The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 15

I’m racking my brain, trying to figure out what’s in my pocket.

“Sir, sir.”

“Ah, Boris.”

“Looks like Chloe’s match is about to start.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

I quickly glance down at the stage.

Chloe was about to play her third match.

‘Round of 16. Only a win here would be considered a good result, and Chloe’s opponent is Raymond, a commoner with no academy.’

The boy’s game isn’t exactly stellar, that’s why Amon hasn’t been paying much attention to him.

‘Considering Chloe’s skill so far, I’m sure she’ll give him a run for his money!’

Raymond walked onto the stage with Chloe.

Amon’s face stiffened as he took a quick look at Chloe’s opponent.

* * *

Chloe silently inspected her sword as Raymond respectfully observed.

“Please do me a favor, Chloe.”

“…….”

Raymond scratched his head, frowning when no answer came.

Chloe sighed and said.

“It’s boring.”

“It’s ……?”

“The pigs don’t look here.”

“What……?”

Raymond looked around.

“Yeah, well, they’re all watching the game.”

Chloe with a dominant performance.

Raymond having a bad game.

Based on what they’ve seen so far, the crowd is predicting Chloe’s victory, so they won’t be paying attention to this match.

Chloe sighs,

“This is boring. Let’s get this over with.”

“……haha.”

Raymond scratched his head as he let out a stifled laugh.

“It’s not fun…….”

Even for Raymond himself, the grandson of the Azure Sky Sword King Reinbelt, one of the Empire’s four Grand  Sword Masters.

“Yeah, it’s not fun, this low-level competition.”

“……what?”

Because of his grandfather’s orders, he was competing in the tournament while ‘hiding his skills as much as possible’.

Raymond grinned.

“I’ll show you a ‘little’ of my skills, and it’ll be fun.”

As soon as he said that, the judge called for the match to begin, and Chloe’s eyes widened.

Before she knew it, Raymond was standing in front of her.

And Raymond’s sword was pointed at her.

“……Cough!?”

Chloe quickly swung her sword to deflect Raymond’s attack, but his sword changed trajectory in midair.

Chest, side, shoulder, heart.

Again and again, the sword changed trajectory, confusing the mind.

‘I have to stop him, but where?’

Chloe swung her sword in a desperate attempt to stop it.

And just as it was about to stab her shoulder, she blocked it.

Tsk-!

A sword stabbed her in the thigh.

“Raymond, one point!”

The examiner’s shout made Chloe’s head spin.

Like him, the crowd went cold as water at the sight of Chloe, who had been dominating the competition, being outplayed.

Raymond, who had retrieved his sword, smirked.

“Now is it funny?”

“…….”

Chloe’s body shuddered at the sound of the condescending voice.

“……?”

Chloe is royalty in the Kingdom of Aran.

Although she is royalty, she has no right of succession, that’s why she was sent to Amonis Academy as a semi-outcast.

There, she was told to maintain good relations with the nobles of other countries so that she could marry and take care of her own affairs.

However, Chloe acted with dignity befitting a member of Aran’s royalty.

Did that make her look bad?

Probably.

The relentless bullying from other students began shortly after the fall of her homeland.

‘……I’m scared.’

The bullying was so persistent that it was terrifying to be stared at by others.

That’s why it still scares her.

When you least expect it, everyone in the room is looking at you with serious faces.

‘I thought I was over it.’

She wasn’t.

The moment she realized she was ‘weak’, the fear came back.

* * *

Amon bit his lip hard.

‘What’s with him?’

He’s not even a student at the academy.

‘Then why is he so strong?’

Amon hadn’t realized it at first, but now that he was Chloe’s opponent, he realized it the moment he took a closer look.

‘He’s the strongest of all the students in this competition.’

Amon instinctively realized that since he encountered many beasts and monsters in the rugged Arma Mountains.

‘A bear.’

If the other students were deer, rabbits, and foxes, Raymond was a bear.

Such a fierce presence.

Amon’s eyes widened as he surveyed Chloe’s condition.

‘We’re screwed!’

Chloe was trembling and was completely disoriented.

Her shoulders hunched and her eyes darted from one to the other, as if afraid of the stares again.

‘No! You’re going to ruin all the goodwill I’ve gained!’

And it cost me 1 gold and 50 silver!

The moment he realized that.

-Ugh!

Amon jumped to his feet.

Teacher Amon and Adult Amon joined forces.

* * *

‘……Hmm, is this it?’

Raymond snorted, realizing that Chloe had lost the battle.

‘You’re no match for me after all.’

Raymond snorted and raised his sword.

“Now, let’s get this over with…….”

It was the moment.

“C-H-L-O-E!”

A sudden, ear-splitting, screeching shriek came from nowhere.

“Whoo!”

A scream that shook the entire arena.

Raymond, who had unwittingly covered his ears, flinched, and Chloe turned her head at the suddenly familiar voice.

And the sight that filled her eyes.

‘Teacher…….’

Chloe laughed falsely through her tears.

Boris and Marion, who was sleeping drunk, suddenly fell down because of Amon’s scream, Brestle was trembling with her long ears folded down, and Amon was jumping up and down in the stands and screaming even though all the audience’s eyes were focused on him because of his scream.

“Come on! Chloe, I believe in you!”

Amon was unfazed by the stares of the thousands of people gathered in the stadium.

Seeing that, Chloe’s fear seemed to dissipate a little.

‘No.’

The horror had completely vanished from her face.

Raymond, finally removing his hand from his ear, grumbled.

“What the hell, what is he?”

Over the muttering, Chloe spoke.

“That’s my teacher.”

“Your……teacher?”

Raymond frowned.

“The one who taught you swordsmanship?”

The answer was no.

It was Sloth who actually taught her swordsmanship.

But the real ‘teacher’ was Amon.

Chloe nodded.

“Right.”

“……hmm.”

Raymond shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter, and extended his sword.

“Well, let’s get this over with.”

Chloe raised her sword as well.

Her fear was gone and her mind was calm.

Raymond swallowed hard as he read the change in Chloe’s eyes.

‘……The momentum has subsided.’

The dizzying rush of energy he’d felt when they’d first met had faded to a pale slumber, like the calm surface of a lake.

‘But you’re not my opponent.’

Raymond was in front of her in a flash and just like before, the sword tricked the eye.

Countless sword strikes, changing trajectory several times, rushed toward Chloe.

‘……hit!’

And just as the attack was about to hit.

Bam-!

With a loud bang, the sword bounced back.

‘……What!?’

Chloe’s counterattack flew out the moment the attack was blocked.

Raymond gritted his teeth.

‘You’re doing the same thing to me!’

Raymond quickly counterattacked Chloe’s dizzying sword.

Boom, boom, boom!

And the countless sounds of sword clashing against sword clashed.

Neither side backed down from the other.

‘You’re kidding me, we’re neck and neck!’

With the grandson of the Azure Sky Sword King Reinbelt?

But in a way, it was natural.

‘Chloe Aran.’

Although she has no right of succession due to her birth and circumstances, she is ‘royalty’, a bloodline at the pinnacle of a nation.

Does it need to be said that she has innate talent and potential?

‘Oh, no……!’

Raymond was getting overwhelmed.

‘Should I use Aura Blade? No, that’s not something I can do in a duel……Ha, but then how……?’

Suddenly, the realization of ‘I’ve lost’ filled his mind.

Raymond let out a scream.

“How could I lose……!”

Chloe, who had burrowed into Raymond’s arms at that moment, spoke up.

“Shut up.”

“……!?”

“You little pig.”

The words made Raymond stare into Chloe’s eyes, and his body stiffened as he read the look in them.

Contempt, disgust and arrogance.

-Pfft!

Chloe’s sword stabbed Raymond in the heart.

At the sight of it, the examiner shouted.

“Match over! The winner is Chloe Aran!”

A strike to the heart ended the match!

Amon pumped his fist in the air at the judge’s shout.

“That’s right!”

It was close, but I won!

The 1 gold and 50 silver had turned into 2 gold!

“Chloe, I was counting on you!”

I jumped for joy.

Thud-!

Chloe collapsed.

“……?”

The sight made Amon, and the entire crowd, go rigid as if cold water had been poured over them.

“What the…….?”

The examiner looked at Chloe for a long moment.

I don’t know how many minutes passed.

“Chloe Aran, fainted and can’t continue!”

“What!? What do you mean?”

“According to the rules of the competition, the winner must stand on both feet at the end of the match! That is chivalry and the rules of the battlefield! Therefore!”

The judge exclaimed.

“Raymond wins!”

Amon shouted.

“No, no, no!”

Confirmation slips thrown by those who had bet on Chloe, including Amon, scattered like flowers.

* * *

In a tent by the stage, the medic said.

“It’s just a simple fainting. She must have been overexerted.”

“……Yes.”

Still, Chloe’s momentum against Raymond a moment ago had been off.

‘That was a much better performance than usual.’

She must have been desperately focused, with all her nerves on the line.

That’s why she fainted as soon as the match ended.

“……Ugh.”

Chloe opened her eyes with difficulty.

“Teacher…….”

“Chloe, are you awake?”

“Did I, did I lose?”

Amon smirked.

“Never mind. You lost, but you fought well, didn’t you?”

“……hulp!”

“Well, well, well, you fought so well, even though you lost!”

While I was comforting Chloe, the swordsmanship competition was coming to an end.

‘……What do we do now?’

Now that I’ve come this far, it’s only proper to also attend the magic and academic divisions as a spectator.

The problem is, it’s one day at a time.

In other words, there are six days until the end of the competition!

‘Today is over, there are five days left, and we won’t have enough money for food, what should we do?’

Should I be doing hard labor for a festival called a contest?

Just as I was thinking about it, the examiner called out.

“I hereby declare the winner of the swordsmanship category of the contest, Raymond!”

“Waaaaaah!”

Amon clicked his tongue.

‘The damned bastard stole my sword championship.’

He snorted.

“All rise, there will be a speech from the Emperor!”

Amon jumped to his feet.

Even though he was inside the tent, he couldn’t sit and listen to the Emperor, the most powerful man in the world, speak.

“Hehehe, this swordsmanship competition is truly satisfactory! How can I not be satisfied with the children who will lead the future!”

His Majesty the Emperor exclaimed in a kindly voice.

“Then the winner and runner-up of the swordsmanship competition will be brought to the podium!”

What a chance to see the Emperor in person.

‘Chloe should be up there!’

I’m trying to contain my anger, but the Emperor continues.

“I would also like to speak with a student who has been particularly good! Chloe Aran, please come up to the podium!”

Pardon me?

Chloe faltered at the words, and Amon urged her to stand.

“Chloe, can you stand?”

“……! I’m okay.”

Chloe struggled out of the tent and onto the dais.

And the Emperor himself was there to support her as she wobbled!

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Your Majesty.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, you’ve been trying so hard, child.”

The emperor was truly sorry!

‘That’s the saint among saints, Amonis the Eighteenth of the Empire!’

The Emperor patted Chloe on the shoulder, looking around at the students.

“I thank you all for honoring me with your presence! Prime Minister, see to it that each of these children receives ten gold coins as a reward!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Amon’s eyes widened.

‘My God!’

Is this how travel expenses are paid?

Of course, I can’t spend the student’s money freely, so I’ll have to borrow it for a while.

The Emperor chuckled mercifully.

“Of course, there will be separate prizes for you, the winner and runner-up.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The emperor looks out for the other students!

“And,” the Emperor interrupted, suddenly looking at Chloe.

“By the way, child.”

“Yes, yes, Your Majesty!”

“Chloe Aran……are you from the kingdom of Aran?”

“……Yes.”

The emperor sighed.

“What a heartache you must have suffered…….”

“…….”

“I met your father a few times as well… It’s my own lack of virtue. I’m sorry. There, there. Don’t cry now.”

“Hmph…….

Of course, the Empire had nothing to do with the fall of the Aran Kingdom.

Still, apologizing to Chloe brought tears to Amon’s eyes.

‘You are a saint among saints.’

The Emperor said as he comforted Chloe.

“By the way, was the man who shouted at your game earlier your teacher?”

“That, yes, Your Majesty!”

The emperor burst out laughing.

“What a funny man he was! The teacher who taught Chloe Aran, come up to the dais!”

Pardon me?

The medic patted him on the back.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Oh, yes!”

Amon trudged up to the dais.

Still, the knight and soldier didn’t bother to inspect his belongings.

And as Amon stood before the emperor, he realized.

‘……I didn’t need to be inspected?’

The overwhelming feeling of power from the emperor made Amon realize why.

If Raymond was a ‘bear,’ the emperor was a dragon.

The majesty of an emperor ruling an empire is majestic, but he is also a person who has reached the extreme of his own power.

‘This is the Emperor of the Empire…….’

Amon quickly shook his head.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Hahaha! You’re surprisingly young! Lift your head! Let’s see your face!”

The chuckling emperor suddenly frowned.

‘……Huh? What’s wrong with him?’

The emperor tilted his head as if he himself didn’t understand, then laughed heartily once more.

“Hehehe, the future of the empire is indeed bright! To have a teacher so young who has raised such an excellent student, I hope you will continue to do so!”

“Your Majesty, you are too kind.”

“Prime minister, give this young man ten gold coins as a reward!”

As expected of someone who rules over an empire, you have a large coffer!

And then the emperor, who was about to give the pouch the prime minister had handed over while laughing heartily, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Oh yes, yes, what is your name?”

He replied briskly.

“Amon Drake, Your Imperial Majesty!”

And the moment he heard the answer.

“……Drake?”

After muttering the family name, the Emperor suddenly snatched the pouch he was about to give Amon and shouted.

“Who’s your emperor, you damned thing!”