Chapter 176: The Day the Demons Struck
Chapter 176: The Day the Demons Struck
A report reached the demon leader that the imperial meeting had ended earlier than expected. Another important meeting had been scheduled for the following day.
He read the message twice before setting it aside.
He stood in a dim chamber far from the capital. Outside, the distant lights of human settlements flickered against the dark horizon.
He took out a communication crystal and released a thin thread of mana into it. The crystal glowed with a low, steady light.
"Sephtis."
A moment later, a woman’s voice answered.
"I’m listening."
The woman wore Mara’s face. She had been living among the students of Ambrose Academy, concealing her true identity while observing the academy from within.
"Tomorrow, you will give the signal at the appointed time," the demon leader ordered. "Once I receive it, we will begin the attack."
"Understood."
"Do not act before then. The timing is important."
"I know."
The crystal went silent. The residual glow faded from his palm.
The demon leader lowered his hand and looked toward the distant lights beyond his hideout.
By the following day, the Empire would be occupied with its own affairs. Its nobles would be gathered in one place, and the academy’s strongest authority would be far from the students she was supposed to protect.
Everything depended on the signal arriving at the right moment.
---
The imperial meeting was held in the afternoon.
The hall was already crowded when Emperor Augustus Aurelmont took his seat. Nobles from across the Empire had gathered, accompanied by soldiers and officials. The three dukes sat among the most prominent members of the assembly, while Evelyne occupied her place nearby.
At the Emperor’s side sat Calista Veyne, Headmistress of Ambrose Academy.
Emperor Augustus surveyed the assembled nobles.
"We have reviewed the proposed framework for managing dungeons. Today, we will examine the provisions that still require discussion."
His gaze shifted toward Calista.
"Headmistress Calista, you raised concerns about the proposed examinations for students. Explain your objection."
Calista rose from her seat.
"My objection is to conducting practical examinations inside dungeons before adequate safeguards have been established."
A few nobles exchanged glances.
"Students must gain experience," one of them remarked. "They cannot learn everything from books."
"I agree," Calista replied. "But experience and recklessness are not the same thing."
Her voice remained calm, yet the hall gradually fell silent.
"A dungeon is not a controlled training ground. Its monsters, mana density, and internal conditions can vary. Even a dungeon assigned a lower rank may present dangers that inexperienced students cannot handle. Before students are permitted to enter, we need clear limits on which dungeons they may visit, which students qualify, and who bears responsibility if something goes wrong."
She paused before continuing.
"Without those conditions, the proposed examinations risk turning students into casualties of a system that has not yet been properly established."
𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Several nobles looked down at their copies of the framework. The proposal had treated practical examinations as a way to develop capable young people. Calista’s objection forced them to consider the consequences of implementing that idea too quickly.
Emperor Augustus nodded.
"Your concern is reasonable. The provision will be revised. No student examination will proceed until the necessary restrictions and responsibilities have been defined."
Calista inclined her head and returned to her seat.
The discussion might have moved on, but one of the nobles stood before the Emperor could speak again.
"Your Majesty, there is another matter that requires clarification."
Augustus gestured for him to continue.
"The framework places responsibility for a dungeon on the lord whose territory it appears in. Yet a dungeon may threaten neighboring lands as well. If it takes considerable resources to contain or clear one, should the territorial lord be expected to bear the entire burden?"
A murmur passed through the hall.
The noble continued, "Some territories possess greater wealth and military strength than others. If a dangerous dungeon appears in a poorer territory, its lord may be unable to manage it alone. Meanwhile, neighboring territories could benefit from the dungeon’s eventual clearance without sharing the initial cost."
He glanced around the room.
"The framework must explain how assistance will be arranged, how expenses will be divided, and who will receive the benefits after the dungeon is cleared."
This time, more nobles showed interest. The question touched the heart of the dispute. Every lord wanted their territory protected, but none wished to spend their own resources solving a problem that might benefit others.
Evelyne listened without interrupting. The framework had established a starting point, but its practical application would determine whether the nobles accepted it.
Before the noble could elaborate, the doors opened abruptly.
A soldier entered and hurried toward the front of the hall. His uniform was disheveled. He stopped before the Emperor and dropped to one knee.
"Your Majesty! An urgent report!"
Augustus’s expression hardened.
"Speak."
"Ambrose Academy has been attacked by demons!"
For an instant, the hall became completely silent.
Then several nobles began speaking at once.
"Demons?"
"How many?"
"Has the academy requested reinforcements?"
Calista rose so quickly that her chair scraped against the floor.
"What is the situation?" she demanded. "Have the students been evacuated? Are the instructors defending the grounds? How many attackers have been identified?"
The soldier lowered his head.
"We have not yet received a complete report, Headmistress. The messenger was instructed to bring the news here immediately."
Calista’s expression tightened. Her fingers closed around the edge of the table.
She was at the imperial palace, surrounded by the Empire’s most powerful people, while the academy entrusted to her care was under attack.
Emperor Augustus stood.
"Dispatch soldiers to Ambrose Academy at once. Send a message to the nearest available forces and order them to assist the academy. We will obtain the full report as soon as possible."
The soldiers moved to carry out his orders.
Calista looked toward the doors, her hands clenched at her sides.
She had spent the afternoon discussing how to keep students safe.
Now, those very students were in danger, and every moment spent waiting for news felt intolerably long.
---
Earlier that morning, Ambrose Academy had continued with its usual schedule.
Students attended their lessons. Instructors moved between classrooms. The corridors gradually filled with conversation whenever a class ended. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting long pale shapes across the stone floors.
In Class E, Mara sat among the other students.
To anyone observing her, she appeared no different from the young woman they knew. Her expressions, mannerisms, and appearance gave no obvious indication that anything was wrong.
But the woman hiding behind Mara’s face was not a student.
She was a demon who had infiltrated the academy and waited patiently for the moment she had been ordered to act.
As the second lesson drew to a close, students began packing their belongings. Some discussed their next class, while others prepared to leave the room.
Mara remained composed.
Then, when the appointed moment arrived, she discreetly reached for the communication crystal she had kept hidden.
She released a small amount of mana into it. The crystal glowed briefly against her palm.
The signal was sent.
No one around her appeared to notice.
Mara put the crystal away and rose with the other students, her expression unchanged. Around her, the ordinary rhythm of academy life continued, unaware that the first step of the attack had already been completed.
---
Outside the academy, the demon leader felt the signal reach him.
The communication crystal in his hand lit up sharply against the dim surroundings.
A cold smile spread across his face.
"It is time."
The demons waiting for his command stirred.
"Move out. Attack the academy. Do not give them time to organize their defenses."
At his order, the attack began.
---
Andras had just finished his lesson when he found Seraphina nearby.
The two exchanged a few words as students streamed into the corridor. For a brief moment, the academy seemed no different from any other day.
Then a scream rang out.
Andras stopped speaking.
Another cry followed, louder than the first. It came from farther down the corridor, followed by the hurried pounding of footsteps.
Students began running toward them.
"What happened?" Seraphina asked.
No one answered her immediately. Several students pushed past, their faces pale with fear. Bags were abandoned or clutched tightly against their chests.
"Get away from the entrance!"
"Demons! There are demons inside the academy!"
The words spread through the corridor, turning confusion into panic. The sound of shouting mixed with the sharp scrape of shoes against stone. Somewhere farther down the hall, something heavy crashed.
Andras looked toward the source of the commotion. Beyond the fleeing students, he could hear the sounds of fighting—the crack of magic, the clash of weapons, and the sharp crashes of something breaking.
Seraphina’s expression changed.
"This can’t be happening..."
Andras did not reply. His attention had fixed on the corridor ahead, where students continued to flee from the advancing danger.
The academy’s ordinary morning had ended.
The demons had entered Ambrose Academy.