The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

I never thought things would go so awry, but lately, it’s been outrageous.

The growth elixir I finally found turned out to be a fake, and I assumed Hayden Parker was living well, just like in the original story, only to discover he didn’t exist at all from the start.

At this rate, even the flimsy future I was counting on will become utterly useless…

“Um… Is there a problem…?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, it’s nothing serious!”

Seeing my grim expression, Amy started to get anxious.

Even if I look down, demons wouldn’t hesitate to target the Academy.

After all, I’ve fought against the Devil Worshippers, an organization that has been gunning for the Academy since the days of the Royal Knight Order.

Just to be safe, I should ask the Guild to investigate and assume that ‘Hayden Parker’ doesn’t exist for now while I come up with a plan.

‘Or… could it be?’

In an instant, one hypothesis flashed through my mind.

The only latecomer to the enrollment ceremony with the Parker surname, red hair, Amy Parker… not Hayden, but she’s the character most similar to him.

It could be a completely different person, but what if Amy is Hayden?

What if she was born a girl instead of a boy due to some external factor?

‘Could such a thing happen…?’

Thinking about it, I realized it wouldn’t be strange for anything to happen since I reincarnated in this world.

I feel the need to investigate.

“Do you have some time? I think the conversation might get lengthy; want to continue at that café up ahead?”

“Uh… Is that alright…?”

“There’s nothing else planned anyway.”

“Y-Yes… Sure!”

The students who entered as candidates have no other schedules except for the enrollment ceremony.

The actual start of classes will begin tomorrow, and today is completely free for students to socialize.

Already, I could see some students clustering together.

The café at the Academy resembles modern cafés.

There aren’t any kiosks, but the menu is elegantly written in white on a blackboard.

With antique furnishings, the rich aroma of roasted coffee fills the café, where a middle-aged barista is brewing the beans, making it feel like a trendy antique café.

I don’t understand how it’s developed like this, but since this world is based on a hastily scribbled novel, I choose to accept it calmly, even if it’s a bit bizarre.

After all, the real world doesn’t always operate on logic, so just going with the flow is fine.

“I… I’ve only lived in a territory… so this is my first time at a café.”

Amy, who said it was her first time at a café, looked around with sparkling eyes.

The Parker territory is a small rural area, so there probably wouldn’t have been a proper café.

As I watched Amy pondering over the many items on the menu with a puzzled expression, a thought suddenly struck me.

‘What if Hayden’s favorite drink… she likes too?’

It was a sudden curiosity.

Hayden’s drink preferences were quite different from the typical tastes of the Empire’s nobility, so if their tastes align… it might strengthen the hypothesis that the two could be the same person.

“I… I’ll have…”

As Amy’s eyes rolled over the numbers on the menu, she was about to point to the cheapest item when I jumped in first.

“I’ll take a Pine Sparkling, please.”

The barista’s mouth curved into a slight smile upon hearing my order.

This peculiar drink was on the menu purely because it was the barista’s favorite.

The Pine Sparkling, made from the extract of new shoots from coniferous trees found in the northern regions, mixed with carbonated water, surprisingly tasted like “Eye of the Pine.”

The promotional slogan was something like “Refreshing northern breeze that cools your head!” Yet, most people found its cooling menthol scent off-putting, so hardly anyone ordered it.

If one liked it, they’d drink it alone, so why on earth is this sold in cafés?

But amusingly, the protagonist, Hayden Parker, had an obsessive love for this drink.

“… And a glass of milk, and over there, a chocolate chip cookie.”

The sight of a small one ordering milk brought some odd looks my way.

I felt a slight irritation.

It wasn’t anything that held great significance.

It’s just a habit I picked up after being reincarnated into this body.

With a plate of cookies, the Pine Sparkling, and a gently heated glass of milk, I sat down.

“Um… what about the money…”

“I’m paying.”

As Amy tried to pull out her wallet from her pocket, I grabbed her hand and put it back.

Since I suggested coming, it’s only right I pay.

The drinks weren’t cheap either.

Though I might not have a lot else, I still have plenty of regular spending money, so I’m not about to skimp on this.

“I… I’ll pay you back later…”

“I just bought them because we’re together. If I keep anything aside, it’ll just be inconvenient for me, so don’t worry about it.”

Seeing Amy seem burdened, I told her not to mind and took a sip of the warm milk while sneaking a glance at her.

She lowered her head at my words and lifted the Pine Sparkling in front of her to sip.

“…!”

Her eyes widened after tasting the Pine Sparkling.

That’s a good sign; at least she didn’t grimace.

‘Is it good?’

Judging by her expression, it looks fine.

“How is it? It’s a secret menu item at this café.”

“It’s quite a unique flavor… it feels like my chest is being cleared up.”

An accurate taste evaluation.

But saying the flavor is unique isn’t necessarily a compliment.

After saying that, Amy took another sip of the Sparkling.

“Is it tasty?”

“Yes, it is.”

Hearing her directly say it’s good put me at ease.

I was glad to know Amy liked Pine Sparkling just like Hayden did.

That fact alone was enough for me.

The barista, who was wiping down cups at the counter, nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Amy’s praise of the Pine Sparkling.

Wait, why is that person eavesdropping here?

“I didn’t see you earlier; did you come in as a candidate too?”

“Yeah… I do have a territory, but I’m poor… so I didn’t get a recommendation.”

“Wow, it’s impressive that you came here prepared. I just entered with a recommendation.”

“Is that so? I heard those with recommendations still have to take the exam…”

“The exam for admission requires at least an A rank, but if you come in through a recommendation, the exam is just for classification. Not attending the exam doesn’t bar you from the Academy. Plus… you’re a scholar, right?”

“Yes…”

“If you’re a scholar, you’ve achieved at least an A, which is more impressive than just having a recommendation. So you can be a bit more confident.”

“… Thank you.”

After lavishing her with praise, Amy blushed and bowed her head.

After that, we talked for quite a while.

I shared some of my backstory, making it sound nicer while easing into an atmosphere where Amy felt comfortable sharing her situation too.

“I…”

A poor territory, an admission through examination, similar yet somewhat different.

In the original story, Hayden Parker came from nobility but was driven from his home when demons attacked his territory, leaving him to wander alone until he met the ‘Devil Slayer’ who became his mentor.

He enters the Academy after hearing that the demon, his enemy, had infiltrated it…

But Amy’s story was completely different.

“When I was young, demons invaded my territory…”

It’s true that her territory faced a demon attack, which caused significant damage, yet no one in her family died at the hands of the demons.

However, the destruction left by the demons was immense.

Most children of Amy’s age were consumed by the demons, and she barely survived thanks to someone defeating the demon just before it could take her life.

“It’s already a small territory… people say there’s a curse from the demons, so they don’t come, and they just keep leaving.”

As a result, she says she doesn’t even live a noble life but instead works in farming just to survive.

As she pondered how to save her deteriorating territory, young Amy remembered the stories told by a wandering bard about the Academy.

“If I graduate from the Academy… it’ll ease the burdens on everyone in my territory…”

“I understand… that’s impressive.”

Graduating from the Academy means being recognized as a talented person by the Empire; if she entered through examination instead of recommendation, that makes it even more significant.

If successful, she could grab onto connections with high-ranking officials.

The thought of saving her territory is quite noble and altruistic.

We spoke for quite a while longer before parting ways.

“Thank you for today!”

“Don’t mention it… see you tomorrow.”

“Yes… yes!!”

I still couldn’t be certain.

Whether she really is destined to be the protagonist, or if she’s a completely different character.

At this point, it seems impossible for the protagonist to endure his fate.

But if the protagonist deviates from his fate, the only ending left would be a bad one.

In that case, I have no choice but to help navigate through it somehow…

———————————————

On her way back to the dormitory, Amy felt happy recalling the bond she made today.

“Is this what it feels like to have a friend…?”

A blonde pretty boy who sat alone in the garden,

Though smaller than her, he didn’t really appear like a child due to his mature aura.

They went to the café together, shared parts of their sensitive family histories, and enjoyed engaging conversation.

Speaking with someone her age felt completely new since that incident.

Having lacked connections with peers for so long dulled her sensitivity, but having reached that point, it wouldn’t be inappropriate to call him a friend.

Atlas Nemea, Amy’s first friend since arriving at the Academy.

“Hehe…”

In truth, she was feeling quite shy.

After the incident and the awkward moments during the enrollment ceremony, the sight of splendid carriages unloading their goods left her overwhelmed, and the academy’s astounding facilities added to her anxiety.

“You’re more impressive than a recommendation. You can be more confident.”

Given that Atlas enrolled with a recommendation, he must come from a noble family.

The fact that Atlas, seeing her as nothing special, still praises her, caused her lips to involuntarily curve upward.

“I underestimated him; he turned out to be a good person.”

Amy’s mutterings began to elongate.

Upon closer inspection, those mutterings didn’t seem so lonely.

“…Telling me not to let my guard down?”

Though no one is nearby, it felt as if she were conversing with someone.

“No… thanks for helping me until now, but I did as you said. Getting enrolled in the Academy… Atlas is a good person… I don’t want to feel suspicious.”

Amy’s conversation with her unseen companion paused for a moment.

“Are you saying you gave me a fake name?”