The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

I had initially planned to step completely outside of the mansion, but after a dramatic compromise, I ended up waiting in the reception room as per my master’s suggestion.

“Ah~ It’s so refreshing! Home truly is the best.”

After finishing his bath, my master relaxed in a lightweight outfit on the plush sofa.

He sat right next to me.

“Isn’t it nice?”

“Master, I’m not a plush doll or anything.”

“True… You’re not a plush doll at all. You’re a much more remarkable presence—my proud disciple…”

I could tell why he chose to sit next to me without even asking.

He draped his arm over my shoulder and leaned into my side.

From my master’s body, just out of the bath, a warmth hotter than usual radiated.

Maybe it was because he wore only a thin shirt and shorts over his underwear that I could vividly feel the softness of his skin.

The sensation of his thicker arms, the contrast of his firm side against his soft flesh, and the dampness from the housemaid hurriedly drying his hair were all very reassuring feelings.

Yet, the moment I actually entered the Titan’s Mansion, which was supposed to be a space of comfort, all my nerves would be on edge.

‘… It used to be like this often.’

While the situation was quite different, there were times when we went on missions together, and he would always have me next to him by the campfire before bed.

After such a long time, nostalgia washed over me.

“If you like home that much, why don’t you stop wandering outside?”

“But being out there is more enjoyable, what can I do?”

Suddenly, he stopped speaking and gazed at me intently.

“Hmm… It really does seem larger.”

“Just a little, but I’ve grown.”

“That’s great! Didn’t you say there was no hope before?”

Even though it was just a little, acknowledging that I’d grown caused the corners of my mouth to rise.

He had mentioned there was no hope not long after we met.

At that point, my ten years of pent-up anger always burned brightly, so while I wanted growth, I had also somewhat resigned myself to it.

After becoming a Master, I had my doubts about whether my body could even grow anymore after undergoing a transformation akin to a rebirth.

I seemed to have grown tired of the aimless quest for the legendary Elixir of Growth.

“I was exhausted back then. And you told me that the body could still grow after becoming a Master.”

“Well, we both became Masters when we were young.”

There was a rumor that once one became a Master, their body reached a state of perfection and could not grow any further, but that wasn’t the case. Most became Masters after their growth had ended, so they just didn’t notice it. Those who became Masters later could still grow.

It was said that Linda and Wendy, two Masters from the Empire, had grown late after becoming Masters, making them look quite different from their school days.

“Since we have plenty of time until Linda finishes her work, shall we talk about what we’ve been up to?”

“Didn’t I already?”

I felt like I had spoken less than I’d intended before the meeting.

“You were too brief! Just throwing out what happened isn’t enough. Wasn’t there anything fun?”

“That’s a fair point.”

“By the way, what brought you to the Academy?”

“I didn’t go there for fun… I went to see if the professor there was making height-increasing drugs.”

“Hmm… That’s quite a you reason. So… is that why you grew a bit?”

“That seems to be part of it, yes.”

I could sense he was testing me somehow.

“And… well, you know.”

“What do you want to say?”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend? Aren’t you going to tell me about that?”

“Ugh, how annoying…!!”

I sprang up from my seat, and he grabbed my shoulder and clung to me.

“Sniff, sniff. Are you having a late-onset adolescence? You weren’t like this before… It’s so sad.”

“Why on earth are you so curious about that?”

“It just seems fun!”

“If that’s the case, I won’t tell you anything.”

“If you keep this up, I might just barge into the Academy!!”

“Ugh…”

He seemed desperate to know, but I wouldn’t tell him anything.

Instead, I led our conversation, sharing tales from the Academy until dusk fell.

Time passed, and it was time to switch locations.

The tavern the Commander mentioned was near the Royal Knight Order’s barracks; the first floor had a comfortable space to drink, and the second and third floors had rooms for quiet conversations, which made it popular among regular members and officials alike.

The tavern owner knew how to run a business and offered generous treatment to the Royal Knight Order members, as their regular tavern status protected them from many absurd incidents.

It was common for a drunken troublemaker on the first floor to be grabbed by a regular member of the Royal Knight Order (Expert level, hobby: folding paper cranes with metal plates) and stuffed into a trash can.

Occasionally, that Royal Knight would cause trouble, but the number of such cases was relatively low compared to other drunken patrons.

“Welcome, commanders! I can’t remember the last time the two of you came. How should I serve you today?”

As soon as we stepped into the tavern, the friendly-looking owner, recognizing us, rushed over to greet my master and me.

This was one of the reasons this tavern had been loved for so long.

Other taverns would forget customers’ faces, leading to sensitive patrons like me facing awkward moments, but this tavern’s owner…

“Wouldn’t a private room be better?”

“I guess they would prefer that… but I’m not too keen on it. Let’s stay on the first floor until we arrive.”

“Sounds good.”

The Commander arrived twenty minutes later than the time he mentioned.

He must not have dropped by the mansion, but I didn’t know where he had changed his clothes; he was dressed in casual attire, quite unlike his usual style as the Commander of the Royal Knights.

Instead of his white uniform, he looked like a woman who had come out for a drink in front of her house, with her hair previously tied up now let down.

It was scary how similar his outfit was to my master’s.

“You’re late. What could you possibly have to do that was so important?”

“I had a lot to handle related to what happened during the meeting. Since I showed positive intent, I should at least pretend to manage something.”

He didn’t seem tired at all on the outside.

There probably wasn’t any physical fatigue.

However, the sharpness in his eyes indicated considerable mental strain.

“I often think about this, but Wendy, you—never mind, what do you want from me.”

The Commander began to speak but canceled it.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You can’t do it. How about giving up being a Shadow, Atlas?”

“Me?”

Out of nowhere, the Commander suggested I resign from being a Shadow.

“Well, since Wendy can’t do this at all, that’s one thing… but you’re good at this kind of work.”

“No way! Atlas is going to continue being a Shadow with me. Why would we give that up?”

“Being a Shadow has many benefits, but there are also downsides. Atlas, you know yourself. You have a strong desire for recognition; don’t you like it when everyone looks up to you?”

“You only get half of it right; the other half, I hate when random strangers evaluate me however they please! Why would I give up being a Shadow just to be openly exposed to that?”

“Even if you could, I can’t pass Atlas up. Do you know how fun it is to pretend to be an adventurer of Silver Plate level and then surprise everyone when you reveal a bit of your real power? I heard you’re hiding your identity while having fun at the Academy. Once you reveal your identity, that play will no longer be possible, right?”

“That was a must for infiltration. If I really wanted to do that, would I beat up Edward’s son in front of everyone? I was warning them all, showing my strength so they wouldn’t mess with me.”

“That can also work for hiding your strength… What? Atlas, did you actually beat up Edward’s son!? Why didn’t you tell such a fun story before!!”

“I figured something like this would happen.”

Since my master had many entanglements with the Five Pillars during our school days, he couldn’t stop laughing at the idea of me getting tangled up with the children of the Five Pillars.

“This won’t do. Bring on the drinks! After a few, you’ll spill everything!”

Not much time passed before the two of them had red faces.

“Ugh, nobles are all just a bunch of crazy people. I don’t want to comment on others’ family matters, but it’s hard to find a decent one!”

“One either gets beaten down to become psycho or gets pushed to find ways to kill each other… they’re all nuts.”

“Everyone is just trying to hold their ground. In this world, where anyone weak gets eaten, they just thin the herd.”

Normally, we slipped into discussions about the torturous methods of raising heirs among the nobility that would usually be avoided.

“… You’re right; if we underestimate them, we will get eaten. But I had this thought: when I have kids, can I guarantee I won’t end up like that?

Will I not end up putting unbearable pressure on my capable child just like that, squeezing them until they break, just like those bastards?

Those noble swines don’t hate their kids; they just have ‘great expectations,’ which is why they go that far.”

The Commander raised his glass and took another drink.

The usual relaxed and invincible image of the Empire’s top swordsman was nowhere to be seen.

He was calm, emotional, and feeling anxious like just any ordinary person.

If what he said came from the heart, I could understand why he was still insisting on being single.

“Don’t worry; Commander, you’ll make a good parent.”

“Me? That’s a ridiculous thing to say. How could you say that after knowing how I raised you?”

“You and the Master have treated me well.”

“That’s only because you showed potential as a sprout. If I mistake my affection for a child as potential, it would be hell for both of us, wouldn’t it?”

“I know how it feels to roll under a bad parent. You two are different.”

I know what kind of scoundrels those truly awful parents can be.

The Commander and they are certainly different.

“… Thanks for the words. Atlas, you’re a good man.”

“Thank you for taking it positively.”

My master, who had been listening quietly, leaned against me again and ruffled my hair fondly.

“How nice you speak! Come here; I’ll reward you.”

“Ah?! Have you already had too much to drink??”

The strong smell of alcohol wafted from him.

Though the Master’s body could easily eliminate the alcohol if he wished, both of them ended up intoxicated to the point of staggering.

It seemed like they were accepting the alcohol intentionally instead of purging it.

“Come to think of it, you’re doing fine! Hey… why aren’t you drinking? It’s no fun being the only sober one here…”

“If I pass out too, who’s going to take care of you two?”

As my master leaned against my torso, he poked at my body with his finger.

Even though we had all drunk equally, seeing my sober face made the Commander poke me with his finger.

“… It’s an order. You should drink too.”

“Really, Commander? You’re being a little unfair!”

“Do you think it’s right to drink alone when you’re out with your superiors? If you don’t hurry, I won’t let you off easy.”

I could sense a killing intent in his eyes.

“Ha… it’s scary how you say that… this is workplace harassment…”

Feeling as though he would swing a blade if I didn’t comply, I had no choice.

I grabbed a bottle of liquor, slammed it back in one go, and did nothing afterward.

The intense burning sensation of the potent alcohol coursing through me was all-consuming.

“Ugh… it’s hot.”

It wasn’t that I had never drank before, but after not trying hard to get drunk, the intoxication hit me rapidly.

My head spun more than I anticipated.

I should have taken it moderately, but it seemed I had failed to control myself.

“You downed a whole bottle in one go, huh?”

“I’m still… okay.”

“Okay, huh? Look at this.”

Suddenly, I fell backward.

My master had pushed me, and I fell straight over.

My head was spinning.

‘Oh… this is dangerous…’

Having miscalculated my drinking hit me hard, and falling in front of my master, who loved to joke around, was something I feared.

– Thud

Someone placed a hand on my unguarded upper body.

It had to be my master; he was probably thinking about having some fun at my expense since I was out of it.

“You really went out, didn’t you?”

“Do you just want me to knock out in one go… How careless.”

“I’m pretty sure now it’d be easy.”

I felt warm breaths against my ear.

Someone whispered to my ear.

“Ugh… Commander…? What are you doing…?”

“I said I’d be a good parent, right? But there’s something I need before that, will you cooperate…?”

To my surprise, the voice in my ear was that of the Commander.

“Hey! No cutting in line!”

I could also hear my master’s voice.

“I thought I could take more time, but I guess that won’t work. Seems like you take after someone who goes out every day…”

“Exactly! It’d be a waste to lose you to the young female Academy students now.”

“What do you… what…”

After that, I really couldn’t remember much.