I Become a Secret Police Officer of The Imperial Academy

Chapter 20

For the first time in a while, I stepped into the underground, and the familiar damp, musty smell filled my nose.

As I slowly walked through the corridors, taking in my surroundings, I spotted Marco rushing between the incinerator and the cages, wearing a mask.

“Oh, miss? What brings you here?”

“I’ve had enough rest. Especially during such a busy time. I’ve come to help.”

“Then don’t get your hands dirty. Get the lord’s permission and deal with the paperwork alongside the other ink-stained wretches. We’ve got too much going on—disguising shipments, transporting them, and racking up all kinds of costs…”

Marco, who usually looked robust, now had dark circles under his eyes and seemed half-dead.

We’d said the work needed to speed up, but this was the result—piling up tasks without adding more hands to handle them, grinding people down in the process.

It wasn’t necessarily bad, but mistakes became more likely this way.

***

After making an appearance before Julian, I headed to where the mages were gathered, diligently reading through and stamping document after document.

It must have been about two hours before one of the mages spoke up in surprise.

“M-Miss? When did you get here?”

“I’ve been here for a while.”

At the sound of “miss,” the other mages, buried in paperwork, glanced up to confirm my presence and offered their greetings before quickly returning to their tasks.

Though they were swamped, they kept stamping and signing without pause.

“Are they not implanting spells anymore?”

“Oh, that’s being handled by a different group. We rotate duties—this one’s easier on the body.”

Now that he mentioned it, there were some faces I didn’t see around.

I couldn’t cast complex spells, so I didn’t understand the extent of their difficulty, but it must’ve been more grueling than being buried in this mountain of documents.

“Where are the ones implanting the spells being sent?”

“They’re being returned to the farm we brought them from. A lot of them resist, thinking they’re being sent to be disposed of, and… well, let’s just say it doesn’t always go smoothly.”

“That sounds like a hassle.”

“It is. But once this is over, everyone will get to lock themselves away in their favorite spots and rest happily for at least six months.”

***

-“Aaaaaah! Spare me!”

-“What did I do wrong?!”

Screams echoed from outside, loud enough to shake the entire underground.

The mages, accustomed to this, barely reacted.

“Man, that guy sure has a loud voice.”

“The loud ones usually explode right after you slap a collar on them.”

“Don’t even talk about it. What’s worse is when a meek one suddenly goes pop after you collar them—it’s a mess.”

They must have been referring to the enchantments on the collars.

The ones being dragged off to die were mostly demons who had caused chaos that night.

Of course, there were innocents among them, but hatred and rebellion against humans spread quickly.

Like with chickens infected by disease, it was often best to bury the entire flock to prevent further spread.

-“You filthy beasts! Get inside, now!”

-“I won’t just die here—I’ll find a way to escape!”

-“Kill all the humans!”

The commotion grew louder, followed by the sound of a heavy impact and more screams.

“This isn’t good. I think we should check it out,” one of the mages said.

Setting down their paperwork, they quickly stood and headed outside.

Not knowing if I’d be of any use, I grabbed my pistol and followed.

About five people were attempting to herd what must have been nearly a hundred demons into a single area for transportation—likely onto a boat.

The manpower was absurdly insufficient. Their equipment wasn’t much better, with only a few metal batons and a single firearm between them.

While they worked tirelessly to subdue the frenzied demons, one of the workers was dragged into the chaos.

What followed was a horrific scream, and bits of flesh and blood sprayed everywhere as the demons tore him apart.

The mages responded by chanting spells and firing them at the crowd of demons.

There was no need to aim carefully—everything in front of them was a target.

The demons hit by the spells were riddled with holes, turning into leaking, crushed fruit.

Despite the carnage, the remaining workers resumed lifting subdued demons and continued the transport.

“Who’s cleaning that up?”

“We’re already short on janitors, and now this mess…”

“Poor bastard. At least he’ll get a decent payout. The compensation alone should be enough to send his kids to the academy.”

“That’s true. You could send them even if you stayed here, though.”

“Exactly. That’s why he’s the only one to feel sorry for.”

The mages clicked their tongues in pity for the deceased, then returned to the office, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of remaining work.

Not long after, two workers arrived to clean up the mess.

I watched them work for a while before heading back to the office.

By the time I had pushed the earlier events to the back of my mind and completed the remaining documents, most of the work was done.

I had no idea how many hours had passed, but my body felt stiff.

After fetching a cup of water from the shelf and taking a sip, I leaned against the wall, gripping my aching head.

One of the mages approached me.

“Miss, we can handle the rest. You’ve done enough for today.”

“Really? Then I’ll leave it to you. Good work. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, goodbye.”

Despite my age, I was wasting away in this underground, grinding down my life. I’d have to talk to Julian or find someone myself to set me up with a proper match once this was over.

Someone handsome, poor, and uneducated from a lower noble family would suffice.

I wandered the corridors and inspected the cages.

Since the last time I’d dealt with a certain demon by breaking its legs and giving it some food and proper clothing, none of them seemed to be starving to death.

Still, since we’d be killing them soon, it might be easier to cut off their food altogether.

While lost in thought, I heard the sound of something rattling the iron bars.

Turning toward the source, I saw a demon who had supposedly graduated from the academy. The lower half of its legs were entirely rotted, and it gripped the bars as it glared at me.

“I cooperated fully, just as you said. I showed no resistance. And yet this is the treatment I get. It seems trusting you humans was a mistake after all.”

“Oh, um… Are you talking to me?”

“Sure, if breaking my legs meant you’d—”

“I never promised you good treatment or anything like that. I only said you’d get food and clothes. I understand wanting to remember things in a way that suits you, but I haven’t been involved in executions for a long time.”

“…Please, at least spare those who have nothing to do with this.”

“We are sparing them. If they undergo the procedure, they’ll return to the surface, farm, and live ordinary lives.”

“Living with bombs implanted in our necks, where even the slightest disobedience or resistance means death—can that really be called living?”

“For humans, no, it wouldn’t be a life. But for livestock, it seems fitting, doesn’t it? Judging by your refusal to wear the collar, I think you already know how this ends.”

“…I’d rather die than live as a slave.”

“Not a bad choice. One less thing to deal with makes my job easier.”

“You always manage to talk like such a complete bastard, don’t you?”

Looking around, I realized only two guards were stationed here. Neither of them were mages. If a riot broke out, they wouldn’t be able to stop it.

The real problem was the lack of people.

And that was all because demons had killed so many of our family’s people.

The reason I was working so hard, grinding myself down—it was all because of demons.

The demon gripping the bars seemed to lose its strength, slumping to the ground with a sigh.

“I should’ve made my move the day they brought me here.”

“This is simply you reaping the consequences of what you did that night. The only difference is that while you acted on savage instincts, we’re using the full power of civilization to commit the same kind of barbaric acts.”

“So, you’re at least aware enough to call it barbaric. You admit this is an evil act?”

Ah, that was a slip of the tongue.

Maybe I was more tired than I realized.

“I’m fully aware that this will go down in history as a foolish cycle of revenge or a terrible story. There are plenty of demon sympathizers out there. It’s a wretched reality, but there it is.”

“…If you know that, then why—?”

Good question.

I didn’t answer and walked out of the cages.

When I checked my watch, it was nearly sunrise.

I was a bit sleepy, but I could just open a book at the academy and nap. That’d be enough.

As I exited the underground, I suddenly felt the weight of a presence—or perhaps countless eyes on me.

I looked around, but there was nothing there.

It wasn’t my imagination.

Who could it be?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have Theo’s sharp instincts or superhuman physical abilities.

Nor did I have the overflowing talent for magic like Diana or Isabel.

And I wasn’t like Ethel, with a mind full of magical theories.

Someone like me, with no special abilities, could only observe.

I scanned my surroundings, but there was nothing.

Letting out a sigh, I walked back into the mansion.

After throwing on my uniform and grabbing my books and writing supplies, I got into the carriage and headed to school.

Exhaustion and annoyance were my only companions.

Perhaps they were my only friends now.

Not that it wasn’t my fault.