The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

After all the Masters had left, the Saintess descended into the eerie depths of the Cathedral.

The massive underground chamber, designed to accommodate dragons, felt overwhelmingly vast for her petite human form.

“Seems like this meeting was quite the ruckus, huh?”

Just a glance around made it clear that something had indeed gone wrong.

The table set up for visitors, not for McKinto, the owner of this chamber, lay in ruins.

The once-sleek pillars displayed signs of damage.

While a verbal squabble was to be expected, the basic rule was to avoid physical fights, yet it seemed tempers had flared.

Edmon, from the United Five Kingdoms, had left the Church Country looking utterly haggard, giving away some sense of the situation.

But Saintess Carmel thought that fighting could not be helped in this case.

“If it was going to be like this… I should have just stayed in.”

Three Masters, who usually don’t attend, participated all at once, and she had foreseen that they would discuss something significant.

It was hardly a topic that other Masters would lightly approve of.

There wouldn’t be any agreement like, “Let’s all take down the bad guys.”

Few Masters truly grasped the severity of the Demon Church.

Considering various discussions, the one with the greatest awareness among the Masters was Atlas.

Since the Demon Church had continually concealed its strength after being shattered in a past war, most people today merely viewed it as an annoying cult.

They thought it could be crushed anytime if one truly set their mind to it, perceiving it as a being akin to a rodent or cockroach that was difficult to eradicate completely.

So, they only dealt with it moderately enough to not appear directly before them, refraining from thoroughly ransacking their own homes to catch it.

Had Carmel been blessed with her divine talent, the mood might have mellowed enough to progress smoothly, but that was already in the past.

[Even when the world might end, they’re squabbling over a few more gold coins… It’s always exhausting.]

“Well, they have egos and emotions, so it can’t be helped. That’s why we must train ourselves according to their words.”

[The Masters, who possess the strongest mental images in this world, tear each other apart like beasts for their own benefits. Even we dragons, hailed as noble beings, are blinded by greed, shedding blood among our kind. Is there no choice but to endure this horrific reality…?]

Being called “Masters” doesn’t equate to being the most powerful.

One doesn’t need the strength to leap a thousand miles in an instant or the power to shatter boulders to become a Master.

The key distinction between ordinary folk and Masters lies in mental strength.

A perfected Aura Blade manifests as the embodiment of the caster’s steadfast mental image.

A robust mental strength that is unassailable appears as an Aura Blade.

The reason all Masters are strong is that a strong mind tends to dwell in a strong body.

Conversely, no matter how powerful one’s abilities, if their mental image is not solid, they cannot become a Master.

It was shocking to McKinto to hear that a Sword Master had fallen prey to the devil’s temptations, considering they were the humans with the strongest mental fortitude who shouldn’t waver in the face of temptation.

“Desire isn’t entirely bad, you know. You must be quite tired.”

[Yes… It was the desire for a better life that propelled all races to progress. They created better technology, better items, transforming their lives to become better beings.

But as long as such desires exist, demons will constantly emerge.]

“So, we must help each other.”

[A lot feels unsafe. As always with these heretics, but this time, there are too many events that defy common sense.]

McKinto mentally traced over the series of incidents.

If one traced back to the origin of the events, it would begin at the dungeon experience held for the new students of the Academy.

The Demon Church attempted to engulf the entire dungeon to use it as a sacrifice, aiming to summon a Great Demon right in the heart of the Academy.

At that moment, Atlas, the Shadow Master from the Empire, thwarted the ritual and defeated the imperfectly summoned Great Demon Belphegor, sending it back to Hell.

The second incident was the Clover Kingdom’s terror.

Adolf Roang, a prominent Sword Master, entered the Imperial Academy alongside the students of his home kingdom, Clover Kingdom.

While they were originally engaged in a swordsmanship exchange, all the Clover Kingdom students suddenly transformed into demons and attacked their peers, and while the Sword Master fled, Atlas, still in hiding, promptly exterminated them all.

[Why the Academy, though? How many locations are vulnerable to demonic attacks that could severely impact society, yet they fixate on the Academy? What drives that obsession?]

Twice they had failed.

After attempting such a large-scale terror attack twice and failing both times, the Demon Church made plans for a third attempt.

Such a turn of events was certainly unusual.

The Demon Church had significantly weakened due to its prolonged hiding.

After such failures, it would make sense to target a more vulnerable location or wait for the next opportunity, yet they stubbornly pursued the Academy.

It seemed they were certain that if they kept knocking, the Academy would eventually crumble.

[The Shadow’s also suspicious. What does he know that led him to infiltrate the Academy at such a critical moment? The Academy is indeed an important facility, but it’s not so critical that the Empire would fall upon taking a direct hit. There must be something hidden that I’m unaware of.]

Both the constantly attacked Academy and Atlas, who silently lurked there, felt suspicious to McKinto, who could only observe the situation from the underground chamber.

“Masters do possess an unpredictable nature.”

As she wandered through the chamber, passing by where Holy Relics were stored, she discreetly pulled out a rosary from her sleeve.

[That rosary is in the second slot from the left.]

“Ah?! Wh-what’s that noise?”

Carmel, who had intended to stealthily drop the rosary, froze mid-action.

[You must have used it where needed, so I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, you must seek my approval.]

“Yes…”

————————————-

After giving Carmel a brief farewell, my Master and I followed the Commander back to the Capital.

The first place we arrived at was the Barracks of the Royal Knight Order.

“Wait… Wendy, is that you back?”

“Yeah~ Here’s a souvenir.”

Patra, a senior member of the Knight Order who was busy in the barracks, was taken aback upon seeing my Master and quickly straightened up.

My Master threw a small doll she had pulled out from inside her decorative armor at Patra.

“Where did you get this?”

“I got it from some farmers on the way through Hamelrun from the East. Cute, right?”

“Wow, Wendy! Long time no see!”

“Have you all been doing well?”

“Yes!!”

Even while just passing through the hallway, the regular members gathered around my Master.

Excluding the Shadow’s position, my Master, being the twin of the Commander, was quite popular.

Though many of the regular members hadn’t seen her face due to her frequent absences, once they caught a glimpse, it was unforgettable.

“Hey, I’m back too! Can’t you at least pretend to welcome me a bit??”

“You saw me last time, though.”

Even though I surely returned with her, the enthusiasm toward me was staggeringly chilly.

Was I that unremarkable?

“Hey, pay attention! Linda just came back, right?”

“Yes, she just went to the Imperial Palace, but she did stop by.”

“I’m glad she came. I’ll head there soon, so keep that in mind.”

“Are you staying long this time?”

“I just came to punch my time clock and will leave soon. It feels stifling being here in the Capital.”

My Master, chuckling, held up her Identification Tag.

Here, attendance is taken by merely tapping the tag on a plate.

“I haven’t clocked in even once since I escaped.”

Ever since I ventured into the Snow Country, I hadn’t punched in a single time.

Having quickly finished her attendance process, my Master dragged me toward her residence.

.

.

.

My Master lives in the same mansion as the Commander.

Even though it’s the same mansion, the place is so huge that saying they lived separately wouldn’t be an overstatement, but originally, my Master stayed in the territory with her parents.

After both of them passed away from old age, the management of the territory was outsourced to the professionals, and both of them only lived in the Capital.

While the address is listed as the territory, their actual residence is effectively in the Capital.

No matter what, there’s no large space in the city center for land, so the two had a mansion constructed somewhat outside, lavishly built to quench the thirst for success they both experienced in their youth.

Excluding the servants, only two people live there… well, one of them is often out and about, so it’s practically a solitary residence, albeit excessively spacious.

I had visited once long ago.

There were times when members of the Knight Order were occasionally invited to celebrate with the Commander on special occasions.

After running off to the Snow Country, I found it quite a significant shock to return and see the place in such dire straits.

“I’ll head out for a bit.”

“What do you mean ‘head out’ now! Did I ask you to come in with me!!”

“Just… keep your hands off my clothes while saying that…”

“If you stay still, I’ll let go!”

As soon as I entered, my Master, who had been wearing her travel clothes the entire time, abruptly threw them off and headed for the bathroom.

I was a bit taken aback, but since she mentioned she hadn’t been able to clean up properly during the trip, I figured she was just going to wash up, so I momentarily planned to wait outside when suddenly, she grabbed the hem of her clothes.

Having just stripped down her travel gear, if I turned my head at this moment, I would clearly see her smooth, white body, glistening with beads of water.

I turned my head right after catching a glimpse of her sleek back, so I was sure of it.

“Y-you… are you embarrassed or something!”

“If you keep this up, you’ll really become embarrassed, so please uphold some decorum!”

The housemaids managing the mansion silently went about their duties.