Ghosts Haunt the Academy (2)
We had to catch that ghost. But everything requires preparation. That's why I went to meet Imelda.
"Professor Imelda, I presume?"
She greeted me with a beaming smile as I arrived. I stepped into her office and offered my brightest grin in return.
"Pleased to meet you. Feel free to call me Nameless."
"A pleasure. I'm Imelda from the Swordsmanship Department."
She returned the greeting with impeccable poise, bowing deeply from the waist before straightening up to address me.
"I've been dying to meet you, Professor."
"Me?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"Why is that?"
"Aren't you the idol of swordsmen like us?"
"You're too kind."
It felt different from my chat with Rakan earlier. As a history professor, he'd just been intrigued, but Imelda looked genuinely thrilled—like a fangirl meeting her favorite idol.
"If I'd still been a student here, I would've signed up for your lectures in a heartbeat."
"That would've been an honor."
Imelda smiled warmly as she said it. I couldn't tell if it was sincere, but I was relieved she hadn't. If a fake like me had taught her, a talent like that might've gone to waste.
"So, what brings you to me, Professor Nameless?"
"I heard you're on night duty tonight."
"Yes, that's right."
She answered calmly, though her expression betrayed curiosity about why I'd ask.
To clear up her confusion, I laid out my reason.
"I'll cover your shift tonight."
"Pardon?"
Imelda's eyes widened in surprise. She mulled over my words, then double-checked as if she'd misheard.
"Wait, why on earth would you...?"
Her face screamed what kind of nonsense is this? Night duty was clearly a nightmare in any world.
"Don't Swordmasters sleep?"
"We need very little, and our bodies handle it fine."
"You only just arrived at the academy."
"That's why I want to do it."
She tilted her head, reacting with honest bafflement. I unfurled my rehearsed explanation.
"I figured it'd be a good chance to patrol the academy, get a feel for the layout, learn the geography."
Pure bullshit, of course. What use would academy maps be to me? And as a fake Swordmaster, pulling an all-nighter would leave me dead on my feet the next day. The real reason I volunteered for this hassle? A perfect excuse to wander the academy at night.
"Well... I'd welcome it, but are you sure?"
"Of course. Don't you trust me?"
"Absolutely not the issue."
She waved it off emphatically, but her tone turned hesitant, a touch awkward.
"It's just... students have been sneaking out a lot lately. It might get annoying."
"Because of that ghost story?"
"Oh, you've heard?"
"Rakan mentioned it."
"Yeah. Seems like even more cadets are venturing out now, hoping to spot the ghost."
Sorry, but same here. I wanted to see that ghost too. But I kept quiet—best not to admit anything incriminating.
"What do you make of the rumor, Professor?"
"Not much, but if I do catch any ghosts..."
"If you do?"
She cocked her head as I trailed off. Gauging her reaction, I hammed it up with a grin.
"They get demerits, right?"
"Haha, true enough. Curfew violations mean points."
She laughed, though something still nagged at her. In a concerned tone, she added,
"Just a heads-up: these cadets aren't pushovers. Last time, some magic department kids tried partial invisibility with diffraction spells..."
"No worries. Student tricks won't fool these eyes."
"Fair point."
She nodded with a faint smile at my confident tone. After a quick rundown on duty procedures, she handed me the roll call list and extended her hand gratefully.
"Then I'll leave it to you. And thank you."
"My pleasure."
I clasped her hand firmly, shaking it as I echoed her thanks.
"I'm the one who should be grateful."
The golden moon hung high. Silence and stillness reigned. At this hour when all should be asleep, one girl lay wide awake, staring into the night.
No matter how she tried to sleep, it eluded her. Giving up, she gazed out the window, lost in thought.
"This peace... it's so hard to get used to."
It was only natural. She'd thrown herself into life-or-death battles every day; that world had been her everything. A place without enemies to kill was utterly foreign, and she needed time to adjust—however long that might take.
"And it's been ages since I held a sword..."
Not just swords. Spears, maces, scythes, crossbows—she'd wielded them all. But since leaving the arena that day, nothing had touched her hands.
It had never bothered her before, but now the emptiness hit hard.
"I need to adapt. To all of this."
She'd learned it quickly upon entering society: almost no one tore people apart barehanded, killed daily without a second thought. And she was one of those rare few.
So she had to get used to it. This was normal. She was the odd one.
He'd told her she could live without ever picking up a blade again, if she wanted. That's what she craved—no more pointless killing, no more beastly existence that had driven her to desperate escape.
This body that couldn't sleep in peace, these hands that felt empty without a weapon, this mind numb to death—they all had to change.
"...Why did he come here, anyway?"
Her mind wandered to useless thoughts, so she shifted gears. Ian. The man who'd saved her, called the Nameless Swordmaster, now an academy professor. She'd underestimated him before, but he was extraordinary—someone she'd never have met otherwise. Being rescued by him was pure luck.
He'd always wanted to come to the academy. Saving her from the Dark District had just been a detour on the way. He'd craved this place long before.
Academy professors were elite, she'd heard—top careers in their fields. But for a master like him, it seemed underwhelming. Word was, the lady called the North's ruler had offered vast wealth and glory to stay. He'd turned it down. Surely a better deal than teaching.
So why? To mentor juniors?
...He was looking for someone, for sure.
She remembered: parting with Sir Allerton at the academy gates, asking the caretaker about someone. He was searching for a person here. And after failing...
"Someone's outside...?"
A presence interrupted her thoughts. Faint, easy to miss—but her instinct, honed to a razor's edge, caught it sharp as a blade.
"...Ludia?"
Night prowler? Ludia came to mind first. But no—different floors, and the presence felt off, a different breed.
"...Looks like she wasn't the only one thinking about it."
She'd thought herself unique, but apparently not. Plenty shared the notion, wandering the night.
"..."
Sleep was hopeless anyway, the night long and idle. Sitting alone felt lonely. Why not take a stroll herself?
The idea struck her.
"I'll go out too."
She'd said it herself: as long as she wasn't caught, it was fine. She trusted her stealth.
With lithe, silent grace, she slipped out the window.