Chapter: 515
Even though Lucy, who led everything, fell into a deep sleep, the time in the Academy flowed normally.
First off, the commotion that arose within the Academy calmed down rapidly.
The biggest factor was the face of the Saintess from the Jushin Church.
Phoebe, who has been at the forefront of the struggle against the Evil God, is perceived as the one who resolved the incident at this very moment.
With her slowly recovering barrier resolving most of the issues, who would worry when she declared that she would also solve the remaining problems alongside the people from the Jushin Church?
The people inside the Academy, having witnessed the Sword Saint strike down the dragon’s head, decided to trust the Saintess’s declaration and the First Queen’s promise of active support while waiting for future announcements.
The fact that most students and faculty were deep in sleep within the barrier also played a significant role in calming everyone down.
For those who woke up from a cool, sound sleep unaware of anything, today’s incident was merely a minor commotion that happened during the night.
For those who barely opened their eyes from nightmares, telling them they almost died would be hard to feel on their skin.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere among the students returning from various examinations and the faculty working inside the Academy diverged sharply.
The students’ mood was mostly relaxed.
The childish ones cheered, saying exams were postponed, or hoped they might even take a break.
On the other hand, some worried about the reputation of the Soul Academy declining.
An overzealous person gathered some anxious students and sold off shoddy accessories.
Those who prioritize grades gathered to study amid the commotion.
People with ambitions helped the kingdom’s knights or clergy.
Among them were many running around hoping to catch the eye of those in power.
The students’ atmosphere was that mild. While they felt anxious, they still held on to the belief that everything would be okay.
However, the faculty was different.
They took the current situation extremely seriously.
“We cannot operate the Academy in this state.”
The headmaster, sweating profusely, uttered these words, and the department heads nodded in agreement.
“For a long time, our Academy has been a target for the Followers of the Evil God. There’s a reason our history is labeled as both an educational history and a history of struggle.”
The attacks on the Soul Academy by the Followers of the Evil God had happened several times up until now. Each time, the Academy had repelled them based on the barriers left by Erginius.
“So, under normal circumstances, we would have continued the struggle, but the recent situation is unusual.”
Firstly, the frequency of attacks by the Followers of the Evil God on the Academy had changed.
They used to come only once or twice a year, but now they’re causing incidents every semester.
But did that mean their scale has decreased? Not at all. In fact, the scale of those assaulting the Academy has grown larger than before.
Just today, the Followers of the Void came to this place as if they were intent on finishing everything.
“But what about us? Compared to last year, are we preparing more thoroughly? No, not at all. It has become more of a riot.”
As the headmaster openly pointed out the faction fights happening inside the Academy, coughs could be heard here and there.
Nevertheless, the headmaster didn’t hide his sharp tone.
“It’s a miracle that there were no casualties in the Academy today. The Lord Jushin has taken care of us by lending the body of the Saintess, preventing blood from being shed! If the Saintess wasn’t here! If the Sword Saint wasn’t nearby! Do you think our heads would still be attached to our necks?!”
The strong attitude of the usually weak headmaster made the coughs naturally fade.
Each word the headmaster said had a reason behind it, making it uncomfortable but impossible to argue back.
“Your Majesty the First Queen of Soladin.”
“Yes, Headmaster. Please, go ahead.”
“As the headmaster who has led the Soul Academy for several years, I advise you. First, please put an end to the faction wars happening in the Academy. I don’t know what you’re hoping for, but if the future of Soladin dies because of that, it would be meaningless.”
“I understand. I will ensure that my faction is calmed down and will personally convey my apologies to the professors who have left their positions. Of course, I will also discuss things with the Second Queen.”
“There are a few other things I want to mention…”
Karia, who was eavesdropping on their meeting outside the window, chuckled while hiding her trembling hands under the table as she observed the desperately shouting headmaster.
That old man sure knows how to make a scene in his twilight years. He used to say he would quietly fade away in his later years when I was an informant.
Well, why the hell did he end up attached to our employer of all people?
Our employer is really tough on those under him, though.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve swallowed hard whenever he throws unreasonable requests my way.
If only he hadn’t grumbled that I’m an incompetent old lady or that I’m too old to move properly!
Damn it!
Feeling a sense of camaraderie with the pitiable figure of the headmaster, Karia moved her feet.
Still, he was a remarkable man in his prime, so he should handle things over there without any issues.
Thanks to our employer pulling some strings just before, it looks like the contamination inside the Academy has almost been completely resolved.
No casualties confirmed, and the barrier is perfectly restored, so are all our tasks inside the Academy done?
Now it’s time to deal with things outside the Academy.
…Ugh, seriously. This work may never end.
At this rate, I might die from overwork before our employer’s issues are resolved!
Running her hands through her hair in frustration, Karia stepped out into the alley with a long sigh.
I really hope my capable disciple manages to resolve everything without any issues. If that kid adds anything to my plate, I feel like I’ll really get more wrinkles!
“Uh… Master.”
Arriving at the hideout she had carefully arranged since her return, Karia focused her eyes on her disciple, Alsatine, who was mumbling with apprehension.
“What trouble did you cause?”
“…Yes?”
“What’s wrong that has you glancing at me like that? Did something interfere with the teleportation magic? Or did a problem arise from an intentional delay?”
“No! No way! If there was a problem at that point, I wouldn’t be here in one piece!”
“…Really?”
“Yes. I’ve resolved everything Lady Allen asked of me.”
Karia stared into her disciple’s eyes. There were no traces of lies. Alsatine was speaking the truth.
“Then why are you wary of me?”
If it weren’t something serious, there’d be no need to act cautiously, right? Not having any idea what was going on, Karia tilted her head and spotted two elderly men waiting in a corner of the hideout and squinted.
One of them was the community service grandma working at the Academy. I remember her quite well; she has a pretty colorful past.
The other one is…
“…The blacksmith Inuki?”
“Oh, do you know me? It’s been quite a while since I’ve been buried in obscurity, so there aren’t many who remember me.”
“Your weapons are so remarkable that many still seek you out. It’s no wonder.”
The various weapons crafted by Inuki are sold for high prices even after so long.
These weapons don’t rust even with the passing years; instead, they retain their sharpness, making them worth that much.
Given this situation, many looking for good weapons tend to seek out Inuki.
Back in his youth, he made remarkable weapons, and now that he’s sharpened his skills for decades, it’s intriguing to see what he’ll produce.
“Hmmm, I see I must continue to work on hiding my name.”
“Why would someone who doesn’t want their identity revealed come here?”
“I came here because someone wants to make weapons. I came to bother this old hag and drag her into making connections.”
“I was dragged here by this old coot. I have a lot to do, and dealing with him is such a bother.”
“What are you talking about? Who walked over here with a fierce look as soon as he saw that young face?”
“Oh dear, did I do that?”
Seeing the brazen smile of the community service lady, Karia quickly grasped the overall situation.
So my disciple got caught up with these two while trying to join us after finishing everything.
The pressure from both of them was just too much for my disciple to shake off, so he thought coming to me would make him seem like a guest.
What? That’s nothing serious. I was thinking the work needs to be increased!
Sighing in relief, Karia told her disciple to go back to work before taking a seat across from the two old men.
“Hello, Inuki, and Cerby. I’m Narin, leading several informants.”
She casually introduced herself using one of her many aliases while observing the expressions of the two.
Both appeared quite anxious. Whoever they were looking for seemed important.
Whoever caught the attention of those two must be quite lucky.
“May I ask who you are looking for?”
“It’s someone close to that man who just left. He should be familiar with you, Narin.”
“That makes me even more curious. Who is the fortunate person who caught your attention?”
“It’s the Young Lady of the Allen Family.”
“…Huh?”
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