The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 3

The Academy is located within the Empire’s territory, but it’s the most remote place in the Empire.

It’s not exactly on the border, nor is it close to the heart of the Empire; it’s set in a unique environment that lies on a deserted island near the capital’s sea.

There are two ways to get to the Academy: the first is to cross the only bridge connecting the island to the mainland, and the second is to take a boat.

Most people use the boat, as long as they don’t suffer from seasickness.

While there is a bridge, it’s only about two lanes wide, so traffic jams are common, making the boat ride cheaper but not very advantageous otherwise.

As dawn breaks, splendid carriages adorned with each family’s banners begin to arrive at the wharf one by one.

Bodyguards are engaged in a Qi Conflict, and an intense tension hangs in the air between rival families who seem ready to draw swords at any moment.

The Qi Conflict starts in earnest right from the wharf where the boats are waiting.

Having arrived early and all set to board, I sat nearby, scrutinizing the banners hanging off the carriages.

‘… The white wolf is Seymour… The boulder emblem belongs to Russell… The Woodville Trading Company is here as well… Guess those Elves finally showed up after saying they wouldn’t last time.’

Noble families from long-established lineages to wealthy bourgeois are flocking to the port; today is the entrance ceremony of the Academy.

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The admissions process was incredibly straightforward.

All I did was walk to where I was told to go.

There are two main ways to enroll in the Academy; the first is to take a regular test to gain admission.

The Academy still clings to its image of nurturing talents worthy of shaping the Empire’s future, so anyone, regardless of status, can gain admission if they perform well enough on a rather difficult test.

However, one must come directly to the Academy to take the test, and even if accepted, failing to score the highest means missing out on a scholarship.

That means not being able to buy high-priced items like uniforms, school supplies, and textbooks, which are pretty tough for commoners to afford.

Despite that, all those who show promise have knocked on the Academy’s door, and many talents, having weathered adversity, blossomed splendidly.

This was the most normal route, and it’s said most students used to enter this way in the past.

That was in the past, though.

“Yep, I’ve confirmed the ‘Letter of Recommendation’!!”

Handing over the admission documents along with the stamped ‘Letter of Recommendation,’ they verified its authenticity with magic and welcomed me in.

I needed the recommendation to get on the boat, needed it again to get off, and needed it one more time when I arrived at the Academy building.

By just showing the recommendation at each checkpoint, my admission process was wrapped up neatly.

Yep, the second way to enter the Academy is through this Letter of Recommendation.

Currently, most students enter via this method.

Originally, only about 10% of all students got in with a recommendation, but nowadays, over half of students are landing in the Academy this way.

The recommendations are handed out exclusively to carefully selected families by the Academy.

Only the principal knows how and how much the recommendations are distributed.

‘So… now that I’m in the Academy, should I start looking for that guy first?’

No matter the reason, there’s one thing that needs doing first now that I’m at the Academy.

It’s finding the ‘protagonist’ of the novel.

If this world is flowing based on the story ‘Devil Slayer of the Academy’, then all the events will revolve around the protagonist.

I was so busy looking after myself up until now that I hadn’t thought about investigating, but now I regret it.

“Hey, you there, lost or something?”

While I sat on the bench staring blankly at the front gate, someone spoke to me.

Her striking light blonde hair sparkled like gold, and her bold amber eyes were fixed on me.

Every movement gave off an air of grace, reminding me of a perfectly bred cat.

‘What a nuisance,’

Though this was the first time I’d seen her, I knew exactly who she was.

She was River Seymour, the protagonist’s rival from the novel.

The heir of the distinguished Seymour family, she possessed a strong pride befitting her noble lineage and was educated to value balance, frequently coming into conflict with the protagonist, who was always caught up in thoughts of revenge.

I wondered what she wanted with me.

“I know where the auditorium is,”

“But why are you sitting here? You look like a new student… Don’t tell me you’re planning to skip on the first day of class?”

Perhaps it bothered her that I was the only one sitting idle while everyone else was moving due to the entrance ceremony.

“I’m waiting for a friend. We’re going to go together once they arrive.”

“Hmm… then they should be coming right in. I’ll be watching to see if they arrive or not.”

She seemed to understand my reason but gave me a skeptical glance as River joined the crowd heading towards the auditorium.

‘Whether they come or not, I’m not going to the entrance ceremony anyway… I hope she doesn’t remember this.’

There was a pressure to attend, but in reality, the Academy doesn’t penalize you for skipping the entrance ceremony.

The only downside is not making an impression on others present at the ceremony.

It’s not like there’s a party where you can converse inside, so there’s really no reason to attend.

The crowd that had been bustling around me faded away, leaving only silence.

It seemed the entrance ceremony had begun in the auditorium.

When the well-off kids come to the entrance ceremony, it’s not just empty talk; there are lavish performances as well, so it could take some time to finish.

The web novel ‘Devil Slayer of the Academy’ has no proper illustrations for the protagonist.

It only offers a description in the text to guess what the protagonist looks like.

However, I wasn’t worried about recognizing the protagonist.

‘There’s no way I could miss that guy.’

According to the description, the protagonist of this novel had a crazy appearance that would catch your eye from a distance.

Bright red hair, like it was soaked in blood, a perpetually furrowed brow with a tightly shut mouth, and hollow cheeks, giving an intense impression, especially in the shadows.

Someone entered through the front gate.

‘Is it them?!’

At a glance, I shot up from my seat the moment I spotted bright red hair barging through the entrance.

The crimson hair cascaded down her back, and her slim figure gave a youthful impression with round, adorable eyes.

Could it be… the protagonist? But then I noticed her well-proportioned figure and the fact that she was in a blazer meant for girls. Initially mistaken, it turned out she was just a girl.

‘Nope… she’s a girl… she’s not it.’

Though the hair color was similar, I realized she was wearing a proper girl’s uniform, and I felt deflated as I sank back onto the bench.

Though she wasn’t the protagonist, she was late to the entrance ceremony and soon noticed that no other students were around, looking anxious as she scanned the area before eventually making eye contact with me, sitting on the bench in the distance.

It felt like a little squirrel darting toward me, and in no time, she reached my side.

Her anxious little hops were quicker than I expected.

Breathing heavily, I couldn’t tell if she was panting from running or blushing, but her face was as red as a beet.

“Ex.. excuse me… do you happen to know where the entrance ceremony is held?”

“See that building with the blue roof? That’s where it’s being held.”

“Thank you!!”

She simply asked for directions yet bowed as she thanked me, very polite.

Hmm, well, not that it matters.

Even though she has the same red hair, the protagonist of ‘Devil Slayer’ is not human.

There’s no way the protagonist, who became a demon to kill demons, would smile so innocently like that.

I wondered how much longer it would take for that brat to arrive…

“The yellow brooch… um, you’re a ‘new student’ too, aren’t you? Are you not attending the entrance ceremony?”

“Ah, I’m waiting for someone,”

“I don’t know who it is, but you must be really close to wait this long. That person must be lucky!”

I had only said I was waiting, not that I knew the person.

In fact, I didn’t even know what their face looked like.

Not that I really wanted to know either.

I just wanted to get to know them from here on out.

“You should think about it; barging in midway might cause you to be noticed for no reason. It’s probably better to skip it. There are no penalties for not attending.”

“I can’t just help it. I ended up being late, haha…

But what’s done is done.

Even if I’m a little late, I think attending is important! Thanks for the info!”

She flashed a bright smile and waved goodbye as she headed toward the auditorium where the entrance ceremony was underway.

It’d draw unwanted attention if she opened the door right now while things were still in full swing, but she has quite the courage.

And to bow politely till the last moment, she truly is a rare kind.

Students started trickling out from the auditorium one or two at a time.

In the end, the protagonist hadn’t shown up by the time the entrance ceremony ended.

Not a single student came through from the bridge via the front gate.

What could have happened? Seymour and Russell all made it to the Academy.

This year is the one when the main story kicks off.

This variable of the story… did I do something wrong?

The only redhead who was late… I couldn’t help but think of that girl from before.

‘What’s done is done.’

Now that I think about it, I’d heard that somewhere before.

Where was it from…? Was it a line from the main story?

.

.

.

Could it be?

“Is she the protagonist?!”

How on earth does the revenge-driven main character turn into someone like that?!