The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

The day of the summit had arrived before I knew it.

“Phew… This is the last task I have at the Academy. I wonder if Hulan is doing well?”

“He’s probably fine…”

Just like that, I couldn’t shake off the image of Hulan disappearing as I tore the invitation.

Seeing that he was a dragon and a beastman took away all the mystique.

Since I needed to head to the conference room too, I had already prepared everything.

I donned the squirette’s armor, and Carmel changed into her usual formal attire.

“If you tear it, it’ll work, right?”

“Yes.”

As we shredded the invitation, a complex magic circle emerged, wrapping my entire body in a sensation different from teleportation.

One moment, I was halfway up a hill, and in the next, I found myself indoors.

Looking down, I saw a magic circle similar to the one I had just witnessed.

“Is this it?”

“Yes.”

The place I arrived at was quite familiar.

An elegant space adorned with delicate decorations filled the room.

The religious symbols representing the divine stood out in this place, which was none other than the Castle Raoul Cathedral, the center of the Church Country.

At least it wasn’t some strange place they had summoned me to.

There were several people waiting around the magic circle.

It looked like they were there to welcome the guests arriving via the invitation.

“Uh…? Right now?”

“Yes, they are waiting.”

One of the nuns approached and whispered to Carmel.

“Sorry, but we have to part ways here for a moment. They want you to report on what’s been going on at the Academy.”

“Who, the Pope?”

“Shh…!!”

Carmel, casually omitting honorifics, placed her finger on my lips… well, on my helmet…but still, on the spot where my lips were.

“Even so, this is the Church Country, so let’s be a little careful.”

“What am I supposed to do? Just stay here?”

“You can wait since there’s still some time before the meeting or you could try to make connections with a few of the Masters who are already here.”

“Who says I want to get close to them? Nonsense… Fine, go on ahead.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can!”

The saintess grabbed my hand, shook it a few times, and then disappeared behind the nun.

‘Looks like I’m really left alone.’

Everyone else in the hall followed the saintess out.

All that remained was me in this vast hall.

This was all due to the image management issues I dealt with daily.

Other Masters enjoyed being pampered, while Shadows had quite the opposite image, leading everyone to avoid being together, even when present.

It seemed they thought being in the same spot would make them uncomfortable.

‘Not that I can say they’re completely wrong, but they could at least give some guidance.’

I had a decent grasp of the layout here, but I still felt flustered being left alone.

No matter where I went, it would feel awkward, and if I stayed here, I might run into the arriving Masters.

Since I wasn’t particularly close with them, I considered seeking out Hulan, but suddenly, the floor began to glow again.

Someone was coming this way.

‘…Should I leave? No, I’ll just wait and see who’s coming.’

If I left now, it might look like I was trying to make a run for it, which would just make things awkward.

We’d meet at the summit anyway, so I figured I’d wait to greet them casually.

After a brief wait, the light flashed, and two figures appeared.

“Ah, the familiar face I’ve missed right away! You waited for me? How commendable, you deserve praise!”

“Wha—?!”

It was Linda Westwood, the Empire’s foremost sword and commander of the Royal Knight Order.

As soon as the commander arrived, she quickly approached and patted my shoulder.

“Wow… it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

A very familiar voice followed that.

She hadn’t come alone. A knight, dressed in a matching black armor and wielding two swords at her waist, approached and patted my head.

“How long has it been? Still so tiny! But that’s what makes it great!!”

Confirming there was no one around, ‘she’ pulled her helmet back.

Then, the dark hair that had been confined in that frustrating helmet flowed down gracefully.

With asymmetrically styled dark hair and gleaming black eyes akin to black pearls, it felt like she was urging me to take off my own helmet.

It was an incredibly missed and long-awaited face.

“Master?”

“Yep, my cute disciple. It’s your Master.”

She was Wendy Westhaver, the twin sister of the commander and the Empire’s Shadow, my Master.

.

.

.

I moved to another room in case another Master showed up.

I grabbed a nun passing in the hallway and requested a room where we could talk, and she guided me while sweating profusely.

With Linda leading in her pristine uniform and two Shadows sprinkling dark mist, the air in the corridor felt heavy.

The priests passing nearby all averted their gazes as if they didn’t want to meet our eyes, which I understood given the eerie presence of the black-armored figures casting Recognition Interference Magic.

Eventually, we reached a secretive conference room.

“It’s structured similarly to a confessional, so no one can enter recklessly, nor will our conversation leak outside,” the nun said before quietly slipping out.

Once the door closed, everyone sat as if it was predefined and unfastened the Shadow’s armor.

“Phew… now we can finally breathe.”

I was still wearing the neat clothes I donned at the Academy, while my Master wore a very adventurer-like outfit.

She was clad in sturdy leather pants with multiple belts to hold various items and a reinforced cape draped over her shoulders.

Despite the practicality of her outfit, her skin glowed a pale white, resembling marble, creating an unrealistic scene.

She looked like a noblewoman dressed as an adventurer for just a wee bit.

When my Master returned to the capital, she would wear her knight’s uniform, so it seemed the commander had caught her doing something out there.

It was a rare gathering of the Empire’s Masters.

“Atlas~! You really are adorable no matter when I see you! Have you grown a bit taller? You’ve really matured since I last saw you. I can’t believe you’ve come this far, you look like you’ve conquered the world!”

As my Master removed her armor, she opened her arms wide and pulled me into a hug, ruffling my hair.

If it had been anyone else, I might have blown up in anger, but with my Master, it was perfectly fine.

With her soft and familiar scent, my heart began to relax.

The last time I met my Master was when I had just become a formal member.

Thanks to being bullied daily in the Titan household, I had been quite sharp, but she took me under her wing, helping me travel the continent and take on various missions together.

From the very beginning, I had been on the threshold between the highest level and Master, and it was my Master who helped me overcome the last barrier I couldn’t pass due to lack of enlightenment.

Those who’ve made it through know best, and as her being a Master, she knew what walls I couldn’t cross.

As I grew properly as a Master, she stayed by my side.

It was probably similar to the bond between me and Casey.

Disappearing at random was a familiar pattern too.

Though we weren’t related by blood… I still considered my Master a true family member.

“I’m glad to see you’re still the same, Master.”

I had been a Shadow for a while, and since we hadn’t been in contact at all, it felt like it had been years since I last saw her.

I was truly overjoyed.

“Are you still attending the Academy? Have you made a lot of friends? I hope you’re not just making enemies like back in your apprenticeship!”

“Even so, I’m not only making enemies.”

“Are you still in touch with what’s going on in the Empire?”

I felt a bit embarrassed at the inquiry about whether I was only making enemies, but I could deflect it with a smile since it wasn’t entirely true.

“If you’re at the Academy… I bet you’re meeting plenty of cute girls. How’s the romance front treating you? With your looks, even if you have a few downsides, you’d have a line forming at your doorstep.”

“….”

A few women flickered through my mind.

I couldn’t deny it, but I felt a bit shy about confirming it, so I remained silent, causing my Master to look flustered.

“…What’s with the lack of denial? Do you really have someone??”

“Wendy, don’t ask stuff like that. The kid’s struggling.”

The commander, unable to watch any longer, pried my Master away, still ruffling my hair.

“You’re curious too, aren’t you? I raised this kid, so it’s natural for me to be curious about it!”

“Ugh?!”

The moment my Master dug up old stories, the commander was at a loss for words.

“Wait, when are you bringing up things from the past now!!”

“Let’s see… It’s only been 6 years!”

Bringing up those times would lead to mutual damage, so we had been steering clear of such topics, but since it was mentioned first, I had my own points as well.

“And who’s making someone an adult? Master, you…”

“You! That’s a secret!!”

“Ha… Can’t we at least have a decent conversation since it’s rare for us to gather like this?”

Seeing us airing our dirty laundry, the commander sighed heavily.