The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 46

I caught the commander’s sword with all my might.

The sword, freely soaring through the air, had no device attached to generate propulsion.

It simply existed in the air as if that was the most natural thing in the world.

The phenomenon of a sword flying around, defying the logic of gravity, was clear, but with current technology, it was impossible to verify how it could fly.

The Master had his own laws that were difficult to explain with common sense, breaking through the walls of reality.

A sword not held by a person does not move based on human standards.

Since no one was holding it, the point of force could change freely, no defense was considered, and there were no limitations on its trajectory.

It could either be sent flying indefinitely until it was invisible, just as when it shot at me for the first time, or spin around the hilt like a circular saw—movements impossible for a human to perform when actually holding the sword.

Most who witnessed the Sword Control Technique do not survive the first exchange.

The most frightening aspect was that even in that state, the Aura Blade could be used.

“This place is going to collapse at this rate!!!”

“Do you really think it’s that fragile? Worry about yourself.”

From the moment I picked up my sword, the flashes from both weapons never ceased.

Each time the two flashes clashed, a sharp noise erupted, creating shockwaves that roared through the surroundings.

Massive craters appeared in the ground, turning the lush green fields into a battlefield, and the rocks shattered.

The clash of the two Masters was altering the very landscape of the island.

At this point, it wouldn’t have been strange for anyone from the Academy to show up, yet it was curious that no one came, as if someone was preventing it.

Fighting against the sword like this would hold little meaning.

I needed to hit the main body.

In stark contrast to my frantic movements, she stood observing me calmly with her arms crossed.

Her once tidy brows, previously at rest on the deck, were now sharply raised.

There was about a 100-meter distance between us, not particularly close.

If I managed to land a hit on that face, which wore such a relaxed expression… things would become even more serious, but wrestling only with the unyielding sword was a greater loss.

I boldly turned my back on the sword and shifted my target towards the Commander.

The 100-meter distance was nothing for someone with superhuman agility, but the speed at which the sword flew was faster.

I should have turned into a skewer in that moment, but I was also a Master.

“Dammit…!!”

I took a single step toward the Commander.

It wasn’t filled with mana or any power.

Just like the Sword Control Technique, it was a simple act of taking a single step as if it was incredibly natural.

Then, my surrounding “scenery” changed.

With just that “one step,” I had reached the Commander.

If the magicians were to see this, they’d be flabbergasted asking what I just did.

But even I couldn’t explain the principle behind it.

I could just do it, so I did.

Just a moment ago, the Commander was far away, and now they were right in front of me.

I didn’t hesitate.

I struck down with the dazzling Aura Blade.

Why would I consider being cautious before someone who was stronger than me?

“Guh?!”

And just as expected, before the Aura Blade could touch the Commander’s body, their fist landed squarely on my face.

I didn’t fall backward from the hit, but a dagger that appeared from nowhere halted just in front of my neck.

If it had stabbed me then… I would have managed to dodge somehow, but I would’ve been hurt badly.

“Looks like your skills haven’t rusted.”

While the Sword Control Technique makes such a counter impossible, I fell prey simply because I was striking down with a sword.

The swords returned to the Commander’s side.

Maybe it was because we were in the Academy, but it seemed they planned to stop here for today.

If it were the Knight Order, we would have fought all night.

“Both you and that younger sister of yours, causing me so much trouble, I’m getting old.”

“Guess your master is absent too.”

“Still, you’re better. At least you wrote a letter about where you were going.”

Hearing that the Master had also vanished somewhere made me chuckle.

The only person who could be considered my teacher in the Royal Knight Order was Wendy Westharbor, the current Empire’s second Master and the Commander’s sister.

They were both daughters of a nameless fisherman from the western coast who fished for a living, but now they had become a noble house that produced two Masters.

Linda solidified the family as a Master in the sunny spots, while Wendy, my teacher, often roamed like a wandering rogue.

I too had been heavily influenced by my teacher’s ways and wandered around, but the Commander always seemed pleased that I listened more than their teacher.

“How did you know I was here?”

“There were traces of a Great Demon, but there’s no way Andy could have handled it alone.

It’s simple deduction: a Great Demon descended, then vanished. If the Church couldn’t handle it, then it must have been a Master who dealt with it…

There are at most three Masters who wander around, and one of those was at home on the day the incident occurred, leaving the other two. One of them is of another race, so if they were at the Academy, the others would have noticed.”

There are very few Masters known throughout the continent.

It’s said there has never been more than ten Masters at the same time, making their numbers extremely sparse.

Currently, the Empire possesses the most, with three Masters, and with one each from the Church and other countries, there are a total of eight Masters.

Of those, five attract attention with every single movement they make, as if their activities are worthy of headlines if they step outside their territory, but it’s hard to catch sight of the two Shadows of the Empire, who remain unpublicized, and the Beastman Master who wanders without a residence.

The two Shadows of the Empire keep their identities hidden, making it even more difficult, but still, for the Beastman Master, being such a rare race in the Empire, there should have been some sightings, yet there were none this time, drawing suspicion.

“Then it’s just you left. If you had been wandering as usual, you wouldn’t have known, but why are you staying in one place?”

This was definitely a problem against a Great Demon.

If it was just an ordinary demon appearing, it wouldn’t have been strange for expert-level Andy to handle it alone.

I’ve accomplished what I needed to do, so I have no regrets… but if the Commander noticed, then others tracking my trail may have too, and that’s concerning.

“You explicitly mentioned in your letter that you were going to look for the Elixir of Growth, right? Did you find anything?”

“… About 0.1.”

“Hm…”

Hearing that trivial figure, the Commander crossed their arms and pondered.

“Okay, I’ll let it slide this time.”

“Let it slide?”

“It’s been years since you dashed off after writing a single letter, and if you didn’t achieve even a fraction of your goal, I’d have torn you to shreds.”

‘If he found out all I did was waste time while being in hiding, I’d be dead.’

What a chilling thought.

If I had arrived just a bit earlier, he’d have been telling me I would have fought until there was a hole in my chest.

“Still, as a deserter, I guess it’s good that you’re letting it end here.”

“I didn’t treat it as desertion. You and your younger sister disappearing without a word doesn’t matter… I’ll let it slide this time since you didn’t lose your focus and stopped the Great Demon’s descent.”

Deserting without a word was still desertion, but the fact that he was so willing to overlook it surprised me.

“Why do you want to go back? If that’s the case, you’re welcomed.”

“That’s not it.”

“You’re not a child… you’re not just an ordinary knight; you’re a Master. The Empire’s ‘Shadow’…

If you think you’re important enough to stay here, the Empire respects that decision. What I just hit you for has nothing to do with that; I’m just annoyed you didn’t report anything.”

When I thought about why he was being so lenient, it reminded me of how my teacher, Wendy, always was.

The Commander sighed, gave my head a light smack, and turned away.

“I can see you’re fine, so I’ll be going back in a bit.”

“Just… in a bit?”

“Yeah, I’m curious about the level of the Academy students… and I heard there are the kids from the five pillars this time? They all seem to be hiding from me.”

A bad smile appeared on the Commander’s face when mentioning the five pillars.

“If the heads found out, they’d be furious.”

The Royal Knight Order and the five pillars were notoriously at odds, so just having the head of the Royal Knight Order come to see them wouldn’t sit well with anyone.

Especially Lemnos and Russell.

It’s been ages since they lost the title of the Empire’s strongest sword to the Royal Knight Order, so how could they possibly feel good about that?

I could just imagine them laughing their heads off if another duel was scheduled with Lemnos.

With those unpleasant thoughts swirling in my head, the Commander threw in casually, “By the way, do you know that little one is still looking for you?”

The mention of the little one made me flinch.

“… It’s been years since I went missing, and they’re still looking for me?”

“I’ve handled it as a business trip, but it’s quite a loss for them that they have to deal without you. Fix it quickly and come back.”

The Commander left those words behind, stepping onto the crossguard of their sword and soaring into the sky.

While witches ride brooms, the Empire’s Masters fly around on swords.

I was relieved they were lenient, but I had a lot to think about after that last piece of news.

The little one…

Hearing they were looking for me pulled at my heartstrings.

The little one was Aida, the girl I rescued when I was acting as a Shadow and had been her guardian.

Arriving a little late meant that her family had all been killed by demons, and I had brought her in and supported her…

Did she resent me?

I had been careless to the rumors of Elixir of Growth existing in the Snow Country, ditching everything and running away…

No… never mind.

She’s an adult now, so what could she possibly be worried about?

She’s at that age where she should be taking care of herself, and she’s skilled enough to be a full member of the Royal Knight Order. What on earth could she be worried about?

Aside from the note I had written for the Commander, I had written another letter for her. If she saw that, she wouldn’t be overly concerned.

“I should have written that if she just listened to the Commander and waited patiently, I’d return quickly…”

From what I heard, it seemed the Commander didn’t know where she was either.

When I learn more, I should let her know not to worry and tell her where I am.

——————————–

“Atlas… are you okay…?? What on earth just happened?”

As I was leisurely walking towards the port, I ran into Lucia.

It wasn’t that Lucia came late.

As I realized while walking, in just moments, I had flown from the port to the edge of the Academy grounds.

If I had flown for just a few more seconds, I would have fallen into the sea…

I smiled to avoid making her worry since I was grimacing.

“It was nothing. I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“You’ve got dirt all over you.”

“Yeah, I really got dirt inside… I need to shower and change.”

For a brief moment, Lucia’s gaze shifted to the sword hanging on my back.

It was just moments ago I had been carrying an ordinary longsword, but suddenly switched to a luxurious broadsword; it seemed she had noticed.

She fumbled around, looking like a squirrel wanting to ask something.

“By the way, has the instructor gone in?”

“No, not yet… over there.”

Lucia pointed, revealing Andy still surrounded by his fans.

Andy was wearing a refreshing smile while enjoying the attention.

Someone almost died moments ago, and he’s just surrounded by fans?

The gritty feeling from the dirt stuck under my clothing was unpleasant.

The more discomfort I felt, the more I wanted to blame it on someone else.

“Andy… is dead.”

Did that get revealed?

If I had gone without a weapon, I might have met my end right there at the port.