The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 235

Atlas said he would be busy with the families in the annex with Lucia, so he asked me to wait a bit while he looked around the mansion.

“There’s nothing to stay inside for… should I just take a look around the surroundings?”

Atlas’s room was so desolate that there was nothing to see. The only thing that served as a record of his childhood was a single beam used to measure his height from a long time ago.

And even that looked really pitiful when you thought about it. After reaching a certain point, he had not grown an inch taller, which led to that spot being continually scratched until the beam became deeply gouged.

At least, the new mark Atlas made upon his arrival was slightly above that one. It was the only moment he smiled.

“There must be a lot of things inside that shouldn’t be touched, so how about waiting in the garden?”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Sounds fun!”

Amy and Gemma agreed.

Casey, who seemed to be lost in thought in Atlas’s room, got up when he said he was leaving, and we hurried out since the mansion seemed a bit chaotic.

The Academy’s garden was quite impressive, but the Titan’s garden was something else altogether. The overall concept of Titan’s Territory embodied greatness and grandeur. Even just turning my head slightly, the majestic Blade Mountain was in clear view, integrating well with the surroundings.

It was interesting since it was entirely different from the delicate extravagance that the empire’s nobles generally favored.

The annex was visible to the naked eye, and while I waited there, I thought they’d come back soon when I sensed a presence from afar.

A man in a blue uniform adorned with a griffon insignia was approaching. He had the kind of appearance you might call dashing.

With a jawline that was worryingly thick and bulging muscles visible even beneath the uniform, he looked like someone who didn’t slack off in training.

“The Sky Knights, huh?”

“Aren’t they one of the empire’s flagship knight orders?”

“Right. From the looks of his uniform, he seems to be a full-fledged member.”

The three flagship knight orders representing the empire are: the ‘Royal Knight Order’, which has a Master at its helm; the most traditional order, the ‘Fierce Tiger Knights’; and then there’s the ‘Sky Knights’.

Naturally, the most popular order is the strongest, the Royal Knight Order.

Being led by Linda Westharbor, the Master of the Royal Knight Order, getting in is a tough feat from the start. If you show no promise, you can’t even become a trainee, and to become a full member, you must achieve at least the Expert Intermediate level.

From those getting beaten by their seniors in the training yard to those standing guard right in front of the barracks, all are at least Expert Intermediate level or higher.

In the other knight orders, being at the Expert Intermediate level is high enough for a leadership position, but in the Royal Knight Order, it merely qualifies you as a regular member.

That’s why, while the Royal Knight Order is the most popular, its numbers aren’t large.

Those who want to become brilliant knights but lack the skill to challenge the Royal Knight Order next knock on the door of the ‘Sky Knights’.

As the name suggests, all full-fledged members of the Sky Knights can ride the hybrid monster ‘Griffon’.

Blue knights soaring through the sky atop Griffons, who have the upper body of an eagle, the lower body of a lion, and a serpent’s tail.

Compared to the Royal Knight Order, which is often deemed crazy, they were fairly popular.

Also, even if you only reached the Intermediate Expert level, joining was quite feasible.

Since the Intermediate level is a range you can easily reach with just a bit more effort, many sought to join the Sky Knights.

Though known as one of the three great knight orders of the empire, there was another order that unfortunately couldn’t smile much anymore.

Before the Royal Knight Order was established, the Fierce Tiger Knights were termed the best knight order in the empire, but their glow had significantly faded. Compared to the Sky Knights flying in the air, they looked rather humble, but that was their charm.

Anyway, that man who was getting up and coming toward us was a full-fledged member of the most recognized knight order in the empire.

He stood in front of us with a burdensome smile.

“Lovely lady, could you grant me a moment of your time?”

“… What kind of opportunity?”

“Why, it’s an opportunity to make you happy.”

Seeing his white teeth sent shivers down my spine.

He was definitely one of the six families residing in the annex. A strong impulse to smack him rose within me, but I restrained it.

I calmly rejected him, figuring he would have at least the minimum courtesy, given he wore the order’s insignia.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m with my friends.”

That was such an overestimation of my statement.

“Ha ha! In that case, would you honor me with the opportunity to escort all of your companions as well?”

‘Does he not get this?’

I had subtly declined, but he was completely oblivious.

Whether he was pretending to ignore it or genuinely clueless, one thing was certain: I was stuck dealing with someone quite bothersome.

“Looks like you don’t get it. Haven’t I said no?”

“Oh my… Your sister is quite beautiful as well.”

He seemed to have mistaken River and Gemma as sisters.

Despite their differing features, they both had blonde hair—one being a golden hue and the other having an amber tint—so the slight tone differences made it easy to see the mistake.

But it wouldn’t be strange to misinterpret, given their similarity.

As I pondered how to reject the approaching knight, someone stepped in front of him.

“What a cute little lady you are. Do you have business with me?”

“We’re busy so we don’t have time to play with you.”

It was Casey.

When she stood in front of him, it indeed looked like a giant was facing off against a small figure.

“This is the first time I’ve met, so how about you show a bit of courtesy?”

“I don’t think you’re in a place to say that after ignoring a lady’s rejection.”

Under Casey’s sharp words, the knight’s gaze became piercing.

“If you win in a duel, I’ll obediently leave. But if I win, you’ll quietly disappear.”

———————-

Herbert Anemoi thought the situation was turning out quite entertaining.

‘How clever of her! I see, she’s setting conditions so it doesn’t look like she’s just yielding… she could’ve just given in effortlessly.’

The notion of willingly leaving if he lost was such a witty remark, wasn’t it?

Usually, when he wore this uniform and made such offers, everyone would blush and follow along. So, getting rebuffed even once made him seem a bit more alluring.

Clearly, she wasn’t just any ordinary girl.

The one challenging him was a silver-haired kid with very long hair.

Could they be siblings?

While they didn’t look much alike, one could reasonably think of them as a guard or something.

Though her cocky tone was annoying, he found her cute enough to let it slide.

A child was not exactly his type, but if she came with some snacks, he wouldn’t mind.

Since there was no arena, they decided to duel in a nearby meadow.

“The winning condition for the duel is… fine, I’ll say it ends once one side admits defeat, how about that?”

“As you wish.”

At his reply, a sardonic smile crept across Herbert’s face.

‘Setting such conditions! How bold of you, little brat. You’ll be the one unable to utter a word when defeated.’

He thought that it would be a bit chilling, but then again, it hardly seemed like a proper duel.

There were no formalities or contracts involved, after all.

Revealing his ruthless nature in front of the clueless lady, he enjoyed the thought of seeing her face twisted in fear once she realized her mistake.

The silver-haired kid, Casey, held a slender sword that looked like it could snap if touched too hard.

Standing there with it gripped in one hand, her posture was quite upright.

It didn’t seem like this was something she learned as a hobby; she truly appeared to be guarding.

‘Still, she’s probably just at the beginner Expert level.’

At her age, a girl with confidence in swordplay would be around the level just above the Intermediate Expert.

To someone like Herbert, who was an Advanced Expert beyond the wall, she didn’t seem much of a threat, but there was undoubtedly a visible difference compared to an average person.

Herbert pulled out his weapon.

The sword, thicker than a longsword, shone with a fierce blue light.

This specially crafted sword was heavier than a typical blade and not particularly sharp.

Rather than cut, it was more suited to crush—almost like a blunt weapon.

Herbert relied on his powerful build to channel his swordsmanship through brute strength.

Within the knight order, they often teased him that if he was going to use that style, he might as well wield an axe instead, but that didn’t suit a knight holding a blunt instrument.

Women generally found knights wielding swords to be much cooler.

“Though this turned out this way, I truly don’t wish to hurt a young lady. Would you consider conceding now?”

He raised his thick sword and spoke gallantly.

“That’s unnecessary worry.”

“You’ll regret this.”

Upon her rejection, Herbert drew energy from his core, igniting his Aura Blade.

Once you reach Expert level, the Aura Blade takes on a tangible form, swirling with energy.

Ignoring his final warning, she’d already made a critical mistake by not conceding.

Seeing how Casey froze when facing his Aura Blade, Herbert believed that fear was settled in her.

In the next moment, a burning pain shot through his right hand.

-Thunk!

“?!”

Herbert’s hand was impaled by the sword.

While Casey had remained still, she somehow managed to close the distance and stab him right in front of him.

Getting stabbed was… understandable.

In the end, it just left a small cut on his right hand.

Even though she aimed for an annoyance point while wielding a sword, an Advanced Expert should easily shrug off that level of pain.

He thought to himself, “I guess she has some basics down.”

But Herbert, being a knight focused on strength and aura, had placed himself at a disadvantage speed-wise, so letting one blow go wasn’t such a stretch.

However, the oddity lied right after that.

“My hand…?!”

Just after being stabbed, a peculiar sensation surged from his right hand.

An invisible, intangible force crawled up his entire right arm through the wound.

Herbert thought this sensation felt like the calm before an enormous wave crashed down.

Sure enough, right afterward, a massive wave of force slammed over him.

-Kawam!

“Grrraaaaaah?!”

His twisted right arm buckled under the pressure emanating from the stab wound.

The power whipped up into a furious cyclone, sending Herbert flying away.

He soared through the air, crashing into the ground some 7 meters away.

The axis of his right arm was now completely broken.

As soon as Casey noticed Herbert flying away, she crossed her arms and murmured,

“I thought he’d be tough, but he couldn’t even take that?”

This all transpired within just about three seconds after being stabbed.