<274 - Unconscious Trap>
The Nuéa Forest had unexpectedly transformed into an exclusive resource gathering spot dominated by the Organization that Plays with Oknodie.
“Did you hear? The collectors from the Dark Trading Company were snooping around here and got kidnapped? Hehehe. What fools.”
“They should’ve chosen to be slaves to Oknodie over being slaves to Jezel.”
“The points are definitely better over there, but those idiots probably have no idea that only our organization has the authority to buy the questions and answers.”
Recently, the job satisfaction of first-year Foundation Scholarship Students had skyrocketed.
Gone were the days of battling anxiety over the potential loss of their usefulness due to falling grades and being burdened with excessive orders; as long as they followed Oknodie’s commands, she provided them with questions and answers that allowed them to survive at the Academy.
Sure, they had to invest time to provide labor and purchase with combined points, but that was a minor downside.
“We wouldn’t have done well even if we studied.”
“As long as we pass the tests, we won’t have to suffer from unreasonable commands, so providing labor is no big deal.”
“Collecting is a bit annoying and bothersome, but it’s surprisingly fun. I feel healthier while doing it.”
Students enjoying life as if they were collectors while indirectly experiencing the effects of their Pokédex collection!
“With April assigned as our maid in our area, the [Secret Scholarship Society] hideout has tidied up quite nicely, and I’d almost want to live here forever.”
“Right? Being here means the Jigoku Pirate Group won’t come raiding us.”
“The Warrior’s Guard might be eyeing us with great interest, but we have numbers, so they’ll think twice before charging at us.”
In short, perfect job satisfaction!
The students embraced a life closer to that of collectors than students.
Among them, only two felt that something was going wrong.
“Hey, Jaku. Can you come here for a sec?”
“Primer. What ridiculous matter are you calling me for this time?”
“It concerns you too. In fact, it concerns all of us scholarship students.”
“…?”
Despite Primer being a ridiculous guy, their relationship wasn’t close enough for trivial chit-chat.
Because they were distant, Jaku felt something was off and followed him.
“This should be enough to avoid Oknodie’s eyes and ears. Now, spill it.”
“You know about the mechanism through which scholarship students get discarded, right?”
“Disappointing. Should I really be the one to mention that those with low grades and no talent get discarded in order?”
“Yeah, that. Everyone is saying they’re glad to be under Oknodie because they fear that, since if they just do the errands for the questions and answers, they get everything.”
“What of it?”
“That’s the danger. The longer this benefit lasts, the more serious it becomes.”
What ridiculous nonsense is he spouting?
The more gain creates more poison.
“It’s nice to see our scores rise for now. But when the second semester comes and scholarship students who can’t maintain their grades with their abilities try to survive, what do you think they’ll have to do?”
Jaku’s expression hardened.
He finally saw it.
The future that Primer had realized.
“They will have to rely on Oknodie’s questions and answers.”
“Exactly. We’re being tamed by Oknodie without even realizing it. The more benefits we receive and depend on, the deeper we sink into an inescapable quagmire.”
“…Oknodie is a good child.”
“Do you really think so? Do you honestly believe that our Foundation’s ‘Chief Scholarship Student’ is just a kind-hearted, playful child?”
“I’ve at least received her help.”
“Thanks to you, the Foundation’s tail named April was exposed to Oknodie. Don’t assume she was completely unaware of that.”
“…!”
“There’s no such thing as free charity, even in an orphanage. It’s more familiar to see a fly-by-night businessman who gathers orphans, collects state support, and sells them to the Foundation. If Oknodie is part of the Foundation, she must have grown up seeing a world no different from ours.”
Was it really like that?
Was Oknodie just using herself as a starting point to tame the Foundation’s scholarship students?
That cannot be.
She doesn’t want to believe it.
…But Primer’s hypothesis was alarmingly realistic.
Jaku’s heart started to awaken to fear.
“We must not cooperate with Oknodie. The sooner the Secret Scholarship Society collapses, the more chances we have to escape from this trap.”
“Betrayal? Do you really think such an act would be tolerated? That’s no different from committing suicide out of fear for the coming future.”
“I heard a rumor. They say a new tail is being dispatched from the Foundation Headquarters.”
“…Is that certain information?”
“I heard it from a second-year senior scholarship student. The information came from a higher level than us, so it’s definitely correct.”
Primer may be ridiculous, but he thoroughly manages his connections to fulfill his unworthy ambitions.
His information was trustworthy.
Jaku began to slowly understand why Primer had called him out.
“When the new tail from the Foundation arrives, they’ll dispose of the tail that belongs to Oknodie. The Secret Scholarship Society will probably be able to return to its former self without issue.”
“…”
“Don’t hesitate. If we degenerate into inferior students who can’t survive at the Academy without relying on Oknodie, we won’t escape even when harsher commands are given. This is our only chance.”
Determination ignited in Jaku’s eyes.
“Alright. I’ll cooperate.”
“Good thinking. When the tail arrives, we need someone to lure April out. I’m under suspicion due to my contact with the seniors, but you are different.”
“If it becomes known that you and I contacted each other, I would also face scrutiny.”
“I’ve already identified the locations of potential danger from those associated with the Organization that Plays with Oknodie using other fellows. Oknodie, Ppyoi, and Irene went to catch a sandcastle monster that swallowed a mineral stone, while Jiang, Irene, and Hestia are in the training hall. April is with another maid repairing the abandoned schoolhouse.”
Primer had shown this level of preparation, which demonstrated his earnestness in recruiting Jaku.
“I’ll trust you.”
“When the day of execution comes, relay the time and place to me. Our lives as scholarship students are at stake. Please.”
Scary Child: Your every move sends people trembling in fear. It becomes almost impossible to gain someone’s favor.
Scary Child.
A mechanic that makes accumulating favorability nearly impossible while inducing fear with ease.
The feature that intervenes with fate had begun to exert its influence on Oknodie.
*
“Woof woof! I love brushing! So fun! So fun!”
“…Don’t sweep the floor with your tail. You’re spreading dust everywhere.”
Realizing it would be hard to manage alone, she asked the Maid Jang for additional personnel and received the most incompetent maid around.
A dog-kin named Happy.
A colleague bursting with energy who sees the world as bright and happy 24/7.
Of all the duds to send! Is the Maid Jang angry with her?
She even understands that resentment.
The labor was summoned, not for regular duties, but to help with the personal areas of the first years.
From the Maid Jang’s perspective, it might be enjoyable to wreak some havoc.
It’s unfair that only she bears the consequences of the mess.
“Woof woof?”
“Sneeze away from the window! Don’t forget to cover your mouth with your hands.”
“Woof woof! That’s not sneezing!”
Unlike the usual light-hearted expression, Happy was staring out of the window with a very tense face.
“Grrr.”
“Happy…?”
April was quite surprised.
It had been ages since she had heard this fool make a sound other than a bark.
“I sense danger. It’s dangerous! It’s dangerous!”
“…Dangerous to us maids? Could it be? Did the second years hear the rumor about the supplies stockpiled in the Nuéa Forest and are coming for them? Or is the Warrior’s Guard aiming for Lord Oknodie?”
“Grrrrrr.”
“Calm down. We can just use the staff-only support request feature on the Magic Watch to call the nearest instructor.”
“Not enough! Not enough! We’ll get caught! It’s dangerous!”
In the sleepless deep of night, a child is seeing monsters from the crevice of their bed.
An old shaman, who stirs up panic in the village by declaring that the rising red moon is an omen of bad fortune.
Happy’s frantic warning wasn’t any different.
Though she wanted to overlook it, the ‘beast’ instincts of a beastfolk often hit far more accurately than those of a regular human.
Their animalistic senses could gather far more information than a human, warning of dangers that a culprit’s instincts might miss.
But it wasn’t the first time Happy had barked.
Thinking it was impossible, April pulled out one of the insect specimens from the collection box that Oknodie had insensitively amassed and released into the wild.
[Gregorius the Majestic Beetle]
A giant black beetle as big as a human palm wriggled its horns atop April’s hand.
“Woof woof! Dangerous! Dangerous! It hurts if bitten! My tongue will bleed!”
“Geez. Just typical of you.”
Having sensed even the murderous intent of the beetle with her heightened senses, how intense must that be?
It was an unusually dreary day, and perhaps she had perceived the presence of a lurking insect trying to hide in the shadows.
“I’m going to hang the laundry, so be good and stay here.”
“Woof woof! Happy’s not a coward! It’s really dangerous!”
“Alright, alright.”
With the laundry basket in hand, April headed towards the backyard.
As she adjusted her posture due to an uncomfortable sensation in her rear, she suddenly recalled a recent memory.
An unusually kind Grand Duke.
An unusually dependable Oknodie.
‘How fascinating.’
Who knew there would come a day when Academy life felt this enjoyable?
She’s truly disqualified as a spy.
As she hurried her steps in the drizzling fox rain, the shadow of a student loomed around the corner of the hallway behind her.
