༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (25) ༻
After taking control of the Press Club, I was able to finally enjoy a peaceful everyday life for the first time in a while.
It was because the bullying towards my acquaintances had ceased.
Now, everyone knew that they would be facing serious retribution if they touched my people.
So far, those who had been tormenting my acquaintances believed in two things.
Firstly, that the Imperial Family would have their backs if they messed with either me or those surrounding me.
This was true.
Even if the issue was serious enough to warrant disciplinary measures, people inevitably had to tread carefully when the Imperial Family was involved.
This was particularly a reality for lower-ranking nobles like Leto and Celine. Being of low-ranked nobility, they couldn’t risk their survival by incurring the Imperial Family’s displeasure.
Of course, there were exceptions, like me. But a lunatic that didn’t heed even the Imperial Family was an extremely rare case.
No one wanted to make an enemy of the Imperial Family, whether it be in the Empire or even in the continent.
The same held true for those within the academy.
They would turn a blind eye to violence, and would remain silent even if they were the victims themselves.This created a vicious cycle of ongoing violence.
This was also the reason people could freely inflict violence against my acquaintances despite the academy’s strict internal regulations.
And secondly, it was that I didn’t want to be expelled.
This was a false rumour created by the Press Club by manipulating the public opinion and forging testimonies.
Every student at the Academy feared expulsion. Until recently, I was no exception.
But not anymore.
There was no way I would fear expulsion when my family was on the brink of getting ruined due to me messing with the Imperial Family. It was an utterly absurd rumour.
As a result, the bloodstains on my sword and hatchet only increased.
The lie was finally unveiled when the Press Club confessed their misdeeds.. After my first visit, the Press Club began to create a consistent fearful atmosphere around me.
Part of their plan was the flurry of articles they released in just a few days.
The articles suggested that I had no weaknesses and didn’t fear expulsion, and that, in the face of violence, I was likely to retaliate with even greater cruelty.
Honestly, the headlines weren’t great, but the effect was unexpectedly good.
Even if they were just trainees, the Imperial Intelligence was still the Imperial Intelligence. Manipulating the opinion of an entire city was mere child’s play for them, let alone that of the Academy.
Afterwards, everything proceeded smoothly.
Though still believing the Imperial Family had their backs, that wasn’t enough of a reason for people to mess with my acquaintances.
After all, everyone greatly valued their own life.
And I was someone who’d gruesomely dismember a person just for slapping a commoner girl. Getting involved with someone like me would lead only to unnecessary bloodshed.
Even with the Imperial Family’s backing, nothing would really change.
No matter how strong the backing behind you was, the blade was always closer.
For me, this was rather fortunate.
I could handle those who tried to mess with me. But I could do nothing against those who targeted the people around me.
It was not feasible to stick with friends all day long.
Moreover, most of my friends had families to protect and promising futures ahead. They couldn’t afford to incur the wrath of the Imperial Family or high nobility, so they had no choice but to endure and get by.
So, in those few days, I was always feeling bitter and anxious. Only now could I walk around the Academy with a somewhat eased mind.
Of course, this didn’t mean it was all perfect.
Walking down Central Avenue, I met Celine. She wore an unusually lonely expression.
Our eyes naturally met.
She stiffened as soon as she saw me.. After hesitating for a while, she approached me with an awkward smile.
As always, Celine greeted me cheerfully and naturally linked arms with me.
She was the Celine I had always known.
“Hi, Ian Oppa! Long time no see.”
Even with Celine greeting me with a bright smile, I couldn’t feel at ease.
Others might not notice, but I did.
Right now, Celine was putting on an act
Pretending everything was fine, probably to avoid worrying me.
I didn’t like that, and my voice dropped as I asked,
“…You’re alone today, huh?”
At my question, Celine once again gave an awkward smile.
She, who was known for her extensive network, would always be accompanied by friends wherever she went. She would only be alone when seeking me out.
There was only one reason for Celine to be alone at a time like this.
She scratched her cheek and subtly avoided my gaze.
“T-That? Ahaha… Lately, I’ve been wanting to learn a bit about solitude. You know, right? I’m actually quite the literary girl.”
It was a half-assed excuse.
In the end, all I could offer was an apologetic sigh.
“…I’m sorry.”
Celine stood frozen, gazing up at me. Then, with a deep sigh, she casually placed her hands behind her back.
Her toes scraped the ground. It was then that Celine finally revealed her true feelings.
As a gloomy and lonely look dawned on her face, my own expression darkened in response.
“No, it’s not like that. Despite everything, Ian Oppa is the most important to me… It’s just, I feel a bit empty. I never expected the relationships I had built up over time to crumble away like a sandcastle.”
To Celine, who had a modest lineage and talents, her strength had always been her broad social network.
That’s why she had been so focused on cultivating these relationships since her first year.To have them so abruptly severed must have been devastating for her.
Nothing could be done, since the opponent was the Imperial Family.
Although the cause was ‘me’ from the future, to Celine, it must have felt like I was the one to blame.
Still, I appreciated her consideration of my feelings. I looked down at Celine, who bowed her head silently, and apologised again.
“…I’m sorry, Celine. I’ll try to resolve this as soon as I can.”
But despite my perfunctory consolation, Celine merely shook her head.
“No, it’s alright. The bullying has stopped recently. Lately, I haven’t also heard anyone badmouthing you among the second year Knight Division students. Things seem to be getting better.”
The fact that Celine had to say ‘things seems to be getting better’ while being ostracised and shunned by her friends was pitifully heartbreaking.
It was my fault.
My mood sank into an even deeper depression.
I needed to quickly find a solution.
No matter what.
**
To find a solution, I needed information.
I knew the contents of the letter, but I couldn’t decipher what those words actually meant. To utilise the information from the future, I had to decipher its meaning.
That was why I called Senior Neris to the clearing in the Southern Forest.
At most, it had been a few days. Honestly, it was uncertain how much information she could have gathered.
But the reason I insisted on calling Senior Neris was my impatience.
The longer the conflict with the Imperial Family dragged on, the more the people around me would suffer. Even my younger sister’s business was on the brink of collapse. I had to resolve this quickly.
Being bullied was one thing, but a ruined business was irreversible.
Even if this incident concludes as it is, the future of getting an earful from my sister was certain. If the business were to fail, getting more than just an earful wouldn’t be surprising.
She’d probably tear my hair out while blaming me for ruining her life.
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
As I contemplated such an unfortunate future, my expression naturally grew more solemn. Seeing this, Senior Neris, standing in front of me, became visibly uneasy.
She cautiously tried to gauge my mood.
“Excuse me, Sir Ian? I-If, by any chance, there was something lacking in our work, please feel free to express…”
“Oh, it’s not about that.”
My straightforward answer left Senior Neris looking puzzled.
She couldn’t tell whether I was being sincere or just testing the waters.
The fact that I, who until a few days ago spoke informally, was now using formal language made it all the more confusing for her.
However, I decided not to worry about her feelings.
I neither had the capacity nor the inclination. After all, she was guilty of tormenting my friends.
There was no reason for me to be overly kind to her. Not that I intended to harass her, either.
“Let’s hear the intel first. Did you obtain any results?”
“Given the limited time, we don’t have much. The terms ‘procession’ and ‘tunnel’, for instance, are too vague and overlap with too many different contexts…”
As a thoughtful hum escaped my lips, Senior Neris began to sweat profusely.
To her, I was the emperor’s representative, and thus my assessment would undoubtedly have a significant impact on her future.
Naturally, she wanted to make a good impression.
Senior Neris swallowed nervously and quickly bowed her head.
However, contrary to her initial humble words, the intel she brought turned out to be quite useful.
As I listened to her slowly unfolding words, my eyes deepened involuntarily.
