<127 - Lower Class Rescue Operation>
Oknodie isn’t that bad.
It’s the Wiheomhae Foundation that’s trying to manipulate and shake her around.
But Oknodie is a scholarship student of the Foundation and a hostage.
She can’t escape from their grasp by herself.
She needs help.
From those around her.
Those watching over her.
Arcadia decided she needed to gather people.
“Jezel. We need to start the project we discussed last time earlier than planned.”
“Rushing might just lead to immediate losses for us, didn’t we conclude that?”
“The situation has changed.”
When she told Jezel about the situation surrounding Oknodie and the Foundation, Jezel’s face too was marked with resolve.
“Well, if that’s the case, I can’t refuse to help.”
They would prevent the scholarship student from causing any trouble to help Oknodie.
Thus, the business of Arcadia and Jezel began, laying the foundation for the Oknodie rescue operation.
Velocasio frowned while looking at the ledger.
According to the plan, the supplies should have filled a large sack, but they barely made it to half.
A clear anomaly had occurred.
He had been gathering supplies in demand at the academy through a contract scam, raising prices and actively utilizing the benefits of a monopoly, but if supplies ran low, danger would be imminent.
If customers start leaving to gather items themselves or directly sell materials instead of giving points to buy from Velocasio’s establishment, problems could arise.
Ding-dong.
He pulled the string for the call bell and shook it, but his secretary was nowhere to be seen today.
It wasn’t the Knight Department, the Magic Department, or the Adventure Department, but Velocasio of the Administration Department was able to establish himself as a shadowy figure thanks to not only his own abilities but also the help of a competent secretary.
But like the saying goes, there are no perfect talents; this secretary had a flaw of being lazy.
“… are you pretending you don’t hear me?”
When he opened a can of food, a drop of water fell from the ceiling.
As expected.
His secretary, who had been hiding in the ceiling, was drooling.
“Deadcat. Do you remember the list of students I assigned to manage the supplies in this drum?”
“Three second-year Knight Department students from the ‘Let’s Learn Close Combat Skills’ lecture: Michael, Roe, Sir Randall.”
“The dense material needed to fill the weighted vests for training is lead, but lead is so expensive that more students are making lead vests now. So, we requested a lead mining order.”
However, the sacks filled with lead didn’t even exceed half.
“Find out immediately why we couldn’t meet the quota. Is there a monster in the mine? Did a professor give a new assignment, splitting their time? Are there strikes happening?”
“Advance payment.”
“… Here you go.”
As he handed Deadcat a can, Deadcat snatched it and quickly emptied its contents.
5 points per can.
Despite being a preservation food that costs as much as a meal, it’s quite extravagant to use it as a tool for a capable secretary.
‘Is it about time for her to come back?’
Not even an hour passed before Deadcat returned.
With a cat face showing three strands of whiskers and some blood on it.
Wiping her face with a handkerchief, she asked in a friendly tone.
“How was it being out again for the first time in a while?”
“Boring.”
“But you did what I asked, right?”
With a blank expression, Deadcat pulled out a crumpled paper bundle.
After reading the content, Velocasio was rendered speechless for a while.
Tremble.
His hand shook with rage as he tore the paper apart.
They took a hit.
“… The first years this year have some guts. To dare to pay off debt through the payment agency and simultaneously pocket our workers and supplies.”
What Deadcat brought was a notice stating that the student council had fully written off the debts at the legally mandated interest rate set by the student council, and if there was any disagreement, to sue through the student council.
“Should we kill them?”
“… What kind of murder-for-hire organization are we? No matter how much of an academy it is, if we recklessly kill lowerclassmen, we’ll end up locked away in [Prison of the Great]. It’s not at that level yet.”
Those arrogant first years, led by Arcadia.
A talent she had targeted, intending to make her obedient even if it meant signing a fraudulent contract.
She had somehow secured funding from upperclassmen and was causing trouble.
The establishment of the new organization, [Dark Trading Company].
Recruiting personnel and expanding business.
It was a declaration of war against Velocasio’s [Contract Scam Business].
However, there was a disparity in their levels.
Velocasio had been exploiting classmates since the first year for two years, while Arcadia was just starting her business.
There was an absolute difference in the points between the two parties.
Money would never lose in a contest of strength.
If only they would cause harm to the taken resources.
If they could make them leave on their own.
If they could spoil their customers.
The grandly named [Dark Trading Company] would experience a drought of funding and would collapse on its own.
“We need to find out what they plan to do with the lead and manpower. Among the motley crew of the Red Fanged Mushroom Cultivation Association, there’s someone named Box Chowder in the Knight Department, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Use him to gather information.”
“Free of charge?”
“… Prepare some cans.”
“I’m tired of it.”
Oh dear. This shouldn’t happen?
Velocasio was flustered by Deadcat’s sudden demands, which were quite rare.
“What do you want to eat, then?”
“I want to scratch.”
“… You’re not eyeing my carpet, are you?”
“I like Knight Department students.”
A chilling smile appeared on Deadcat’s expressionless face.
“Muscles grown carelessly are crude and tough. They scratch nicely.”
“You, you’re not talking about the blood drops I saw earlier, right?”
Slurp.
Deadcat licked a drop of blood from her claw.
With her eyes shining, she said.
“First years would be even better.”
“… Don’t touch the first years until I give permission.”
“I can’t hold back for long.”
As Velocasio felt the stress of his hair being pulled by the fierce side of a secretary he had initially chosen based on looks and then merely used for convenience.
“I should act quickly for the sake of the first years’ safety.”
Don’t touch the first years if possible.
The moment this unspoken rule is grossly violated, the student council will move.
Powerful figures from the academy who play a different game compared to someone like him, who only indulges in petty things like contract scams.
Individuals who’ve reached the peak among talents from all over the country.
Velocasio’s heart began to race.
As the weekend came, the deworming operation reached its climax.
The mosquitoes that had been scaring students were almost gone.
Thanks to the rising value of fire wizards, Rozgini, who had been on escort duties while earning points, felt a sense of loss.
“Is there even a Mosquito Master hiding out there to release hidden mosquitoes?”
“If you talk like that and get caught by the clients, they’ll misunderstand that you let the mosquitoes out, and first you’ll get beaten up, right? It would be perfect for losing all the money you earned for treatment.”
“… Show some of that sharp tongue in the last operation.”
The sharp-tongued Echo raised her chin haughtily.
“Well, I’ve found a money-smelling job. Since I owed a debt last time, this time I’ll introduce you to someone.”
“What kind of job?”
“Helping out with the heat needed to smelt lead.”
“Lead?”
“A group called the Dark Trading Company has embarked on a rescue operation for lowerclassmen.”
As she explained, he became more and more confused.
What kind of ominous name was that? And what on earth is a rescue operation for lowerclassmen?
But once he went to the scene, he understood.
Leading a group of students while spreading a fan and covering her mouth, smiling ladylike like a central empire noble lady, yet with a laugh that was anything but ladylike, was Arcadia.
A student from the border region who became a mental support for other students and loved to take care of others was indulging in a big hobby.
“So, the upperclassmen will intensively train students whose grades are in danger and in exchange pay off their debts?”
“Yeah. It’s quite a good business, right?”
“Where do you make your money from?”
“From lowerclassmen students who have stabilized their grades, we take back the points they earned during their academy life.”
“Well, that’s clever.”
After all, those who are likely to fail can sacrifice their points as long as they can stay in the academy.
They would willingly pay points because, rather than buying grades, it’s cheaper to have upperclassmen coach them and actually improve their skills while being grateful.
Someone like Arcadia could potentially create even more profitable opportunities with the same points.
Doing something that doesn’t necessarily have to be done.
A venture that isn’t particularly profitable.
Still, because of Arcadia’s kindness.
The [Lower Class Rescue Operation] by the Dark Trading Company was more or less a charity.
“Did Oknodie agree to help with the education as well?”
“Looks like you were curious why she’s here?”
“Because she’s special.”
Seeing Rozgini honestly state her question, Arcadia chuckled and proudly said.
“Our Di has some unexpected experiences as well.”
“What kind of experiences?”
“Like weighted vests and lead belts, she knows quite a lot about training equipment.”
“… Did she really train all of those?”
“She mentioned having lead shoes and training spoons that weigh 5 kg. Isn’t that incredible?”
If those lowerclassmen used something like that, they’d likely fall with muscle pain and wouldn’t be able to attend lectures.
Instead of voicing the questions that popped up in her mind, Rozgini extended her hand.
“50% of the service fee is an advance payment.”
It’s not something she would suffer; it’s something the students at risk of failing would have to endure.
