The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 128

I put the parchment from the Royal Knight Order back into my pocket and began preparing to go to the capital.

The travel time is hardly anything, so as long as I have money, weapons, and a few identification items, that should be enough.

‘The identification dog tag is always hanging around my neck, so all I need is… money…. Oh, this is pretty much the same as when I went out before.’

Right now, I already had three necklaces jangling on my chest.

One was the Russell crest that I received from Lucia, and the other two were identification tags that jangled like dog tags.

At first glance, they looked like rough identification tags, but one was an adamantium tag proving I was an officer in the Royal Knight Order, and the other was a mithril tag, the highest rank in the Adventurer’s Guild.

To join a suicide squad like the Snow Country Exploration Team, you needed to be at least mithril-ranked to get recognition for the achievement.

Click!

At that moment, someone threw a small pebble through the window.

“What the…? Ugh???”

Turning my gaze towards the window, I saw River staring intently at me from outside.

Considering there’s nothing to grab on to the dormitory walls, it was impressive how he got here.

Fortunately, it seemed there wasn’t anyone else outside the dormitory, so I opened the window for him.

“Why are you sneaking like an assassin? Just come in through the front door.”

“… It’s still bright out. I’m embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed about entering the guys’ dorm?”

“Yeah…”

“Isn’t climbing over the wall more embarrassing?”

“It’s a matter of other people’s gazes.”

I think this is the first time I’ve seen him at the dorm during the day.

Usually, we would sneaks in after it got dark.

“Don’t I seem different today?”

“Let’s see…”

River casually asked the question that made guys extremely nervous.

I felt a moment of tension, but the answer was pretty easy.

“… Isn’t it still bright out?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I realized what was strange—River’s eyes were shining with a golden hue.

A faint golden aura was swirling around him, making it seem like a harvest moon night.

“Isn’t it amazing? I’ve been able to do this since the Hunting Festival. It’s made me a bit stronger.”

“Your physical abilities got stronger?”

“Yeah, I think my aura has become stronger too.”

“That’s a relief.”

“A relief? Why?”

“I thought you’d be all crazy like during the full moon… never mind.”

I was about to say I thought he might get wild or something but stopped myself.

However, River seemed to sense what I was trying to say.

His finger brushed lightly against my sleeve.

“… Not today.”

“I’m not saying that.”

Though I hadn’t really thought of anything, I found it cute that he was shyly blushing.

In my personal room, the only places to sit were the bed or two chairs at the desk, so we both perched on the bed.

After sitting down, River withdrew his golden aura.

“So, what brings you here in broad daylight?”

“I came to hang out since there are no classes.”

“If you’re already bored, what are you going to do for the next while?”

“In that case, I’ll just go out somewhere else.”

River’s eyes glanced at the sword and wallet resting atop the desk.

“… Are you hiding something?”

“Can you tell?”

“Very much so…”

It seemed that seeing the wallet and sword on the desk was a big deal.

Normally, I wouldn’t put those two there unless I was about to use them for something else.

“I was going to mention it anyway.”

This turned out to be a good opportunity.

Let’s just say it right now.

“I’m heading to the capital.”

“To the capital?”

When I mentioned going to the capital, River looked completely shocked.

“I need to undergo some investigation related to this incident.”

“Investigation? Is that okay??”

“It’s not a big deal. I’m just going to tell them what I saw and felt, and then I’ll come back.”

When I said I was going to be investigated in the capital, he worried that something serious had happened.

Seeing him anxious, I took his hand.

“Don’t be scared; this is already the third major incident related to demons. I’ve been reporting this continuously anyway. Since this is the third time, I guess it seems serious.”

“I hope that’s the case…”

He seemed to be feeling anxious due to the series of incidents.

“Make sure to hurry back, and then let’s go somewhere fun.”

“… Study first; exams are coming up soon.”

“I just need to avoid failing, right?”

“I’ll call Amy too, so let’s study together.”

“That sounds fun.”

“This is not for fun, you know.”

————————————–

Before I left, there were a few places I needed to stop by.

“I’ll talk smoothly, so just stay put here. Okay?”

[Ugh… Why do I have to listen to a human… This Cyclops…]

“What’s with the pride when you were controlled by a demon?”

The monsters in the deepest part of the Black Forest were all groaning.

With the pins stuck in them and their brains all messed up, they reported severe headaches after the control was lifted.

“But at least the Hydra went somewhere else, so that’s a relief.”

[Hiss…]

The Hydra was curled up and barely breathing on the horridly transformed ground due to its poison, looking completely drained.

All nine of its heads were complaining of headaches at the same time.

The Hydra was with the faculty members.

If any of the faculty had regained their sanity, it seems they were set up to fall victim to the poison, but fortunately, none had been afflicted by it.

It seemed the Demon Bishop must have set things up that way, thinking the professors were the academy’s strongest forces.

[Thank you for your convenience, strong human.]

“As long as you all stay quiet here, I can do that much.”

Though the first impression was bad, they were surprisingly able to communicate well for ancient monsters with high intelligence.

I figured we could maintain a good relationship moving forward—primarily in ways that benefit me.

Although it had been a while since I visited, I should check in with Professor Praha too.

If I inform him that we have such promising research subjects, it might lead to advancements in his studies.

I decided to limit the details in my report about these three monsters deep in the Black Forest as much as possible.

It’s not like digging deeper would do any good.

I plan to describe them as simply controlled powerful monsters.

I will ensure investigators can’t casually come over this way.

————————————-

I only informed a select few, who knew I was a Master, about my trip to the capital.

Publicly, I said I was just heading back to my family’s home, but anyone paying even a little attention would catch on that this was a fib.

“Did you come back?”

“Yeah.”

Casey appeared in the same armor-and-robe combination as when we first met.

Since she was returning as a member of the Royal Knight Order, it seemed she had donned her armor.

I thought I’d just use the squirete at the front door, so let’s go inside straightforwardly.

“Then let’s go. It’s been a while since I visited the capital.”

Grabbing Casey’s hand, I took a big step forward.

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.

.

I arrived in the capital in the blink of an eye.

I hadn’t even taken a few steps from the academy, and I was already inside the capital.

When thinking about the most populated city on the continent, one might think of a trade city along the Silk Road, but if you wanted to identify the city with the highest population density, there’s no doubt it would be the empire’s capital.

The heart of the continent’s conqueror, it was the most magnificent and developed, and above all…

It had the most extreme contrasts between light and shadow within the city.

The place I arrived at was near the headquarters of the Royal Knight Order, as intended.

Experiencing spatial transport for the first time, River said the unfamiliar sensation made his stomach churn, while Casey seemed completely unfazed.

“Ugh…”

No, it seemed she was just pretending not to be affected.

“Should we head straight in? We have no luggage anyway.”

“… Yeah, if we want to return quickly, we need to get started.”

Together with a now-comfortable-looking Casey, we headed toward the knight order.

“What brings you here?”

There were guards stationed at the main gate in front of the barracks.

Inside the guardhouse was the sergeant, while at the front, a properly dressed guard stood in the scorching sun, with a sword at his waist and a spear in his hand.

“Is the Commander inside?”

“… Excuse me, may I ask your name?”

The moment I mentioned the Commander, the guard shot a suspicious glance at me.

In the past, I could pass with just a few words, but now they were asking such detailed questions.

“I see I’m not familiar to you either. If I mention that Atlas Titan has returned, they’ll know.”

But since I didn’t recognize this guard either, it seemed I was one of the newbies who joined after I burst out.

I asked for an advance notice, and the sergeant, having received a report, raised an eyebrow and glanced at me.

Ah, that face I recognized.

The sergeant’s complexion turned pale when he met my eyes.

“Hey… What the hell are you doing!!!”

The sergeant burst out of the guardhouse and slapped the guard on the head.

“I’m sorry!!! This kid is still new and pretty slow!”

Grabbing the guard’s head, the sergeant bowed down along with him.

“Everything was okay, right?”

“Yes!!”

I remembered the sergeant’s face.

He was a newbie who had joined just a few months before I rushed out to find the Elixir of Growth.

It had been years since then, and now he was already the guard sergeant.

“Then I’ll make sure it gets conveyed!”

“Okay.”

After receiving a proper salute, Casey and I successfully entered the knight order’s barracks.

But just as we passed the main gate, I heard whispers from behind.

I slightly leaned in to listen.

“Wait.. I don’t know this guy; who is he for all this to happen?”

“Are you stupid? Do you think you’re still alive just because of him? Do you know we have two officer positions vacant in our knight order?”

“I knew they were vacant…”

“Those two are him!”

“Wait… If those are the ones currently vacant, does that mean… ‘The Worst Knight’ is him?!”

“Yes, you idiot!!”

I heard the sound of someone punching a helmet.

Who’s calling someone the worst? It’s all audible, you fools.