༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (33) ༻
Just a little way into the southern forest, there were many hidden clearings.
According to my seniors, these clearings were the remnants of traditional hunting festivals held for a long time. The trees in the once dense forest always suffered during these festivals.
It was due to it being a contest between demonic beasts who could topple trees with a single swing of their arm, and skilled individuals who could face these monsters with just a sword.
Once the battle began, no tree was safe.
Even I had a record of knocking down quite a few trees in this year’s hunting festival. Although, most of them were the result of being hit and flung by the “Gut Collector”.
And among these recently formed clearings, some became excellent meeting spots with just a bit of trimming of the fallen tree trunks. Trimming the stumps was simple enough if one could handle aura.
The place where I, Senior Delphine, and Senior Elsie were sitting was one such clearing.
The sun burned hotter as we approached the peak of summer. We only felt somewhat refreshed after we sought refuge under the tree’s shade..
After the Month of Cane passes, the air would be stuffy everywhere.
I fanned my slightly flushed face from the heat. Yet, the sweat beads forming on my forehead did not evaporate.
Even though I was circulating mana to my skin to cope with the heat, it was still tough. Even with quite the increase of my mana after consuming ‘Dragon’s Blood’, it was still not enough.
In fact, Senior Delphine and Senior Elsie seemed unbothered by this heat. Thanks to their vastly greater reserves of mana.
It was like a confirmation I still had a long way to go.
The two women hesitated as I fanned myself.
They probably thought I was angry.
Of course, that was a misunderstanding. I was quite calm at the moment.
I was only silent because I was unsure of what to say.
To be more specific, I was pondering how to dampen the weird rivalry between Senior Delphine and Senior Elsie.
It wasn’t a problem that I would find an answer to just by thinking about it. But that didn’t mean I could conceal my uneasiness either.
If things continued like this, my reputation might end up tarnished.
The nobles of the empire place great importance on honor. Even the lower nobility like the Percus family did so, not mentioning the high-ranking nobles.
To them, ‘Honor’ was more precious than life itself.
Because it was directly linked to their family’s prestige.
Yet here were the heir of the esteemed Yurdina family and the daughter of the Rinella family, addressing a mere second son of a Countryside Viscount as ‘Master’.
It wasn’t a matter that would just end up stigmatizing two noble families of the venerable Empire. This could also possibly backfire on me.
In the distant past, when concepts of chastity were more rigid than now, it is said that a commoner engaging in a relationship with a noblewoman would be executed.
Whether it was consensual or rape, it didn’t matter. They always framed it as rape and executed the commoner.
It was all to preserve the honor of the nobility.
Why do I see myself in those commoners who had vanished like dew at the execution grounds?
The chilling thought made me break into a cold sweat.. It wasn’t really because of the worry about offending the royal family, though.
Whether she knew of my worries or not, Senior Elsie hesitantly approached me and began to fan me with her small hands.
As expected with her small hands, the wind she created was exceedingly weak.
When I looked at her questioningly, Senior Elsie cleared her throat and awkwardly averted her gaze.
A faint blush rose on her soft cheeks.
“Y-You looked…hot…so…”
I let out a hollow laugh.
Though I found it absurd, I also appreciated her gesture, so I chose to remain in silence..
Instead, I directly asked..
“…Senior Delphine, what about that information on the ‘pit’?”
“Well, actually… there’s a tunnel that runs from the academy to the outskirts of the city.”
Senior Delphine glanced at me cautiously before continuing in a calm voice.
“It’s a tunnel created when the academy was under the control of the Imperial Family. It may just be a tunnel, but it was built as an emergency escape route for the Imperial Family at that time, so it should still exist. I’ve also heard that it underwent magical processing.”
An escape route for the Imperial Family.
If the academy was under the Imperial Family’s control, that must have been hundreds of years ago. It was surprising that the tunnel could still exist until now.
Typically, tunnels made of soft soil rather than solid rock are prone to collapse. Therefore, they were typically short and located at shallow depths.
But this was a large tunnel extending from the academy to the outskirts of the city. It was an emergency evacuation route for the Imperial Family, so it must have been built deep underground where it would be impossible to detect.
If it didn’t collapse to this day, it must have involved investing an enormous amount of mana back then. Especially considering the primitive technology of the time.
What was somewhat puzzling was that, for such a costly construction, there was no need to insist on a tunnel.
Considering durability, it would have been more logical to officially build an underground shelter. But why did they specifically insist on a tunnel?
Since it was a question I couldn’t find an answer to now, I decided to carefully tuck the doubt away in my heart.
“…And its location?”
“Where do you think the members of the imperial family are assigned when they enroll?”
The reply to my question was a clear hint.
Each prince and princess was like the master of a palace. For various practical reasons, including security concerns, the Imperial family received special treatment at the academy.
Their assigned residence was the ‘Verlata Palace’.
It was a building named after the wife of the conquering emperor, Aedalus. Its official name was ‘Verlata Pavilion’, but calling it a ‘palace’ wasn’t odd since it was exclusively used by the Imperial Family.
Senior Delphine indicated that the entrance to the underground tunnel was located there.
I nodded, about to replace my question with another, when a new one struck me.
“But how did you find out I was looking for information on the ‘tunnel’?”
“The Yurdina family tends to hear a lot of things, being the most loyal servants of the Imperial Family.”
I clicked my tongue.
Her words were vague, yet the mention of the imperial family suggested the leak probably originated from the Intelligence department.
Even though it wasn’t an officially established covert organization, the leakage of internal information was too easy. It was the same even when dealing with the heir of the Yurdina family.
I should set aside a day for training them.
Mindlessly meandering, I soon brushed off the ridiculous idea with a shake of my head.
It was far too arrogant a thought for someone ignorant about espionage. Why I even entertained the thought was beyond me.
Senior Elsie, who had been observing my conversation with Senior Delphine, seemed somewhat anxious.
Apparently, she seemed anxious because only Senior Delphine was proven helpful. After fidgeting and brooding for a while, she spoke as if she thought of something.
“…Oh, that reminds me!”
My attention shifted to Senior Elsie, and so did Senior Delphine’s.
Having successfully captured our attention, Senior Elsie hesitantly continued.
“Well, you know the demonic beast we caught during the hunting festival…it was eventually categorized as ’cause unknown.'”
“Cause unknown?”
Hearing that, my expression turned into a frown.
The only demonic beast that we had caught was the ‘Gut Collector’. That was the first time Senior Elsie and I teamed up.
A demonic beast of a caliber to receive a name doesn’t simply appear out of nowhere.
First, it needed a strong source of mana, and they had to be under its influence for a long time. The fact that such a creature had appeared in the once peaceful southern forest meant that something was concentrating mana there.
The imperial investigation team was not stupid. They couldn’t have been unaware of this fact.
But labeling it as ’cause unknown’ essentially meant they were unable to locate the source of the mana concentration.
It was nearly impossible for such a source of mana to disappear without leaving a trace. There were many suspicious points, but for now, I decided to stop thinking and let out a deep sigh.
I had plenty of unfinished tasks to do.
In order to gain the strength to do that, I had called upon Senior Delphine and Senior Elsie.
“Anyway, let’s discuss that matter later… Senior Delphine, Senior Elsie.”
Both women turned their attention to me, their eyes saying they were ready to listen to anything.
I hesitated for a moment.
It would’ve been great if I could explain the reason, but the information from the love letter from the future could only be known to me.
The moment I blurt it out, it would change in its content.
Then, the only best thing I could say was this.
“I can’t tell you why, but… you know there’s a parade at the Homecoming Festival coming up, right?”
Senior Delphine and Senior Elsie nodded.
It was something that no one in the academy could be unaware of. It was such a large event.
I carefully made a request to the two of them.
“Could Senior Delphine possibly lead the group and be at the forefront? And Senior Elsie, just to be safe, please cast your magic in advance… and also, bring plenty of potions.”
The last words were added out of concern for the two.
It actually felt absurd even after I said it. Preparing for an attack without being able to give a reason.
Just as I was fretting about how to respond if they were to question me.
“I will follow your command.”
“I’ll do that.”
Their answers came back without a moment’s hesitation.
I looked at Senior Delphine and Senior Elsie with a somewhat surprised expression.
Even though they often followed me, I expected them to at least ask for a reason.
But both Senior Delphine and Senior Elsie answered as if it was nothing.
“Anyway, that’s what needs to be done, right? I’ll follow your lead, Master. Leave the front to me.”
Senior Delphine replied in a mischievous voice, followed by Senior Elsie’s loyal reply.
“W-Well… Master has never been wrong before, has he? Hehe, just leave it to me, Elsie Rinella!”
In fact, Senior Elsie seemed somewhat pleased to receive my instruction. She seemed quite happy she was needed.
Finally, I managed a bitter smile.
Regardless of the reason, it was reassuring to have them around. Because they were people with their own lackeys to lead.
But still feeling a bit guilty, I couldn’t help but add one last thing.
“…Also, be careful.”
Perhaps sensing that my mood was not normal, both of their faces turned solemn.
However, that was brief. Soon, a seductive smile appeared on Senior Delphine’s lips.
“So, what about ‘punishment’?”
She came close, almost flirtatiously, and whispered in my ear with her hot breath.
My eardrums felt as if they were melting.
“…..I have prepared my body for today as well.”
“Hey, hey!”
Of course, before that, Senior Elsie had already burst out in protest.
She looked at me with a pitiful look and said,
“M-Master… what about me? I-It’s been quite a while since I received a reward…”
It was a complete disaster.
In the end, it took a few more minutes to satisfy both of their demands.
And just as I was straightening my clothes, about to leave, the excited Senior Delphine who was catching her breath, suddenly asked as if she just remembered.
“…By the way, did the princess seem okay to you?”
I stopped in my tracks.
There were a few things about her that bothered me. Her abnormally aggressive attitude, and the gloomy look she sometimes displayed.
As my eyes briefly met Senior Delphine, she said in a nonchalant tone. .
“She has some painful memories from her childhood. She nearly died, you know…”
“…From whom?”
The corners of Senior Delphine’s mouth curled up in a meaningful smile as she responded to my vague question.
“Her own mother.”
There wasn’t much time left until the Homecoming Festival.
**
The clearing in the dark night exuded a chilly atmosphere despite the moonlight pouring down.
It was behind the rarely frequented research building. Without saying a word, I sat blankly on a rock, then asked the nothingness..
“…Neris.”
“Yes, Sir Ian.”
Suddenly, a shadow descended from within the darkness.
She was a beautiful brown haired woman and a noteworthy hairpin in her bangs. Her light green eyes were cast down, hidden by her bowed head.
Today was the day to receive her gathered intel.
Senior Neris, like a few days ago, seemed incredibly tense.
Stuttering, she first tried to make up for her previous failure.
“…S-Sir Ian? Fi-Firstly, about the tunnel, there’s information regarding an emergency escape route of the Imperial Family…”
“I know it’s a tunnel that leads from the basement of Verlata Palace to the outside of the city.”
Senior Neris’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly flustered.
Then her head dropped low.
I didn’t know how she interpreted my words, but Senior Neris apologized to me in a trembling voice.
“…I-I apologize.”
Regardless, I didn’t pay any attention to it. I just had a nagging question lingering in my mind.
The princess almost died when she was young.
And to her own mother at that. Why would her mother do such a thing?
The needle-like question pierced through certain words.
Without thinking, I voiced it out.
“…The ‘Dragon’s Eye’.”
Startled, Senior Neris froze. Her gaze, looking up at me while kneeling, was filled with confusion.
Only then did my eyes turn to her.
My gaze, backlit by the moonlight, was deep. As soon as our eyes met, Senior Neris immediately lowered her head to avoid my gaze.
Her panting breath briefly conveyed her fear.
Ignoring that as well, I asked Neris.
“Dragon’s Eye, tell me what you know about it.”
The story Senior Neris had prepared seemed to be a long one.
As she cleared her throat with a cough, and then began speaking in a monotonous voice.
“It’s a long-standing legend passed down in the Imperial Family…”
The story that followed was the one I expected.
It was about the princess’s past.
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