Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 32
‘Seven Demon Knights.’
I muttered to myself, watching the carriage.
Once armed, they’d climbed back inside. Colin was the only one left standing outside.
Colin whistled casually, as if nothing had happened.
“Oh, we meet again.”
At my words, Colin’s gaze fixed on me. His eyes narrowed sharply in that instant—as if he’d spotted an insect.
But it lasted only a moment. He quickly recovered that familiar, courteous smile.
“Guard Corps officer. It’s good to see you again.”
“That’s an odd place to stand. This isn’t Guard Corps territory.”
“Ha, I was just catching my breath for a moment.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, that works out. I’m heading off-shift myself. Mind if I hitch a ride?”
At my question, Colin’s eyes narrowed even more severely—the kind of look you’d make watching an insect jump.
“I’m afraid not. The carriage is already quite full.”
“That’s fine. I’m thin.”
“Ha, quite the amusing joke.”
He laughed naturally. I laughed along and replied.
“Not joking.”
“……I’ll have to decline.”
“Why the refusal? Is something bothering you?”
Colin’s eyes narrowed to slits. Those serpentine eyes gleamed.
I continued speaking casually.
“I suppose I’ll have to conduct another inspection. Will you refuse that, too?”
I tapped the button beneath my Guard Staff.
Colin glanced behind me. He nodded when he spotted Mailo standing at a distance.
“If you would, please be quick. I’m rather busy.”
“Convenient. I’m busy too.”
I extended my Guard Staff toward the carriage.
Colin only glared with irritation, saying nothing. He seemed certain nothing would show up.
Correct. Demon Knights were like cockroaches—Detection Magic wasn’t going to sniff them out easily.
I had no intention of using Detection Magic anyway.
There was a more reliable and intuitive method.
“Fireball.”
I tapped the carriage with my Guard Staff. Light burst from the staff’s tip.
Colin’s eyes widened at the sight of the light. It wasn’t blue like before—it was red.
Soon a massive Fireball erupted from the staff’s end. It was slow but devastating, that Fireball.
“What the—”
The Fireball struck the carriage dead-on.
Boom! The carriage tilted and toppled sideways. Kaboom! The Fireball detonated, engulfing the carriage in flames.
Colin stared at me with wide eyes. He couldn’t seem to process what was happening.
I checked the quest window.
[Sudden Quest] Demon Knight Order Extermination
Objective: Hunt Demon Knights (0/7)
‘So they didn’t die after all.’
I clicked my tongue and gripped my Guard Staff.
“Grraahhh!”
Colin’s eyes blazed red. Black flames erupted from his skin, consuming it hideously, and a grotesque horn sprouted from his forehead.
Then the carriage shattered, and the remaining charred figures burst out. They were all as hideously transformed as Colin.
“Oh, nicely roasted.”
I nodded with satisfaction.
“Die!!”
One of the Demon Knights charged at me. A rotted black Aura blazed from his sword. Simultaneously, Curses swirled down like a cloak.
Normally, knights are best defeated by weakening them with Curses. However, Demon Knights who’d made pacts with demons had strong Curse resistance. If I focused and cast deliberately, it might work, but efficiency suffered.
Of course, that wasn’t a major problem.
I moved my Guard Staff lightly. The staff, sheathed in blue Aura, aimed for his throat.
He didn’t dodge. Instead, he thrust his sword.
Crack—the Guard Staff tore through half his neck.
An ordinary person would have died, but he didn’t stop.
His sword pierced my shoulder. Sharp pain surged through me.
Even with half his neck severed, he laughed at me.
He trusted his Durability.
Demon Knights didn’t die unless their heart exploded—a half-severed neck left them perfectly fine. They didn’t even feel pain.
That was why knights hated Demon Knights.
Still, no matter how good their Durability, it was merely toughness.
“God above.”
I chanted lightly, looking at him.
At the same time, pure white light flared brilliantly.
Crunch—a horrible sound erupted, and his gaping wound closed rapidly.
“……What?”
Shock filled his eyes. He moved to swing his sword desperately, but it was already too late.
Thud—his head rolled across the ground.
[Sudden Quest] Demon Knight Order Extermination
Objective: Hunt Demon Knights (1/7)
“One.”
I brushed off my Guard Staff and smiled.
* * *
“Combat Priests, you say? Weren’t Combat Priests a failure?”
At Karel’s question, Elena nodded slightly.
Combat Priests had both Aura and Holy Power at half-strength, so they remained a failed project. That’s what was commonly believed about why Gyoguk abandoned them.
But the truth was different.
“Combat Priest training wasn’t a failure. It actually succeeded.”
“Then why was it scrapped?”
“Why did Gyoguk create Combat Priests in the first place?”
“Wasn’t it to overcome the Type Matchup weakness of Aura and Holy Power?”
“Right, it was to overcome matchup disadvantages. But there was a fatal problem.”
“Yes. There’s a contradiction between Aura, which relies on the individual, and Holy Power, which relies on god.”
Elena tapped her long fingers together.
“Exactly. So Gyoguk tried to forcibly implant faith.”
“……Is that even possible?”
“When do people seek god?”
“When they’re suffering.”
“Right. When happy, people pat their own belly, but in suffering, they blame someone else. Gyoguk made knights seek god.”
“Made them seek god, meaning—”
“They imposed harsh asceticism. Until they manifested Holy Power.”
“……Did that work?”
“It did. Combat Priests emerged in respectable numbers.”
Horror dawned in Karel’s eyes. Elena ignored it and continued.
“Of course, problems arose. Combat Priests couldn’t actually use Blessing.”
Holy Power divides into three main categories.
Blessing, Healing, Judgment.
The most important among them is Blessing.
Blessing is the flower and essence of Holy Power.
But Combat Priests couldn’t use Blessing.
It made sense. Blessing is a sincere hymn of praise directed at god.
How could one forced to believe in god sing such a hymn with sincerity?
Unable to use Blessing—that mattered greatly in Gyoguk.
It meant they didn’t truly follow god in their hearts.
“So that’s why they were scrapped.”
“After pouring all that money in, we’d abandon them just for that?”
“Then what was the real reason—”
Elena met Karel’s eyes as she spoke.
“Karel, what do you think is the most efficient combat?”
“Defeating an enemy without taking wounds?”
“What if wounds could be healed immediately?”
“Then there’d be no need to defend.”
“Exactly. Knights who charge forward without dodging or blocking—where have you heard of such things?”
Karel swallowed hard and answered.
“……Demon Knights.”
“That’s right. Those who’ve seen Combat Priests fight say they were more depraved than Demon Knights themselves.”
Elena nodded and added.
“Depravity. That’s why Combat Priests were abolished.”
* * *
‘Demon Knights…’
Raven muttered to himself, watching the knight rolling across the ground.
The knight’s skin was blackened, grotesque horns protruding from his forehead.
A knight who’d made a pact with demons—definitely a Demon Knight.
Demon Knights had a fearsome reputation.
Knights already had good Durability, and now they’d made pacts with demons too—they didn’t die unless their necks were severed. They didn’t even feel pain.
That’s why Demon Knights disregarded defense and charged blindly at their opponents.
Relentless attacks that cared nothing for their own lives.
That was why Demon Knights became synonymous with terror.
In fact, the Demon Knight Grave just killed showed no defensive instinct whatsoever. His attacks carried a chilling murderous intent.
But Grave didn’t avoid either.
They simply exchanged blows.
Normally this would have been a situation the Demon Knight welcomed.
Then Grave invoked Holy Power. His wounds closed so rapidly it was visible.
The Demon Knight tried to move too late—but by then it was done.
“Two.”
Grave kicked off the ground. He was the one charging at the Demon Knight now.
That Demon Knight thrust his sword.
Relentless attacks with no regard for defense—. This time too, Grave didn’t dodge.
Again, they exchanged only blows.
“God above.”
Pure white light flared, and Grave healed instantly. The Demon Knight tried to continue his assault, but Grave’s Guard Staff—now recovered—was faster.
“Three.”
Grave brushed off his Guard Staff.
Red blood sprayed in a long arc.
The Demon Knights rapidly spread out and surrounded Grave.
The formation was flawless, supporting each other while leaving no gaps—these were no amateurs.
But Grave didn’t hesitate. He charged straight at a Demon Knight on his left.
The other three targeted Grave, but he didn’t even glance at them.
The Demon Knight Grave had picked his target made desperate sword movements, but his blade was oddly clumsy and slow.
Since he usually fought without defending, he couldn’t help but be awkward when forced to.
“Four.”
Thud—another Demon Knight’s head joined the pile on the ground.
In that opening, the remaining Demon Knights’ blades pierced through Grave.
Fatal wounds. Surely fatal—
Grave didn’t even blink. He simply moved his Guard Staff methodically.
Crack—a head exploded in a spray of red.
“Five.”
Now only two remained.
“The vital points! Target the vital points!”
Two Demon Knights’ swords aimed for Grave’s neck, trying to kill him in one stroke before he could heal.
Grave simply tilted his head, evading the blades with a nod. His Guard Staff moved without emotion.
“Six.”
Grave brushed off his Guard Staff.
Red blood dripped again in a patter.
Only one remained—a Demon Knight who appeared to be their captain.
The Demon Knights weren’t weak. From Raven’s perspective, they were actually stronger than their reputation suggested.
But their opponent wasn’t a good matchup. A Demon Knight’s strength lay in relentless attacks, but Grave was even more relentless.
If Demon Knights gave flesh to take bone, Grave gave bone to take bone. And he healed immediately after.
No matter how good a Demon Knight’s Durability, they couldn’t keep pace with Grave’s constant healing.
Eventually the Demon Knight had to shift defensive. A Demon Knight forced to defend was no longer a threat.
As Demon Knights devoured knights, Grave devoured Demon Knights.
It was an anticlimactic end unfit for a Demon Knight’s fearsome reputation.
“Why is your blade faster? We can’t feel pain.”
The Demon Knight stammered the question, disbelieving.
“Pain is sensation. No sensation means dull movements.”
Grave answered flatly.
He was right. Pain is sensation. Without it, the body dulls.
In fact, there’s even training in the Full Moon to control Pain Sensation. That’s how important pain is.
But there are limits.
Pain beyond measure triggers fear. Feeling fear in combat is deadlier than poison. If you hesitate even slightly from fear, you lose your life in that instant. When exchanging fatal blows like just now, not feeling pain was the advantage.
It should have been that way—
Yet Grave’s Guard Staff didn’t slow from pain. It only grew sharper and keener.
Most tellingly, his mouth was curved upward.
As if in genuine joy.

“Seven.”
Thud—watching that head roll across the ground, Raven swallowed hard.
‘What kind of monster did Gyoguk create?’
The problem was that monster had Raven on a leash.
“Hey, Raven. Get me a Guard Uniform.”
Grave ordered Raven.
This was…… an obvious errand—no need even to guess the intent.
He’d already accumulated plenty of Assassination Coupons. There was no need for such chores—
Then their eyes met. Grave, completely drenched in blood, looked more like a Demon Knight than any Demon Knight.
‘More coupons are always better, right?’
There’s a saying: the more you have, the better.
It’s simply that.
Really.
Absolutely not because he was scared.
Caw!
A crow’s call rang out loudly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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