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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Amy couldn’t climb onto my back with her injured leg. I crouched, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I lifted her, supporting her thighs. She was heavier than she looked, but manageable. We were deep within the dungeon, beneath the boss room. We had to move. She held on tight, and I ran.
“…You’re not a demon…?”
She mumbled against my neck. What was she talking about? A demon? Now I’ve heard everything. Wait… had she shot at me because she thought I was a demon?
“Why would I be a demon?”
“You were in the ritual chamber…”
The cave. She had seen me there.
“I cleared out the cultists before you arrived.”
“But the demonic energy…”
“I also… dealt with the demon they summoned. The energy was from its remains.”
She must have mistaken the residual demonic energy for a sign of a pact.
“I told you it was a misunderstanding.”
“…Sorry.”
She mumbled. I wanted to smack her, but she was on my back. I’d do it later.
“But Atlas… I thought he’d make a pact… if a demon offered him height…”
“Well… that’s… a valid concern.”
If demons weren’t liars, I might have considered it.
“I’ve slaughtered countless demons. I know their tricks. And I told you to ask for help. Look at you.”
“I couldn’t… You lied to me.”
“I did?”
What was she talking about?
“Your name… It’s not Atlas Nemea. You lied about your name… when I told you everything…”
“How do you know that?”
“I have my ways. You’re Atlas Titan, not Nemea.”
If I had enrolled as Atlas Titan, it would have caused a commotion. The Titan family was influential. Rumors of their missing heir still circulated in high society. And of course, the main reason I changed my name was… well, a Master, a deserter from the Royal Knights, couldn’t exactly use his real name.
“Nemea is my mother’s name. Titan is my father’s. I’m using my mother’s name here. I didn’t enroll as a Titan. It’s… complicated.”
“And you hid the fact that you’re a Master…”
“It would be embarrassing, a Master enrolling as a freshman. People would ask why I’m even here.”
If I told them my sister sent me here to cool off… after beating up countless students… as a Master… it would be mortifying.
“If you’re a Master… you’re one of the Empire’s Shadows…”
“You’re well-informed.”
There were three Masters in the Empire. Linda Westhaven, the second Captain of the Royal Knights, and two unknown individuals, the Empire’s Shadows. Unlike ordinary Knights, who operated in the light, the Shadows worked in secret, their identities unknown, their missions classified. They lacked the glory of a publicly recognized Master, but they also lacked the responsibility. We, the two Shadows, my master and I, had chosen this path. Public recognition brought glory, but also unwanted attention. We preferred our freedom.
“Why… are you so kind to me…? A Master… like you…”
“Does there need to be a reason?”
“I… I thought you had ulterior motives… You were too kind… I have nothing to offer… I’m just… a poor Viscount’s daughter… I was afraid… to accept your kindness…”
She was right. I did have ulterior motives. She seemed to share Hayden’s fate. I wanted to keep an eye on her, knowing what was coming.
“You were kind to River too.”
“You train with River, you spar with her, you have things in common. I don’t.”
That was just the initial reason. If that were all, if she were like Hayden, driven by revenge, I would have kept her at arm’s length, not befriended her. The Academy was filled with pampered nobles, mostly self-absorbed, socially inept brats.
“Family background doesn’t matter. You’re… a good person. You’re fun to be around. Isn’t that enough?”
“We barely spoke…”
“You avoided me. Don’t do that anymore. And what’s with you? Were you hunting demons every night?”
“I… wanted to rebuild my territory…”
I’d ask her about her Devil Slayer training later. Fighting demons wasn’t easy, not alone. Her mithril greatsword, her pistols, her demon-repelling coat, these weren’t things a Viscount’s daughter could acquire. Someone had helped her. Hayden had a mentor in the original story, but he was a wandering swordsman. Amy, however, had remained in her territory. It didn’t add up. She was hiding something. Her life was just as… unusual as mine. But I didn’t want to pry.
“It must have been hard.”
“…Yes.”
It was a long story, and she was weak, her body slumped against my back. Had she always fought like this? Hayden Parker, the Devil Slayer, was physically different from Amy. He was taller, stronger, and most importantly, his mindset was different. He had lost everything, his humanity eroded by his thirst for revenge. Amy, however, was still… human. And fighting demons while clinging to your humanity was… difficult. I had to prevent her from self-destructing. If she tried to handle future incidents alone, the Empire would be doomed. She had to learn to rely on others, to ask for help.
We’d talk more after we escaped, after she recovered. The dungeon was collapsing, rocks falling from the ceiling. I dodged them easily. The exit was in sight.
“Why… did you save me…?”
She whispered, her face still buried in my neck.
“I shot at you… I attacked you with my Aura Blade… I avoided you… I treated you so badly…”
You did.
I had been ready to smack her if she hadn’t shown remorse, but her self-awareness was a good sign. Her voice trembled. I felt a warm liquid trickling down my neck. I didn’t need to look to know what it was. What should I say? I remembered something my master had said, when I first became a Master.
“We’re friends, aren’t we? Or is it just me?”
“…”
We emerged from the darkness, into the bright sunlight. We had escaped. Amy, bruised and battered, had survived, once again. This time, she wasn’t alone.
“Thank you… for saving me.”
Andy had returned to the capital. He was being awarded a medal for his handling of the dungeon incident. I had offered to take the credit, but Atlas had refused.
‘Let the senior take the credit. It’s not entirely wrong, is it?’
He didn’t want the attention. He had even made me promise not to mention his name.
‘Fine, but if my name is mentioned even once, you’re dead.’
I understood.
“Heh… I chose the right side.”
Supporting Atlas was risky, but rewarding. He might be difficult, but he was a skilled Knight, a former officer in the Royal Knights, unlike Andy, who had never risen above the rank of regular member. Atlas had reached the rank of officer immediately after completing his training, a position reserved for high-level Experts. He had promised me… compensation… in exchange for handling the aftermath. And this incident was a big deal. Dozens of high-ranking nobles’ heirs had almost died. The Devil’s Church’s involvement suggested a breach in the Academy’s security, a security level comparable to the Imperial Palace. It implied the possibility of demonic infiltration even within the Palace walls. Preventing a potential disaster of this magnitude, without any casualties, was a significant achievement.
“You’ve made me proud. I’m glad to see you’re still serving the Empire.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
He looked down at the medal, a golden, flower-shaped Gerberra Medal, awarded for acts of bravery in times of crisis. The woman presenting the medal looked to be in her early thirties, her dark hair neatly braided, revealing her slender neck. Her calm, dark eyes, the color of a midnight sea, and her clear skin gave her a youthful appearance, but she was far more experienced than she looked. She was Linda Westhaven, Captain of the Royal Knights, one of the three Masters in the Empire.
Andy was overwhelmed. Linda Westhaven, whom he had always admired from afar, was standing before him. She leaned forward to pin the medal on his chest. His heart pounded.
“So…”
She whispered, as she attached the medal.
“Where’s Atlas hiding?”
He thought he had misheard.
“…Pardon me?”
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