<605 – Delicious Linked Quest(29)>
━━━
[Goals]
Emperor: 2/1
Monarch: 11/5
Pope: 22/12
High Noble: 45/20
High Bureaucrat: 109/50
High Clergy: 255/100
━━━
[The number of participants in the Saintess Alliance launch ceremony exceeded the goal by 200%.]
[We have successfully overcome the final crisis of the event.]
[The final reward for the linked event has increased by 300%.]
━━━
[Last Mission]
As soon as the ceremony is completed, you can select the Saintess Director of the Saintess Alliance.
However, in order for Nepher-tem to satisfy Apnonia, the God of Satisfaction, and eliminate the long divine punishment, she must rise to the position of Saintess Director.
Don’t forget this fact!
Of course, you will be followed by powerful temptations.
The position of Saintess Director is coveted by all churches.
Will you be able to reject the many proposals from various churches and hand over the Saintess Director position to Nepher-tem as planned?
I really hope so.
It’s not because I’ve placed points on
━━━
Someone sure did snatch points!
Nonetheless, we’ve already surpassed the big mountain, so the ceremony can be considered a done deal.
But I couldn’t purely rejoice at this moment.
Because there was a more important issue at hand.
‘I have to rescue Jonnas, who is imprisoned in the Great Prison!’
Jonnas, worried that I might be accused of Heresy Declaration, manipulated evidence on site and got caught in the Great Prison instead.
The Great Prison of the Academy possesses a level of security that is on a whole different level compared to a regular jail.
There may be special rewards that can only be obtained in prison or content to engage with.
‘But a prison is still a prison. The longer you stay, the more you lose!’
Moreover, the ‘guards’ of the prison have a special gimmick.
The longer heinous criminals stay in the prison without escaping, the more strength they sap from the prisoners!
Those who stay longer become weaker, and those who confine longer become stronger.
So, for Jonnas’ sake, I must perform the rescue as swiftly as possible; just in time, the professors’ interest in the Great Prison had waned, and a perfect opportunity to escape the Special Control Room had emerged.
‘If the Saintess Alliance launch ceremony has started, then the professors must be tied up dealing with the visits of those significant figures!’
In other words, this is the time when the forces monitoring me and Jonnas are at their weakest.
As soon as I made my decision, I switched out the observation control magic and lured the instructors one by one, taking them down in swift blows.
Of course, luring the instructors was extremely simple.
“Guard! There are stones in the food! What’s the deal here?!”
“What the hell are you talking about? You’re not a golem, stones shouldn’t be in the food!”
“Gotcha! Take that, kick to the jewels!”
The instructor, struck by an unexpected blow, collapsed while gaping in disbelief at such a severe action.
After stuffing the unconscious instructors into the ceiling and the cleaning supply closet, taking out the student council watchers that appeared simultaneously, the way was clear.
‘Great Prison Free Pass Entry Initiated!’
*
The Student Absentee Inspection Bureau. External Cooperation Bureau. Dimensional Inspection Bureau. Anomaly Recovery Bureau. Facilities Bureau. Execution Headquarters. And various other departments.
The first organization among the notable student council subgroups to discover traces of Oknodie was the Student Absentee Inspection Bureau.
“Hey, look here! We’ve detected a [Tunnel Creation] spell used by thieving absentee students who escaped from the Student Dormitory Zone to steal all sorts of items within the campus!”
Despite the secure foundation of the Academy with earth firmer than external land, the absentee students managed to create tunnels.
The family heirloom spell of absentee students, [Tunnel Creation], made the proud director of the Student Absentee Inspection Bureau, Burte Glass, adjust his glasses gleefully.
“Just as expected, this accomplishment comes from our proud student absentee inspection officials, who sold off the infiltration routes even in a no-capture season to maintain achievements. Hats off to you, Murkwang Renjiu!”
Last year, he was lauded among the youngest officials in the student council, leading second-year Mandela, and had quickly risen to the director position.
‘That Oknodie, making contact with absentee students even back then, now finally revealing her true colors.’
Glass, typical of someone who’s only walked the path of advancement, had a strong ego and could not tolerate anyone surpassing him.
“Oknodie made a decisive contribution to the suppression of the demonic clans and the revival of the Red Magic Tower in the City Alliance, as well as helping the Imperial Family, but in the end, it was thanks to the Foundation and Revolutionary Army assisting her that it was possible. Am I wrong?”
“No, Director is entirely correct.”
“Director Glass’s insight into achieving consistent results… no, the development of a consistent achievement-maintaining method must be flawless!”
Thanks to having an excellent director, the officials enjoyed steady results along with significant bonuses, all in unison supporting Director Glass.
As a result, unlike other hesitant lower organizations spooked by the rumors of Oknodie, the Student Absentee Inspection Bureau maintained high morale and was perhaps destined to achieve results first.
“Start Road Scanning.”
Officials placed their hands on the ground, expanding their mana realm in a thread-like form and commencing extensive reconnaissance.
The Student Absentee Inspection Bureau, adept at capturing absentee students like rats, scoured for treasures discovered amidst the anomalies created as their realms collided, operating incredibly briskly compared to previous rescue searches for Oknodie.
“We’ve observed a dead end after the crossroads. Initiating 3D Mapping Mech.”
“Over time, the pillars that support the tunnel are weakening, triggering a blockade trap. Immediately reinforced the tunnel stability using remote restoration magic.”
“A warning magic formation has been detected on the path leading to the underground monster habitat. BANG! If the threads are disturbed, loud noises will attract the monsters. We will proceed to disable the spell.”
Initially, to save face for the director, the officials accepted that Oknodie made the tunnel. However, as the search continued, they began to question if it was really true.
It was no exaggeration to say that they were faced with an entire set of tracking prevention traps that have defined their experiences with absentee students.
“Requesting support. I’m having difficulty interpreting a spell I’ve never seen before.”
Even Director Glass was somewhat surprised.
‘With the technology accumulated by the absentee students as a foundation, the inspection techniques of the Student Absentee Inspection Bureau have also been handed down through generations. But is their technology so advanced that the officials can’t keep up?’
A sense of unease gripped him.
What on earth is the Foundation aiming for by unleashing such hoarded technology at once?
The Dark Princess herself overseeing the launch ceremony while a breakout from the Special Isolation Room and covert movement via the underground are occurring simultaneously…
‘Something feels fishy.’
In other times, it might have been dismissed.
But the timing was too coincidental.
Due to this significant event hosted by the Dark Princess, numerous professors and instructors were currently absent from their posts.
The campus security is at an all-time low, with the student council acting on behalf of the instructors’ security activities, thus bearing most of the tracking efforts themselves.
It’s impossible to shake off the suspicion that it was all planned to unfold at this very moment.
‘What kind of tunnel is this leading to, anyway?’
Feeling increasingly ominous, Glass quickly took command, leading the way to deactivate the magic formations.
Suddenly, he realized a chilling fact.
“How deep have we descended underground? A magician who can observe the distance to the surface should start observing immediately!”
“Director… it’s reading 900 meters below ground.”
“What the hell. 900 meters… that’s the part where the outer defensive barrier of the Great Prison is installed. Does this mean…?”
His bad premonition soon turned into reality.
Students committing minor to major crimes within the academy.
Those heinous criminals transported from outside to the academy.
The continent’s scum.
The garbage of the world.
A facility known as the dumpster of peace.
The outer barrier of the Great Prison had been breached.
“How could this be! This isn’t a place that can be opened unless it’s with a hero’s Holy Sword or a battle weapon blessed by a saint!”
With anger surging, Glass’s mind was working with unprecedented sharpness.
Soon, he found the answer.
Who was the individual Oknodie had been becoming increasingly familiar with since the new semester started?
“It’s Ishtar. Having committed the grave sin of assassinating the Emperor, has she now sided with the Foundation to oppose the academy!”
The Holy Sword wielder, Ishtar.
There’s no doubt she lent her Holy Sword to Oknodie.
According to his logic, a saint wouldn’t just sacrifice her own servant to grant her battle weapon to Oknodie.
*
Great Operation to Rescue Jonnas.
The first step, destroying the outer barrier of the Great Prison!
Originally, it would have been a tedious process of digging into the underground somewhere, luring monsters with food to break the barrier.
But thanks to the battle weapons blessed by the God of Peace, Tranqilo, it was easily resolved.
Sometimes, bullying newbies by robbing them along the way is refreshing and brings back old memories, making me feel quite good!
“Wow. I didn’t know such a big facility was underground.”
Finding the way to Jonnas’ cell was something I was truly confident in, but seeing Ishtar, a newbie, following me into such a dangerous place, made me uneasy.
When escaping the Special Isolation Room, Ishtar had followed me without a second thought during an official visit.
“It’s not too late. Just go back quickly! This isn’t a field for newbies!”
“What are you talking about, you’re young too. If you run around by yourself, it’ll make me worry more! Loser.”
“Ugh, I’m not a loser!”
“A not-loser who has died once in the capital and barely made it back? I’ve heard all about it from your friends already.”
“I didn’t die!”
“Sure, sure, whatever you say.”
sniff I really didn’t die though.
I just got hit with a status ailment and woke up again.
Regardless of my unfairness, it was clear that Ishtar had no intention of turning back.
“I need to find out what you’re plotting, involving Yufi with the Saintess Alliance while you plan to sneak out.”
“Idiot. Didn’t I warn you clearly?”
And so, Ishtar would be joining me on my quest to rescue Jonnas.
