<219 - Crisis Girl>
Oknodie returned to the Academy.
Isabel pinched her cheek with her hand.
“Did you eat something outside? Why are you gaining weight?”
“It was delicious! …But this hurts too much; can you let go already, please?”
Isabel shook her head, saying she couldn’t let go.
Still, a part of her felt relieved.
She had returned safely.
It was shocking when the Foundation took Oknodie away.
What if she didn’t come back?
She had even had a serious conversation with Jezel and Son Ohchun.
“Can’t you just take a leave of absence?”
“Are you serious? At Gift Academy, students who take a leave in their first year might get recommended for expulsion.”
“Well then, let’s just forget it. It’s an academy I wouldn’t have been able to get into anyway if I wasn’t a brat. Unlike that ungrateful mutt, a Monkey Humanoid knows how to repay a favor.”
“Ha-ha. It seems we’ve reached a common understanding. It’s a shame to give up a good opportunity to leech off talents from various nations, but I too, have no intention of attending the Academy without Oknodie. What about you, Isabel?”
“Of course, I’m quitting. I don’t wanna be called an ungrateful mutt by anyone.”
If Professor Destroyer returned without any results, they truly intended to leave the Academy.
At the very least, taking a leave of absence.
They were even prepared to drop out entirely.
Fortunately, Professor Destroyer returned Oknodie safely to the Foundation.
But the news he brought was not all good.
“Oknodie killed the branch manager of the Foundation.”
“…Professor, today is not Goblin Day. You should save the jokes for April 1st!”
“A thief’s humor is indeed a fine talent.”
“Ugh.”
“But I dislike jokes. There are too many cruel pranks in the world.”
“…!”
“This is no joke or prank. This is a concrete fact.”
Isabel’s hands trembled.
Wahyhiemhai Foundation.
Just hearing rumors about them fills one with fear.
They are not an ordinary organization.
They possess enormous funding, training knowledge, instructors, and facilities powerful enough to artificially raise a genius like Oknodie.
An evil organization that can be as cruel as they choose.
“What on earth happened…?”
“Is there a concern that the Foundation’s assassin might be sent?”
Jezel didn’t waste time worrying.
He immediately addressed the most pressing issue.
Even Destroyer felt it.
He couldn’t mislead Jezel with lies.
Even though Jezel’s combat power was low, he was no ordinary first-year student.
Recognized for his capability to become a business partner of the Princess of Florence, Arcadia, inside the Academy, he alone held such potential.
“It’s fifty-fifty. Of course, we will not overlook any threat to student safety from external intrusions. While enrolled, we will protect you from outside attacks.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. You could say I can rest easy with the Academy’s protection.”
“Son Ohchun. The professor said he would protect you from ‘external attacks’ during your enrollment. This does not guarantee protection from internal attacks, nor does it imply protection after leaving the Academy.”
“…Can’t you be a little more generous?”
“It’s inappropriate. The Academy should be grateful for any care given to an ordinary student. Just bringing Oknodie back is plenty of care from the professor.”
“Is that so? I feel sorry, Professor. I know I’m a humanoid, so I don’t get some things.”
“I understand. Monkey Humanoids have a strong tendency to live in clans, so their sense of community is quite strong. They’ll have an even stronger will to protect their young.”
Professor Destroyer left sincere advice for the three of them.
“Get stronger as soon as possible. Oknodie may not be in danger from an internal attack, but once she leaves the Academy, I can’t guarantee anything. That child is still not a strong professor-level.”
“…Are there strong professors in the Foundation?”
“You can tell by the organization’s level. The branch manager killed by Oknodie was clever. Yet he still had significant power. There could be strong individuals among those who rely on strength.”
In the first place, Jonnas Wahyhiemhai, who was said to be Oknodie’s ‘butler,’ was a formidable individual at a normal imperial professor level, while the enormous mentor standing at 2.3m was on par or stronger than him.
Even the director of the Foundation was an unknown figure whose strength he could not gauge.
The Foundation’s capacity is infinite; hidden strong ones could appear anytime.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“…Thank you for the advice.”
“I must hurry and get stronger. Thanks to that little rat, I won’t have a moment’s rest.”
Let’s try harder. Harder than now.
Gearing up and doing one’s best every day.
Isabel and Son Ohchun were content with that.
But Jezel was different.
He was a dark trader.
Someone who sold dreams of studying at the world’s best educational institution for his own profit.
He knew well how shallow such concepts of dreams or hope could be.
It was madness.
It was gambling.
To throw one’s dreams into chance.
Expecting to gain the same rewards as regular tickets with just a small amount of money, without knowing how many fake tickets were mixed among the real ones.
Just as a scammer does not easily trust people, Jezel did not take Professor Destroyer’s words at face value.
“What are the investigation results?”
“Students from the lower class, Jaku, Pride, and Roe, were seen putting notes into the cleaning cabinet of the Monkey Humanoid Cleaner, which is one of the Foundation’s tails.”
“Did they receive the Foundation’s latest orders?”
“That fact couldn’t be confirmed. As far as we know, they didn’t receive any orders.”
“Understood. Please continue your surveillance mission.”
The Dark Trading Company.
An internal organization co-founded with Arcadia, with the capital split 50/50.
Among them were students who lacked skill and therefore were stuck in a negative cycle, having no time to gather materials because they needed to study more, and scores dropped when they got materials instead.
Jezel provided materials to these students and allowed them time to raise their scores, asking them to borrow their time to give his own orders once assignments or tests were done.
Follow Jaku, presumed to be a Foundation Scholarship Student.
Investigate the Monkey Humanoid Cleaner revealed by his tail.
Create a list of scholarship students who interacted with the Monkey Humanoid Cleaner.
The ones receiving orders were unaware of such intricate details.
Record where someone is heading at this time.
Confirm if the information of this person meeting that person at this time is accurate.
Fragmented information gathering.
Cross-verification of collected information.
The information gathering activity, of which he didn’t even know what for or what information he collected, had a complete picture solely in the mind of the leader, Jezel, who pieced it together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Wahyhiemhai Foundation is composed of factions of revenge.
Only one head does not give orders to the tails.
The instructions from the tails to the scholarship students occasionally collide with each other.
Threaten Oknodie.
Do not touch Oknodie.
The deceased branch manager was not the head.
Orders are still being issued, and the threat faction’s Pride is still searching for opportunities to target Oknodie.
Conversely, the bystanding Jaku also does not act carelessly and remains quiet.
But could this be all?
It can’t be.
There are likely more undisclosed scholarship students.
But even if they exist, they are not easy targets.
It’s understandable that Professor Destroyer assures them that internal attacks are fine.
Oknodie is strong.
There shouldn’t be any students who can harm her by force.
It would be even more difficult to outsmart her.
Even the Current Hero Ishtar almost got the better of Oknodie in a test.
But if Oknodie’s innocence is exploited…
Is there any way to capitalize on that?
It’s not impossible.
He knows Oknodie’s weaknesses.
If lured with food, she would easily succumb.
If offered candy, she would obediently follow.
If her collection is revealed, she would jump for joy.
Don’t others know this?
“Maybe until the midterms, they wouldn’t know. But no more than that.”
During the midterm period, the Foundation’s scholarship students had already been watching Oknodie closely enough.
“And Oknodie killed the branch manager of the Foundation.”
This is a turning point.
A turning point in the relationship between the Foundation and Oknodie.
“But it’s okay. Whoever moves, my current information network will relay that fact to me immediately.”
This is somewhat like Othello.
On a limited board, stones are placed as black and white strategize against each other.
If the positioned stones are surrounded by the opponent’s stones, they will be flipped and the powers will diminish helplessly.
“Do not be overconfident believing your numbers surpass those of this dark trader. Outside the Academy, perhaps, but within these walls, my strength is by no means lacking.”
Come at me all you want.
I’ll find all your stones and flip them over.
Though he was fully prepared, the first move came from a direction he never expected.
[The upper echelon of the Sebiche Duchy of the Kingdom of Florence has been discovered to have participated in a slave trade with Wahyhiemhai Foundation.]
[In 12 hours, petitions will be sent to the Academy urging the expulsion of Arcadia Sebiche from all noble families and neighboring countries not related to the slave records.]
[The relevant records are currently owned by the Thief Guild under the direction of Professor Destroyer and can be transferred to neighboring countries at any time through a ‘deal’.]
“Damn this!”
BAM!
Blood welled up on his fist hitting the table.
He was deceived.
He couldn’t hide his betrayal.
Professor Destroyer pretended to be on their side, but his actions were entirely different.
Arcadia Sebiche.
The princess of the Kingdom of Florence.
A person near Oknodie, and the very power of his business partner now shaken to the core.
If her enrollment becomes uncertain…
What will happen then?
Oknodie.
One of those she trusted and followed gets expelled from the Academy.
What impact will that have on Oknodie?
She will surely be deeply saddened.
If she realizes that both the Foundation and the Academy are the cause…
What feelings will that child harbor for this world?
“I was too hasty. I acted too rashly, professor…!”
The ambition of Professor Destroyer to catch the Sebiche Duchy, a cooperative family of the Wahyhiemhai Foundation, could become a huge self-inflicted wound.
It will cause significant heartbreak for Oknodie and leave a massive loss for the power of the Dark Trading Company meant to protect her.
