I Become a Secret Police Officer of The Imperial Academy

Chapter 49

We continued making our way toward the estate, step by careful step.

I had always wondered why I needed to learn how to move silently and stay hidden. Perhaps it was for moments like this—moments when staying alive depended on it.

The streets were pure hell.

The attackers had no clear leadership or coordination. Even among themselves, they would get into petty arguments, which quickly escalated into fighting and killing.

Inside a large building, people had barricaded the entrance with furniture in an attempt to hold out, but the attackers set the building ablaze.

Most of the occupants would likely die from the smoke before the flames got to them.

“Alicia, stay low. Don’t turn your head no matter what sounds you hear.”

“But, Sister… Father….”

“…Shh.”

Alicia bit down on her handkerchief, stifling her sobs.

At least her crying wasn’t loud enough to draw attention.

“Let’s see if those fancy nobles can survive a little hole in their guts!”

“Look at this bloated pig of a man! The nerve!”

They had skewered a man wearing a lavish uniform on a long iron pole. Laughing as they mocked him, they shoved the pole deeper from below.

The man screamed that he was a count and promised rewards if they freed him, but his pleas only seemed to amuse them.

I quickly covered Alicia’s eyes to shield her from the grotesque scene.

No one could witness such horrors and remain unaffected.

“If only you’d given me a piece of bread instead of flaunting that pretty dress…”

A demon with glassy, drugged-out eyes was strangling a woman while assaulting her.

Even in the midst of his atrocity, he seemed to feel some semblance of guilt, spouting excuses as if trying to justify his actions.

“Mommy! Mommy! Aaaaahhhh!”

Nearby, a pack of demons with animal ears tore a mother in half in front of her child, ravenously devouring her entrails.

They weren’t eating because they were hungry or enjoyed the taste.

They were doing it to mock the child, to instill despair.

If that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t have spat out chunks of flesh after chewing them.

I couldn’t save them.

No one could.

That child would die soon, and I tried to erase the thought from my mind.

At first, Alicia whimpered, but once she realized this was happening everywhere, she smartly clamped her mouth shut and followed me without question.

“Tear me apart! Just end it already!”

Demons with horns were slowly gnawing on a man’s legs, their sharp teeth tearing off chunks of flesh with each bite.

These demons had always complained about being treated as beasts just because of their horns and animal ears. Yet now, they weren’t treating humans as people either.

It made no sense to me.

How could they unleash such unrestrained rage just because others had lived better lives?

“The army will be here by morning. Shouldn’t we grab the loot and hide?”

“Who cares? If they were coming, they’d be here already!”

Even in the slums, beyond the glittering backstreets, people starved to death in droves. Diseases claimed many who could only languish in misery until the end.

But none of that was the fault of the woman being devoured right now.

She was merely unlucky to be born a demon and raised in the slums.

I had always thought that being born into the Speyer Family was both my fortune and my curse—just a matter of chance.

I’d suffered under my parents’ cruelty but had never considered killing them, nor had I blamed them for my plight.

They were simply terrible people, and I accepted that.

Anger might drive someone to kill or burn something down, but this… this wasn’t anger.

This was inhuman.

Sooner or later, the guards would come.

The mounted guards who patrolled with clubs, swaggering around in their authority. Where were they when all of this started?

Before I could finish the thought, I heard the sound of hooves.

The guards arrived at the square, mounted and armed.

But even at a glance, it was clear that thirty guards weren’t enough.

The victims, the ones being chased and attacked, swarmed the guards, pleading to be saved, demanding protection. Some even declared their noble status, ordering the guards to take them to safety.

This wasn’t going to end well.

“The guards are here, so we can go to them…!” Alicia spoke with a hint of relief, but I quickly clamped my hand over her mouth and shushed her.

“…If we go there, we’ll die.”

The guards could swing clubs and ride horses, but they were no match for these insane monsters tearing people apart.

Even if they had guns—though I doubted they did, given how easily weapons went missing into corrupt hands—it wouldn’t help.

And the army? Most of it was stationed outside the capital, leaving only the palace guard.

The puppet emperor wouldn’t send troops to protect the citizens; he’d never cared before, so why now?

As I crouched lower and scanned the surroundings, it became clear that while some poor humans were participating, most of the truly vicious acts were being committed by demons.

Physically, humans couldn’t match them in a fight.

“Drop your weapons and lie on the ground immediately!”

The leader of the guards, his face flushed—likely drunk until moments ago—shouted his orders.

And for that reason, perhaps, the situation only grew worse.

They clearly hadn’t grasped just how many demons were lurking nearby.

At the guard captain’s command, some demons and a few humans scoffed, letting out mocking laughter. A few loud voices rose above the crowd:

“The gods are with us! These goblin-like humans have exploited us and thrown the world into chaos!”

“They impose their gods upon us, blaspheme the skies, shun magic, and neglect their ancestors! Burn their buildings, tear down those who lord over us from high places, and exact revenge on those who have taken everything from us!”

“Once the emperor cowers in fear, the nobles and clergy will fall silent. Let us drive out these vile creatures and reclaim our ancient lands!”

Ancient lands? That was a story from a thousand years ago.

There was no point in taking the ravings of madmen seriously, but I couldn’t help feeling lightheaded as their words echoed in my mind.

Cultists, criminals, vagabonds— It was as if every piece of trash had crawled out of the gutter to swarm the guards.

These were people who had only ever extorted pedestrians or stolen supplies. There was no way they could fight effectively, especially while surrounded by desperate civilians begging for help.

The guards didn’t last long.

Before long, the mob had them surrounded, reducing them to chunks of flesh.

Some must have borne deep grudges, as they left no part of the guards’ bodies intact.

This was our chance. While everyone was distracted, we had to escape.

I tightened my grip on Alicia’s hand and gave a small nod.

I wasn’t sure if it was a signal to her or just a way to reassure myself that I could do this.

Then we ran.

It didn’t matter if people started chasing us; we kept running.

Whenever I encountered someone standing helplessly, begging for help, I shoved them aside, making them stumble into the path of the demons.

The demons would target them instead, giving us a better chance to escape.

Alicia kept running despite her tears, though she looked horrified at my actions.

She yelled, cursed, and asked if I’d gone mad, but I held her hand tightly, not letting her pull away.

If we stopped, we’d be caught.

And Alicia… she’d face a fate far worse than death.

If we could just run for an hour without stopping, we might make it to the estate.

The situation was beyond grim, but I clung to irrational optimism.

I told myself to think of this as a musical.

The demon smashing a person’s head in with his fist was just the beat of a drum.

The pleading cries of those crawling on the ground, begging for mercy, were trumpets and saxophones.

The cracking and crashing sounds from the burning buildings were the deep, supporting notes of a contrabass.

The screams and shouts of the crowd could be imagined as the soft melody of a piano, their meanings drowned out in the harmony.

Yes, it was all just a play.

“Sister! Look out ahead!”

Lost in thought, I barely noticed the shovel flying toward my face.

Instinctively, I shielded Alicia, pulling her into my arms instead of dodging.

The shovel, though blunt, was sturdier and sharper than it looked.

It tore through my face and neck, leaving my skin hanging loosely.

This could be fixed later—if I survived. For now, it didn’t matter.

The assailant raised the shovel again, swinging with inhuman strength.

Though their skeletal frame looked starved and frail, their swings had an unnatural force behind them.

Blocking the shovel with my left arm, I felt something crack. I kicked the attacker hard, disarming them.

Grabbing the shovel, I swung it back at their head.

Only when their skull caved in and they stopped moving did I lower the weapon.

“Sister! Are you okay?!”

“No, I’m not. That’s why we need to get back to the estate.”

I tried to pull the shovel out of their head to use as a weapon, but it was lodged too deeply.

My vision blurred slightly. I could only hope the wound on my neck hadn’t hit an artery.

Contrary to popular belief, severing the carotid artery doesn’t result in a fountain of blood.

But if blood trickled out like a water gun, it would mean trouble.

When my steps faltered, Alicia panicked, trying to support me. I pushed her away gently but firmly.

“…Alicia, just focus on yourself.

Don’t worry about me, even if I die. You’re the most important thing right now.”

“…….”

Her expression was far from convincing.

I met her gaze, though my vision was clouding, and spoke again.

“Alicia, if you die, I’ll die too. So don’t even think about doing anything reckless. Got it?”

I tried to smile, but my lips were torn, and my face wouldn’t cooperate.

All I could manage was a weak smile through my eyes.

Taking her hand again, we started moving.

I was walking steadily now, but if I slowed down too much, I’d have to tell her to leave me behind.