The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 96

A unicorn is a legendary creature.

Originally, they could be found occasionally on the continent, but at some point, unicorns disappeared and remained as a fantasy in legends.

However, looking at their manes and the way they chew, even that bit of fantasy about them has disappeared.

“Ughh! Those horned horses, get away……”

It was especially apparent when watching Kai having nightmares while sleeping due to injuries from being kicked by a unicorn.

‘Speaking of which, I wondered why that bastard Kai got hit by a unicorn.’

Amon had desperately questioned Kai who had fallen and was groaning.

‘You impure one! Quick, confess why the honorable unicorn attacked you!’

‘Urghh! W-what are you suddenly saying……’

‘Come on! Speak up! It’s dangerous if you lose consciousness like this, so answer quickly!’

‘I, I have a fiancée! Ah, if I die here, I swear with her……’

Having a fiancée, lucky bastard.

“But Headmaster, why don’t unicorns kick elves like that? Many elves must have children too.”

“It seems elves are relatively okay because of their high affinity with nature.”

“They still seem to dislike them though.”

“But they can tolerate them to some extent.”

Anar’el said while watching Kai sweating and tossing around muttering ‘Those horned colts, I’ll strangle their…’

“It’s fine with elves, but I didn’t know it would be this bad with humans.”

“It’s fortunate there are no unicorns outside. If there were, they might have become enemies of humanity.”

To those words, Anar’el said.

“Oh? You didn’t know?”

“Pardon? Know what?”

“Actually, humans declared war against unicorns in the past. The unicorns lost the war and that’s why they’re staying in the elven kingdom.”

“……What did you say?”

“Since my grandmother heard it from her great-grandmother, it must be a story from thousands of years ago.”

“……”

He closed his eyes tightly in dismay.

‘Could it be that the reason unicorns became legendary creatures was because they were driven away by humans for causing this kind of trouble and disappeared?’

This was not the kind of legend he wanted to know.

Anar’el said.

“Anyway, since Professor Kai seems to have calmed down, shall we go out?”

“……Let’s do that. Since we’re here in the elven kingdom, we should look around at various things. Last time we only watched snails climbing the World Tree.”

At those words, Anar’el clapped her hands and said.

“Right, speaking of snail racing, I just remembered!”

“Yes?”

“Hohoho! You can be happy! I just found out myself……”

Anar’el smiled brightly with sparkling eyes.

“Originally, snail racing was a festival held once every 10 years! But today is special – it’s an all-star dream match where all previous champions gather! Even Mr. Slug, the champion from 30 years ago, is participating!”

Amon abandoned Anar’el and fled outside.

* * *

‘They’re crazy. They’re all completely insane.’

Amon glared at the World Tree.

Frenzied cheers could be heard from there.

‘I wondered why the snails were warming up when we arrived earlier, but to think they were holding such an absurd competition……’

He got goosebumps.

Anar’el’s eyes were gleaming ominously when she said she just found out.

Had she really not known? Only Anar’el herself would know that fact.

‘Suddenly changing her mind and struggling to come here despite sacrificing her back, she might have known.’

While shuddering, Chloe who was sightseeing the elven kingdom together pulled his sleeve.

“Teacher, it’s really noisy in the direction of the World Tree. They must be doing something.”

“Chloe, don’t even turn your gaze in that direction.”

“What?”

“Something very frightening is happening.”

“Oh, I see.”

Amon sighed and looked at Boris who was pointing somewhere with an excited face.

“Teacher! They’re selling spirit honey bread over there!”

“Spirit honey bread?”

Amon wanted to try that too.

The problem was that the elven kingdom used different currency from the Empire.

Although gold coins were accepted, when he presented them to ordinary elven kingdom citizens, they all looked troubled.

They didn’t have Empire currency to give as change.

But now Amon had no problem.

“Twenty spirit honey breads please.”

“Here you go, human. That’s 40 elven coins.”

“Put it on Princess Anar’el’s tab.”

“Gasp! This is Princess Anar’el’s guest token!”

This way, Amon was thoroughly enjoying tourism in the elven kingdom.

‘I think I’ve used about 500 elven coins so far, I wonder how much that is in Empire money?’

Honestly speaking, it wasn’t Amon’s concern.

“Nom nom! Brother, this is really delicious!”

“It’s tasty, not too sweet.”

Amy and Rustianel seemed to like it too.

Then Raymond, who was gulping down honey bread, started jumping up and down.

Raymond’s life-sized doll was jumping together with him.

“Teacher! They’re selling elven-style roasted grasshoppers over there!”

“……Raymond, you eat grasshoppers too?”

“I ate them when I was in the mountains with my grandfather. Not often though. It was a delicacy.”

“……”

Even Amon had never eaten grasshoppers before.

After hesitating briefly, what he found at the street stall he went to was roasted grasshopper legs the size of turkey legs.

‘This is supposed to be grasshopper legs?’

The snails were disgustingly huge, and now the grasshoppers are this big too?

‘Don’t tell me they have grasshopper racing too……?’

When he tried it, the taste wasn’t bad surprisingly.

Anyway, while enjoying the tourism, a question suddenly came to mind.

“By the way kids, where did all the other teachers go? When we came out after putting Kai to sleep earlier, I couldn’t see anyone.”

Raymond, who was crunching on herb-wrapped roasted grasshopper legs, said.

“Professor Marion went to drink elven wine, and Professor Sloth is sleeping.”

“……figures.”

Everyone’s exactly as expected.

‘Vice Principal Brestle is probably running around here and there eating things, and I wonder what that troublemaker is doing. I hope she’s not harassing the elves.’

He was worried she might damage the elves’ perception of humans and the Empire.

“I-is this news really true?”

“That’s right, human woman.”

“T-this can’t be! It must be false information!”

“Ack! W-why are you doing this! Human!”

Fiora was grabbing and shaking the collar of the elven newspaper stand owner!

Seeing that sight, Amon shook his head.

‘What a troublemaker. She’s causing trouble on purpose.’

Though he wanted to pretend he didn’t know her and pass by, considering the relationship with the elven kingdom and being Princess Anar’el’s guest, he couldn’t leave her like that.

Amon hurriedly approached to stop Fiora.

“Troublemaker, stop it and let’s go.”

“Ah, Mr. Amon!”

Despite being unfortunate acquaintances, she turned around as if happy to hear a familiar voice, with a crying face.

That made Amon also surprised and speak in a gentle voice.

“W-what is it? What’s wrong?”

At that question, Fiora thrust out the elven newspaper.

There was something written in large elven letters at the top, but the problem was that Amon couldn’t read elven.

‘But wait a minute.’

The detailed illustration below showed the Empire’s flag.

And flames were engulfing beneath that flag.

Seeing the illustration with an obviously negative nuance, Amon’s eyes went wide.

“Wait, could this be……?”

Perhaps, maybe, it couldn’t be.

As if shattering that denial, Fiora shouted like screaming.

“War has broken out in the Empire!”

At Fiora’s confirmation shot, Amon jumped up in place.

To receive such crazy news when everyone was scattered around!

* * *

Marion was drunk as usual.

“Geh geh geh! Elven wine made from collected morning dew! The alcohol goes down so smoothly!”

He had maintained a proper appearance until morning, but now that free time was given in earnest, he was having a proper drinking party.

The street vendor selling elven wine also looked satisfied with Marion’s behavior of drinking alcohol like water.

As someone who made the wine himself, he couldn’t help but be pleased seeing someone drink it with such joy.

“Old human, you really drink well! Try this too!”

“Ohoho! Sure! Where’s the money……”

“It’s on the house!”

“Gyaah! Burp! Let’s drink!”

The owner also picked up his cup to have a good time together today, closing his business early due to Marion’s enthusiastic reaction to his wine.

“Human! Have a drink with me too!”

“Keh keh keh! Gladly!”

Just as Marion and the owner clinked glasses with joy.

“Senior Marion!”

“Huh?”

As Amon came running while shouting loudly from far away, Marion raised his hand.

“Oh! Amon, have a glug with us!”

Marion got grabbed by the nape and dragged away!

Seeing that sight, the owner reached out his hand and cried out desperately.

“Humaaan!”

“Owner siiiir!”

* * *

Brestle was devouring food from street stalls like she was possessed.

“Nom nom nom nom!”

“Tsk.”

“Munch munch! Gulp, munch munch munch!”

“Tsk tsk!”

As Brestle said, the pale elves looked at her, a dark elf, with displeasure.

But that didn’t last long.

“One more bowl.”

“……Again?”

“Two more bowls.”

“Eh?”

“Bring more! No, bring everything!”

“I’ll bring it right away!”

Even elven discrimination is no match for money when it comes to business.

While Brestle was frantically inhaling food like that.

-Thud thud thud thud-!

Startled by the sudden footsteps, Brestle turned her head.

‘Professor Amon? And Professor Marion?’

Amon was running like crazy while holding the nape of Marion who was throwing up.

Seeing that sight, Brestle turned her head back and buried her face in the food bowl.

‘He’s finally gone mad. Let’s pretend I didn’t see and let him pass by.’

-Thud thud thud-!

‘Go away. Go away. Please just go away.’

Grab-!

“Keheeek!”

Brestle also ended up being dragged away by Amon who grabbed her nape.

* * *

Sloth was lying at the top of Moderaus, Anar’el’s house.

‘Ahh, this place is really nice……’

Since Moderaus was only blocking the sunlight shining on her face by moving its branches, her body was warm and cozy, her face had just the right amount of brightness, and the branches were gently fanning her with wind, so this place was heaven for Sloth.

‘I wonder if there’s a way to seek asylum in the elven kingdom?’

While Sloth was having such naughty thoughts.

Whoosh-!

Hearing the sudden sound of wind being cut, Sloth opened her eyes.

And the sight reflected in her trained eyes was Amon appearing through the branches in slow motion.

‘Huh? What? Why is Amon suddenly appearing……?’

Sloth’s thoughts couldn’t continue.

“Kyaaaack!”

She was grabbed by Amon and fell down.

Soon after landing on the ground, Amon put Sloth down.

“Heck! Heeck! Hey, Amon! What are you……?”

Sloth blinked her eyes.

Marion and Brestle seemed to have been dragged along too, and they were in terrible shape.

“Ow, ow!”

“Uck! Ueck!”

They were rolling on the ground holding their stomachs, having been dragged away while drinking heavily and binge eating.

Realizing she was fine compared to them, Sloth stammered.

“A-Amon. Why are you suddenly doing this……?”

At that question, Amon silently held out the newspaper from earlier.

“I can’t read elven……huh?”

The burning Empire flag!

After staring at the illustration blankly, she raised her head stiffly.

“Wait. No way. Perhaps?”

“Yes.”

Amon nodded and said.

“War has broken out.”

“Ack!”

Sloth jumped up.

“T-the students!?”

“The troublemaker should be bringing them.”

“The headmaster!?”

“Well of course……”

Amon turned his head.

Looking toward the World Tree where frenzied cheers from the snail racing were erupting, he said.

“We need to go drag her out now.”