CHAPTER 362: LEAVING THE ACADEMY

"I think it’s time to leave the academy," I murmur, thinking about the academy. It no longer makes sense to stay here now that I’ve obtained everything I wanted, now that I have the list of each hero’s abilities.

And Delphina is no longer at the academy either. It no longer makes sense to waste time here when not even the heroes are here for me to torment.

"Well...it was fun while it lasted," I say, thinking about the past. In my previous life, I never had this unique school experience. In this life, I was a feared and respected student, and I even became a teacher.

’It’s better for me to start preparing the stage.’ I want to fight in an interesting way. I don’t want anyone interrupting my fight with the heroes, so I need a private location to confront them.

"In the end, it will be through teleportation that I will move the heroes to the place where we will fight...there are only a few months left until the troops move, probably my birthday will be one of the last peaceful events for the next few months." I should enjoy my birthday well.

"Two years...who would have thought I would evolve so much in less than two years...I just hope I’m not kidnapped again in the middle of my party." Grimm, that damned psychopath, kidnapped me during my 1-year party, and so I couldn’t enjoy anything.

’It’s still curious how Grimm got pregnant from a single night...’ What she did remains a mystery, a mystery she didn’t want to tell me.

"A birthday with my daughters...it seems great." Eclipsya and Azazel are so cute, I’ll love to have the two of them together at my birthday, of course this kind of makes me have to invite Grimm.

I don’t have a good experience with Grimm at birthday parties. If she kidnaps me again, she’s in trouble. This time I’m not weakened like that time, and even though I like her, kidnapping me twice is a dick move.

I get up and decide to go talk to "Akari," telling her that I’m going to stop giving classes. Of course, I’ll continue going to the church not to arouse suspicion, I’ll gradually distance myself from the church as if I’m just busy, avoiding Lucius’s paranoia.

But the academy is under my control since "Akari" is someone who obeys me, so disappearing from here all at once doesn’t matter much.

"Hey Akari, I’m coming in." I use the shadows to appear in front of the principal’s office while knocking on the door and opening it right after.

I see Akari signing papers. She looks at me and stops writing as I sit on the couch next to her.

"Do you need anything, Pandora?" She asks me while I briefly observe the papers.

"I just came to let you know that I’m leaving. I’ve already got what I wanted, so I won’t participate in the academy as a teacher anymore. You can keep working here normally," She can continue doing what she’s doing, that doesn’t matter much to me.

"If they ask why I left, say my health has worsened and I was no longer fit to teach at the academy." They already believe I’m dying, so if she says my health has worsened, many will believe it.

"Okay...then I’ll take care of everything that’s necessary..." She speaks while I observe her. This Akari is a pretty sad existence.

She was created by Akari with the duty to take care of the academy and obey me, but in the end, she was abandoned by her creator, who never asked about her. Akari is there in my universe, having fun with her beloved Velvet.

While this Akari here can only continue working until the day of her death. It’s sad for her, who is a copy of Akari. She probably also likes Velvet, but knows she’ll never be able to be with her.

’This is really quite ironic, this Akari shows how even good humans can just drop everything for a single person.’ Akari wasn’t a bad person, but she abandoned everything just to be with Velvet.

And I must say that having full access to the academy has helped a lot, whether it’s reading very useful books or even having a lot of contact with Rosaline, which allowed me to get quite close to the church.

"Hey Akari, what do you plan to do in the future? I know you have a certain autonomy, will you stay in this academy until the day of your death?" I ask curiously.

"...I...I don’t know. I have a duty to obey you, so I think I can only leave if you allow me to...but even if you let me go, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t have a real life here, just staying in the place of the real Akari," She speaks with sadness.

"Regrettable, isn’t it?" I say to her with a smile as she sighs and looks at me in a strange way. She’s not as good at hiding her feelings as the real Akari, who always remained neutral.

"This is the life of a copy. The real Akari knew this well, and I know this as a copy. I researched the type of magic used to create something like me...I didn’t like knowing so much about how I was created," She says while looking at me.

"Are you angry with me?" I question ironically. It doesn’t make much sense for her to be angry with me when it’s not exactly my fault. Akari didn’t have to create her, she could have just created a common homunculus.

"No, I’m not angry at you or Akari...it’s just disappointing to know that she created me so that she could have her happy life without caring about me," She speaks as I smile.

"Akari is quite selfish, isn’t she? She preaches so much about justice and equality in this academy, but when she had the chance to abandon everything to see the person she loved, she didn’t choose justice, she chose love," I say as Akari agrees.

Of course, I’m not that different. I would abandon a lot of things for those I care about, but with a clear limit. I can’t abandon certain things in any way, so it’s a complex dilemma.

"I think it’s natural for humans to choose what’s good for them. In fact, it’s natural for any living being to prioritize what’s good for themselves," She says something I fully agree with.

"You’re right. Many have always chosen what’s good for them. So Akari and you? When you’re free from this burden, will you choose what’s good for you?" I speak to her, and she seems to think for a moment about what to say.

"Ah, I don’t know...I have no idea what to do in the future...my dreams are not really mine, they are the real Akari’s, whom you gave a unique chance and she grabbed with her life."

"So I’m not sure what I should do, especially now that you’re leaving the academy. If my existence has a duty...then what will I do when that duty is over? Everything seems hazy."

"It’s not always possible to imagine the future, no matter how precise we are and how intelligent we are. In the end, the future is uncertain, but I think Akari, you should find something to do."

"After all, living life without a purpose is the same as not living at all. Living and surviving are very different from each other, and I’ve experienced both." In my past life, I only survived, while in this one I finally live as I should have from the beginning.

"...It sounds good," Akari smiles at me, as if saying it seems easy, although it’s very difficult.

"Well, what you’ll do doesn’t matter to me after you’re no longer useful to me. When you have your freedom, just don’t get in my way," As long as she doesn’t get in my way, I won’t do anything.

I don’t care about this fake Akari or the real Akari in my universe. I just did what was most useful for me, and I would do it again with a smile on my face.

"Well, enough of this boring conversation. I have to leave now, so take good care of the academy for now until further notice," I say, getting up from the sofa and going to the desk, where I throw some papers.

"A little help for you, it should be useful. I’ll appear here again when I need something." I turn my back to leave.

"...Am I useful to you?" She asks, making me stop at the door.

"Yes, you are useful." She provides some degree of help, but this help has now been greatly reduced, and soon she will be useless.

"So will you discard me? When my usefulness ends, will I be eliminated?" She questions with a coldness of someone receiving a death sentence, but who doesn’t care.

"I don’t discard those who have helped me. It’s not my style. Know that I’m not abandoning or leaving you, I’m just giving you the freedom to choose in the future. You can choose to serve me or go live your life."

"I’m giving you the freedom to choose." That’s what I’m giving her. In the future, she can choose to leave or serve me. If she wants something, she just has to choose the option that benefits her the most.

"Have a good afternoon, Akari, and think carefully about the future you desire." I speak to her, closing the door and leaving. I’ll go to the mansion now and continue this routine until the date of my birthday.

Of course, my servants will prepare everything on their own, so I won’t have to do anything. I’ll probably return to my castle about 5 days before my birthday.

’I wonder what presents I’ll get.’ I’m a little excited about it. My second birthday in this world, and I feel it will be very good. No one can judge me for getting excited about my birthday.

’Considering the body’s age, I’ll be two years old...and considering the mental age, I’ll be 20 years old...if I don’t consider the time of unconsciousness during that master’s dimension training to obtain my true form.’ Not bad, I think.