According to imperial law, the Imperial Academy accepted students regardless of social status.
That meant that as long as one had enough talent, even a slave or a commoner could knock on the doors of learning.
But was it really easy for such people to make their way to the capital?
“Kyaaaaah!
Help me!
I have no food, no money—I’m just a beggar!”
“Heh heh heh, then I’ll at least have a taste of your plump little ass!”
“If you stop struggling now, I’ll make it as gentle as possible!”
“Noooo!!”
Emily, an incoming student at the Imperial Academy, was a prime example.
In a world teeming with monsters and bandits, how reasonable was it to set out for the capital with just a single horse?
To make matters worse, the ones she ran into were mounted bandits, making escape even more difficult.
Ping!
Neighhh!!
“Calm down!
Calm down!
The pain will fly away!
The pain will fly awayyy!!”
One of the arrows fired by the bandits struck her horse’s thigh.
As the agitated horse reared up and limped, Emily hastily summoned her divine power.
She might be on the run, but as an Imperial Academy student, she possessed exceptional abilities.
“Damn it, that bitch is a priest!”
The arrowhead was pushed out from the horse’s body, and new flesh grew to close the wound.
With the pain gone, the horse became even more frantic, kicking up dust as it picked up speed.
The bandits, who had thought they would catch her soon, found themselves increasingly frustrated.
“Forget the horse—just shoot the girl!
Let’s see if she can still pray with holes in her body!”
“What if she dies?”
“If we lose her, the boss will kill us instead!”
Bandits weren’t exactly the type to think rationally.
Keeping their leader’s orders tucked somewhere in the back of their tiny brains, the bandits loosed their arrows at Emily.
They weren’t nomadic archers, after all—how accurate could bandits be on horseback?
Most of the arrows flew off-target… but—
Thwack!
“Gyaaah!!”
“I hit her!”
One arrow pierced through Emily’s shoulder.
The rusty tip sliced through her soft skin, scraping muscle and veins.
The excruciating pain made Emily’s tears flow freely, but she clenched the reins tightly—she knew that if she fell from the horse, she’d plummet straight into hell.
But the human body didn’t always obey its owner’s will.
“She’s falling!”
“Khahaha!
If it hurts so bad, just give up already!!”
A priest who couldn’t focus was no different from an ordinary person.
How could she heal herself while drowning in terror and agony?
Her fingers gradually lost their grip as despair took over…
Neighhh!
“What the hell?!”
A shadow emerged from the forest.
Emily, momentarily passing by the figure, widened her eyes in shock.
A girl?!
Here of all places?!
The girl, gripping a black greatsword, charged toward the bandits without a moment’s hesitation.
Emily instinctively pulled on the reins.
She couldn’t just stand by and watch as the girl fought nine bandits alone.
She wanted to run away in fear, but she couldn’t bring herself to throw someone else’s life away as a sacrifice…
Fwoosh!
“What the fuck is this?!”
“Uwaaaah!?”
Suddenly, the girl’s greatsword ignited with a crimson blaze.
The dazzling sight made the horses rear up and wail in terror.
Slash!
With a single swing, the girl cleaved two bandits in half.
No blood spilled—their severed necks fell to the ground as the stench of burning flesh spread through the air.
Realizing their opponent wasn’t ordinary, the remaining bandits hurriedly drew their weapons.
“That sword looks heavy as fuck!
No way she’s faster than us!”
“And she’s just a girl!”
“Surround her and cut her down!”
They were still killers by trade.
At their leader’s command, five bandits moved in unison, forming a circle around the girl and kicking up dust.
“Now!!”
At the signal, the bandits charged toward the center.
But the girl suddenly kicked off her saddle and soared into the air, swinging her greatsword at the approaching bandits.
“You think we’re fucking weak?!”
Three bandits raised their weapons to block the sword.
After all, even sticks bundled together didn’t break easily.
But they miscalculated one thing.
Crack!
“What the—?!”
They hadn’t considered that their opponent might be stronger than three men combined.
The girl’s greatsword shattered their weapons and cleaved their bodies in half.
The blazing flames licked at their flesh, burning even hotter.
The two remaining bandits, who had charged in alongside them, froze in shock.
The girl turned to face them, and one of them dropped his weapon in terror.
“I—I surrender!
I swear we had no intention of attacking you!!”
As if that would work.
The girl answered with her sword.
In an instant, she cut down all five of them.
She then turned to the last two survivors…
“You bitch!
You messed with the wrong people—I’ll make sure you regret it!!”
“Once we bring the boss, you’re fucking dead!”
“Cowardly bastards…”
Having healed her shoulder, Emily glared at them in disbelief.
The so-called “tough” bandits had turned their horses and were fleeing at full speed.
It seemed they’d never expected their lackeys to win in the first place—their retreat was as swift as the wind.
Emily hurried over to the girl and extended her hand.
“We need to get out of here!
Grab my hand!”
“…Oh, are you okay?”
Despite having just slaughtered the bandits, the girl asked with a calm face.
Did she not realize that wasn’t the issue right now?!
Terrified, Emily grabbed her hand and urged her.
“I—I’m fine, just hurry up and get on! If those guys come back—”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Huh?”
As if it were nothing, the girl reached out and made a pulling motion.
Clank!
Out of nowhere, crimson chains erupted from the ground and ensnared the fleeing bandits.
Their horses, now free of their riders, ran off into the wilderness.
One unlucky bandit fell and snapped his neck upon impact.
“Aaagh!
My leg!
Fuck, my leg—!!”
The other one had a bone jutting out from his leg—he was slightly luckier, perhaps, since he was still alive.
“See?
Nothing to worry about.”
“Ah… y-yeah…”
Emily wasn’t sure how to react to such a cheerful voice.
As much as she was grateful to her savior… she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of dread.
The carriage driver arrived late, tying up the surviving bandit.
If he was too scared to fight, the least he could do was clean up the mess.
He roughly bound the bandit and kicked him.
“You bastard!”
“Argh!
My leg!
It fucking hurts!!”
“Shut up!
You think you deserve to complain?!”
The driver could handle watching over the captive.
Meanwhile, a small figure on the girl’s shoulder—Dantalion—whispered to her.
“Now that things have settled down, perhaps it’s time for some answers.”
“You mean…?”
“Well, those bandits said something interesting, didn’t they?”
If they feared their boss, that meant their boss wanted her for some reason.
It likely wasn’t a grudge—there had to be something he wanted from the girl.
But…
“She doesn’t seem particularly special.”
She had some divine power, but nothing remarkable.
Her beauty was decent, but her disheveled hair and gloomy expression dulled her appeal.
Unless someone had a very specific taste, there was no reason to obsess over her.
“U-um…
Thank you for saving me.
My name is Emily, from Hommel Village!”
At that moment, having finally calmed down, Emily walked up to Joanna and greeted her.
“I am Joanna of House Dark.
I’m currently traveling to enroll in the Imperial Academy.”
“Eh, ugh…
I’m also on my way to enroll in the Imperial Academy?”
“Oh my?”
That meant they were peers.
Joanna blinked in surprise and glanced at Dantalion, making eye contact.
She, too, had experience hunting criminals and had a knack for detecting the stench of deception—not literal scent, but the unmistakable aura of scheming.
With a benevolent smile, Joanna grasped Emily’s hands.
“Traveling alone must have been exhausting.
But how did you end up running into bandits?”
“I don’t know.
My teacher told me this was a safe route, but then the bandits appeared out of nowhere…”
“You must have been terrified.
But don’t worry too much.”
Joanna rose from her seat and approached the coachman.
The coachman, seemingly harboring his own grudge against bandits, was growling and tormenting the captive.
“Mr. Thomas, is this route generally safe?”
“Ah, yes!
This is the fastest route to the city, so the city often hires mercenaries to clear out any threats.”
Given the Empire’s bustling trade, road safety was a significant concern.
Though they couldn’t pave the roads with bricks, commonly used routes were kept under strict security.
And yet, bandits had appeared here?
“Thank you.
I’d like to have a word with this man—could you look after Miss Emily for me?”
“Oh, of course, Miss. Consider it done.”
Noticing the implication, Thomas hurried over to Emily.
Anyone with a bit of sense could tell that Joanna wanted to speak with the bandit alone.
As soon as she was alone with the captive, Joanna’s pleasant smile vanished.
“Who ordered you to go after Miss Emily?”
“Heh…
Hehehe…
Heal my leg first, and I’ll talk.
I swear I regret what I did.”
The bandit laughed weakly, his eyes darting around.
She looked like a soft-hearted girl—kind enough to help even a stranger.
With a priest around, healing a wound like his should be no trouble at all.
If he played his cards right, he might even get a chance to escape—
Crunch!
Who said he was allowed to bargain?
Joanna crouched down, pressing her foot against his broken leg.
Snap!
The bandit’s screams were muffled as Joanna covered his mouth.
“If you scream too loud, what will the others think?”
She felt the muffled shrieks vibrating against her palm.
The slimy, disgusting sensation, combined with the stench of a sinful life, made Joanna grimace.
Once his screams died down, she pulled her hand away.
“You…
You crazy bitch…
You’ll go to hell…”
“Do you still not understand your position?”
And by the way, calling me a ‘bitch going to hell’ is a compliment.
She pressed her hand over his mouth again and seared his wound with a burning flame.
The stench of charred flesh filled the air as the bandit convulsed like a dying fish.
By the time his body was drenched in sweat and urine, Joanna removed her hand.
“I—I don’t know!
I only followed orders from my boss!!”
“Not good enough.”
The bandit flinched.
Joanna’s cold gaze bore into him like daggers.
He had no way of knowing that Joanna could see through lies.
But instinct was a powerful thing.
“I—I can’t talk even if I wanted to!
I can’t!!”
Unknowingly, the bandit had realized that lying was futile.
Recognizing the truth in his words, Joanna frowned.
At that moment, Dantalion, who had been observing the interrogation, spoke.
“Someone must have inscribed a spell in his mind.
If he tries to reveal the information, his head will explode.”
“Then there’s someone else pulling the strings behind the bandits.”
“The only way to get information now is to dive into his memories.
Hold me in your hand.”
Joanna carefully lifted Dantalion and placed him on the back of her hand.
Dantalion reverted to his slime form and wrapped himself around her palm.
“Hngh…”
“If it’s uncomfortable, I can change shape…”
“I—I’m fine.”
Who the hell was she talking to?!
The bandit trembled in terror.
At first, he had thought she was just a lunatic—but now, she wasn’t just crazy.
She was truly insane.
As her hand approached him, the bandit thrashed in panic.
“What—What the hell are you doing to me?!”
“Don’t worry too much.
In the end, all people die and return to the embrace of the divine.”
“Well, technically, that’s true,” Dantalion mused.
“Though this one is definitely headed elsewhere.”
The Red Book, the ledger of the damned, had his name written in blood—his place in hell was already secured.
Joanna gently whispered to him.
“Peter of South Cliven…
You’ve slaughtered many women, including your own mother and sister.”
“W-What?!
What is this voice?!”
The bandit’s vision darkened from the bottom up.
He tried to resist, shaking his head and rolling his eyes upward—but it was futile.
His eyes turned pitch black, and his head drooped lifelessly.
Of course, it was only natural—his soul had already been cast into hell.
Now, he was nothing more than an empty husk.
Joanna retrieved Dantalion and placed him back on her shoulder.
“There’s a mage targeting that girl.
The bandit leader and the mage are waiting nearby.”
Joanna nodded and rose to her feet.
Flinch!
The coachman and Emily, who had been clutching each other in fear, trembled.
They had assumed that the bandit had died the moment his screams stopped.
Joanna strode over to Emily and extended her hand.
“Let’s go, Miss Emily.”
“Y-Yes?!
C-Could I ask where we’re going?
And if I’m allowed to ask that?
And if I can ask—”
Panicked, Emily began stammering, her words tumbling out in a chaotic loop.
Joanna patted her shoulder and smiled.
“It’s time to judge the ones who attacked you.”
“Uhh…”
Emily nodded, her expression somewhere between laughter and tears.
Not because she feared refusing.
No, definitely not.