Ch.9191. Dragon King (2)

“Ah! How do you use this thing?!”

Trisha, who had just finished showering, screamed as she got splashed with water after touching something on the vanity.

It happened the moment she pressed the button in the center.

She immediately made a sad face after getting her face completely soaked.

At first glance, it looked like just a metal rod, but who would have thought it would spray water from the end?

“Ugh, there are so many fascinating things here, but how am I supposed to know how to use them? I can’t get my bearings. Elia, you…”

Trisha turned her head as she spoke but quickly closed her mouth.

There was Elia, casually drying her hair with a machine that blew hot air.

“…how do you know how to use that so well?”

“I just figured it out.”

“You just figured it out?”

Trisha responded with an expression of disbelief, and Elia nodded expressionlessly.

“Yes.”

“…”

How strange.

The Elia that Trisha remembered was surprisingly ignorant about worldly matters.

She’d heard that Elia had grown up in a monastery since childhood, but sometimes it seemed a bit extreme.

But what about Elia now?

‘Normally, she should be clinging to me saying something like ‘Help me, Trisha~’…’

Trisha tilted her head, pondering this.

Elia was casually using devices that even Trisha, known among her friends as the most adaptable, couldn’t figure out.

She looked so natural that anyone would believe she had grown up with such devices from the beginning.

‘She has been acting a bit strange lately…?’

While her friend had always been described as perceptive and sociable, the “learning ability” Elia had been showing recently seemed beyond that scope.

Recently, it was as if she could understand anything at a glance. Her “comprehension” and “insight” seemed to have increased tremendously.

Especially considering how she used to whine about not being able to read even slightly longer sentences.

Almost as if she had acquired some special ability.

“…”

However, regardless of that change, Elia’s current state was something Trisha couldn’t ignore.

‘She seemed to be getting better…’

Not long ago, Elia had shared lunch with the teacher and was jumping with joy because he seemed to like it too.

But recently, after going to receive some kind of commendation following the friendly match, she’s been constantly expressionless, deeply lost in thought.

Just today, there was some important event called the Hunter’s Night or something for students with excellent grades, but she showed no interest and didn’t participate.

“…Shouldn’t you care a bit more about your grades?”

“I did well in the friendly match, so missing one day of this Hunter’s Night thing should be fine.”

“…You’ll regret it when it comes to the joint training with the Holy Empire next semester? They select based on grades too.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“…”

How irresponsible.

It’s fortunate that judging by her emotional color, she doesn’t seem particularly depressed, but compared to her previous state of being completely covered in pink, this certainly isn’t a good sign.

Elia had always tended to be overly emotional when it came to that man, but even so, this emotional drop seemed a bit severe.

Finally, Trisha sighed and spoke.

“Is there something bothering you again?”

“Huh? What? No, no, not at all.”

“…”

Trisha let out a heavy sigh.

“Elia.”

“…Yes?”

“I’ll get angry if you reject my help because you feel burdened.”

“…”

“I’m doing this because I want to. Not because someone else is making me. Understand?”

“…No, but still.”

Elia pouted.

“I’m sorry. I feel like I’m being a nuisance, always consulting you about teacher problems.”

“It’s fine. Especially if it’s about him.”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“…I find him personally intriguing because he’s such an unpredictable person.”

For someone like her, whose specialty is observing people, there aren’t many as strange as him.

She doesn’t mind studying him a bit more since she’s already involved through Elia.

‘…He’s too faint for me to see clearly.’

While not as extreme as Faynol Leiphec whose colors aren’t visible at all, Darwood never reveals enough emotion to clearly understand what he’s thinking.

Despite being surrounded by so many women who treat him favorably, he hardly ever emits any “affection” light from his heart.

It’s almost as if…

“…It seems like he’s forcibly suppressing his own feelings.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Ah, nothing. It’s nothing.”

When Elia opened her eyes wide at the words that slipped out, Trisha shook her head.

What was the point in talking about that man’s condition?

“No, tell me more details. You’re saying the teacher is deliberately suppressing his feelings?”

However, Elia seemed already hooked on the topic, as she pulled her chair close to Trisha, abandoning her hair brushing.

“…Um, well…”

Faced with such determination, Trisha finally puffed her cheeks and continued her explanation.

She still didn’t want to talk about her ability. It was only natural that revealing such an ability would invite unfavorable views.

So, she tried to be as vague as possible.

“Well, it just seems like he thinks something terrible will happen if he reveals that he has feelings for someone. Based on how he acts.”

“You think so too?!”

“…”

What was this intense reaction about?

It was as if this had been her pressing concern all along.

“Something happened…”

Elia frowned deeply.

“Lately, I’ve been feeling things around me more… ‘sensitively,’ Trisha. I don’t know what triggered it. It’s just how it is.”

“…”

This matched exactly what Trisha had been feeling about Elia recently.

Seems like she was the most aware of it herself.

“And there’s one thing I can sense very clearly with this sensitivity.”

Elia paused.

As if she couldn’t recall a more horrific memory.

“There’s something inside the Tristan noblewoman. That’s for certain.”

“…Inside? What do you mean?”

“Something connected to the teacher. Something that erupts violently whenever the teacher gets close to another woman.”

Clearly.

The sensation that something was ‘twisted’ still remains distinctly.

It feels so strange that she’s sitting here having a normal conversation in the academy, as if a major event had occurred.

She can’t remember it, but the sensation that it erupted when Darwood and another woman ‘got involved’ is clearly engraved in her body.

“…Is there such a thing?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

Therefore…

“Then this is serious.”

“Serious? Why?”

“Well, right now he’s with another woman. They looked quite intimate.”

“Who? There must be more than one or two.”

“…”

From the way she’s talking, it seems Elia is starting to realize that man is trash.

Should she, as a friend, stop her from accepting this naturally, or should she just let her give up?

With such thoughts, Trisha sighed and continued.

“I heard roughly from the others earlier. They said he went out to sea in this weather on a boat with Talion Armand and that Riru Garda person.”

“Because of that Hunter’s Night thing? But that’s not a big deal, is it?”

“No, I heard that the Tristan noblewoman was spotted nearby.”

Elia gasped in shock.

Of course, Elnore wouldn’t really be deliberately following them. If she had, things would have already exploded upon seeing that sight.

It’s more reasonable to assume she’s in the area for reasons unrelated to Darwood, but…

‘Just running into each other could lead to trouble…!’

At the very least, it would be common decency to give them a heads-up or warning.

“I’m going to ask for help!”

“Help? From whom?”

“I have a trustworthy friend!”

With those words, Elia rushed out of the room.

●

In the stormy terrace, Yuria silently fiddled with the Severance Blade while looking down at her own arm.

This white streak starting from her fingertips and gradually descending—this indicator showing that the Severance Blade was corrupting her—had finally reached near her wrist.

She deliberately didn’t show it, knowing that her sister, who was always watching over her, would be saddened if she revealed how far it had progressed.

‘…Not much time left.’

As someone who has carried this sword for a long time, she instinctively feels it.

Fingertips. Wrist. Forearm. The moment the curse that spreads along her body reaches her heart.

She will no longer exist in this world as Yuria Greyhaunter.

She’ll transform into ‘something’ that can hardly be called human.

And thinking about that makes her recall what Faynol Leiphec had said to her just moments ago.

-Just leaving it alone will never stop it.

That woman, who referred to herself and Yuria as ‘the same kind,’ clearly stated:

-You might simply think of it as a curse rising from that sword, but the Inquisition has a slightly different view.

The Inquisition.

A special enforcement agency of the Empire that operates separately from even the Holy Empire.

The only group in the world established under the grand ideology of confronting ‘demons.’

An extralegal organization so powerful that even the Imperial court rarely attempts to restrain its actions.

Despite being someone who had verbally abused her sister, Yuria had no choice but to sit and listen to what she had to say—such was the power these people wielded.

-…What do you mean by a different view?

-It’s not simply a curse. It’s no coincidence that there’s been no progress despite daily sincere sanctification from that woman whose holy power is second only to the Pope’s.

Expressionlessly.

As if it were perfectly natural that even a human with one of the strongest holy powers couldn’t deal with it.

-Your curse… is an ancient curse with ‘something’ additional embedded in it. To improve it, another method is needed.

Faynol had continued with such statements.

-If you don’t monopolize that man, you will die, Yuria Greyhaunter.

-…Monopolize?

-That man… though it’s difficult to explain now, possesses an ability that’s almost a specific remedy for the ‘entity’ sleeping in your sword. The Inquisition is also very interested in that quality of his.

Faynol had smiled broadly and continued.

To Yuria, it felt like sweetness placed in a mousetrap, but…

-Simply put, the Inquisition wants to push you forward so you can monopolize that man, to ‘test’ such abilities. Among the subjects nearby, you seem most suitable for observing such things.

-…Push me forward?

Darwood had said that she was his most genuine relationship. He even left a token of his promise.

Thinking this while touching her nape, Faynol’s words still remained clearly in her mind.

-Do you really think so?

-…

-With so many attractive women around that man?

-…

To the stiffened Yuria, Faynol’s words continued:

-If you’re confident, I won’t stop you. But if you ever need help, please contact me anytime.

-…

-I’ll be waiting.

Yuria touched the pendant Faynol had left behind with a gloomy expression.

‘…No.’

Darwood is not someone who would deceive her.

No, he mustn’t be.

Otherwise, she simply couldn’t endure.

“Yuria!”

As she was mulling over these thoughts, the door suddenly burst open.

It was Elia, breathing heavily.

“Oh, are you looking for my sister? She should be at the cathedral for regular worship right now…”

“I’m not here for the Saint, I’m here for you!”

“…”

Huh.

For her?

Not for her sister?

Since she had spent almost all her memorable years alone except for her earliest childhood before taking up the Severance Blade, this was almost a first.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry, somehow, for someone like me to be sought out all the way here—”

“There’s no time for such talk. We have something to do together!”

“…”

Something to do together?

Normally, she would have politely declined.

Even though she wears the Astral Circlet, she carries one of the most powerful curses in human history. If it goes out of control, who knows what accidents might occur.

Moreover, hadn’t she just heard from Faynol that this was entangled with a powerful entity that even her sister, a saint, couldn’t control?

“What are you saying? We’re friends!”

“…”

Perhaps if Elia hadn’t said it like that, she would have declined.

‘Fr-friends?’

Can such a brilliant word be uttered so easily?

Yuria, thoroughly flustered, stammered:

“D-did we have any decisive event to call ourselves that?”

Her human relationship diagram was roughly:

1. Family – Sister

2. Most precious person – Darwood

3. People she’s grateful to – Lady Ophelia who lends facilities, Principal Atalante who accepted her at Elphante

…that’s about it, the epitome of minimalism.

And to someone whose human relationships could be compressed onto one finger, to call her a friend.

That’s too… too…

“…Fr-friends. Yes. A-ahem.”

It was too sweet a word to reject.

“If there’s something to do together, what…?”

“Let’s go save the teacher together!”

Yuria paused at those words.

Save him? Is that person in some kind of crisis right now?

“Right now, he’s with someone named Riru Garda, and if the student council president who’s nearby sees them, it could be a disaster—”

Perhaps Elia can’t be blamed for choosing Yuria.

At least the Yuria she knew was the most skilled person among those she knew, and whether intentional or not, she appeared reticent and seemed to get along well with Darwood.

However.

What she failed to judge was:

“This Riru Garda person.”

She didn’t properly realize ‘how well’ Yuria got along with Darwood.

“Is she a woman?”

“…”

“Is she a woman?”

“…”

“She is a woman. I can tell from your reaction.”

“…”

“Alright. Let’s go then. Where is he now?”

Huh?

Clearly, the intention was to tip off Darwood so he wouldn’t get caught by Elnore and be destroyed.

But what’s with this chilling response?

‘…It feels like I was trying to avoid an uncertain mine but ended up creating a definite one?’

That was, undoubtedly, a more accurate soliloquy than Elia herself thought.