The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 227

In the heart of the Empire, in the capital’s Imperial Palace, four people had gathered in the most important reception room of the Emperor.

One was the Emperor, who ruled the Empire,

Standing closest to him was Linda Westharbor, hailed as the strongest warrior in the continent.

Before these two, everyone was bowing their heads, except for two ‘special’ individuals: the master of the Empire known as Shadow and Van Hoenheim, master of the Magic Tower and sorcery.

If the ministers saw them standing tall before the Emperor, they would be frothing at the mouth, but these were ‘special’ people.

The Magic Tower did not belong to any specific nation.

The Magic Tower was a nation unto itself, and the authority over all the Magic Towers spread across the continent belonged to Van Hoenheim. The high towers in each capital served as both a sanctuary for scholars exploring the truths of the world and as the embassies of the nation that was the Magic Tower.

It might sound absurd that a nation only comprised of land in each country’s capital, but the world’s one and only Master of ‘Magic,’ known to be closest to the truth, had the power to make it possible.

He was treated with the esteem beyond that of a king, thus he did not bow his head even before the Emperor.

She wasn’t one to succumb to anyone, after all.

Shadow also didn’t adhere to the royal etiquette properly.

Knowing that those living as Shadows among the masters tended to avoid such things, the Emperor turned a blind eye, as pointing out trivial matters might lead to more complications.

These were individuals capable of destroying an entire nation with just one of them.

Gathering them in one place showcased the Emperor’s authority but also revealed how serious the matter at hand must be, considering that three masters were present.

Hoenheim quickly skimmed through the report presented to him and said,

“…If what’s written in the documents is true, then we need to take two actions immediately.”

“The rat is under surveillance.”

“…Then we should start hunting the moles from the Magic Tower. You called me for that purpose, did you not?”

Hoenheim pulled out a notepad from his disheveled hair, wrote something quickly, and stowed it away again.

Was it a storage space? It seemed more like a collection of odds and ends, but it appeared he could store useful items in there.

“Ugh… I can’t believe I’m being dragged into this with no time to spare. My luck is terrible these days.”

“Regarding that matter, Master…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m intrigued and came here because I can spare some time.”

“Ha ha, I’m relieved to hear that.”

It seemed the Emperor still felt uneasy dealing with Hoenheim.

Since becoming a master, she had completely halted aging and had lived for a long time, having seen the current Emperor since he was a mere newborn.

She had interacted freely with the previous Emperor and even those before him, feeling somewhat like a beloved elder of the royal family.

“If that’s all you’re going to say, couldn’t you have sent a subordinate instead? Let’s get to the point; bring out the hidden evidence you’ve prepared. I’ve been curious about it since I observed it at the Tower.”

Hoenheim yawned widely before magically retrieving an item hidden in a corner.

“I was just about to pull that out.”

“I know. So, it doesn’t matter if I see it now, does it?”

At Linda’s gesture, a covering cloth was removed, revealing white bone fragments.

“This is a fragment of the Dragon Undead found underground. We managed to recover some of it, shattered as it is. I wanted to get the Master’s opinion on this.”

“Oooh…”

The tired look in Hoenheim’s eyes lit up.

She slowly approached the bone fragment, examining it from various angles.

Then she reached one conclusion.

“This can’t be simply classified as Undead… It might even be called a Dragon Golem. Yes, yes… It seems to be a golem made from the bones of a dragon. Quite an interesting concept. The sensation of life in it is a characteristic often seen in primitive forms of golems. You see, creating golems is the art of breathing life into clay. This sparks my interest. I’d like to study it in detail, though it’s unfortunate that it’s in pieces.”

“It was originally supplied with magic energy throughout its body by something like a heart.”

“That must have been the symbol indicating life, then. Did it shatter completely without leaving any fragments?”

“If it hadn’t, it wouldn’t have fallen apart.”

“That’s a pity. But considering you’re the strongest on the continent, couldn’t you have attempted to capture it?”

“Ha ha, being the best means breaking things the best way, so that can’t be helped.”

While Hoenheim lamented over the shattered fragments, it was clear that in that situation, breaking it was the only choice.

“Do you have anyone in mind among the magicians who might be suspicious of researching something like this?”

“There are many who study golems, but someone who would sell their soul to a demon… No one in the current generation.”

“In the current generation? So, there was someone in the past?”

“Right. It was noted that he died before I was even born, but if he had become a Demon, he might have gained an immortal body, so this could be his research result.”

“To come this close to the capital… The strength of the Demon Church is quite staggering. It weighs heavily on my heart.”

The Emperor, who had been quietly listening to the conversation among the three masters, finally spoke in a low voice.

“They are a dreadful bunch that lures the ignorant populace to sacrifice their own lives. Even disregarding the relationship with the Church, the Demon Church must be uprooted from this land, so I hope everyone will assist.”

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After the meeting concluded, the two masters, excluding Linda Westharbor, who had something to discuss with the Emperor, stepped outside together.

They were here to talk about something they had mentioned before.

“I was given an invitation, but I never expected it would turn out like this.”

“I still have things to discuss from that time… But more importantly, there’s something I need to tell you separately.”

“To me? I’m curious what it is.”

“It’s about the artifact I mentioned before.”

“This isn’t the place to discuss it… Let’s move to the Tower.”

————————————

The Magic Tower appears to be just a tall tower on the outside.

However, if one observes the tower from the outside, it wouldn’t take long for everyone to notice its peculiarities.

The bizarre point is the unusually large number of people that enter compared to the size of the tower.

Although tall, it ultimately remains a slender structure.

Hundreds of people with various faces enter, and even carts travel in and out.

The reason this is possible is that the inside of the tower is constructed of Other Space.

“Come in.”

Following Hoenheim’s lead, I stepped into the entrance of the Magic Tower, and at once, I felt a strange sensation.

The air inside was entirely different from the outside.

The interior of the tower revealed a massive space that couldn’t compare to what it looked like from the outside.

It was a vast crossroad-like space bustling with numerous magicians.

“Welcome, Master.”

Upon entering, a magician who looked like a butler greeted Hoenheim.

“Prepare some refreshments in my room for our guest.”

“Yes, Master.”

The wizard, resembling a butler, was the point from which all the other magicians sent booming greetings towards Hoenheim.

At that moment, someone stepped in front of Hoenheim, holding a crumpled stack of paper.

“Master! Please, would you read this thesis? It’s been over two years since I submitted it…!!!”

The identity of the paper pile seemed to be a thesis.

There were other great magicians in the tower who could review theses, but everyone wanted her opinion, knowing she was the one closest to the truth.

Of course, she was too busy with her own research to look at all of them, though.

“Wait your turn, you worthless piece of trash!!”

“Who do you think is standing here, huh??”

The appearance of this rude uninvited guest trying to skip the line made the surrounding magicians furious.

After all, there were mountains of theses waiting to be read, some waiting for over ten years; how dare he steal the precious time of Hoenheim after only two years?

If only Hoenheim used that much time elsewhere, at least someone’s thesis would have been reviewed by now.

Regardless, Hoenheim snatched the paper and took a quick look before throwing it away.

“This is garbage. I can’t believe I wasted my time on this. You should quit your research and get a real job.”

“Hiiiii??”

The magician, whose years of research had just been dismissed in front of him, was dragged out by other magicians.

“Such a waste of time. Let’s go quickly.”

Hoenheim clicked his tongue as he watched the magician being dragged away.

Seeing that, I thought to myself.

‘He sure is showing off.’

That was the thought that crossed my mind after witnessing the entire scene.

Hoenheim was someone who cared deeply about his time.

Despite always saying he lacked enough time due to his research, he’d put on such a show?

Everything I just witnessed was completely avoidable.

Controlling the Other Space of the tower, he could have easily moved to his own space right from the entrance.

It simply meant he didn’t have to appear among the gathered magicians.

Was he perhaps eager to display how great of a person he was before entering a conversation?

It seemed like he was still harboring the remnants of the time he had held back during the summit meeting.