate of an entire nation rests upon your shoulders.”
“I agree.”
The great witch suggested, and the sword master accepted.
That process was smoothly flowing, like water. There was no room for rebuttal from the emperor.
“It doesn’t make sense for someone of your stature, like the emperor of the empire, to remain as bait at the academy. You should leave as well.”
“What about Uncle?”
“Well.”
The sword master, still wearing the face of a girl, looked cold. With a tone devoid of warmth, he whispered softly.
“The academy is valuable, but it pales in comparison to your safety. While I was distracted, those aiming for my niece have surfaced. As long as there’s even a slight chance they might target you, I have no choice but to protect you…”
It was no longer merely a statement.
There were no logical flaws in the sword master’s decision. Yet, the reason for trailing off was likely due to the consequences that choice would bring.
The sword master would depart.
It indicated the departure of the strongest combat force. The great witch could not use her power, and the ‘me’ from the future was a being I couldn’t summarily call forth.
For some time, it might be difficult to act in my own body.
If so, the situation would definitely shift toward a clear disadvantage.
Everyone knew this fact, but no one voiced it. This was due to the different scales of responsibility that had to be borne in either case.
Only one figure was free of such interests.
“Right, I should leave.”
“Grandmother…”
The great witch’s indifferent response made the sword master avert his gaze with an apologetic expression. He couldn’t possibly lack the desire to punish the fiend who had put his lovely niece in this condition.
However, a more significant duty came first.
The great witch simply laughed it off, as if it were nothing.
“What can I do? You, and I… even the Heavenly Deity of the Holy Kingdom each have our own circumstances. I cannot disregard your situation while unshackling my own.”
“Even so, it’s fortunate that the vampire turned out to be much weaker than expected.”
Whether for consolation, or perhaps as an excuse to himself.
The sword master said this and cleared his throat.
“Even two of us should be able to manage to fight, right? I can keep the best of my empire by your side…”
“That’s pointless.”
Exhaling a stream of cigarette smoke.
The great witch wore a hazy smile. The gaze as she looked at the dissipating smoke seemed to be pulled into the past.
“As if that were the case, I wouldn’t be in such a predicament. Having a bunch of amateurs only leads to more sacrifice.”
“But…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll manage somehow… because that’s my duty.”
In the end, the sword master let out a sigh of regret and turned his eyes away.
Yes. The answer had already been decided.
The emperor, knowing this from the start, patted my shoulder a few times as he left the hospital room.
“…Let me see your face before you leave.”
With that final remark, the room returned to silence.
Only the sound of the great witch occasionally exhaling cigarette smoke echoed.
As I watched this, I thought.
That power is needed.
And that night, the person who greeted me upon my return to the dormitory was a beauty with black hair.
“Finally, do you feel like ‘bargaining’ now?”
With golden pupils that gleamed brighter than the moonlight pouring through the window.
The woman sitting on the edge of the bed spread her arms wide.
A decisive battle was approaching.
