The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 4

I couldn’t ask for names, but it must not be the case.

The protagonist’s name is Hayden Parker; it sounds very masculine.

There’s no way that cute girl has such a name.

It can’t be, or she must have really attended the entrance ceremony properly.

The protagonist must exist.

If the main story has begun, then this academy is about to face a full-scale invasion by demons, and the only one who can overcome that is the protagonist.

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After the entrance ceremony, the students split into two groups.

One group consisted of students who passed the entrance exam, and the other was a group of students who entered on recommendation.

The students who entered on a recommendation didn’t really show any skills or qualifications—they just waltzed in based on someone else’s suggestion, so now they were going to evaluate their abilities through a minimal test.

In my daze from waiting for the protagonist, Hayden Parker, outside, I found myself slipping into the crowd of students coming out after the ceremony.

“Hey… you totally skived off, didn’t you?”

As soon as I blended into the crowd, River, who looked very displeased, grabbed the hem of my uniform.

It seems he got mad that I said I was entering late but then didn’t enter at all.

“I was inside; you just didn’t see me!”

“Don’t worry, I can tell you everything about who was in the auditorium.”

“The one we were waiting for didn’t show up after all.”

“Is that kid really a student? Today, there was just one empty seat—yours!”

So I was the only student who didn’t attend?

That can’t be; it just can’t be.

If so, then it means that kid is indeed Hayden Parker.

“Hey, what does it matter to you that I didn’t participate? We just met, after all.”

“We’re fellow newcomers. Skipping group activities right from the start? I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

River, whose face was all crinkled, vanished in an instant after getting all up in my business.

Was he always like this?

I don’t think he came off like that in the novel.

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The written exam ended quickly, and we arrived at the practical test arena.

Since more than half of the newcomers entered on recommendations, there were tons of people waiting in the testing area. Thankfully, the practical tests didn’t take long, so the lines moved swiftly.

Just out of curiosity, I looked around, but the red-haired girl who was late was nowhere in sight.

Her not being visible means she didn’t waltz in on a recommendation but rather came in through the exam.

Hayden Parker was in the latter category, after all.

With only the information at hand, I couldn’t come up with any hopeful thoughts.

While waiting for my turn with a heavy heart…

– Thud…!

It felt like an earthquake as the ground shook.

Then, amazement spread through the sea of freshmen as they witnessed something.

“Wow, the golem got smashed!!”

“Looks like it can break after all.”

“Isn’t that an S-rank performance?”

“Truly the heir of the Russell family. That blow was the legendary ‘rock strike’…”

It seems someone smashed the practice golem.

The door to the testing area opened, and the newcomer who wrecked the practice golem walked into the waiting room.

She was a very tall girl.

She stood at over 180 cm, her figure clearly robust beneath her clothing.

Her long, curly black hair billowed like a lion’s mane, making her appear even bigger, and her green eyes gleamed coldly.

With her sizable two-handed sword held like a one-handed blade, she resembled a lion with a black mane, exuding valor.

She really looked like a formidable woman.

I recognized her; she was Lucia Russell, the eldest daughter of the house that makes the rock its emblem. Like the Atlas Titan, she’s destined to be possessed by demons and play the role of a villain.

Timing-wise, there shouldn’t be any issues for now.

It wouldn’t be beneficial to get involved right away, so for now, let’s just observe her.

– “Next, number 114.”

That’s my turn right up next.

As Lucia walked toward the exit of the waiting room, I headed toward the entrance of the examination hall, our paths crossing.

Lucia’s gaze momentarily swept over me.

“… Small.”

She murmured in such a little voice, but my ears picked it up clearly.

“Hey, what did you just say?”

When I came back to myself, I realized my hand had caught her wrist.

Looking back, I shouldn’t have done that.

But my reflexes were swifter than my thoughts.

Lucia Russell’s face, which had held her earlier confidence, was now filled with confusion as she found her wrist in my grasp.

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Since childhood, I’ve always loved small and cute things.

I adored the gorgeous blonde hair of characters in storybooks, and I loved dresses adorned with frills and decorations.

But I can never be like that.

“I’m not beautiful…”

No matter what I do, my hair won’t straighten and is as twisted as seaweed, dark like it’s dipped in ink, and my body has only grown more rugged with time, drifting further from anything cute.

So I just long for and love cute, beautiful… little things from afar.

But I’m not even allowed to love them.

I had to inherit the swordsmanship of my family.

As a girl, I was only needed for when it came time for childbirth, and I was raised to be thoroughly masculine from a young age.

Instead of cute dolls, I practiced with hard toy soldiers, and instead of plush dresses, I donned