Published at 2nd of January 2026 7:35 am

Chapter 1885 Academy Burden 1

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"..." Beneath the heavy, oppressive gazes of dozens of planetary emperors, clan leaders, and heads of powerful commercial alliances, Morgana released a long, controlled breath. "I will see what I can do."

"Lady Headmistress, what exactly do you mean by 'you will see what you can do'? What, precisely, are you planning to see?" one of those present asked in a grave, unwavering tone.

"Are you intending to usher us out once again, just as you do every time, without giving us a clear answer?"

"That's right. This time, that tactic will not work. We want to be absolutely certain of the position the Academy intends to take!"

"Or could it be that the Academy simply lacks sufficient strength?" a middle-aged woman said as she folded her arms across her chest. "It would be a true shame if there were no reliable means of protecting all the wealth and resources on this planet."

"That's enough talk!" Morgana waved her hand sharply, annoyance evident in her expression. In terms of individual strength, she stood on equal footing with everyone present if not above them- so she saw no reason at all to treat them with excessive courtesy or humility.

She then gestured toward them in a broad, circular motion. "Is it not already absurd enough that you expect a regular academy to shoulder the burden of two stellar academies- academies that armed their forces and accumulated their power over tens of millions of years? Do you truly believe I can simply press a button and produce such an immense force just because it suits your desires?!"

"So the Academy truly does not possess peacekeeping forces?" one of them asked, his brows knitting tightly together as a faint gleam flashed in his eyes. "That is either a blatant lie or utter foolishness," another woman shook her head in disbelief. "It is obvious from the Academy's construction and its launch, obvious from the grandeur of its foundation and the prices of entry, obvious from every single detail that this academy is aspiring to become a stellar academy in the near future. How could it possibly be that you have no peacekeeping forces at all?"

"The Academy does not have peacekeeping forces ready to be deployed-at least, none that I can mobilize. That is the truth, nothing more," Morgana replied coldly, staring straight into that woman's eyes before letting her gaze pass over the rest of the hall. "We never anticipated that the stellar academies would abandon their duties, nor did we expect to be pressured by ancient powers such as yourselves to take on the task of protecting you. We opened our doors only a few decades ago!"

"Hoo~" Morgana exhaled once more, then displayed a carefully crafted, artificial smile. "Give me a few more years. I will speak with him, consult with him, and attempt to persuade him to extend his protection to Middle Sector 99. That should be acceptable, shouldn't it?"

"....." The crowd exchanged uneasy glances. "Who exactly are you referring to? Are you saying that you are not the one who makes the final decisions for the Academy?"

"Fine, then we can stop circling around the issue," Morgana said as her brows drew together slightly. "If you truly believed that I -merely a former teacher- were the true master of this Academy, you would never have come to me seeking protection in the first place!"

She straightened her posture, her tone firm and unmistakable. "I am the director of this place, yes-but I am not its owner. Only he has the authority to make a decision of this magnitude."

"And since everything is out in the open now, there are two points that must be made perfectly clear." She raised two fingers as she spoke. "First, the owner has absolutely no intention of dragging the Academy into any personal conflicts of his own. You may rest assured on that matter-your children are completely safe here. His goal is to disseminate his knowledge and turn it into a legitimate source of profit. And judging by the results we have achieved with your children so far, I believe any amount he earns can only be considered his rightful due."

"Second, since we truly deserve every Pearl we receive -since we have transformed your children from nothing more than unruly brats into genuine leaders, and since we continue to refine and improve our methods day after day to deliver even better outcomes- you cannot treat the Academy's expenses as if they were your personal contribution toward combating anti-life. If you want us to deploy peacekeeping forces, then you will have to pay additional costs. There is no exception to this."

"This is outright theft!" one of the elders snapped, pointing his cane directly at Morgana. "You already receive fees higher than most stellar academies in the Middle Belt, and now you still demand more?"

"Very well, then." Morgana nodded calmly, her expression unwavering. "For those who wish, I can treat the Academy's tuition as your contribution toward the peacekeeping forces. However, in return, all educational programs for your child will be suspended, and only twenty percent of the library will be opened to them-exactly as the other stellar academies operate." Her gaze hardened as it locked onto the elder's face. "No one has yet been born who can deceive my lord. Is that clear?"

She then clapped her hands sharply, the sound echoing through the hall. "You may take your leave now. You will receive our answer soon."

One hour later-

On a circular staircase spiraling deep beneath the ground-a narrow passage barely wide enough for two people to descend side by side, its walls glowing faintly with defensive array patterns that stood ready to activate at any moment-Morgana moved downward with steady, deliberate steps. Her expression was dark, tense, and openly irritated.

With more than half of the Shadow Swords and most of their commanders tied up in Lord Hedrick's war, and with His Majesty's seclusion having already stretched on for half a century, the Sacred Covenant Academy had become the single greatest source of income for everything under His Majesty's dominion. Unlike the empires that could barely sustain themselves through planetary mining and resource extraction-only to require even more funding whenever expansion was needed- the Academy alone generated a consistent surplus, one large enough to support the others without strain.

With net annual profits reaching as high as two billion Pearls, the Academy had become the financial backbone driving the rapid expansion of the Cradle Empire, the Grave Empire, and the True Beginning Empire. It even extended its influence to independent organizations such as the Sky Opening Cities and the Imperial Guard.

And this was all before accounting for the Academy's own massive expenditures-on instructors, infrastructure expansion, promotion, logistics, and countless other operational costs.

Ever since the Academy began functioning and producing this staggering volume of wealth, the Shadow Swords system had ceased funding itself in the manner it once had.

All profits from information gathering and intelligence sales, all spoils obtained from assassination contracts, sabotage missions, and similar undertakings- none of it surfaced immediately anymore. Yet at the same time, the shadow swords did not do this and cut off the funds for personal gain either. It could be said that they had reached. state of complet self-sufficiency.

This development enraged Prime Minister Kristan and prompted him to launch an official investigation. What he discovered was that the number of Shadow Swords had multiplied several times over the past few decades, and that they had begun spreading into sectors where they had never previously maintained a presence. Before he could dig any deeper, however, a direct order arrived from the Second Sword, Leonid, commanding the immediate closure of the investigation.

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