The academy was noisy today. It was always like that, but today was especially so.
But that wasn’t just a comment about today. It was noisy yesterday, noisy today, and it would be even noisier tomorrow.
Because a big exam was coming up. The students were in a state of alarm, each preparing for their tests.
Some were studying for the written exam in the library, while others were preparing for the practical exam outside.
So the overall atmosphere inside the academy was chaotic. It was a bit of a mess.
Thus, Iria, just like any other day, decided to head to the library, but she turned right back because it was too crowded.
Due to the nature of the library, it wasn’t loud, but Iria felt uncomfortable in crowded places.
In the end, Iria, feeling lost, decided to take a little walk in the park within the academy for a change of pace.
Feeling the wind whip through her long hair while admiring the blooming flowers was quite pleasant.
Everyone else was frantically preparing something in response to the approaching crisis, but the fact that she did not feel that pressure was one of the joys of her day.
After all, it’s better to be relaxed when everyone else is busy. Iria walked a bit in the park and settled down on a bench.
“Here we meet again.”
And once again, there was another person on the bench. It was the same scenario as last time.
Albert, who had been there before Iria sat down, spoke without even turning his head.
He sipped his coffee while looking at the park scenery. His dead eyes and dark circles peeking out from behind his glasses were still there.
“You seem relaxed. Is your exam preparation going well?”
“The schedule has loosened up a bit.”
“External practicum? I’ve heard.”
Thanks to the privilege of the external practicum, Iria didn’t have to take a whopping three exams. This significantly affected her exam schedule.
While others were busy, she found herself with extra time. Since entering the academy, efficiently managing her time had become a big advantage for Iria.
If she had no schedule on the day of the exam, she could skip it after all.
“Do you have plans for the remaining time?”
So what would Iria do with her time now? Albert opened his mouth while sipping his coffee.
“What to do, huh? I need to think about that now.”
“It’s okay if you don’t have anything decided yet. Sometimes, rest is important, you know. You’ve seemed busy lately.”
“Do you know about me?”
“I try to remember my students as much as I can. And, of course, outstanding students stick in my memory even more.”
“………”
With Albert’s words, silence fell between the two sitting on the bench. Neither of them was particularly talkative.
Therefore, unless someone brought up a topic, silence would soon settle in.
Despite that, the air was still clear, and the wind was blowing. It was the quiet atmosphere Iria liked.
Iria had no intention of leaving her spot for a while, and Albert also planned to remain there until he finished the coffee in his cup.
How much time passed like that?
Eventually, it was Albert, the one who spoke less, who broke the silence first. Iria listened intently to his words.
“By the way, I’ve heard that Professor Eve is returning from a business trip. It’s the place where you once did a practicum. It seems she’s investigating the unidentified monster you saw during that practice.”
“Do professors do such things?”
“Of course, it’s not part of a professor’s duties. But if they are juggling other tasks, it’s a different story. As you may already know, many professors at the academy juggle multiple jobs. Do you know why?”
“No.”
Iria shook her head, and Albert took a sip of his coffee before continuing.
“Because it’s a chaotic time. Wherever you go, there’s a shortage of manpower. Those with power are stepping forward and sacrificing themselves even more. I, too, have sacrificed my nights to serve the empire.”
“………”
“Thank you for helping Eve with her work. She recently lost someone valuable. To the monster that’s been a hot topic in the back alleys lately. She must be mentally exhausted. The world has become harsh, and she had to go out to work before healing from her painful wound.”
Eve was a professor at the academy and also a member of the Knights Order.
She had received a mission to investigate the back alley monster with a senior she respected, only to lose that senior.
It was a painful story. Iria, however, didn’t find it particularly impressive since she was the perpetrator.
Listening to Albert’s words, Iria briefly recalled the previous events.
No wonder the red-haired knight she saw in Leon’s memories was Eve.
The empire was indeed small. Perhaps those related to the empire were very limited.
The professors at the academy were closely connected to the Knights Order.
Albert quietly finished his cold coffee and stood up.
“Iria, you should avoid that direction. The Knights Order has also withdrawn from the back alley investigations.”
The places abandoned by people were now being forsaken by the Knights as well.
The Knights had already suffered significant losses during their investigations. Moreover, the back alley monster was intelligent, hiding whenever a large-scale hunting party was sent.
Consequently, the Knights deemed there was no way to capture the back alley monster at this point in time.
So that’s why the back alley had been so chaotic lately. While Iria was out for a bit, there had inexplicably been a rise in copycat crimes.
Anyway, as far as Iria was concerned, it wasn’t bad news. With the Knights’ interference gone, the back alley would likely become quiet, and the criminals had only more meals to fight over.
“I’ve said enough. Let’s meet again if there’s a chance.”
With that, Albert vanished. His unreadable expression persisted.
Iria watched his eyes, curious about what he was thinking, but Albert’s mental defense was strong, and she couldn’t read him.
She could break through if necessary, but that would require using magical energy. And if she released magical energy at the academy, it would lead to being discovered as a monster, so she decided against that.
She knew that the professors at the academy were combat-capable to some extent, but Albert was particularly so.
He was the strongest human she’d encountered so far. Perhaps he might even be the strongest in the empire.
*
In the remaining time, Iria decided to investigate the fragment of the Demon King.
“Do you know what this is?”
“No… I’ve never seen something like this before…”
She’d been showing the fragment to smart-looking people around the empire, but finding someone who recognized it was tough.
Well, it wasn’t exactly an item that regular folks would see.
“Do you know what this is?”
“I don’t know?”
“What do you want from me?”
“What the hell is this?”
Nevertheless, she kept asking, determined not to give up. But even after walking around all day, she had no gains.
Eventually, she stepped into a tavern. From experience, she knew that if there was anywhere to gather information, it was here.
Iria skillfully sat down and ordered a drink. The tavern owner wouldn’t open up for free. With her wallet in good shape, she ordered something quite expensive.
“I’ll have the most expensive one here.”
“The best one costs one gold coin. Is that okay?”
“Yeah.”
Young and loaded, Iria nodded as if she didn’t care about the price.
After handing over the money and waiting a bit, her drink arrived.
Having walked around without rest, Iria was thirsty and downed her drink in one shot.
It was a bit strong to drink right away, but she wasn’t overly sensitive to alcohol, so it was fine.
“You shouldn’t drink without snacks.”
“I’m okay.”
Because if she ate food, she’d just throw up.
She wondered how she could drink at all, but was just glad she could have this.
She couldn’t satisfy her hunger but could quench her thirst. So, Iria didn’t dislike taverns.
But she hadn’t come here just to drink. Once her glass was empty, Iria opened her mouth to get to the main point.
“Is there anyone around here who knows about monsters in detail?”
“Monsters? Not exactly absent.”
The tavern owner, wiping a glass, answered the conversation. Normally, he wouldn’t open up, but she had paid a lot.
“Self-proclaimed, but there’s a monster expert over there.”
“Where?”
“Right there, with the crowd gathered around.”
Iria turned her head in the direction he pointed. She could see a man surrounded by people.
Curious about what they were discussing, Iria decided to listen more closely. She stood up and moved in closer.
“So, when I was young, you know?! I killed a monster bigger than a carriage all by myself! There was a three-headed lizard that breathed fire from its mouth, you know!”
A man loudly recounted something while those around him listened intently.
“Do you even know how big that monster was? If you have more questions, just buy me a drink.”
Iria watched for a bit longer, but no matter how she looked, he seemed more like a quack storyteller than a real expert.
“………”
Still, she thought it was worth checking out.
Anything was better than returning empty-handed. Iria pushed her way through the crowd to the man’s front.
“Uh? Who are you?”
It wasn’t too difficult to persuade the ragged man.
Iria pulled out two gold coins from her pocket and handed them to the man.
“Please spare me a moment of your time.”
As a reference, two gold coins would be a month’s salary for a commoner in the empire. A man who was too broke to buy drinks would have no reason to refuse.
He accepted the gold with a shy laugh.
“Haha, you know, having too much popularity can be a problem!”
Zing! Iria shot him a sharp glance. She meant for him to shut up and follow her.
With her narrowed eyes, Iria’s expression turned fierce. It wasn’t intentional intimidation, but it was just how she looked.
And then…
“Ah, I get it. I should just go, right?”
The man, intimidated by her gaze, started to follow Iria.
