The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 311

Going to the Church Country or praying until I awaken my Holy Power isn’t an easy choice.

During the vacation period, there are things I must learn as the heir of Prigia in the Principality, and once the break is over, I must attend the Academy.

In effect, telling me to stop my activities as the heir of Prigia would be like ordering me to halt my life; there’s no way the Prince would allow that.

“Well… you do realize that borrowing a Holy Relic isn’t as simple as it sounds, right?”

“Is that so?”

“Atlas has never gone through the official procedures, after all.”

Thinking back, I remembered that every time I borrowed a Holy Relic, I either went directly to McKinto to get it or Carmel took care of things on my behalf.

Having only done short-term loans, I knew such things existed, but I had never experienced them myself.

“There’s a huge difference between long-term and short-term loans, you know.”

“Is it really that tough?”

Carmel’s constant nagging made Shaara tense up as well.

In a pinch, we could just have a chat with McKinto and the Pope to sort things out, but borrowing a treasure from a nation’s treasury was bound to be tricky.

“It’s true that a lot of gold has been donated from Prigia to the Church Country, so borrowing for you, Shaara, isn’t impossible. However, going through each procedure will take some time.”

“Time, huh… Well, I guess we’ll just have to get by while we wait for the procedures to go through.”

“It can’t be helped. Besides, if we’re going to receive a Holy Relic, it has to be done directly from the Church Country. Why don’t you consider staying there for a while? Your condition might improve faster with some time there.”

Despite having been refused once, Carmel didn’t give up and recommended that Shaara head to the Church Country.

Surely, in the holiness of God in the Church Country, Shaara’s symptoms would get better.

After all, there were others with similar wounds receiving treatment there too.

Still, the most crucial opinion was that of the person involved, so I quietly awaited Shaara’s answer.

“… I have a much better idea.”

—————-

The VIP Exclusive Dormitory of Prigia was bustling with activity.

Although the party had ended, the festive atmosphere in the streets showed no signs of fading through the night. Some people returned from the party and joined the crowd outside, while others were enjoying drinking and dancing in the dormitory, caught up in the festive spirit.

Meanwhile, those who had been diligently fighting demons outside to maintain the festive vibe had brought back some enjoyable treats, gathering on the balcony to converse while observing the street.

“Amy… you’ve gotten so strong recently. I think I can’t beat you in sparring anymore.”

“Hehe, thanks! Lucia has also become incredibly strong after training in the Mountain Range! It’s still tough to escape if I get caught, though.”

Lucia mumbled, envious of Amy’s recent impressive skill growth.

While she too had seen remarkable improvement from her training in the Mountain Range, she lamented not yet breaking through to the highest level.

Reaching an advanced level at her age already required tremendous skill, though.

“It’s a relief it didn’t escalate into something major.”

“Sure, there was a high-level demon around, but I didn’t see any Demon Bishops.”

“Maybe they headed towards Atlas?”

“Given the party ended safely, it seems like everything’s resolved… but it’s late.”

Everyone anticipated that once the demons vanished, Atlas would reappear holding a sword, checking if they were alright.

However, the fact that Atlas still hadn’t returned, despite seeing a few people trickling back from the party, felt odd.

Time was plentiful.

The festival wasn’t over yet, so it was fine to wait it out.

“Were you waiting for me?”

At that moment, I sensed a presence from behind.

The long-awaited Atlas had finally returned.

Excited to chat about everything that had transpired today, the group turned around, but their cheerful expressions quickly stiffened.

“Atlas… who’s behind you?”

Atlas was not alone.

————————–

The group that joyously welcomed my return quickly sensed something off.

It was expected there would be no way I came alone.

“Atlas… who’s behind you?”

“It’s me.”

When River asked, Shaara stepped forward from behind, causing everyone to look surprised.

“Isn’t Prigia supposed to be in the castle?”

“Actually…”

I was about to explain how Shaara ended up here, but the group’s reactions were entirely different.

“Don’t tell me… you kidnapped her?”

“Kidnapped?”

River spoke in a serious manner, completely deflating my mood.

How could I have kidnapped Shaara? What kind of nonsense was this?

I thought it was a joke, but it seemed they were quite sincere.

“Ugh… I thought today I could relax!”

“Quick… I’ll pack!”

What shocked me more was that everyone took River’s words seriously and started hastily preparing to escape from the Principality.

Before the misunderstanding spiraled out beyond recovery, I needed to clear things up.

“Stop!! Stop!!! Why on earth would I kidnap her?!”

“If it isn’t kidnapping, then there’s no reason for her to be here! Especially dressed uncomfortably like that!”

The group’s logic followed like this.

They thought some sort of incident occurred at the party, and I had nabbed Shaara and quickly fled.

I wondered how such an event could happen, but while feeling grateful they didn’t ask further, I was also left pondering how they viewed me on a regular basis.

“That’s not what happened.”

“If that’s not it, why would Prigia come along?”

“We just decided to stick together for a bit.”

“What??”

Thinking about it, it might’ve actually been better if they believed I had kidnapped her.

.

.

.

“So you’re saying she got kidnapped, saw something dangerous, and got scared, so she can’t help but be next to you?”

“Well, some details were skipped, but that’s basically the idea.”

“Um…”

River, after hearing about Shaara’s state, pondered in disbelief.

His expression showed he was earnestly trying to grasp the current situation.

“I need to… understand this. So does this mean she’ll be staying with us for a while?”

Self-attributing to the situation, he nodded, prompting Shaara to reply.

“I can’t just leave the castle. You guys will have to come live with me. I’ll treat you like honored guests, so you won’t have any troubles staying.”

“Honored guests?”

Hearing she would treat us like honored guests sparked Gemma’s interest greatly.

Clearly, she seemed excited even in such circumstances, fixating on the thought of receiving lavish treatment.

The news of entering the Prigia Castle, which hadn’t been on the agenda, caused chatter in the group, but one person reacted completely differently.

“A commoner met Satan directly? Oh my….”

Amy’s expression darkened as she heard the series of events unfold.

While everyone else may not fully grasped what meeting a Great Demon meant, Amy undoubtedly did.

What River and the others saw were just the incompletely descended Great Demon or the Demon Bishop serving him.

Yet, having fallen into Hell and witnessed the Great Demon’s true form, Amy felt grateful that Shaara was still alive.

“You endured well… it must have been tough.”

“Ah? Yeah… thanks.”

When Amy sincerely expressed her concern and held Shaara’s hand, the latter looked astonished.

It seemed she had not anticipated such a reaction.

As things continued without any clear consensus, someone knocked on the dormitory door from outside.

-Knock knock

Shortly after, the door opened, revealing a well-dressed man who bowed slightly.

“Did you arrive already?”

“I have come to escort you all.”

The person who entered was one of Prigia’s servants.

It was clear he hadn’t come alone.

Outside the dormitory, a row of luxurious carriages awaited us, lined up elegantly.

.

.

.

The splendid carriages efficiently navigated the bustling festival-laden roads, making their way toward Prigia Castle.

“So this is the Prigia Castle…”

Lucia’s eyes roamed around, taking in the castle’s interior, which was more lavishly decorated than usual, surely just prepared for the party.

The promise of being treated as honored guests proved to be true; just five steps in, two attendants were assigned per person, escorting us closely.

Amy and Casey showed clear discomfort, but Gemma smiled brightly, obviously enjoying the attention.

“This is where you will be staying. It’s the finest place in the castle, aside from the direct blood relatives.”

And even during the introduction, Shaara never once considered leaving my side.

While it might be because she didn’t want her condition worsening again, I wondered if everything would be alright like this.

I suddenly entertained a thought.

After rumors circulated at the party, wouldn’t being this close already have them thought I was in the wrong?

“Phew… it has been a long day. I smell like the sewers; I want to wash up quickly.”

“That’s understandable. Go ahead.”

“Wait? You have to come in with me! If you separate now, you’ll probably collapse in the bathroom!”

“W-What??”

Is that really how it works?

Hearing Shaara’s assertion, River held an expression of bewilderment.