༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (7) ༻
After hearing that long narrative from the male student about the recent events, my overall impression could be described in a single phrase:
“…Wow, he’s a lunatic.”
Hearing me involuntarily talking out loud, the male student recoiled with a frightened yelp.
His eyes reflected sheer terror, the glisten of moisture in them revealing his fragile mental state.
It was as if he was looking at a mental patient.
Regardless, I found myself lost in thought, stroking my chin.
What on earth was he thinking?
I don’t know about the ‘me’ from the future, but the current me had no means to challenge the Imperial Family and survive. And, not to mention, he even shortened the three-month deadline to just a month.
I shuddered to think what might be happening in the Percus territory right now.
Could it be that he lacked a sense of familial love?
After all, he was someone who abused even his past self. A man without self-love couldn’t possibly harbour familial affection.
However, another question lingered as I listened to the story.
“You heard all that and still dared to mess with me?”
“Th-The Imperial Family promised to have our backs! Moreover, at that time, the guards drew their swords, so it was seen as an act of self-defence. But if you attack a student one-sidedly like now… ack!”
Not wanting to hear anymore, I smacked the side of his head with the blunt side of my hatchet.
His pupils dilated and the male student collapsed limply. Seeing this, I clicked my tongue in disapproval.
“You guys deserve even more beatings.”
I might suffer consequences if he reported this to the academy, but at this point, I couldn’t care less.
Considering the situation, the demise of my household, along with myself might even come faster than expulsion.
I needed to come up with a plan somehow.
As I stood and started to walk away, a piece of paper caught my eye.
It was protruding from the back pocket of one of the fallen students. It seemed oddly familiar, and without much thought, I unfolded it.
It was a newspaper circulated within the academy. On its front page, there was a huge picture of my face.
Who the fuck were they calling a murderer? I had only ever killed one person, and that was a demonic human.
And what was up with ‘Imperial Princess’s Bloodcurdling Incident’? The name itself felt especially lame today.
With those thoughts, I crumpled the newspaper and tossed it away thoughtlessly.
With a soft thud, the crumpled newspaper ball hit one of the fallen male students on the head and rolled away, before soaking up his trickling blood.
In the spot I left, several men lay, all of them either groaning in pain or unconscious.
**
Violence was an efficient method, but it was no cure.
Take this moment, for example. As I was on my way to attend a lecture, a group of female students blocked my path.
Each attempt to sidestep them was met with them repositioning in front of me. Even when I tried to return, it was the same.
Seeing the irritation in my eyes, the female students erupted into laughter.
“What’s wrong, Senior Ian? Surely, you won’t swing that hatchet of yours at us as well, right?”
“Come on, we haven’t even done anything, you know?”
Their giggling grated on my nerves. Their expressions showed no doubt, and they firmly believed that I wouldn’t harm them.
Of course, I could easily maneuver past them with a single push of my foot. I wasn’t so feeble as to be outmatched by a couple of juniors, and moreover, my footwork had always been one of my strengths.
But I didn’t want to do that.
At this moment, I had nowhere to run. Did they genuinely think I’d be concerned about getting expelled from the academy after offending the Imperial Family?
Did they really think I’d care about something like that right now?
As if my head wasn’t already throbbing with enough pain, they stood before me, flaunting and provoking. I hesitated, pondering for a moment.
Should I give them a cut on the leg? No, too extreme. Just breaking a bone for their taunts should be sufficient.
Just as my hand subtly began to drift to my side…
“…Hey.”
A fierce voice reverberated from behind the female students.
The confused girls turned to look behind them.
There stood a petite girl wearing a pointed hat. With brown hair and eyes resembling blue sapphires, she possessed a charming appearance that could be mistaken for a doll.
However, recognizing her notorious reputation, the faces of the female students paled instantly.
“What are you guys doing right now?”
The audible gulp of someone swallowing down their saliva was heard. Anyone could tell Senior Elsie wasn’t in a good mood.
One of the female students stuttered as she spoke.
“W-well… we were trying to pass, but Senior Ian kept blocking our way… Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Suddenly, one of the female students who was attempting to justify their actions screamed and collapsed. There was no warning. All the girls stared at Senior Elsie with eyes filled with terror, wondering what the hell she had done.
Yet, Senior Elsie was merely grinning cheekily.
“Why’d you fall? Got a cramp? This fucking bitch… Hey, do you think you can mock your Seniors like that?”
“N-no, I didn’t… Aaaaaaaaaah!”
The girl who tried to get up again let out another scream and fell back onto the ground. Her legs trembled uncontrollably.
It was clear that she had been electrocuted.
Senior Elsie seemed to be the culprit. However, without concrete evidence, the eyes of the female students darted around in panic.
“Get up, why don’t you? Planning on staying down? Wanna have tea time in the alleyway like this? Huh?”
The female student frantically lowered her head, attempting to rise unsteadily.
But the result remained the same.
“N-No… Gyaaaaaaaaah!”
Trembling eyes were fixed on Senior Elsie. However, she showed no sign of relenting.
A cruel smile surfaced on her lips, a smile I hadn’t seen in quite some time.
“Man, times sure have changed. Even when a Senior tells you to stand, you resist till the end. Seriously, this bitch… Hey, all of you, get down.”
The terrified eyes of the female students met in mid-air.
Their faces seem to say ‘Surely, treating us like this in broad daylight is too much, right?’ Not missing her cue, Senior Elsie’s voice rose in fury.
“I said, get down, you little fuckers! Didn’t you hear me?!”
Seemingly snapping to their senses, the female students attempted to get down on the ground. But in the next moment…
There was a buzzing sound with a white spark, and suddenly, screams echoed. Their faces collided with the ground, as their electrocuted bodies twitched uncontrollably.
Shaking from the convulsions, they were clearly not in any condition to respond or react.
Bystanders who had been observing the scene quickly moved on, presumably deciding that getting involved with Elsie Rinella wouldn’t end well for them.
With a huff, Senior Elsie let out a hot breath, one seething with anger.
“I told you to get down, not lie down, you know? Hey, are you messing with me right now?”
“I-I don’t… Hrk!”
Even with gritted teeth, trying to endure her furious onslaught was impossible.
Time and time again, the female students writhed on the ground, and soon, a burnt smell emanated from the scorched ground.
With tears welling up in their eyes and drool dripping from their mouths, the female students seemed to have no energy left to stand. And just as Senior Elsie was about to start another round of torture…
“…Senior Elsie.”
At my interruption, she hesitated.
Our eyes met, and without a word, I subtly shook my head.
It meant that it was enough.
For a moment, Senior Elsie glared at the female students with seething eyes, then uttered a single word.
“Scram.”
As soon as they heard that, the female students scurried away. Perhaps exhausted from using all their strength to simply follow Elsie’s commands, they couldn’t even walk properly.
Watching their retreating figures with an intense gaze, Senior Elsie quickly approached me once they were out of sight.
She wore a smug expression and looked up at me with eyes similar to a puppy seeking praise.
“Hehehe… I did good, right?”
With a slyly relaxed face, Senior Elsie leaned her head towards me.
It was clear she wanted a pat on the head.
However, the look in my eyes was extremely cold.
Because after much contemplation, there was only one conclusion.
With a swift motion, I pushed Senior Elsie’s head away. She turned to me with surprise and confusion evident in her eyes.
She was in disbelief, as if she couldn’t understand why I had pushed her away. She looked like she thought I was acting unusually or incorrectly.
But this was the best course of action. I had a duty to protect those precious to me, and, before I realized it, Senior Elsie had long become one of those ‘precious people’ to me.
She was a comrade, a friend, and also…
Hmm, a pet?
I shook my head to dispel the absurd thought that had crossed my mind.
Considering Senior Elsie as a pet was beyond disrespectful. After all, wasn’t she a high-ranking noble?
Upon witnessing my peculiar behavior, she tilted her head in confusion. Clearing my throat with a subtle cough, I tried to ease the atmosphere.
Then I began, in a firm voice.
“Senior Elsie.”
The mood was already tense. Seeing this, Senior Elsie immediately began to look uneasy and hesitant.
Seeing her like that made me waver again. However, for Senior Elsie’s sake, I needed to be resolute.
I declared sternly.
“Please avoid seeing me for a while.”
Upon hearing those words, the look on Senior Elsie’s face was…
Just like an abandoned puppy, making my heart ache all the more.
At the very least, I wish she wouldn’t cry.
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