The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 420

What should I do next after I’ve achieved my life goal?

Some individuals who’ve passionately burned through life end up completely losing their will to live, but my mind was in perfect health, so I didn’t reach that point.

After the threat from the Great Demons disappeared, I lived for about a month without a single thought.

It was incredibly comfortable and nice.

Until now, even when I tried to relax, I was constantly anxious, thinking that the Great Demons were rampaging somewhere in the world, invisible to my eyes, but that’s no longer the case.

Unless the Great Demons are determined to turn this world into Hell, it’s difficult for anyone belonging to this world to lead it to destruction.

I only thought that whatever happens would probably be fine.

Was my anxiety about the Great Demons blocking my growth? After I smashed Satan’s head open, I’ve started to grow properly.

It’s a bit rocky, but I should be able to surpass 160, right?

Thinking back to the times when my goal was just to exceed 150, it’s quite moving.

Right now, I was enjoying the happiest and most comfortable moment of my life.

Having been reborn for a second time, everything felt strange, but I could quickly get used to it.

In my first life, such a situation wasn’t at all unusual, so as long as the world isn’t crumbling, it’s no big deal, right?

Since I’m satisfied with the present, my thoughts began to extend toward the future.

Is it really okay to live like this?

Financially, I’m not lacking, but is this aimless wandering around living really acceptable?

Suddenly, the faces of the people who promised to be responsible came to my mind.

…

“Hey, little sibling, what’s life as a Lord like?”

“Is that what you suddenly come to ask me?”

“I’m serious.”

The first place I thought of was Titan’s Mansion.

Among the people I could have a comfortable conversation with who run their territories responsibly, Metios was the only one that came to mind.

As for my Master… there were issues that made it hard to say he runs his territory properly, even as a joke.

He only stays in the mansion in the capital and has others managing everything in his place.

Metios pondered deeply before responding to my sudden question.

“If you’re thinking about it even now, Elder Brother… I can always yield.”

“That’s a strange misunderstanding you have. Why would I have my eyes on this? Even if you offered it to me, I wouldn’t take it.”

Seeing him talk like that, it seemed like he mistook my interest in the position of Head of the Titan Family again.

“Isn’t that so?”

“Not at all.”

Though I smashed Cronos several times, Titan’s Mansion still remained one of the places I dislike the most.

There’s no need for me to crawl into a place where just sitting still feels like I might get hives all over my body.

“Then why are you asking about the life of a Lord?”

“You may not understand yet, but if this Elder Brother wants, he can acquire a territory in the area of his choice right away.”

“Hmmm… then why haven’t you done that until now?”

“I just thought being a Lord seemed incredibly bothersome.”

The main reason was that I didn’t want the responsibility.

The second reason was that once you establish a base, you inevitably become a target for attacks. Demons always hide their bases, so I had to be in a position of constantly attacking without having a solid base to defend myself.

The most important thing is to remain hidden to avoid being attacked.

“If managing a territory is bothersome, you can hire people. Apparently, there are more and more people who specialize in that these days.”

I’m aware of that since the Commander does that.

But could I actually leave everything to someone else after establishing a territory?

“I really don’t want to leave everything to someone else as a last resort.”

“Running a territory isn’t very difficult once it’s on track. In my case, I have people around me who help. The hardest times were when I couldn’t properly gain control, but thanks to you, Elder Brother, things became easier.”

The Head of the Titan Family has always been a competent knight with top-tier skills.

The influence of the Titans across the whole Blade Mountain largely depends on the strength of the Head, but currently, Metios is significantly influenced by my power.

And the most reassuring thing is that Russell and Nemea still support the Titans.

If those two were determined to undermine Metios’ position, it would’ve become bothersome, but as long as they continue showing a friendly attitude, other families can’t act rashly.

“If Elder Brother becomes a Lord… it shouldn’t be too hard. I struggled to grasp control due to my lack of personal strength, but you aren’t like that. As long as the territory itself isn’t a complete mess, you won’t face any major issues. You also have quite a thick network of connections, so you’ll have many places to turn to for help.”

It seems like, from Metios’ perspective, he believes I wouldn’t face any problems if I took on any Lord position.

In this world, the strength of an individual has a greater impact than the collective power of a group.

Even Lemnos, who has reached the entrance of the Expert tier, can swing a sword once and shower an army of bandits with crimson flames, annihilating them in an instant.

If I became a Lord, wherever something happened, showing just my Aura Blade, shimmering with pale light, would make everyone tremble.

I knew there wouldn’t be major problems, but there was something that continuously made my heart uneasy.

The moment I decide, there would be no turning back.

And I would have to live a life entirely different from the one I had lived until now— that’s the issue.

As various thoughts spun in my mind, I suddenly noticed Metios.

“Since we’re on the topic, should I check your swordsmanship?”

“Right now? Suddenly?”

“You’ve only practiced a little during the vacation, but you didn’t get to show it to me.”

I figured moving about would help organize my thoughts.

Surely, Metios also had a desire to get stronger.

Most of the problems that arose after he took on the position of Head were due to his lack of strength.

Cronos didn’t plan to properly make Metios his heir, so he didn’t receive training.

What that old man was thinking, I’m not sure.

Maybe he didn’t consider Metios as his heir at all, or perhaps he wasn’t able to treat his daughter harshly the way he did to me.

He died without revealing the reason, but it wasn’t anything amazing anyway.

Even if there were a compelling reason, I wasn’t really interested nor could I find out.

After all the incidents surrounding Metios ended, he expressed a desire to get stronger, so I wanted to seriously help him.

I only shared basic knowledge when the threats from the Great Demons still loomed, but now that I had more time, it would be right to help him to a level where he wouldn’t be looked down upon.

“Recently, I have a lot of free time. I’ll make sure to come help you regularly.”

“Thank you very much.”

Exhausted and barely able to move, Metios somehow stood up.

This story took place about two months before the current semester ended.