The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 295

After securing a place to stay, Atlas vanished again somewhere.

It seemed he discovered something serious at Prigia’s castle and rushed off to the church.

It’s been days, so now it’s something everyone is used to.

“I doubt he’ll be back soon, so why don’t we head out ourselves?”

River decided to take charge.

Staying quietly in the lodging wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Thanks to the Golden Ball’s party, the whole city was in a festive mood, so we could find plenty of entertainment even if we just wandered around.

“Alright.”

Casey was the first to eagerly agree.

I expected her to suggest waiting, so this was quite surprising.

“I’m on board too!”

“You really want to get out, huh!”

“Um… then I’ll join too…”

If one person had voted against it at the start, the vibe might have turned weird, but thanks to the smooth kick-off, everyone easily agreed with River and decided to go explore the streets.

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As we made our way outside after the decision, we ran into a familiar face.

“We meet again! Did you all get an invitation too?”

“Oho, look who knows some manners!”

It was Perda, right after the Titanic sank just as the vacation began.

Upon seeing his group, he immediately fell into deep thought.

“Hmm… let me guess. Gemma is probably running away, so there’s no way an invitation went to her… But did Lucia get one?”

“Not me…”

Naturally, Nivas Perda assumed Lucia would have received an invitation and was shocked to learn she hadn’t.

The three of them seemed to completely ignore those who didn’t matter, almost flowing past the fact, but it didn’t bother him since it was true.

“That’s strange… if it’s not you, who the heck received it?”

“The invitation went to Atlas.”

“Atlas got one? Why??”

“…I guess the sender knows.”

Nivas was left surprised yet again by the fact that Atlas had received an invitation.

He knew that Atlas had done something remarkable.

But that didn’t necessarily mean he should be receiving an invitation from Prigia.

While the Golden Ball doesn’t scorn the unarmed, they do keep a certain distance.

As long as the strength doesn’t interfere with their business, they think anything beyond that is excessive.

This party, after all, is just a matter of the Golden Ball gathering people to talk about his business, which is why the two leading families, known as the Five Pillars’ Sword, weren’t invited.

Always stepping back from excessive force, he consistently proves his loyalty to the Emperor.

Hence, it felt odd that the always impressive Atlas would receive an invitation.

“It was sent to Atlas… this should get interesting!”

“Don’t just think strange thoughts on your own, if you know anything, spill it.”

Hearing about the situation, Nivas chuckled to himself as if he had come up with something amusing.

“It’s nothing much. Does Atlas even know why he received an invitation?”

“I heard he saved Shaara’s life once…?”

“Hmm~ I see. I should keep that in mind. But knowing him, I doubt he would give an invitation for just that.”

The smugness in Nivas’s expression was irritating as if he knew everything.

But after saying that, Lucia started to feel a bit concerned too.

“Are they friends? They look about the same age.”

“Yes, they are classmates from the Academy.”

As soon as she walked in, she waved cheerfully without noticing, but Nivas had actually been speaking to someone first.

The elf, notable for her long, protruding ears and unusually fine clothing made from pure white fabric, left a strong impression.

“Now that we’re here, let me introduce you. This is Sandora, Cindy’s mother, and a council member of the Forest Council.”

At first glance, she seemed like an enchanting woman with a mysterious aura, but after hearing the introduction, Cindy’s face began to resemble her in Nivas’s mind.

“And Sandora, this is none other than Gemma Aurum, the only daughter of the Dragon Lord.”

“This one…? I’m so sorry. How is the Lord doing?”

“Um, um! All good.”

Naturally, Nivas introduced Gemma first among the five.

As Sandora bowed her head to Gemma, Gemma’s head was held high as if she were reaching for the sky.

If Atlas had seen this scene, he probably would have smacked her on the head and told her not to be so stuck-up.

The fifth pillar, Lucia, also naturally had to step back in order.

“Is Cindy doing well in the Academy? I’m worried because she still has a lot of energy and only enjoys hunting too much. When I asked how she was doing, she said she didn’t know because she doesn’t share classes with anyone.”

Come to think of it, Cindy did love hunting.

They often spotted her going off alone to hunt monsters in the Black Forest, coming back and cleaning them up afterward.

It seems she only enjoyed herself at the entrance, as going too deep could be dangerous.

“Cindy utilized her skills to excel in the Hunting Festival and maintains good relations with various races in the Academy.”

“Is that really true? That’s a relief then.”

Even with her constant bickering with the dwarf exchange student, they don’t harbor any hatred towards each other, so it must be true.

Talking about Cindy stretched our time before we could finally head out to the city.

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The group left the lodging and began walking through the crowded streets.

“She was a nice person.”

“Have we decided where to go first?”

Sandora Le was indeed chatty, but she was a surprisingly pleasant elf.

Among elves, there are many proud ones who look down on other races, but Sandora was not one of them.

However, because of that character trait, she could conduct business well among other races.

This was part of the reason why she received an invitation.

“… Let’s head to Mydas’s Hand to take a look.”

It was rare for Lucia to reveal her preferences so clearly.

She had been quite passive throughout the vacation, making this a very unusual situation.

“Was that brand your taste?”

“Yep.”

Mydas’s Hand is an artifact guild well-known throughout the Empire.

Mydas, the guild’s president and an exceptional artifact craftsman, once a renowned magician in the Magic Tower, broke away to form his own guild over 500 years ago.

Today, his eighth descendant continues the legacy, and artifacts produced by Mydas’s Hand are famous for their simple yet elegant design and sturdy durability.

Some people are still using artifacts made 500 years ago.

Having already checked the location while wandering around the streets, it wasn’t hard to find.

“This is the largest branch.”

The brand logo saying Mydas’s Hand was affixed to a large sign seen consistently in a place filled with massive buildings competing against each other.

The signs on human buildings were all similarly sized, as if they had raised the bar to not be outdone in competition.

Lucia stepped inside the guild as she spoke.

“… The main branch is in Blade Mountain. They always buy Russell’s minerals. Here… I heard there are items not found even at the main branch, so I was curious.”

Just stepping through the door, the first floor was filled with artifacts that were hard to find in other branches.

“Wow… that’s my allowance for five years.”

Everyone was shocked by the features and appearances and gasped again at the price tags as they enjoyed window shopping.

As River was heavily absorbed in the sights, he suddenly felt something missing and began looking around.

“Amy?”

Sure enough, Amy, who had just been next to him, had disappeared without a trace.

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Amy strolled with a light heart, enjoying the Mydas’s Hand.

She already had all the artifacts she needed, so she didn’t intend to buy anything, but the first floor was filled with wondrous artifacts that caught the eye, making it pleasant to browse.

‘They’re pretty, but… what a shame.’

She thought the coat she was looking at was quite lovely.

If she weighed whether she needed it or not, the decision leaned heavily toward the “not needed” side.

The coat she owned already overshadowed it in both quality and performance.

The coat, made from materials once used by the Holy Knights of the Church, was left gathering dust in the position her companion had mentioned.

In that moment, Amy sensed a suspicious aura.

‘… Did I misjudge?’

[You’re correct in sensing it. Though it was brief… it was definitely there.]

For just a moment, she felt the presence of a demon.

Feeling a presence means that it was at least a demon or, more likely, a summoned demon, not just a worshiper.

As soon as Amy felt certain about this, she began moving towards the direction where she sensed the presence.

She didn’t know who released it, but she was sure about the direction.

[It seems I’ll have to use holy water.]

‘I know without you telling me.’

Amy pulled out a small vial of holy water from her pocket.

Inside was a potent holy water she received from her church.

The hassle of identifying devil worshippers is mainly because most of them are just ordinary people who worship demons without any power.

While there are methods to find demons, identifying who worships them is a tedious task.

However, with a presence strong enough to be felt at this level, there will be at least a slight reaction.

Amy began subtly spraying the holy water as she moved, choosing blind spots among people.

If the presence was indeed the one she sensed before, just getting the holy water on their clothes should elicit a response.

Whether the holy water actually touched their body is a separate matter.

The effects of holy water are spiritual rather than physical.

Nobody seemed to notice the holy water lightly sprayed on their clothes.

All harmless people remained innocent, but what about the ones who weren’t?

“Who threw water on me?!”

One person flared up, complaining about someone splashing water on them.

That guy.

Amy trailed after him.