The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

After finishing the sparring, I found that Kyle Danvers’ execution was taking place.

The method of execution was beheading using a guillotine.

It happened in the great square of the capital for everyone to see, and they said the severed head would be displayed on a pole for three days.

The news that the Archmage of the Magic Tower had been disgracefully killed by the Empire was certainly juicy gossip for reporters and citizens alike, but there were also those who couldn’t take it lightly.

The surviving other Archmages were among them.

This execution wasn’t carried out solely by the Empire; it carried the will of the Magic Tower Master Hoenheim.

The Archmages thought of it as a warning.

A reminder that if they wanted to freely dominate the Magic Tower without Hoenheim’s interference, they had to adhere to certain lines.

“Wow… I can’t believe I’m witnessing an Archmage’s execution in my lifetime.”

“Wasn’t the Magic Tower supposed to have its own judicial authority? How could the Empire execute him?”

“I heard the Tower Master handed him over directly. He got caught trying to swindle the Empire, so they decided to punish him.”

People were congregating to catch a glimpse of Kyle hanging from the pole.

Amy, watching the rare spectacle, asked.

“Do they execute people like this often in the capital?”

“Not really.”

“If they keep doing this in the same place, it’s bound to attract demons. I’d want to station at least one Knight there.”

That was a good suggestion.

Let’s submit a proposal to the church under the name of the Royal Knight Order regarding that.

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Everything that needed to be sorted out in the capital was done; it was time to leave.

As I arranged our schedule, we decided to head to Titan first.

Ideally, we should have visited other places first, but there was something I absolutely needed to verify.

‘I feel like I’m forgetting something.’

I was sure there was something I had forgotten, but I didn’t know what it was.

Whether it was an important detail from the original story, a promise I made, or perhaps a significant event that was about to happen, I had indeed forgotten something.

But if I couldn’t remember it now, it probably wasn’t that important.

Thinking lightly about it, I tried to brush off the fact that I couldn’t recall anything.

‘Speaking of which…’

In trying to remember what I had forgotten, something else surfaced first.

————————————

Before departing for Titan, I went to find Shaara, who was still in the capital.

“Didn’t I promise to participate in something happening in two weeks?”

“Yes.”

The party I had agreed to attend was in two weeks… when I thought about it, I suddenly remembered.

“Isn’t it the party organized by the Principality of Prigia in two weeks?”

“…It seems it turned out that way unknowingly.”

I thought I was merely being invited to a small tea party hosted by Shaara, but instead, I had been summoned to an extravagant event hosted by the Golden Ball.

In hindsight, waiting for a response from my family should have raised suspicions; it was probably all because of this.

A party in Prigia is one of the most renowned social events in the Empire.

It’s a place you can only attend if you receive an invitation, and people would spend a fortune to buy one just to catch the eye of the Golden Ball.

But for me, there was no incentive at all to attend that party.

“Um… did I cause any trouble?”

“….”

I had promised, so I would go, but I certainly wasn’t looking forward to it.

Since it was a Golden Ball event, countless narcissistic, personality-deficient nobles I despised would definitely be in attendance.

It would give me a headache to mingle with those who have zero respect for others.

I’d do my best to endure, as I was invited, but if anyone starts making remarks about my height, I might end up doing something drastic.

As much as I wanted to avoid it, I had a promise to keep, so I intended to show my face and then hide elsewhere.

“No. I promised, so I have to go.”

“Thank you.”

Once it was confirmed I would attend, Shaara looked absolutely delighted.

———————————

I was surprised when Atlas stated he’d be heading to his territory first to confirm something.

What could he possibly need to verify after being so reluctant?

I had my suspicions, though.

Atlas must have seen something hidden in the underground lair of the Demon Church.

Though he wasn’t saying anything, it was clearly a matter related to people.

-So, it’s something to do with family.

The companion who had been listening to my thoughts offered an opinion.

‘Family?’

-The Titan, once known as the Giant of the Empire, was a formidable clan. They were unmatched in power, military might, and wealth. Their reputation was comparable to that of the five great nobles. Well, at least it used to be.

‘Aren’t they still fine now?’

That seemed odd; they were once a prosperous high noble but were claimed to be otherwise now.

-Compared to their glory days, the Titan is insignificant now. They began to crumble because of a small stain. That stain was Atlas.

‘Why is Atlas a stain?!’

My companion flared up at the mention of Atlas being a stain.

How they viewed Atlas differed entirely from how I felt when I actually met him.

The Titan family produced Atlas, a Master; how could their fortunes decline?

Even if Atlas had hidden the fact that he’s a Master, he’s recognized by the Empire as an Expert at the highest level and a high-ranking official in the Royal Knight Order.

-True, ‘now’ Atlas is at the master level, but he wasn’t before. Being a Master at that age is impressive, but before he grew into that role, the Titan family had already begun to falter. That can’t be reversed.

—————————

Before heading to Titan, I checked the last items I had packed in the hotel.

“I never thought you’d be the first to go to your territory.”

I felt a sense of responsibility from River’s words, as we had originally planned to visit everywhere first and only go to Titan last, but my personal issues caused us to delay everything.

“I’m sorry; I needed to confirm something.”

“It’s okay. It wasn’t urgent. Just… even if it’s the last, I’d like you to go with me.”

River smiled nicely and took my arm.

“Since we’re on the subject, can you introduce me to your territory? I’ve heard the Blade Mountain is famous, but what is it like? Any local specialties?”

“Well, here…”

River turned the conversation towards his territory, Titan.

I knew about Titan’s territory… I knew how it looked.

A small town had been built under a mansion that seemed like it could disappear with the slightest landslide, and surrounding it was an extensive farmland.

While one might picture a mountainscape ruling the northern hemisphere, it wasn’t quite to that extent.

It couldn’t compare to the endless golden wheatfields in Prigia’s granary area, but during times of food shortages in neighboring territories, Titan could afford to share generously due to their decent production.

This must be one of the reasons why Titan ruled the Blade Mountain.

But that was just what I knew.

“Wheat fields beneath a high mountain… I’m looking forward to it.”

Although I had studied and learned about it, I had never truly experienced it myself.

I was a child my father was embarrassed of, and I had never even been permitted to step outside the mansion.

Throwing my body into the Blade Mountain to perish was only a taste of what it was like outside; I had run away to join the Royal Knight Order, and that was my first real outing.

I swallowed the words that almost escaped my throat again.

Whenever I recalled my family, it always led to this.

Any thoughts I had would turn into gruesome and dull stories.

Those were words that were so heavy for me to speak, and I shied away from them.

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Outside the dormitory, we gathered to check attendance.

“Is everyone ready?”

“I didn’t pack anything.”

“Me neither~”

When I asked if we were all set, Casey and Gemma, who really shouldn’t be here, raised their hands first.

I’m tempted to give them a smack.

“…What are we taking to move?”

Lucia appeared tense, likely because she thought we were boarding an airship.

“Yeah. Want to close your eyes for a moment?”

“L…like this?”

We will use some means of transportation.

I’m the one who’s going to carry us.

Since we couldn’t waste any more time now that we were here, I decided to use my teleplacement spell to travel.

Typically, I could only take one person at a time, but there was no limit to how many times I could use it, so even with a group, I could deliver everyone one by one in under ten seconds.

I held onto each of their hands as we moved.

The moment I stepped forward, the surrounding scenery changed.

“Whoa?! W…where… is this?!”

Lucia, experiencing the sudden teleportation, was startled by the unfamiliar sensation and looked around frantically.

The gray city had transformed into lush greenery around us.

In the distance, I could see cows grazing.

We had seemingly wandered into some kind of pasture.

Beneath towering mountains, an expansive grassland unfolded, and below that, golden wheatfields stretched endlessly.

We had arrived properly.

“Welcome to the Blade Mountain.”

I had deliberately dropped us somewhere around to take a break before going straight to the mansion, and luckily enough, it was a picturesque spot.

“Wow….”

“It feels like my hometown. What a magnificent sight!”

“Seeing it from below is a whole different vibe.”

Everyone admired the breathtaking views of the Blade Mountain for the first time.

Amy had seen it from above before, but looking up from below offered its own spectacle.

True to its name, the Blade Mountain looked like a gigantic fortress wall.

“Is this… the Blade… Mountain? Atlas, you’re from around here too?”

Lucia seemed pleasantly surprised to learn I was a resident of the Blade Mountain and smiled shyly.

“…I was more like a neighboring cousin.”

River poked me in the side, observing how flustered Lucia looked.

“…When will you say it? Delaying won’t be good.”

“I’ll say it when we get to the mansion. That feels like it’ll be more entertaining.”

Having missed my time to share, I kept pondering when to mention it at all.

“Alright then, let’s keep moving.”

Once we arrived at the mansion, I’d naturally find a moment to explain.

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The overall atmosphere in the territory felt strange.

There was a pervasive sense of tension.

It was already a stifling household, but today was particularly unbearable.

“What’s going on?”

Why the entire territory was so tense became clear very quickly.

“I think we might have come to the wrong place?”

“This is the right place.”

“Hey? Atlas… why is that flag…?”

Mansions flew banners that weren’t of Titan’s family.

Among them were some that looked familiar.

The banners of Russell and Nemea fluttered together.

Only then did I realize what I had forgotten.

Every year around this time, the entire Blade Mountain would gather at the Titan for their annual meeting, and I had completely forgotten about it.

“Should we turn back now…?”