<321 - The Director's Wicked Wisdom>
“Is it really okay? There must be plenty of classmates in the Academy thinking about you.”
In the upper class, there are easily over ten notable students.
Including the lower class, that number at least doubles.
Even if the Warrior dislikes Oknodie, there are many students who like her.
‘Thanks to what happened on the cruise ship and in the mansion, many students might fear Oknodie now.’
While that may be the trend, on the contrary, the feelings of those who care for her must have grown even stronger.
We must protect her.
Let’s be a sanctuary for this child’s heart.
Just as Oknodie helped us, we will help her.
Sing already knows that feeling.
Before everyone sets sail, they came to find him upon hearing that Sing would stay behind with Oknodie.
“Please take care of the little one. That kid is clever, but still just a child. She needs a proper adult around.”
“Make sure she doesn’t skip meal times. Who knows, she might skip eating while playing some weird game.”
“The Director is the most dangerous person in the world. Please ensure Oknodie doesn’t get contaminated by him.”
Son Ohchun, Isabel, Jezel.
“Please tell Oknodie that after playing at home, let’s have fun together in the second semester at the Academy!”
“Don’t forget to remind her about Professor Sadako’s lecture. I started attending it because of Oknodie; it’s unfair that only Titos and I get to listen!”
Titosso, Jiang.
“Don’t mind the ungrateful ones. I’m always on Oknodie’s side.”
“Please tell her not to worry about what other students may think. I’ll make an effort to host a tea party for our Di in Arcadia whenever she wants.”
“Thanks to good performance at the Academy, our organization released new Bikini Armor! Make sure to convey my gratitude!”
Hestia, Arcadia, Ppyoi.
“…When we meet at the Academy again, please tell her I’ll bring northern supplies.”
“By the way, can I take this cruise ship? Kya-ha-ha! I guess I’ll just grab it for now. If I need it later, I’ll ask. If I get to fire the cannon, I might let it slide?”
Irene, Jigoku.
“Once you fall under the Foundation’s directive, there’s no escaping it. Make sure to communicate to establish boundaries.”
“I’ll continue to train hard during the remaining vacation, so please be sure to check up on me later.”
Jaku, Mob.
“…Getting caught in a trap turned into a statue for my own frustrations. I’ll make sure to exact proper revenge in the second semester. Sandkooker.”
“Me!? No way, that’s terrifying… Huh?! Oknodie is threatening to burn all my hair if I don’t cast a petrification spell on her!? What did I do wrong?!”
Rosgini, Sandkooker.
“Don’t even dream of sitting tight at the Foundation and escaping. Meanwhile, I will continue to grow stronger.”
“I’m frustrated, but I did get into debt during this cruise. It’s uncomfortable being in someone else’s debt, so please make an opportunity for me to pay it back when the semester starts.”
Even the Warrior Ishtar and Saintess Yufi.
All the requests left for Oknodie are still clearly remembered now.
Gift Academy is the place Oknodie will return to.
As long as there are those who care for her left.
However, Oknodie doesn’t share the same perspective he does.
“Oh dear. Have you still not told your friend?”
With a kind voice and approaching footsteps.
Despite being ordinary steps, the vibrations of power resonate as if stepping onto the surface of water.
The Director approaches with his signature smile.
As if he had been listening to this conversation.
At the perfect timing.
Could this well-timed eavesdropping have existed solely in this moment?
Of course not.
Over the past month, it wasn’t just Sing who had the chance.
Time was equally available to Oknodie.
The opportunity to achieve desired outcomes is fairly presented to everyone.
Even to that Director.
“Today, I was planning to inform you once we break through the 49th floor and reach the 50th!”
“Well, it isn’t bad right now. Since it’s a rare opportunity, how about sharing it with him? He’s a precious friend, and it would be pitiful for him to feel excluded.”
Assured by the advantage of information.
I understand Oknodie’s intentions.
You may not realize it.
It doesn’t matter if I communicate it.
It’s too late to turn things around now.
The Director’s voice is clear beyond his casual smile.
Sing realized.
This time, his view was once again limited.
Having been unable to maintain his composure, he was trapped in his own 39th-floor bound past, now entangled in the immediate growth before him, neglecting Oknodie’s feelings.
During that time, he didn’t think about what schemes the Director might play or how Oknodie might maneuver around them.
No, he didn’t have any interest at all.
His own growth was deemed more important than Oknodie’s circumstances.
This shouldn’t have been the case.
Everyone asked for messages to be delivered.
They asked for their hearts to be conveyed.
If he had truly tried, perhaps Oknodie’s heart would have been a little more attached to the Academy.
It was a belated regret.
“Well then, I will share! The conversation I had with Papa.”
Oknodie began to recount what Sing had overlooked, revealing what the Director’s approach, allowed by trading his own growth, invoked.
“Do we really have to return to the Academy?”
Papa’s question was quite intriguing.
“We could spend time together at the Foundation and learn a lot. Your bag has much to be filled. The Foundation can provide the rare treasures that the Academy wouldn’t offer.”
“I can fill them on my own!”
“If you don’t need the Foundation, then you don’t need the Academy either, right?”
“Uh-huh, that’s true…”
“Anything weighing on your heart?”
“I don’t want to hear about my friends struggling!”
“Oh dear. You actually value friendship more than I expected. Youth can’t miss out on friendships, after all. But just vague anxieties can’t be heard. Do you foresee something?”
“Yup!”
Can I say it?
About the future events that will happen to the NPC?
But Papa provided direly hard-to-find foods.
Considering the saved time and the adjusted stats of the collected items, this small spoiler is nothing.
There have already been many stories conveyed through ‘trading.’
It’s like pouring a large bucket of water into a basin and adding just one more cup; it won’t make much difference.
“In the second semester of the first year, unexpected variables will trigger incidents at the Academy, mainly due to one of the
“Oh! An organization?”
“Sometimes, the [Beastman Resurgence Society] operates, forcing facilities into lockdown during field trips, looking for chances to slaughter the first-years, and other times, the [Demon Minions] might operate, sneaking up and killing one student at a time!”
Chatter, chatter.
As I shared this overwhelming catastrophe pattern for the second semester, Papa nodded along.
“Well then, let’s establish this. The Foundation will repress the activities of other organizations.”
“Still, incidents will occur regardless! If you awkwardly try to stop them, they might trigger faster or lead to worse disasters.”
Even the Chapter 1 boss, Hestia, had an early rush catastrophe pattern.
In Chapter 2, it’s uncertain which organization will trigger a catastrophe, leading to being caught off guard from unexpected angles while trying to cover all areas.
Should I really just go back to the Academy and keep an eye on things so my friends don’t drop dead?
“I see. Just pinning things down isn’t the answer. If you intend to intervene, something will happen no matter what. How about doing this instead?”
As Papa surprisingly suggested something astonishing just as my heart leaned towards returning to the Academy.
“Let’s cause incidents instead at the Foundation.”
“Eh?”
“If other organizations make a move and get caught, leading to a major event, there won’t be a need to worry about minor commotions, right?”
“Wow…! I never thought of that strategy! But what kind of incident will you create?”
“Hmm. If we treat it as a major incident at the Academy, we’ll need to create something big enough to make other organizations hesitate.”
The Director’s smile grew even thicker.
“A murder incident.”
“Gasp!”
“Wouldn’t it be fine as long as it doesn’t involve friends dying? Instead of an uncontrollable variable harming an acquaintance, a controlled, intentional murder would eliminate unnecessary waste.”
How does that sound?
Papa, asking gently, looked exceptionally impressive at that moment.
“Totally in favor!”
“So then, we don’t need to go back to the Academy immediately at the start of the second semester?”
“Yup!”
“Pfew. What a relief. I have many things I want to do with my daughter, after all.”
Isn’t it a relief that Random Papa is competent?
Sometimes, this kind of Papa might not be so bad!
Even the Foundation run by Papa seemed more likable!
