The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 28

The wait was not long.

The butler came into the parlor, bowed, and said politely.

“You have waited a long time, my lady. You may now enter the great hall.”

“Yes, sir, I understand, but my companion is…….”

At the word companion, the butler glanced over but he quickly averted his gaze, as if trying to look away.

“If there is a reason why you should go together, then you should go together.”

After all, this was a ‘marriage announcement’, so Amon’s accompaniment would be a mouthful to say the least!

So Sloth took the lead, as if it were a matter of course.

“Let’s go, Amon.”

Amon followed her, and as he passed the butler, he could see it.

The butler’s eyes were filled with pity and compassion!

‘Why does he look at me like that?’

Despite his doubts, and a twinge of unease, Amon followed Sloth into the great hall.

The sight that greeted him made him swallow his saliva wrong and choke.

“……Kolok!”

A group of gnarled, hulking men sat around a large table.

Thirteen of them!

It was enough to make the spacious great hall feel packed.

‘Are they the Thirteen Swords of House Pid?’

If so, the middle-aged man seated at the head of the table must be Batista Ringsleigh Pid, the head of the Marquisate of Pid household.

‘…… That means he’s my father-in-law.’

Amon quickly sized up the situation and took a step forward.

Sloth, who quickly raised a hand to stop him, made eye contact and gave a small shake of her head.

‘This is a signal to keep quiet and stay still.’

She told him to keep his mouth shut.

Sloth took a small, deep breath as he obeyed, then turned to face the Marquis of Pid and bowed her head.

“Father, how have you been?”

Sloth looked up, her voice dignified as befitting a Marquis’ honor.

A short time, if short but it was enough time to return the greeting, and yet the Marquis of Pid mouth didn’t move as he looked at his daughter.

He merely stared at Sloth with a piercing gaze.

But she spoke again, as if she were used to this.

“I have come to see you today on a matter of some importance.”

“…….”

“I’m a teacher at Amonis Academy, and I’ve recently met someone I’d like to see a future with, and I’m here to tell you about it.”

“…….”

“Allow me to introduce you, the scion of Baron Drake, with whom I have a good relationship.”

Amon, stabbed in the side, bowed politely.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency, Amon Drake of the Barony of Drake.”

After the introductions, Sloth spoke.

“Although this is a marriage not authorized by father…….”

“…….”

“I wonder if you could congratulate me……”

Her voice faded into the background.

Her voice was the only one echoing in the vast hall, and the silence was so thick that even the slightest breathing seemed loud.

There was no answer, no response.

Just thirteen pairs of eyes, squinting and staring.

“…….”

In the heavy silence, Sloth, breathing heavily, turns and storms out of the room.

“……?”

Amon was about to follow her when the sudden sight caught him off guard.

“Wait.”

He turned his head at the sound of low bass and saw the Marquis of Pid glaring at him.

He puffed quietly on his cigarette, then opened his mouth to speak, puffing out a long stream of smoke.

“You say you are Amon of the Barony of Drake?”

“……Yes, sir.”

“I see, Baron Drake.”

Muttering, the Marquis of Pid looked around.

“Who would?”

The moment the words left his mouth, the young man sitting closest to the table jumped to his feet.

“I will do it, father.”

“Very well, Lancelot. Go.”

“Yes, father.”

Lancelot nodded, then glared at Amon.

“I’m coming.”

“What?”

Coming? What does he mean?

Before I could formulate the question properly.

“Fuck you.”

Amon shouted, dodging Lancelot fist as it came out of nowhere.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“That’s the end for you!”

“What bullshit…….”

“I’ll make sure your will is passed on to Baron Drake!”

Lancelot swung his fist at me before I could even finish my sentence!

Even though Amon was blinded by his desire for success, he couldn’t just take it when someone came rushing at him without even knowing what was going on.

‘Eh, I don’t know!’

He met Lancelot’s fist as he charged at him and struck him back.

-Pow!

Amon’s fist was surprisingly strong for a man of the Drake estate who fought orcs with his bare hands!

Lancelot fell to the ground, clutching his broken fist, and cried out.

“Aaahhhhhh!”

Lancelot let out a pitiful scream like a puppy, unlike the wild boar he had been a moment ago!

The rest of the Twelve Swords giggled at the sight.

“Hoho, Lancelot was defeated in a single blow…….”

“Hmph, he’s the weakest of our Thirteen Swords anyway.”

One of the scowling men stood up.

“I’ll step up.”

“Hmm, if it’s Kanzlor, I can trust him.”

Kanzlor, the Twelfth Sword, right above Lancelot, was the most eloquent of them all!

He approached, fists clenched, and Amon gasped.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, why are you suddenly like this…….”

“Shut up!”

Kanzlor yelled, lunging at Amon and punching him in the face.

“Die!”

With those last words, Kanzlor fell to the floor with a shattered jaw.

“You knocked him out with a single blow.”

“Hmph, he’s the second weakest of our Thirteen Swords. This time, I, the Eleventh Sword, will step up.”

Eleventh Sword Benslaw cried out in agony as his leg was broken.

And Amon, who had already defeated three men, was deep in thought.

‘Why are they doing this to me?’

The reason was obvious.

It seems like he doesn’t like the idea of some lowly rural noble trying to approach the Marquis of Pid family, huh?

But that’s a different story now.

By now, the Marquis of Pid was staring at him with a stern face.

He’s not even bothering to blow out the ash from the cigarette he’s holding in his mouth, so it’s clear he’s quite impressed.

‘So, the Marquis of Pid is all about power.’

Yet he has defeated three of the Marquis of Pid’s most elite swordsmen.

‘……This is an opportunity for advancement.’

Enlightened, Amon threw off his frock coat and let out a roar of laughter.

“Hahaha! Is this all there is to the Thirteen Swords of the Marquis of Pid!!”

“That, that bastard……!”

“Come on!”

The middle-aged man who had slammed the table stood up.

“You cheeky brat! Our ten swords are the real deal! The lowest three swords are just trash that can’t make it to the ten swords!”

At his words, the three who had fallen first began to shake their shoulders and sob.

“But as long as I, Kraslo, the Marquis of Pid’s Tenth Sword, am here, your insolence is over!”

“Hahaha, very well, go for it!”

“You bastard!”

Kraslo’s words were true, and the tenth sword was facing Amon without an inch of weakness.

However, the specialty of the Marquis of Pid family is the sword.

In the end, he had no choice but to reach his limit with his bare hands in front of Amon’s brute strength, which was so strong that he could even arm-wrestle an ogre.

“Kuch!”

Amon shouted as Kraslo collapsed, clutching his battered stomach.

“Next!”

The chorus of the rest of the swords at the table grew louder.

“It won’t be easy to kill him with our bare hands.”

“But it would be shameful for us to raise our swords against his bare hands.”

The Marquis of Pid, who had been listening to the chatter, rose to his feet.

“You are quite the fighter for a young man.”

As the Marquis of Pid approached Amon, the surrounding Eight Swords were shocked.

“Ah, Father!”

“You can’t be…….”

Marquis Pid looked down at Amon, towering over him.

Amon wasn’t all that short, but the Marquis of Pid was a giant of a man to look down on him.

“Ah, father himself!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Father’s work! It’s a feast for the eyes!”

The rest of the Swords were chirping.

Amon’s eyes widened at their chatter.

‘No, it can’t be.’

Whatever they were talking about, they were surely mistaken.

As proof, the Marquis of Pid in front of him looked so calm!

“Amon Drake.”

The moment Marquis Pid opened his mouth, his figure swelled even more enormously in Amon’s eyes.

It was as if he was looking at a mountain in front of him.

Grand Sword Master Batista Ringsleigh Pid, one of the Empire’s Four Great Knights.

Amon’s face hardened at the murderous intent he was spewing out.

‘……? Murderous intent?’

The hopes of the Eight Swords were not in vain.

The Marquis of Pid spoke up.

“Are you ready to die?”

Amon swallowed hard at the harshness of his voice.

Ready to die?

‘Of course not!’

Amon, who had quickly backed away, spoke up.

“Just a moment, please!”

“Is that all for your last words?”

“No, Your Excellency the Marquis of Pid, what on earth is your reason for doing this?”

“……why?”

“Yes, why are you trying to catch me by surprise and kill me!”

The Marquis of Pid’s cheeks twitched.

At the same time, the eight swords and the fallen swords, each broken in one place, also cried out.

“Hmph, what a fool!”

“How dare he, uh, step on the threshold of the Marquis of Pid……!”

Amon, who had heard their outbursts with one ear and waved them off, spoke up again.

“I apologize if I’ve been rude, so please tell me why!”

“……reason.”

Said the Marquis of Pid, who chuckled.

“Do you really not know your sins?”

“Yes, Your Excellency the Marquis of Pid, please tell me!”

Amon’s exasperated shout made the Marquis of Pid roar, as if in exasperation.

“Hmph, hmph, hahahahaha, good! I will inform you myself!”

* * *

After storming out of the tournament hall, Sloth stood at the door.

She was so anxious and nervous that her legs gave out.

The rush of nerves overwhelmed her and she burst into tears.

She leaned against the door and cried for a long time.

“Heh, heh, hahahahaha! That’s good! I’ll tell you!”

Sloth listened to the Marquis of Pid thunderous shout, which suddenly erupted from within the great hall.

* * *

Thump-!

The Marquis of Pid took a huge step forward, as if he was going to eat Amon, and roared.

“How dare you, you dare to hold my pretty, lovely daughter captive with your filthy tricks, and then say you don’t know the sin you’re committing!”

“I’m very sorry for that……eh?”

The Marquis of Pid exclaimed, stomping the ground with his foot.

“How dare you, you little brat, take my daughter! That little, fragile child!”

“……?”

The other Twelve Swords, Sloth’s brothers, pounded on the table and shouted back.

“How dare you, you low-life, low-life, lowlife!”

“Marrying Sloth, no way! Argh!”

Amon stared blankly at the thirteen glowering men.

‘Small and delicate, what is going on?’

Amon’s mind raced at the nonsense and slander against him.

-Bam!

Sloth opened the door and walked in.

“…….”

“…….”

And the thirteen men who had been glowing like a swarm a moment ago fell silent in unison.

Sloth stared at them, then closed the door behind her and left.

A moment later, as they wiped the sweat from their brow, they muttered.

“Gasp! Hah! She scared me!”

“My, my daughter, but how is she so cute every time I see her…….”

“Whew, is that the case with you too, Dad? Whenever I see that kid, I find myself frozen in place without even realizing it.”

Amon’s head spun as he listened to them chatter away.

‘Wait a minute. These people, no. These assholes can’t possibly…….’

When Sloth proposed marriage earlier, was the reason they remained silent simply because they were frozen in front of Sloth?

‘So the reason why you’re doing this to me is because you’re upset that I’m marrying Sloth?’

Amon asked, dazed with shock.

They were talking about Sloth, who had appeared out of nowhere.

“By the way, Sloth, I’m not saying this because she’s my daughter, but I haven’t seen her in a while, and she’s gotten a lot prettier!”

“Giggles, she looks just like our late mother!”

The thirteen swords of the Marquis of Pid were lavishing praise on Sloth!

It was hard to believe that they had been so angry and hateful towards Amon, and while they were talking about Sloth.

-Bam!

They froze again, silent as Sloth opened the door again and entered.

As she looked at them, the corners of her eyes were damp with moisture.

She’d been listening all this time outside!

“Father.”

“…….”

“My brothers.”

“…….”

It was just a misunderstanding caused by a clumsy father and brothers!

Sloth approached the Marquis of Pid.

She carefully hugged him, afraid he might push her away.

But instead of pushing him away, the Marquis carefully wrapped his arms around Sloth’s shoulders, his hands trembling as if he were afraid they might break if he touched them wrong.

“Awww……!”

How sad he was that he hadn’t been able to reach her!

The tearful Marquis of Pid!

And with that, it began.

Slowly, slowly-

The other twelve swords, Sloth’s brothers, swarmed around her, clinging to her like a swarm of ants to candy!

A harmonious and touching scene that cannot be seen without tears!

And meanwhile.

“……hulp!”

Amon had fallen to his knees and was sobbing.

It was not because of the touching sight of the father and daughter and brother and sister resolving their old feelings, but also because he realized that his success had taken off like this!