I Become a Secret Police Officer of The Imperial Academy

Chapter 37

When I came to, it was, unsurprisingly, in a monastery.

A small statue stood in a recessed niche on the wall, bearing a symbol that resembled a cross overlaid with another, as if to make a point about avoiding plagiarism.

Looking around, I saw injured people—a young man clutching his stomach on a bed, a woman missing a leg, and others in varying states of harm.

My arm, once riddled with fork wounds and slashed by a blade, had healed almost completely, leaving only faint scars.

“Ah.”

I was alive. My body was intact.

Beside me lay the demon child that had stabbed me.

Instead of calling for someone, I quietly got up and walked over to it.

Its eyes weren’t sunken or damaged. They’d been fully healed, apparently.

If I’d known it would end up like this, I wouldn’t have fought back. I’d have played the pitiful victim instead.

Before reaching out, I took a deep breath to calm myself.

“Oh, you’re awake! Your friend who brought you here was so anxious waiting for you!”

A nun, leaning against the wall, spoke to me. She gave off the impression of a child trying to imitate an adult’s mannerisms—awkward but endearing.

With her watching, there was no chance to act on my impulses.

Noticing I was awake, she roused her snoring companion and sent them upstairs.

I glanced at the demon again, the one who had attacked me. And, strangely enough, I smiled faintly.

“Haha… What time is it right now?”

“It’s 4 a.m. You gave everyone a fright when you arrived in such a terrible state.”

“Is that so.”

My vision wavered slightly, likely from all the blood I’d lost. Still, I forced myself to move.

The nun tried to steady me as I stumbled, but I waved her off.

“You shouldn’t be moving yet!”

She was probably right. With every step I took, my vision seemed to blur and sway.

Exiting the infirmary packed with patients, I came upon a space that looked meant for worship.

Though it was empty, likely due to the early hour, candles burned gently, casting enough light to guide my way.

The nun trailed after me nervously, her agitation palpable.

Finding a long bench, I sat down and addressed her.

“Could you bring me some water? I’m parched after just waking up.”

“O-Of course!”

She seemed to be about fourteen or fifteen, probably at an age where she was growing quickly. 

Yet here she was, sleep-deprived and tending to patients—proof enough that the church was indeed a haven for child exploitation.

After suffering a major injury, it’s not uncommon for the body to refuse to move properly.

I’d experienced this often enough when hunting demons in the past—well, less than a year ago, really.

It had been a source of frequent frustration, though a stimulant usually solved the problem. Still, I preferred simple stretching over using addictive substances.

As I rotated my wrists and ankles, testing for stiffness, someone stepped in front of me.

It wasn’t until they were practically in my face that I noticed them. Blood loss had dulled my senses that much.

“How did you manage to get here right after waking up?”

“Where’s Ethel?”

“She’s sleeping in my room.”

“You have your own room here?”

“Of course I do. It’s me we’re talking about.”

It was Isabel.

While I was glad she’d saved me, the fact that the demon child I’d stabbed was also alive didn’t sit well with me.

Isabel sighed before sitting down beside me.

Instead of facing each other, we sat side by side, staring at the same view. It wasn’t so bad.

“When I heard Ethel’s story, I thought you were some kind of royal guard. She said you pulled a fork out of your neck and fought back.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“No, I’m just exasperated.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate.”

“The Ellen I knew was a girl who loved books, had a way with words, and was endearing in her own quiet way. She liked bitter coffee that didn’t match her appearance and had a soft spot for Theo. In other words, you were a typical girl for your age, regardless of social status.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint your expectations.”

“…I see.”

She glanced at the watch on her wrist.

“What time is it?”

“4:30 a.m.”

“I’ll need to be at the academy in four hours. Could you take me there?”

“You should rest for at least a day.”

“Wake up early, chat with friends, go to school, talk to Theo, don’t cry out of nowhere, laugh brightly, avoid alcohol and cigarettes, and don’t touch drugs or anything like that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“As you follow the teachings of your god, I follow the teachings of mine.”

“……”

Isabel didn’t respond.

She might think I was insane, or perhaps she understood what I was saying.

She probably considered us close, but to me, she was little more than a fleeting acquaintance.

“Every day in the basement, I could kill those vermin-like creatures with a single word. And yet, here I am, having been attacked by a mere child demon. Just think of this as venting. It’s a bit despairing to fall so low, even in ruin.”

The focus in my vision began to return.

Turning my head, I saw Isabel’s face. She looked troubled—perhaps even sad.

“Do not repay evil for evil, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

She recited scripture with the ease of someone raised in a monastery.

It didn’t resonate with me, and it didn’t seem like she truly believed it either.

“So, are you going to preach about loving your enemies?”

Isabel responded with a soft laugh, though her voice carried an undercurrent of sadness.

“Ellen, I grew up learning only this, so I can’t really understand what you’re saying.

I might playfully bicker with someone, but I don’t think I’m capable of truly hating anyone.”

I stayed silent. I didn’t want to agree.

One day, she might hold Theo’s hand and come after me again.

She spoke of not hating anyone, yet she had killed Julian.

Well, ‘killed’ might not be the right word—he handed over everything he had and self-destructed.

But to me, it was no different from killing.

It’s easier to just hate each other and avoid unnecessary conversations. No need for complicated thoughts.

“I’ve been here since I was a baby. All I ever learned was how to live compassionately.

Everyone in the monastery loved me, and I loved them in return.

Even on the night when the demons wreaked havoc and some of them died, I convinced myself it was all part of God’s plan and moved on.”

“It wasn’t God’s plan. It’s a problem that could’ve been solved entirely if the demons hadn’t been there.”

“The child who told us you woke up? That’s a demon too.”

Maybe I hadn’t recognized it because my vision was blurry.

So it must’ve noticed me waking up and acted like nothing was wrong.

It even called me “young lady,” which meant it might know who I am.

Or maybe that’s reading too much into it—I’m not exactly famous.

“That’s why I don’t really understand what it means to hate someone. I’ve tried to be sad and hate someone at the same time, but it doesn’t really work for me.”

“You don’t need to understand. For Isabel, the Bible is everything. All you have to do is live according to its teachings. When you meet someone who doesn’t align with you, you can just gently push them aside, like you did with me and Julian.”

And if they die, so be it.

“But that’s how the head of the family died!”

“So what? You said it yourself, Isabel—that he deserved to die.”

My words were sharp, intentionally provoking pity or guilt. I know this tactic well.

After all, a girl who’s not yet an adult might let such words slip when her emotions are stirred.

But once spoken, words take on a life of their own. It’s hard to respond to such statements, and they linger like heavy air.

That’s the power of words—you never know how or where they’ll be used.

“I don’t know if Isabel hates me, but I don’t hate her all that much.”

Which is to say, I do hate her, at least a little.

“There were some collateral damages, but it was something that had to be done.”

“And that ‘had to be done’—I just don’t…”

Isabel trailed off, closing her mouth mid-sentence.

She must have realized by now that no amount of candid discussion between us would resolve anything.

To Isabel, I’m nothing more than a ruined, impoverished young woman who can’t even afford to eat properly anymore.

Meanwhile, I’m preoccupied with plans to sell a few of my remaining vacation homes on my next trip to the academy, dreaming of crafting a new basement for myself.

But to Isabel, I’m just a pitiful creature—a weak, helpless, and unfortunate human being.

It’s a bit cruel to expect an eighteen-year-old girl to grasp all this.

It makes deceiving her all the easier, though.

If that’s the case, maybe she could change her views on demons, too.

“We’ve exchanged honest opinions all this time, but honestly, they haven’t been very meaningful conversations, have they?”

I’ve never lied. I’ve only concealed certain truths.

My vision was sharpening again. I glanced at the watch on my wrist.

“It’s about time we wake Ethel and head to the academy. Students should focus on their studies, after all.”

Isabel nodded, trying hard to mask the expression of someone on the verge of tears.

She was still young—in more ways than one.