The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 329

Suddenly, I felt a familiar presence in the hallway.

“Did Uncle come back? Gemma keeps saying she can’t wait to visit the general store, it’s stuck in my ears. If we’re going, we should hurry… huh?”

Casey, sensing my return, wasn’t surprised to see a new elf. She merely twitched her eyebrows.

“Where did you pick up another elf? Take her back to where you found her.”

“Pick her up? She’s a friend.”

It seemed a bit harsh to say I picked her up, but honestly, that description kinda fit perfectly. I had taken her first and then sought permission afterward.

Siana didn’t say anything about being called a friend. Thank goodness she thought the same way.

“Uncle has a friend I don’t know about? Sounds suspicious…”

“The expedition team didn’t know either, so who’s trying to show off now? We’re leaving soon, so get ready.”

“Are we going to the cafeteria for dinner?”

“Of course! It’s a special occasion, we have to go.”

When they said cafeteria at the academy, they meant the huge one that could fit all the students.

The dorms might not have it, but my mansion was equipped with a cooking stove and various cooking tools, so I sometimes cooked for myself. But since it’s been a while since I was here, it’s better to go out.

The cafeteria always had skilled cooks who could satisfy every taste of the kids who had grown up with their family preferences, so I’ve never regretted going there.

Just as our conversation ended, Siana stood behind Casey looking suspicious.

“… Who is that human?”

“She’s my daughter.”

“What??”

Casey saying she was my daughter made Siana’s eyes widen.

“You’re a dad?”

“Considering my age, it’s not that strange. Of course, I didn’t give birth to her.”

“T-That’s how it is?? Humans are fast…”

Siana mumbled that, as it was the average speed for humans, she seemed amazed.

At that moment, I sensed another presence in the hallway.

“Atlas, where have you been!? I thought I’d fall asleep waiting!”

“… Uh?!”

When Gemma burst in cheerfully, Siana was startled.

“Hmm? You’re the elf grand warrior, aren’t you? Why are you here?”

“Is it really you, Gemma?”

“Yes. I decided to transfer to the academy this semester. It looks quite interesting.”

Well, that’s not confirmed yet. But I knew how to make it official, so it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.

—————-

Siana was so stunned by seeing Gemma casually wandering around that she was speechless.

‘Why is the Dragon Lord’s daughter here??’

On the day I was appointed as a grand warrior, I had the chance to meet the Dragon Lord. Both were blessed from birth, having a close relationship between dragons and elves. I clearly remembered when the Dragon Lord introduced Gemma as his daughter when I went to greet him.

‘Didn’t he say she couldn’t leave the Lord’s nest until she transformed into an adult?’

I remembered him saying it was too dangerous outside, and she would be protected until she was fully grown in her nest. I heard that when I became a grand warrior, so it wasn’t that long ago. Thus, for Siana, it was hard to believe that Gemma was outside.

From how she was following me, it didn’t seem like she was dragged here against her will.

“Well, this is perfect. We need to buy some personal items for Gemma, so let’s go together. The clothes… um, they stand out a bit, but there aren’t many students around, so it should be fine.”

“Is it really okay? Even if there’s no uniform at the academy, those will definitely catch some eyes.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. The semester hasn’t even started yet; how many people will be surprised by this?”

What on earth am I dealing with?


Just seeing her as a member of the Royal Knight Order doesn’t add up.

——————-

Leaving behind Casey, who suggested we meet up for dinner, I headed to the general store since I needed to buy something first.

“Is this the general store?”

“Since I’m transferring, I should first buy educational materials, clothes, and daily necessities.”

Even though the academy is enormous, if you need something, the only place to buy it is the general store.

Just as the name suggests, the general store sells all kinds of stuff—weapons, books, clothes, artifacts, herbs, you name it.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like a big store, but inside, it’s magically expanded into another space. Only the owner knows how many items are inside.

There are three main ways to use the general store.


First, you follow the golem’s guidance to enter and purchase what you need.


Second, you buy the recommended items from the store owner.


Lastly, you can really go inside and find things, as a last resort…

Most people tend to mix the first two methods.


By following the owner’s recommendations, you don’t need to wander around looking for things, and they appear right before you, making it quite convenient, but there’s a practical issue with this.

Of course, the owner tends to recommend items with high stock and expensive ones.


When I asked for a regular winter coat, they brought something that was stylish 1000 years ago, and they often show the most expensive items first, leading many unaware students to get scammed.

While it’s the most accurate way to buy items that aren’t too picky or just have a fixed price, it’s also the best route for purchasing practical items.

A lot of people also prefer following the golem’s guidance.


This method takes a bit longer as you navigate through the maze-like other space of the general store under the golem’s management, but the chances of finding what you want are higher, so it’s a frequently used method as well.

Going inside and looking for things is usually considered a suicidal act.


The general store has been around since the academy was established.


I hear there are some dangerous or precious treasures hidden somewhere, which the owner and golem wouldn’t recommend, but searching through endless other space for that is an act fit only for the insane.

In the end, the important thing is that the general store is definitely not a place you should casually stroll into.

If only you could just walk in like you do at a neighborhood supermarket and grab what you need.

“Alright, let’s go in. Number one priority is clothes.”

“Human shops are quite different in many ways.”

“This place is the weird one.”

It’s a mistake to think all human shops are like this.


It’s like the person managing the general store entered into some kind of contract.

[Searching for women’s clothing… Search complete. I will guide you.]

Following the golem, the shelves that lined the walls began to move, instantly forming a path.

It seems clothes are quite popular, so they were placed near the front.

“Look for your size. The fitting room is over there.”

“There’s even a fitting room…”

“Mm!”

Gemma browsed through the hanging clothes and picked one she liked.

“This dress is beautiful!”

“But I can’t walk around in a dress. We have that party at the end of the year, so it’s necessary, but let’s focus on buying everyday wear first.”

The first thing she grabbed was a flamboyantly beautiful dress.


While we needed to buy everyday clothes, we couldn’t walk around in a dress, so I decided to put that one on hold.

Clothes that need a buyer’s taste actively considered should all be Gemma’s decisions, while I would choose my necessary items separately from behind.

It’d be fine as long as I picked out things similar to what I bought, so I could leave it up to the general store owner.

In the meantime, I glanced over at Siana, who seemed thrilled, staring at a bookshelf full of novels.

“Wow…”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Everything that was supposedly out of print is here! Perda said there’s no way to find this!”

Seeing Siana, her eyes sparkling with a pile of books in hand, looked much more vibrant than before.

Then something seemed to pop into her mind suddenly.

“Ugh… I don’t have any Imperial coins…”

I was worried about not having cash at hand while holding a bunch of items.

“Is that what you were worried about? I’ll buy them for you, so take whatever you want for now.”

It wasn’t planned, and I just brought her along, so obviously, she wouldn’t have brought anything; I intended to buy everything anyway.

“… Thank you.”

Caught between pride and gratitude, Siana hugged her books tightly and genuinely thanked me.

.

.

.

We continued shopping afterward.

“Wow, the Empire truly is amazing! I didn’t expect to find all of this.”

Siana left the general store with her arms full of books and other favorite things, grinning widely.

It wasn’t just Siana who was happy.


Gemma also had a big smile as she came out with all her desired purchases.

“If you let the golem handle it, they’ll deliver everything.”

“It’s not heavy, but I don’t want to let go of my hands.”

The golem from the general store would deliver items, but Gemma was beaming, gripped tightly with her arms full of stuff.

“Did you find what you wanted?”

“Yeah. The things brought in from the Empire really have their limits.”

“Then I’m glad to hear that.”

With her arms full of various gifts, Siana sneakily glanced over at me.

“Can I come visit sometimes? It’ll be different than now. It’d be nice for you to come too. It’s a whole other kind of fun for elves here.”

“That sounds fun.”

Eventually, if Siana wants to visit often, I’ll need to move around, but seeing her face much more relaxed, I think I can manage that.

I can take her around to show her important places at the academy, have dinner, and send her back.

Today should be enough for now.