<221 - How to Save Her>
“Well then, that’s enough.”
The elegant figure of Arcadia, who gracefully turned her back, stirred an unnecessary sense of unease among those once loyal to her.
They thought that if the family fell, so would Arcadia’s might, and they believed they too could rally the border forces and replace her as the top figure.
Contrary to their expectations of the glamorous lady’s downfall, Arcadia held her ground far too resolutely.
“Still, it won’t last long.”
“Do you really think she can remain so composed even if her family falls?”
“Anyway, if she doesn’t ally with us, the princess is done for.”
Jigoku realized while guiding Arcadia that Jezel’s request for him to escort her was not a silly notion at all.
Had there been no one by her side, those ungrateful blond beasts might have tried to humiliate her by force.
“Just like the Sebiche oddball, she has guts.”
“…I’m glad if it appeared that way.”
A trembling voice. Wobbly footsteps.
As Jigoku walked ahead, he scratched his head, feeling he had said something foolish.
Not everyone has mental strength like Oknodie.
Even if they want to seem strong, they aren’t genuinely powerful.
She was simply doing her best.
Jigoku no longer spoke to Arcadia.
He didn’t look back.
On the way to Jezel.
No matter what expression Arcadia wore or what sadness she suppressed, that time was hers alone, unobserved by anyone else.
That was the minimum respect Jigoku could show Arcadia, who had not turned her back on her family’s sins, despite being born into a cursed family.
“Here you go. The escort request is complete. I’ve fulfilled your request, so the ammunition supply issue is now settled.”
“Thank you, Jigoku. I won’t be seeking you out on this matter again. If it’s alright, I’d like to ask for another request, conditional on additional supplies…”
“No work.”
“I see. Then you may leave now.”
Respect was paid. Anything beyond this was excessive; Arcadia was neither her friend nor anything else.
After dropping Arcadia off in front of Jezel, Jigoku turned back without regret.
Once Jezel confirmed Jigoku’s departure, she locked the door and only then opened her mouth with caution.
“Princess Arcadia, are you aware of the situation upon our return?”
“I know the family secrets are laid bare for all to see, putting us on the brink of ruin.”
“If we don’t respond immediately, you’ll get embroiled in power struggles aimed at reducing your competitors, and you might be expelled from the Academy. I’ve thought of a countermeasure.”
“Please, tell me.”
“The main issue right now is the slave trading ledger containing the Sebiche family’s secrets. That ledger is currently owned by Professor Destroyer’s guild. Stealing it is virtually impossible.”
“A professor at the Academy…?”
It was an unbelievable story.
Isn’t the Academy supposed to protect the students?
Under the stubbornness of Dragon Principal Omoshiroi, the rules of the outside world hold no weight whatsoever.
“The principal will maintain the policy to protect students. But I can’t say the professors beneath him think the same.”
“I have no intention of leaving the Academy. I won’t leave unless they expel me.”
“But if the disgraceful rumors continue and public humiliation keeps occurring, can you still endure?”
“That’s…”
“Don’t falter. Regardless, neither the Foundation nor the Academy cares about your well-being. If you don’t get a grip, not only will you leave the Academy, but you might also struggle to protect your life.”
The harsh words snapped Arcadia back to reality, her eyes filled with determination.
“I heard from Titosso. There’s a rumor about the slave ledger. How can we deal with it?”
“We need to purchase it. Both the Academy and Professor Destroyer are negotiable entities. If we have points, we can trade.”
Jezel was rather confident.
Trading would indeed be what Professor Destroyer desires.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t casually leak information to the point where rumors spread among the students.
This is a test.
Will she tremble in fear and flee the Academy, or will she offer up the family’s secrets and trade to assist herself?
“Purchasing a ledger containing the family’s secrets… Is it truly possible to acquire something that might cost an enormous amount of points?”
“I can support you with half of the supply of points, amounting to 200,000 points, on the condition that you relinquish your shares in the Dark Trading Company.”
“I’ll pass. If I can’t withstand this crisis, my shares become meaningless anyway.”
“Then… according to my calculations, you’ll need to gather at least 300,000 more points. The value of the ledger is estimated to be around 500,000 points.”
“How much time do we have left?”
“A maximum of 12 hours.”
“…I can’t think of a way.”
“I have two solutions that will take not even 1 hour.”
Jezel looked straight into the princess’s eyes and said.
“Collect donations from your followers. This is the easiest route.”
“…That’s impossible. Until yesterday, I would have taken that path confidently, but they ultimately clung to my family’s might, not me.”
“Then we have no choice but to take the hard route. Sell the information about the hiding place of the Sebiche family members who have taken refuge to Professor Destroyer.”
“Are you suggesting I betray my family?”
“That expression is misleading.”
Now is not the time to talk about betrayal.
“The Sebiche Ducal House, having engaged in the forbidden slave trade under Imperial Law, may well bear the mark of ‘Demon Minion’. Don’t miss the opportunity to draw the line first.”
It’s slander.
She knows it.
Even if the elders of the family are driven mad by money, abandoning the people’s livelihood, they aren’t so low as to sell their souls.
She also knows the truth won’t be believed by anyone.
Imperial faction and border faction.
The delicate balance within the Academy suggests the power dynamics among the world’s leaders after Class 981 graduates.
Their downfall might obliterate the rebirth of the Sebiche family and the strengthening of the border faction.
The Empire will not miss this chance.
Opportunists in the border region are no different.
This was a golden opportunity to topple the firm position established by the border forces with the steady support of Duke Andersen and Princess Arcadia.
Numerous ambitious figures were trying to stab their knives into her back.
“It was this precarious.”
Just one misstep could send her life tumbling down.
Even living could be a tormenting existence.
The deal proposed by Jezel.
This is the lesser evil.
A means to escape the worst-case scenario.
For Arcadia, it’s the only way to preserve her life and remain in the Academy.
“If that’s truly the only way…”
She had no choice.
She must endure the humiliation and accept it.
As she tried to respond, suppressing her sadness, an unexpectedly cheerful voice echoed that didn’t seem to belong in this setting.
“Hmm~ Is that what’s troubling you?”
Oknodie.
The mischievous girl’s voice came from a nearby table.
“Little Miss? Since when, or how did you get here…?”
She had thoroughly locked the door to ensure there were no eavesdroppers.
Ignoring Jezel’s shocked gaze, Oknodie sat at the table, resting her chin on her hands as she met the eyes of Arcadia and Jezel.
“A little while ago. More importantly, you don’t have to do that.”
A small yet bright face.
Mischief danced in the naughty child’s eyes.
“If you could steal the Sebiche family’s slave trading ledger from the Thief Guild that Professor Destroyer commands, then you wouldn’t need to spend points to buy it, right?”
“Oknodie. You can’t be…?”
“Yep! Leave it to me!”
She volunteered for the most dangerous task.
It was incomprehensible.
“I can understand Jezel wanting to help me. He is my business partner. If my honor is tarnished, the Dark Trading Company is done for as well.”
“I concur. Please refrain from making reckless comments, little miss.”
“You’re cute, Di. You’re not bound by any contract with me. Why are you taking such a huge risk?”
Oknodie jumped off the table.
“There is no contract. But come on, it’s between me and Arcadia, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it hurt your feelings to say that?”
The eyes of the child showed her pure heart.
“I can help without taking anything from Arcadia. Helping Arcadia is far more precious than any weekly event!”
Arcadia embraced the little girl in front of her.
How could she doubt the pure heart of this small child? She could not forgive herself.
‘Oknodie is different.’
A resolution born.
She must repay this child’s purity.
“Jezel gave me two options. In truth, there’s another way to acquire the ledger without stealing it. We can hit another place instead of the ledger.”
“Where are you planning to hit?”
“There’s a secret vault where the Sebiche family’s assets are hidden for emergencies.”
“Princess Arcadia, that property is…!”
“I know, Jezel. I understand this can help me recover as the head of the Sebiche family once we get past this storm.”
Still, she made a decision.
“I won’t let this pure child, who’s willing to help me even at the cost of forsaking my family’s name and rich future, become endangered.”
Instead of risking Oknodie with the ledger of the Thief Guild, she’ll strike at the hidden funds of the Sebiche Ducal House.
