The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 69

“Haah.”

“…….”

“Phew……”

“…….”

Amon, glancing at Sloth sighing deeply with her arms crossed, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Uh, Miss Sloth?”

“Shut up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sloth snapped irritably, waving a letter in her hand.

“How could you send a letter like this?”

“Well, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? A misunderstanding?”

At Sloth’s pressing tone, dragging out her words in disbelief, Amon internally nodded to himself.

‘Like father, like daughter. She’s just like Marquis Pid.’

Anyway, after glaring at Amon for a while, Sloth spoke up.

“Fine, what misunderstanding? Let’s hear it.”

“Well, um….”

Amon began to explain the situation.

He had sent a letter but received no reply. Thinking it was deliberate, he wrote another letter to provoke a response.

“…So you wrote the letter so it would be impossible to ignore?”

“Exactly.”

“Well, it certainly got a reaction. Just not from me.”

“You’re right.”

Amon briefly considered explaining this to Marquis Pid but figured, given the earlier fury in the marquis’ eyes, it would have been a fruitless effort.

Clicking her tongue in exasperation, Sloth shook the letter and said:

“Anyway, is this letter serious? About Chloe surpassing me?”

Sloth’s blunt question startled Amon so much that he quickly exclaimed internally.

‘Of course not!’

Unable to admit the truth, he licked his lips nervously and replied:

“No way! It was just nonsense to get a reply! Anyone hearing this would misunderstand.”

“Good. That answer just saved your life.”

“Pardon?”

When Sloth waved her hand, a ‘thud-thud-thud’ sound came from the ceiling.

Hearing it, Amon felt chills down his spine.

‘Damn it, so that’s what the presence on the ceiling was…I thought it was just some servant on the second floor!’

After dismissing her listeners, Sloth sighed and said:

“Anyway, I’ll let it go this time.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Though the content of the letter was wrong.”

“Pardon? What do you mean….?”

Sloth smiled faintly, then grasped the sword she had left at her side.

Seeing this, Amon thought, “She’s finally going to kill me.” He prepared to counterattack, but the sight that unfolded next left him wide-eyed.

Wooooooosh—!

A beam of light surged from Sloth’s sword.

It was an Aura Blade, a technique exclusive to Sword Masters.

“I finally became a Sword Master. You could say my talent has finally blossomed.”

Although there had been signs recently, it was only after returning to her family estate and reflecting during her rest that Sloth had achieved the level of Sword Master.

Standing tall and proud, Sloth exuded confidence, but Amon wanted to point out one critical fact.

‘Even Raymond, who became a Sword Master ages ago, is on the verge of being surpassed by Chloe. For Senior Sloth, who just became a Sword Master, getting overtaken is inevitable, isn’t it?’

But quick-witted as he was, Amon clapped like a seal and praised her.

“That’s truly amazing! I always knew Senior Sloth would become a Sword Master!”

“Hahaha, really? You mean it?”

“Of course! At this rate, becoming a Grand Sword Master isn’t just a dream! To reach Sword Master at such a young age is incredible!”

Overflowing with insincere flattery, Amon’s compliments made Sloth’s shoulders rise by a fist’s height.

And as she basked in the cascade of compliments, she suddenly remembered something and spoke up.

“Right, but why did you suddenly come to my house?”

“Oh.”

Only then did Amon recall the purpose of his visit and glanced around before answering.

“Speaking of which, where are the students?”

“The kids? They’re in another room.”

“I see. I got a letter from Chloe earlier.”

“From Chloe?”

“Yes. She said Boris and Raymond don’t seem interested in returning to the academy, so she asked me to come and discipline them.”

“Oh, really?”

Sloth scratched her head awkwardly.

“Now that you mention it, I haven’t checked on them recently because I’ve been so busy myself.”

“You call yourself a teacher….”

“Do you think I’m suited to being a teacher?”

Amon glanced at the ceiling.

It seemed no one was listening.

“No, not at all.”

“At least pretend to think about it before answering. Anyway, so that’s how it is….”

Sloth began walking.

“Let’s go. I’ll guide you.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“Mwahaha! This is delicious!”

“Gulp, gulp! Ahh! This is life!”

Raymond and Boris were reveling in food and drink, living in sheer indulgence.

“Nom nom, this chocolate is juicy.”

“It’s got a nice sweetness.”

Their carefree voices, soaked in luxury and decadence, reached Amon’s ears as he listened from outside the door. His body trembled with rage.

‘These brats….’

Was it anger at the students he’d trained falling into ruin? No.

‘How dare they gorge themselves on chocolate I couldn’t even taste as a child!’

It was envy and jealousy!

As the second son of the potato-dependent Drake territory, Amon had decided to harshly discipline these spoiled students who had learned all the wrong things.

“You rascals!”

He wanted to kick the door down, but it looked expensive—befitting Marquis Pid’s estate—so he cautiously opened it and roared:

“How dare students of the academy, who should be devoted to learning and frugality, act like this!”

Boris and Raymond jumped in shock at Amon’s sudden appearance.

“S-sir, why are you here…?”

“I came after receiving an anonymous tip that you’d become fat pigs!”

“An anonymous tip…!”

There was only one person who could have sent it.

Boris and Raymond turned their blazing gazes toward Chloe.

Sitting nearby, Chloe was calmly trimming her nails. As their eyes landed on her, she lifted her gaze with a sharp glint and snapped:

“What?”

“N-nothing.”

“Humph.”

As the students tried to shift blame onto Chloe, Amon bellowed:

“You scoundrels! Get up this instant! I’ll see if your skills have dulled!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Head to the training ground immediately. Uh…Senior Sloth, where’s the training ground?”

“Just go out the back door to the right.”

“You heard her! Move it, you brats!”

After the two chubby students scurried off to the training ground, Amon, still seething, approached the pile of chocolate on the table.

As a child, he had never once tasted chocolate. The scars of that deprivation, combined with its high price, meant he couldn’t afford it even as an adult.

When he finally put a piece of chocolate in his mouth, Amon felt his childhood return.

“Sniff…So this is what chocolate tastes like.”

“…Amon.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll pack some chocolate for you when you leave.”

“Gasp! Thank you so much!”

‘Hmm, the situation is more serious than I thought.’

Raymond, a sword master and lover of wild herbs, displayed two distinct ridges along his sharp jawline.

And Boris, whose physique was neither slim nor bulky, now had a sturdy and imposing presence.

‘Did the Pid family feed them bread soaked in oil? Otherwise, how could they change this much in just a few weeks…?’

The transformation was so dramatic that anyone serious about muscle training would foam at the mouth, begging for their diet plan.

With a sigh, Amon spoke up.

“Well then, let’s start with Boris.”

“Yes, yes, sir!”

“Let’s check the magic theory you’ve been learning.”

Looking at Boris, who swallowed nervously, Amon continued.

“Explain one of the three main theories of magic, the Uncertainty of Mana.”

As Amon posed the question, Chloe, observing nearby, nodded slightly.

‘Come on, he should know that.’

It was a fundamental theory, even known to Chloe, who didn’t primarily study magic.

‘Mana is not visible to the naked eye, and those who don’t practice magic or swordsmanship might never sense it in their entire lives. Even those devoted to magic struggle to be certain of its existence, making magic a field where its essence remains unproven.’

This summary, while simple, hinted at the depth of the theory.

And if Chloe knew this much, Boris certainly couldn’t be ignorant of it.

As expected.

“…It’s an unproven field of study!”

“Exactly right!”

Amon’s face lit up with satisfaction as he listened to Boris’s explanation.

Chloe also exhaled in relief.

‘Phew, maybe the situation isn’t as dire as I thought.’

Amon, sharing a similar thought, pressed on.

“Alright, next question! What are the precautions for converting mana into fire magic?”

This was a question Chloe didn’t know the answer to.

It concerned the precautions when ‘using’ magic.

‘But Boris should know, right?’

However, as some wise person once said, expectations lead to betrayal!

“I don’t know.”

Boris casually tossed Amon’s trust aside like a worn-out shoe, leaving Amon’s mouth agape.

“Boris! We covered this recently!”

“Did we? I really don’t remember…”

Shaking with betrayal, Amon suddenly widened his eyes as a realization struck him.

It was the warning given about a spell he had once cast on Boris for a practice duel with the Vestric Academy, the “Long-Lasting Memory of Unfortunate Events” spell.

Anar’el had cautioned him at the time.

‘This spell has significant side effects if the tension is released too much.’

‘Side effects? Like what…?’

‘Well, it makes the memories of what was learned grow faint. It usually happens if someone spends weeks just goofing off without reviewing.’

‘Haha! Boris would never do that!’

‘Oh, absolutely!’

Yet, reality had turned into a gutter.

“Arghhh!”

As Amon pulled at his hair in frustration, he quickly turned his gaze elsewhere.

“Then, next! Raymond!”

“Yes, sir!?”

“Come here! Grab the practice sword! Leave that dummy alone!”

Raymond timidly picked up a wooden sword in response to Amon’s stern order.

“Alright, show me the first move of the Azure Sword Technique. Begin!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Raymond began moving his sword in flowing arcs.

And as Amon watched, he pulled at his hair again, groaning.

“Arghhh!”

Raymond’s movements had slowed down, matching his newfound bulk.

‘This can’t be happening…’

Hoping for a miracle, Amon pulled out chamomile leaves, known for their calming effect, and began chewing on them before snapping his head toward Chloe.

“Chloe.”

“…Yes, sir?!”

Am I the next target? Chloe’s pupils trembled.

“Let’s check on you too.”

“B-But, sir, I’m fine.”

“No! Even your cheeks have gotten plumper since last time!”

“…!”

Although not as severe as Boris and Raymond, Chloe, too, had indulged heartily alongside them.

At Amon’s shocking remark, Chloe froze, while Sloth, who had been watching from the sidelines, muttered coldly.

“He’s a real piece of trash.”

“Quiet! Chloe, show me the first move of the Pid Sword Technique! Begin!”

Later, Amon was lying sideways on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

Chloe’s performance had been no better than Raymond’s.

‘Ah, the stars are fading. My bright, hopeful stars…’

The grand dream of reaping the rewards of teaching his students had crumbled.

As he despaired, sobbing uncontrollably, Sloth spoke up.

“Hey, Amon?”

“…What?”

“Get up. I’ve got something to tell you.”

“…What is it?”

As Amon staggered to his feet, a familiar middle-aged man stood beside Sloth.

It was the butler of the Pid family, someone Amon had met before.

“Ah, yes. I’ll deliver the message.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Clearing her throat, Sloth continued.

“So, you wrote to Sir Reinbelt, didn’t you?”

Amon’s face froze in shock.

‘Wait, don’t tell me…’

Sloth went on.

“You asked for his guidance, saying you’ve finally decided to dedicate yourself to swordsmanship. Sir Reinbelt was overjoyed and has summoned you.”

“What!?”

It had been a drastic move to provoke a response.

But he had taken it literally…

‘Alright, I’ll just refuse. Becoming that old man’s disciple means living like a beggar.’

Look no further than Raymond, who had gone wild eating wild herbs, as evidence!

As Amon prepared to decline, Sloth added another blow.

“And he said he’d like to introduce you to the other members of the Empire’s Four Great Knights at their upcoming meeting. He’s already secured their consent, so you just need to show up.”

The escape route was sealed shut!

How could he decline when the other Great Knights of the Empire were surely anticipating his arrival, lured by Reinbelt’s sweet words?

“N-No! This can’t be happening!”

“Oh, and…”

Sloth glanced at the butler and asked.

“Should we leave now?”

“I’ll confirm right away.”

The butler scurried off to a corner where the Marquis Pid himself was hiding.

The Marquis, who stiffened whenever he faced Sloth, had opted to stay hidden there.

Soon, the butler returned with a message.

“Just as it happens, His Grace the Marquis was preparing to depart for the meeting himself. He suggests that Lord Amon Drake accompany him.”

With his escape route entirely blocked, Amon clutched his head and let out a scream of despair.