113 – Just Made Up My Mind
Wednesday lecture schedule has begun.
Which means, the Developing Insight class starts now!
I came to the classroom, excited to see what our professor with a strong sense of justice would teach today, but for some reason, the atmosphere in the classroom was tense.
“Ah, you’re here, Oknodie?”
“Hello, Senior!”
“I made good use of that thing from last time.”
“Hehe. Me too.”
After exchanging light greetings with Senior Bixton, I noticed Lizna, who was sitting next to me and fixing her hair, glare suspiciously.
“What’s up? When did you two get so chummy?”
“Senior gave me something good!”
“Something good?”
“A mushroom that’s small but can serve one!”
“…A mushroom?”
Lizna shot a glare at Senior Bixton.
“What did you do to her? No way… right?”
“Of course not! We just had a mutually beneficial deal after school.”
Senior Bixton shouted in horror.
“Ah, I didn’t mean to say it was of bad quality. It was a small but excellent mushroom!”
Lizna’s gaze turned even colder.
“What do you mean it’s not? You trash. Do you really want to show a ten-year-old a small but excellent mushroom?”
“Call it the Red Fanged Mushroom! Oknodie!! Hurry up and say it’s the Red Fanged Mushroom!!!”
“It’s the Red Fanged Mushroom!”
“…You should’ve said that right away. If you just say it’s small but excellent, anyone would think weirdly.”
Feeling Lizna’s gaze on his trousers, Senior Bixton crossed his legs and looked away.
“Why are you suddenly crossing your legs, Senior?”
“I’m sorry, Junior. I don’t know what crime I committed, but I must have committed a serious sin. Can’t you forgive me and let me be?”
“Oknodie. Why are you torturing the poor senpai since this morning?”
Isabel intervened, trying to calm the situation, and they stopped teasing the clueless seniors.
“But why is the atmosphere in the classroom like this?”
“Don’t know why you’re asking? Of course, it’s because of the assignments.”
“Ah, I see.”
Due to Titosso’s unintended trolling, the assignments had both additional points and additional penalties. To avoid group penalties, we had to prepare the tedious task of bringing related materials and documents regarding [Property Evaluation].
The growing awkwardness and tense atmosphere among the first-year students were due to the mutual surveillance and pressure to not get penalties.
“Ah, hello. Oknodie…”
“Titosso, why are you just standing at the entrance?”
“Ugh, it feels hard to go in.”
After all, the first-year students had said harsh words to Titosso after the last lecture.
“Everyone! Since Titosso is here, apologize!”
“Ahh, Oknodie! Why are you shouting like that!?”
“It’s better to reconcile quickly!”
If we just left it alone, it would only fester and eventually lead to a more sinister fight, making the atmosphere in the academy all the more violent. While there would inevitably be conflicts among students in the same year due to fixed events, there was no need to start off the semester with animosity.
“Why should we apologize?”
“What if we get penalties because of Titosso?”
The first-years grumbled, expressing their discontent.
“Even if we get penalties, it’s not because of Titosso but because you are lazy and didn’t prepare your assignments!”
“You, what do you know to say such things?!”
“I’m the group leader, so you must listen to me regarding studies and assignments!”
In the school and academy, grades are everything.
So, what’s your ranking? Just a single comment can end the social hierarchy!
The students reluctantly grumbled as they apologized.
I didn’t expect Titosso to give a sincere apology either.
Just the fact that the prideful Gift Academy students were pretending to apologize was already something.
After all, a student’s main enemy is not the model student.
“Okay, let’s check how well everyone did on the first assignment. Take out the related materials and documents you brought.”
The professor, with a composed face and beneath a large sense of justice pocket, was truly the main enemy!
The students each took out the books and documents they deemed necessary to check the nobility’s property details.
A great thief must develop insight to understand what assets wealthy households possess!
…This was based on Professor Bronze’s belief from the assignment, and the students had prepared as best as they could.
“Professor, I brought the land registry for the lands owned by nobles!”
“Good job, Vivian. Local lords tend to accumulate wealth and assets from land income without a market, so knowing about land is fundamental.”
“I believe that the vassals serving the lords are the core of the assets, so I checked the Vassal Contract List submitted to the central governments of each nation!”
“Good work, Adolf. Protecting the lord’s land is the duty of the vassals. Understanding the status of the commanding ranks is also important.”
However, it seemed like these were just making do with document checks.
Titosso, evidently feeling the memories of being oppressed by others, brought three related books.
“I checked which territories accumulate surplus agricultural products through a rental business book for warehouses that store surplus products, and based on the ballads of bards regarding the local festivals, I made a list of territories where surplus outputs have not been redistributed to farmers!”
Professor Bronze clapped for the first time.
“Excellent! The more a lord invests in the welfare of his citizens and territory development, the less illicit wealth is accumulated, and the more the common people suffer. It was a wonderful insight that did not miss the ‘justice’ of the rogue.”
The students acknowledged Titosso’s preparedness, even if they found it distasteful.
Isabel, who had heard about borrowing books from the cafeteria, could not prepare as thoroughly as Titosso, which made his achievement all the more impressive.
Even Senior Bixton from the second year and Senior Lizna did not receive as much praise as Titosso.
“Does he only attend Developing Insight? Why does he come so prepared?”
“Don’t make excuses, Bixton. You look so pathetic.”
With the assignment submission and inspection continuing, it was soon Sing’s turn.
Everyone was curious about what preparation the lonely eastern swordsman had made, but Sing, with his arms crossed, hadn’t brought anything to the desk.
“Sing. Do you have nothing to show?”
“This was not an assignment that would help me sharpen my sword.”
Boldly declaring in front of the professor that he didn’t prepare anything since it wasn’t the teaching he needed!
“Whoa. So charismatic.”
“Cool, right?”
However, of course, Sing received the lowest points for that.
Before I knew it, it was my turn now, the last one.
“Oknodie the new student. Didn’t you prepare anything?”
“Of course not.”
There aren’t many people who can live as wildly as Sing.
Even as the player, I couldn’t reach that level of madness, so I naturally placed the books and documents I prepared on the desk.
At most three books.
Unlike the students who usually end up with just a few documents, I stacked the books and documents in a tower.
“This is a copy of the land registry, and this is the Vassal Contract List, and I brought the rental status of warehouses and lists of surplus outputs and each territory’s precious metal sales and auction records!”
Of course, I memorized everything that the NPCs had investigated while attending this class and borrowed it directly.
“I can see why you’re the top student.”
“Wow, to be first, you must do this much.”
“All the things we brought are right here.”
I felt a bit guilty as if I was stealing others’ efforts, but the professor is a rogue from the very beginning!
[You have completed the assignment for Developing Insight class in the most excellent way.]
[Professor Bronze is further convinced that he should take you as his disciple.]
[You can advance to the class ‘Rogue’s Disciple.’]
…But isn’t this reward supposed to be something else?
Where did the points go?
Where’s the prize and why do I only get penalties?
Pouting my lips in grievance, Professor Bronze found it cute and smiled contentedly.
What a truly wicked professor.
“Titosso. From next class, you will be the top student.”
“Forget it. Oknodie, how can I keep up with your preparedness? I have no confidence even if I die and come back.”
“No, even if you don’t want to, I will make you the top student.”
“Oknodie. Do you really want to help me that much?”
“Let’s go with that.”
“Oknodie…!”
It’s just a scheme to shift Professor Bronze’s aggro onto Titosso, but if the person concerned is that happy, then it should be fine!
Coming out after the lecture, the first-year students, who were supposed to band together in strength and wisdom to hunt the Giant King Crab, were sulking and sucking their fingers.
“What are you all doing here?”
“Third-year seniors took all the Giant King Crabs.”
“!!”
Hungry seniors had swept away the hunting targets, leaving us starving!
“Well, you can catch fish, right?”
“That’s not possible either.”
The Cat Beastfolk Xenia made a sad face like a poor little frog.
“The second-year seniors have taken out fishing boats and are sweeping away all the fish. If you want to eat fish, you have to give them points in return…”
The second-year students of Class 980 had started playing their tricks, monopolizing the hunting grounds and demanding rent like a huge guild.
Isn’t this a challenge?
Seeing my classmates turning into salt bugs, merely retaining the salt from sucking their fingers made my heart ache.
“Oh no. That’s unfortunate!”
“Oknodie, you need to eat well to grow taller, so it’s a pity.”
“I’m fine. I got invited to a tea time with Arcadia!”
It’s a win-win; filling my Cooking Handbook while filling my stomach.
Thinking the famine experience was someone else’s problem, I went to find Arcadia, but a thunderbolt-like news awaited.
“I’m sorry, Di. Given the situation, I’m going to skip a meal today to showcase noblesse oblige. The tea time to taste the sweets from the Eastern region is canceled.”
I must crush the second-year students threatening the survival of the first-year students.
I just made up my mind.
