The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 50

The Special Arena was packed with spectators.

How could so many people have shown up today when it’s not even a holiday? A quick glance around revealed quite a few professors as well.

I even spotted Professor Buckingham, who never seemed to have a free moment.

“That old man… he never gives us a break on days like this.”

In the VIP Room above, the Principal, Marquis Lemnos, and the Commander were sitting in a row, looking like they were scratching each other’s backs.

I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but seeing the Principal let out a heavy sigh, it was clear they weren’t discussing anything pleasant.

Whenever Lemnos managed to say something back, it was guaranteed he would end up worse off, so watching that would definitely be entertaining.

No matter how much the Marquis tried to argue, there was an unbridgeable gap between them.

After all, the Commander was a Master, while Lemnos was merely an Expert.

The Royal Knight Order has a short history.

It pales in comparison to older orders like the Sky Knights or the Tiger Knights, which have been around since the founding of the Empire, making it a baby order not even a century old.

So why did the Royal Knight Order become the representative knight order of the Empire?

The reason is simple.

The Royal Knight Order was established around a Master.

Originally, a Master in the Empire was always produced from the Five Pillars. One or two of either Lemnos or Russell would churn out a Master, earning the title of the Empire’s Greatest Sword, and the knight orders they led were the top knight orders of the Empire.

At that time, they were the knight orders that had a Master.

And the Five Pillars, made up of nobles with Masters, wielded a power that rivaled that of the Royal Family.

If a Master raised his hand in revolt, even the Royal Family would be troubled.

The root of the regime held by the Five Pillars wasn’t because they were families that shared in the founding of the Empire, but because they were the families that produced Masters.

However, for about two generations now, they haven’t been able to produce Masters anymore.

And a Master emerged from an obscure Count family, enabling the Royal Family to create the Royal Knight Order centered around him.

Since then, the Five Pillars have not produced any more Masters.

As if cursed.

That’s why Lemnos is bound to lose to the Commander, no matter what.

No matter how much he tries to attack, the Master Commander holds the very thing that Lemnos desires the most, making it nothing but the desperate thrashings of a loser.

“Feeling the weight of everyone’s expectations, huh?”

“Yeah… I guess I won’t be showing a ridiculous sight like last time.”

Before me stood Edgar Lemnos, brandishing the burning magic sword Flamberge like last time.

This time, he was fully equipped with protective gear.

It was a far cry from last time when he showed up wearing regular clothes.

[Then, let the duel begin!]

Light burst forth from five spots within the arena, constructing this Other Space.

The sight of Lemnos right in front of me started to fade away.

When my vision returned, a strange scene greeted me.

——————————————

The Special Arena was organized like a circular stadium, with the spectators surrounding the central arena, but from the stands, one could only view the happenings inside the arena via holograms.

In one of the VIP Rooms, similar to last time, there was a space for the Five Pillars, where Albion, Perda, and Prigia had gathered like always.

But… Albion was nowhere to be seen. After a brief greeting to Edward, who had suddenly visited the Academy that morning, he had vanished.

“Shaara, you look a bit uncomfortable again; do you think Lemnos will lose today?”

“How long ago was the last duel? Is it reasonable to think he can win now?”

When asked in a teasing manner by Perigia, Shaara Prigia felt a surge of annoyance.

It felt like a complex situation.

In her position, she obviously expected Atlas to win and had no doubts about it.

But if Atlas won, it would mean that Lemnos, the face of the Five Pillars, would be utterly demolished in front of all these people again.

Why go through a fight that was bound to end in failure? I just can’t understand the minds of these sword-wielders.

Of course, Atlas was the exception.

The main reason the Five Pillars, who haven’t been able to produce Masters, still wield that kind of power was that Prigia effectively increased their wealth as their representative. Yet here was Lemnos, as the face, actively nibbling away at that brand value, which made her blood boil.

“Where on earth has Albion gone?”

“Heh, who knows… maybe he’s up to some behind-the-scenes maneuvering?”

“The duel has already started; there’s no way he’d be doing that if he had any sense.”

The duel had indeed begun, and the Other Space was created.

I didn’t know the structure of this arena, but was it even possible to conduct maneuvers once it had formed?

Even if it was, what would be the plan moving forward afterwards?

With everyone watching, from the Principal to the other professors, was he really going to try and pull it off without getting caught?

Someone capable of rational thought wouldn’t dare to do that.

Yet Perigia continued to tease.

“Shaara, people aren’t always capable of rational and composed judgment, you know. Especially, depending on what they prioritize, their rational decisions can vary from person to person.”

“… Maybe I should try to find Albion after all.”

“Right now?”

“If Lemnos loses and Albion’s behind-the-scenes actions get detected by that Master, it’ll be the end of the Five Pillars’ reputation!!”

“If Edgar wins, it’s fine, isn’t it?”

“What?!”

“As long as he wins, everything gets covered up. Even if the Royal Commander talks about it, he’s just a third party. There’s really no reason to call for corrections in the duel… as long as Edgar wins, the matter will be settled.”

“……You!”

Shaara was furious at Perigia’s words.

It was also anger directed at herself.

What he said was incredibly rational. Had she not received ‘education’ from Atlas, she may have made that very choice herself.

In weighing things out, that direction had seemed less hazardous.

But if it were her, she would have found a way to dispose of all those words instead of stepping up and getting involved.

“… Maybe someone is thinking something like that? Not that I’m saying I am.”

Perigia said that with a grin.

I still can’t stand that guy, thought Shaara.

——————————————

River and Amy were seated in the general audience section of the Special Arena but had moved to a VIP Room before the duel began.

“Hello…”

“Hello, this is Seymour.”

“Hi… I’m Parker…”

Lucia had invited them to a separate VIP Room she had reserved.

The three of them stood awkwardly in the dimly lit room arranged to allow a good view of the hologram.

Lucia, bashfully introducing herself, and River and Amy were equally flustered in what seemed like an embarrassing situation.

They didn’t have a direct friendship.

They knew each other through Atlas or through friends of friends… they were practically strangers.

‘W-What do I do now…??’

Lucia’s decision to invite them took an immense amount of courage.

Up until now, Atlas would mainly utilize his time at the Academy based on whether he ran into River or Amy, or Lucia.

She knew pushing for introductions would only make everyone feel awkward, so she had timed her interactions wisely.

Initially, Lucia had been delighted to monopolize time with him, but at some point, she had begun to rethink it.

There just wasn’t enough time with him.

People are incredibly fickle.

When she had never spoken with him properly, merely watching him from afar had sufficed, but the closer she got, the greater her desires escalated.

After spending almost an entire day together in the hospital lately, those feelings amplified.

When she heard the news of River and Amy’s release from the hospital, the overwhelming happiness she felt began to disappear, which made her very sad. Yet at the same time, a beautiful thought blossomed.

What if she became friends with River and Amy… wouldn’t that simply double her time with him?

It was extremely difficult to approach someone and initiate a conversation when they weren’t particularly close, but the happiness she could gain from it in the future made it worthwhile to muster her utmost courage.

‘First off, I need to tell them why I invited them… I need to say I want us to be close…’

Of course, what to say afterward left Lucia’s mind swirling, rendering her unable to utter a word.

For someone who hadn’t had a proper conversation with peers her age until then, this was quite a trial.

“I’m really grateful for the invitation this time.”

Before Lucia could gather her thoughts, River spoke up first.

Of the three, he had lived the most normal life.

The image of him rolling around until covered in dirt while holding a wooden sword seemed a distant memory as he now appeared just like a proper noble lady.

“It’s an honor to be invited by Russell. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Y-Yes, likewise.”

Lucia answered, and the stiff atmosphere began to loosen slightly.

‘I should have spoken up…’

Although River managed to break the ice, she felt terrible for having failed to say anything satisfactorily.

While she could just consider it a gesture of kindness, a feeling of having lost her grip on the situation lingered.

“The duel has started!”

As they took their seats, the holograms changed drastically, revealing the environment of the constructed Other Space.

It looked like a volcanic area on the verge of eruption.

Atlas and Lemnos were facing each other, not too far apart.

Suddenly, River, who was gazing intently, said,

“Atlas looks a bit off.”

River squinted.

The hologram showed Atlas, and unlike Lemnos, his stance and demeanor seemed eerily different—he appeared exhausted.

——————————————

The environment created by the Special Arena resembled a volcanic area.

Though lava wasn’t spurting out from every direction, waves of heat rose from the ground.

“A volcano, huh… we got a good spot.”

Edgar Lemnos seemed pleased.

There was an active volcano in Lemnos’ territory.

He probably saw this familiar environment as a stroke of luck.

“I’ll head back to the dormitory afterward, so let’s wrap this up quickly.”

“You don’t need to tell me; it’ll end that way anyway!”

He hoisted the longsword strapped across his back aloft.

This wasn’t one borrowed from the Commander; it was a standard piece created in a forge.

Although he’d gotten plenty of use out of it lately, it was a quality longsword that could serve him for a long time if used normally.

If he got caught by Flamberge’s rippling blade, it would snap in two, so they should really avoid clashing their swords.

Last time, he had taken things too far out of personal animosity and had toyed around until embarrassment; this time, he wanted to keep things moderate and just return home for some sleep.

But something odd hit him right then.

‘What the hell is this…!’

His body wouldn’t move properly.

Breathing was heavy, and it felt like he had a boulder perched atop his shoulders, making him feel weighed down.

He had entered the Other Space just fine, but once he took up his sword and tried to move, his condition had undergone a drastic change.

If he was having this much trouble, normal people would have probably already collapsed or been on the verge of it.

“This… was it you?”

“What are you talking about??”

Lemnos, bewildered, had a blank expression.

If he had shown even the slightest change in his expression, it would have been noticeable, but he genuinely looked clueless.

‘Those bastards who came to play tricks last night have all been dealt with, right?’

Could there really be someone bold enough to pull tricks while the Principal was watching in real-time?

After tossing around various possibilities, he dismissed them all.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter.”

The duel had already begun.

Thinking it over now would do nothing but be a futile endeavor.

He’d just consider it as him being unlucky and someone pulling a fast one on him.

Even with this weakness, it wouldn’t impact the outcome in any meaningful way.