Chapter 61: A World Heading in a Completely Unforeseen Direction

Crackle— tack—
The light was completely out in the room.
I saw the figure of a man staring at a monitor.
He would occasionally get annoyed or sigh while looking at the screen.
And yet, at times, he laughed, as if something was amusing him.
I silently watched the back of this man.
His right arm was horrifically shattered.
His expression wasn’t normal either.
It was a symptom of facial paralysis.

‘He didn’t look like that back then.’
Perhaps it’s because this is a dream.
In my heart, I must have always thought of his arm and face as things long broken.

“Is it fun?”
I opened my mouth and asked, almost absentmindedly.
At that, the man stared blankly at the screen and replied.
“It’s my favorite game.”
Hearing those words, I gave a quiet smile.
“Yeah, that’s good then.”

I still like this game.

Flash—
My eyes opened.
A ceiling came into view, along with the sweat dripping down my face.
‘…A hospital room?’
Realizing where I was, I let out a small sigh.
‘Someone must have found me.’
I remembered collapsing on my way up to the 4th floor of the Demonic Palace.
I intended to pull myself together and return, but it seemed I never managed to stay conscious.

‘That was way too close.’
I had poured all my strength into countering the dragon’s magic, but I should have conserved at least enough stamina to make it back.
‘I underestimated it.’
I reproached myself.
If I hadn’t been found, I would’ve died right there.

‘Nikita…’
Did she reunite with Nia safely?
She might resent me for keeping Nia’s situation a secret.
‘Not to mention, she found out I’m Vikarmern.’
The man who liked her going to such lengths—it might have made her uncomfortable.
‘I should’ve stayed as Hanon as much as possible.’
I sighed inwardly, regretting my mistake.

‘First, I need to assess the situation.’
Thinking that, I tried to get up from my spot.

“Huh?”
It was then that I realized my body was being held by something.
It felt strangely soft, accompanied by a sweet scent of roses.
Curious about what it was, I turned my head, and there I saw a familiar face.
A Persian cat with a decadent charm.
That’s the phrase that best describes her.

The 3rd Princess, Iris Hyserion.
She was tightly hugging me.

“…Uh, Lady Iris?”
I called her name, my voice tinged with confusion.

“Mm-hm.”
But Iris only hugged me tighter, showing no intention of getting up.

Why is she sleeping in my hospital bed?

Unable to make sense of it, I felt a gaze boring into the back of my head.
It was so intense that my scalp practically stung with pain.
Unable to endure the pressure of the stare, I slowly turned my head.
There stood a girl with peach-colored hair.
Her eyes were twisted, almost demonic.

I knew exactly why her eyes looked that way.
Hania Rapididia.
The daughter of the Empire’s Chief Knight Commander, she was one of the people who loved Iris.

“You’re awake?”
Hania spoke with a smile.
That smile was so chilling, it made me instinctively shrink back.

“…I couldn’t sleep forever, could I?”
“I could put you to sleep forever, you know.”
“No thanks, I’ll pass. I’ve got too much left to do.”

Hania snorted, a mocking laugh escaping her.
“Care to explain the situation?”
I still couldn’t comprehend why Iris was lying on the hospital bed with me.

When I asked, Hania pulled her knees up to her chest.
“A rescue team trying to break through the ice wall on the 4th floor recovered everyone who had collapsed once the wall shattered. In the process, it was revealed that Nikita Cynthia had targeted Lady Iris.”

“Nikita… what about her?”
“She’s gone. According to the investigators, she failed in her assassination attempt and was ultimately consumed by the dragon’s magic.”

This explanation still wasn’t enough for me.
Sensing my dissatisfaction, Hania added more details.
“Additional traces were found showing the dragon’s magic had dissipated, though no body was recovered. The conclusion is that Nikita Cynthia is dead.”

Only then could I let out a small sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it seemed Nikita’s death had been concluded as a certainty in this incident.
‘The First Prince’s faction must’ve acted behind the scenes.’
It was highly likely that Nia had actively requested their help.

“Nikita Cynthia is alive, isn’t she?”
Hania’s sharp remark cut through the air.

My eyes slowly turned to her.
She was staring directly at me, her gaze filled with a will to expose lies and uncover the truth.
Facing her, I gave a faint smile.
“Who knows?”

“Don’t smile at me like that with my face.”
That’s right—she still looked like Hania.
This private hospital room must have made her comfortable enough to drop her disguise as Hanon.

“I swore to eliminate anything that could harm Lady Iris.”
Hania had taken up her sword for Iris.
Her blade moved only for Iris’s sake.
And Nikita had aimed to take Iris’s life.

If I hadn’t been there, Nikita might have succeeded in taking Iris’s head.

“Hanon Airei.”
A sharp killing intent radiated from Hania.
“Is Hanon an enemy of Lady Iris?”

Now, after Nikita, it was Hania threatening my life.
I had protected Nikita.
Hania, knowing this, could not have been unaware of the connection.
If I were an enemy, she would be obligated to eliminate me.

“No.”

I have no intention of becoming Iris’s enemy.
Even if she takes on the role of the final boss in the last chapter, I will save her, for Lucas’s sake.

Hearing my firm response, Hania remained silent for a moment.
Then, letting out a deep breath, she withdrew her killing intent.

“That’s good enough.”

She understood more easily than I expected.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not because I trust Hanon.”
Hania’s gaze shifted to Iris.
“Lady Iris is extremely sensitive. She would never show vulnerability in front of someone she sees as hostile.”

I agreed with her on that point.
Iris always maintained a flawless façade in front of others.
But now, Iris, who was clinging to my back, showed no intention of waking up, lost in her slumber.

“But with Hanon, she shows that side of herself. It’s proof that she doesn’t feel any hostility from you.”

Iris, who carries the power of malice, is particularly attuned to hostility and ill intent.
Hania’s judgment was undeniably accurate.

“Of course, even taking that into account…”
Grind—
Hania’s teeth clenched as if they were about to crack.

“…this scene is hard to accept.”

Looking at me held in Iris’s embrace, she barely contained her anger.

Don’t be mad.
It’s scary.

“It wasn’t something I could help. I don’t even know why I ended up like this in the first place.”

“Lady Iris said she found you warm and hugged you to sleep because it felt nice.”

What am I, a warm-blooded dog she’s using as a body warmer?
I was dumbfounded.

But I had a rough idea of the reason.
‘The heat from the Flame of Fire I absorbed must still be lingering in my body as part of the transformation into Skin of Steel.’

Skin of Steel had absorbed the Flame of Fire for quite a while.
Although it had the ability to release heat to prevent itself from melting, the Flame of Fire had penetrated even that trait, embedding itself deep within me.

As a result, the heat of the Flame of Fire was circulating throughout my body.
‘At least it’s good for suppressing the remnants of the elder dragon.’

The remnants of the dragon’s magic had seeped into my body.
And since I’d already awakened once through its power, it was only a matter of time before it tried to consume me again.
For now, the heat would help keep it in check.

“So, just stay like that until Lady Iris wakes up.”

In other words, she was telling me to play the role of a heater.

“It’s been a long time since she’s slept so peacefully.”

Hania looked at Iris with eyes full of pity.
Hania had been by Iris’s side longer than anyone else, witnessing her struggle with nightmares.
For her, ensuring that Iris could sleep comfortably was worth anything.

I also knew Iris had suffered from sleeplessness in the Demonic Palace.
With no other choice, I decided to stay put until Iris woke up.
In any case, Iris never slept for long because of her nightmares.
It wouldn’t take too long for her to wake.

“By the way. Hanon, there’s a problem the two of us need to solve.”

“What problem?”
I couldn’t think of anything unresolved.

When I showed my confusion, Hania smiled slyly.
“Well, we’re dating now, aren’t we?”

Ah.
“So, isn’t it enough to just act in front of Associate Professor Barkov?”
“Yes, that should have been enough.”

Hania rested her chin on her knees, smiling brightly.
But beneath that smile, I could feel her frustration.

“Until Associate Professor Barkov went around spreading rumors everywhere, that is.”

I could guess what had happened.
Barkov, that bastard.
He really screwed us over.

“So?”
“Now that the rumors are out, we’ve got a lot of eyes on us. It’d be better to keep up the act for a while. Rumors tend to die down over time, and we can just say we broke up then.”

“Barkov sure knows how to make life difficult for people.”

I had already agreed to help Hania with this.
Since we’re both in the same martial arts department, it wouldn’t be hard to coordinate our act together.

“Still, are you okay with the rumors?”

The rumors tied to me are never good.
While my skills are now somewhat acknowledged, most people in the martial arts department still don’t look kindly on me.
And in the magical studies department, I’m practically their sworn enemy.
Being associated with me could damage Hania’s reputation.

“Rumors about you? I don’t care. I know you’re not that kind of person.”

“‘Not that kind of person’… I’ve done plenty to deserve them, though.”
It’s not like I’ve only clashed with Isabel once or twice.

“I make my own judgments based on what I see.”

Hania didn’t seem to care much about those things.

“Besides, you should be more worried about yourself than me.”
“Worried? About what?”

Hania smiled mischievously.
“There are a lot of people at the academy who like me, you know.”

Her confidence was overwhelming—and not misplaced.
Hania had an undeniable charm that attracted people, regardless of age or gender.
And there were plenty who harbored feelings for her.

“Even I can’t predict how those people might react.”
“So it’s like, ‘If you win the beauty, you bear the burden,’ huh?”
“…Pfft, yes, I am quite beautiful.”

Her nose tilted upward slightly in pride.
I didn’t bother responding and leaned my head back against the pillow.

‘Just a few more days of break, and then it’s the second semester, huh.’

The first semester of my second year had been full of ups and downs.
As I thought about the fourth arc, which would begin soon after, I closed my eyes.

To prepare for what’s ahead, I need to rest thoroughly.

At the time, I had no idea.
This fake dating arrangement with Hania—it wasn’t just the people who liked her that would become a problem.

* * *

Iris finally woke up.
I returned safely to my dorm, and the day passed.

Considering how big the recent ordeal had been, I collapsed into bed as soon as I got back.

The next day…

“Ughh.”

Pain flared in my right eye as I opened it.
“Hanon, what’s wrong?”
Hearing my low groan, Card yawned and asked.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”
I quickly replied and hurried off to the bathroom.

Once there, I instinctively moved to splash water on my throbbing eye—but froze in place.

In the mirror, something was writhing within my right pupil.
Moments later, it shifted and transformed into the unmistakable eye of a lizard, staring back at me intently.

My eyes widened in shock.
That… That was the remnant of the elder dragon I had taken from Nikita.
‘I knew the dragon’s remnant had a will of its own.’

I didn’t expect it to manifest so quickly, even with the lingering heat of the Flame of Fire.

‘This is bad.’
I still hadn’t figured out how to deal with the dragon’s remnant.
If it tried to seize control, things could spiral out of hand.

‘If I’m going to manage this somehow…’
A certain person crossed my mind.
The moment her face surfaced in my thoughts, I hurriedly changed clothes.

With the Veil Bandages, I could hide the dragon’s remnants even if they activated.
After securely covering my eye, I stepped outside and headed straight toward the women’s dormitory.

On the way there, I couldn’t help but notice the sharp glances from the girls I passed.
It wasn’t common for a male student to visit the women’s dorm in the morning, especially on the first day of classes following the Summer Demonic Palace Tournament.

Coming here now was practically the same as asking to walk to class with someone.
But I paid no mind to their stares—being shameless about these things had become second nature by now.

Upon arriving at the dorm entrance, I spotted a maid sweeping the courtyard.

“Excuse me.”
“Yes, sir?”

The maid stopped her sweeping and approached me the moment I called out.

“There’s someone I need to speak to.”

As she glanced at the nameplate on my uniform, a knowing smile spread across her face.
“Should I summon Miss Hania for you?”

For a moment, I wondered why Hania came up.
‘Oh, right. Hania is supposed to be my girlfriend.’

Of course, leave it to the maids to have sharp ears for gossip.
Academy students often confided in their favorite maids, so it was fair to say the maids were privy to nearly every bit of information circulating the academy.

“No, not Hania. Please call Sharin Sazaris for me.”

“Huh?”

The maid’s eyes widened in surprise, her reaction almost shouting, Why her?
It wasn’t unreasonable—after all, it wasn’t every day a man in a public relationship asked for another woman.

“It’s urgent.”

Though she looked confused at first, her expression soon turned resolute as she nodded.
“…Understood. I’ll ask Miss Sharin to come out quietly. The rear exit is less crowded in the mornings, so I’ll guide her there.”

It felt like she was misunderstanding something.

As she walked away, I caught her mumbling softly to herself,
‘The Casanova of our era…’

I debated whether to correct her, but the situation was too pressing to waste time.

I decided to deal with that later and quietly waited by the back door.
Before long, Sharin was dragged out by the maid, looking utterly disheveled.

Still groggy from sleep, Sharin’s face was the picture of drowsiness.
More importantly, she was still in her pajamas.

“Uuugh, Hanon… Morning bread is hard to eat…”
Why does she treat me like some bread delivery boy?

I looked at her in disbelief, only to meet the maid’s eager and expectant gaze.

I couldn’t openly talk about the dragon’s remnant, so I gave her a discreet look.
Catching my signal, she sighed with disappointment but stepped away.

“Sharin.”
“Mmm?”

“We need to suppress the dragon’s remnant. Can you help me?”

“The dragon’s remnant?”

“It’s a curse—imbued with the dragon’s magic.”

The sleepiness in Sharin’s eyes vanished in an instant.

“…Dragon’s magic? No, wait. Where is the remnant manifesting?”

“My right eye.”

I removed the veil bandages covering my eye.

Sharin immediately cupped my face with both hands and stared intently into my right eye.
Her closeness brought with it her unique scent, sharp yet oddly soothing.

Soon, her eyes lit up, the telltale shimmer of her Starlight Insight (Mirinae) radiating softly.

She examined my eye for a long while, her brow furrowing slightly.

“So, it really is a dragon’s remnant. It’s a nasty piece of work.”

“Do you think you can do something about it?”

“Who do you think I am?”

Sharin smiled smugly.

“I’m Sharin Sazaris, after all.”

That’s the Sharin I know—one of the best mages out there.

“But this isn’t something that can be fixed overnight. It’ll take some time.”

“Can I count on you?”

“Of course. I’m interested in dragon magic anyway. I think I’ll learn a lot dissecting this remnant.”

What a relief.

Just as I sighed in relief, Sharin reached out and gently traced the area around my eye.
A faint starlight began to shimmer at her fingertips.

“I’ll temporarily suppress its activity. This way, it won’t cause you pain or affect your vision.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

“Sure thing.”

After finishing her work, Sharin let out a long yawn.
Then, as if something just struck her, she turned back to me.

“By the way, Hanon.”
“Yeah?”

“Isabel…..”

“Sharin, you.”

Before Sharin could finish, another voice interrupted.

“Ah.”

The sudden voice made both Sharin and me turn our heads in unison.

Standing there was a woman with radiant honey-blonde hair, shining like the sun.

Her eyes were wide, frozen in a mixture of surprise and something else.

Sharin and I, still leaning close together, were in a position that anyone could easily misunderstand.

“…What are you two doing?”

It was Isabel Luna.
Her eyes carried an inexplicable anger, one that seemed far deeper than mere irritation.