<357 - Fear for Some, Copier for Others>
“Uh, Jezel, you’re in the Upper Class, right?”
A person well-informed and leading many subordinates with an enormous amount of points. However, there are rumors that their own combat strength isn’t quite impressive.
Even if it’s a bit lacking in conscience, couldn’t I somehow win against Jezel if we fought?
“Haha. If you’re looking for a monster like me, you’d want a leader-level member from a group-type race with plenty of subordinates. We’d need named monsters capable of creating a monster wave that seriously worries about fortress invasions, beyond just a few mob leaders or dozens of clan chiefs.”
Like, how am I supposed to catch that?
Seeing his troubled face, Jezel struck the final nail.
“Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Because you’re not as strong as someone like Jezel… right?”
“Because I predict an entity with enough power to rival that kind of crowd on its own.”
“!!!”
“Among the Upper Class Students, it’s safe to say they’re on par with Hestia or the Divine Archer Skola, or even Honor Fried Chicken.”
Mob made his decision.
This is beyond my pay grade.
“If I ask Oknodie for help, will they assist?”
Jezel, always dressed neatly and exuding a wealthy and mild merchant-like atmosphere, suddenly felt a significant pressure despite having the same squinting eyes.
“The little lady is busy focusing on her studies. Although I empathize with your friend’s situation, I suggest you seek help from someone else.”
Mob, overwhelmed by the intimidation, responded with an “Okay.”
Jezel…
I’ve only seen them give in to Oknodie, but it seems they’re quite capable of drawing the line coldly when it comes to matters like this.
Mob reconsidered his feelings of resentment.
He can’t be blamed. Just getting the information for free was already a huge favor.
Let’s find someone else to help.
*
“What!? Why should I have to fight such a scary monster? Absolutely not!”
The martial artist Lotto flailed around before slamming the door open and bolting out.
The door handle bent and the door frame fell off from the force he used, leading Mob to think that if he had that power, he could’ve done anything.
“Where are you from?”
“Border friends.”
“Are you the eldest son who has to take over the family business?”
“One of them, yes.”
“In that case, I’ll pass. I wouldn’t want to waste precious training time on a student who can’t become a force in the North.”
Northern Grand Duchess Irene also showed no interest.
She genuinely didn’t think anyone could die in an event orchestrated by the Principal.
While Mob was uneasy over the slim chance of danger, Irene was being cold as it was no concern of hers since she was an unrelated student.
“Has anyone seen Jiang?”
“He’s an assassin, right? No point trying to find him. If you want contact, you’ll have to leave a designated mark at the appointed place and wait a day. Anyone showing up on their own will only be Oknodie or Titosso; people like us Lower Class Students won’t even get to lay eyes on them.”
Jiang didn’t even acknowledge Lower Class Students.
At best, they only faced each other when he undertook a request that would earn points.
Curiosity mixed with fear sparked within him about what kind of requests an assassin could have at the Academy, but he didn’t have the luxury to wait for Jiang at this urgent moment.
‘The golden time for a kidnapped person to return safely is 48 hours. Jiang’s help, which takes a day just to make contact, is not something to rely on.’
If he reached out to Oknodie, Jezel wouldn’t just stay silent.
To be honest, they weren’t that close, so he didn’t want to risk incurring Jezel’s wrath over it.
I have to find someone else to help.
Mob thought, You’re strong, aren’t you?
He began to remember how these students acknowledged him as a strong one.
He didn’t want to easily give up on a friend of his now.
As a strong person, he should be able to fulfill someone’s expectations.
Lotto, Irene, and Jiang couldn’t, but he could be different.
As a fellow Lower Class Student, he understood their suffering.
There’s no one to rely on.
Without professors and instructors to look out for him, he would be abandoned.
The Student Council favors the upperclassmen over him, and Upper Class Students have their own reasons for declining to rescue a single Lower Class Student if it doesn’t benefit them.
“Jaku. So about that…”
“You fool! You’re really going to personally go save people you’re not even friends with?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re even asking me to help?”
“Please.”
“Are you stupid? It’s true those guys have nowhere else to turn but you, but after you help them, do you really think their gratitude will last? You might get irreparable injuries or end up missing yourself without getting anything in return.”
It’s as reckless as a civilian trying to protect a victim who escaped a serial killer!
“I still want to do it. As you said, I’m a fool.”
Mob thumped his own armor, clang clang.
“Oknodie felt that way too. Think about what they’ve done for me, knowing it would give them no benefits.”
Jaku’s expression subtly shifted.
Mob was indeed a lucky one.
Because of Oknodie, he had achieved remarkable growth.
Of course, it was Oknodie who structured the accelerated training course, but it was Mob who diligently followed through with it, and his efforts and passion should be acknowledged as well.
However, without that training course given by Oknodie from the start, Mob wouldn’t even have been able to exist in his current growth.
Unconditional kindness.
A donation expecting nothing in return.
Mob owed a colossal debt to Oknodie.
Oknodie’s goodwill was both a debt and a light, filling Mob’s heart with feelings of admiration.
“I’ve lost. I’ve lost. Who could stop your stubbornness?”
“Thanks, Jaku! I knew you’d help!”
“Bring in the fools who lost their friends. They could still be useful.”
As the shrewd Jaku was, he had already begun to formulate a plan.
*
Jaku set up bait traps using the haunted coins of the Lower Class Students.
“Jezel said so, right? The Hooked Ghost places another cursed item near a cursed item. It lures monsters into traps using their instincts.”
“What about the trap installation costs?”
“They’d better pay up. It’s morally rotten for us to cover that.”
The Lower Class Students who came for help from Mob hesitated.
Now that they had fled and left a friend behind, did they hesitate to open their wallets because of guilt?
Jaku openly sneered at them.
“The kidnapped one must feel pretty miserable. Because what they’re about to lose is not just their life but also friendship.”
“Don’t say that! We were only worried because we didn’t have enough points!”
“We’ll pay. We can do that!”
The installation of the trap required the direct invitation of a Priest from the Church.
“So, which Church’s priest is that?”
“They say it’s the Church of Harmony.”
“But why do they look so displeased?”
Having already scouted suitable locations for trap installation, Mob felt perplexed seeing Jaku’s not-so-great expression while bringing along his classmates and the priest.
“I saw them visiting during a meal, and they were pouring sweet and sour sauce on rice.”
“Are you supposed to pour sauce on sweet and sour pork? That’s how it’s traditionally served when it just comes out of a Restaurant.”
“No, not sweet and sour pork; rice.”
“……”
Sweat trickled down Mob’s face.
“Why? What possible reason could someone commit such a horrific act? Those who play with food are designated as traitorous families even in the Empire.”
“Believing in God of Harmony increases faith when mixing incompatible things harmoniously. Those believing in that deity are truly miserable beings.”
The Church of Fullness of Dish.
It had a method of ridiculously ruthless faith verification that would make anyone wonder how such a thing could align with a Benevolent Deity.
“Haha. Don’t worry. The priests of the Benevolent Deity Religion never impose their teachings on others. Except for the ghostly beings rising from this sacred Magic Circle, that is.”
The priest’s banter with his bulging stomach caused the students to force smiles.
The priest, curious about the first-years exorcising a named ghost, even mentioned he’d watch, so no one wanted to make a bad impression.
“First-years might not have learned about curse studies yet, but since they’ve been remarkably invited to the Academy, I’ll teach you a thing or two. Ghosts usually linger because of strong attachments from their lifetime, but those that harm people usually have deep grudges.”
“Those dangerous ghosts can’t move in front of divine power, right?”
“Haha, indeed. They’re like ‘Shin Park Kkom.’ Those things freeze up when hit by divine power.”
As everyone’s unease heightened at the priest flaunting a trendy term from the MZ generation, the operation began.
*
“Well, that turned out well! We got help from the priest. Why did you come to me?”
Jaku grimaced, clutching a blood-soaked arm when Oknodie asked.
“That thing threw a bunch of curse items outside the sacred exorcism area and neutralized its effects. Anyone who tries to mix sweet and sour sauce with rice from now on is off my list.”
“What about Mob?”
“I don’t know. I barely escaped myself. I saw those two idiots from the Lower Class got caught and the priest managed to flee, but Mob is probably captured. That armor must be heavy.”
That armor, you made him wear it.
Jaku’s ploy was to trigger Oknodie’s guilt to get her to help, but he was honestly uncertain.
Did Oknodie even have that much conscience left?
What if this troublesome little brat I’ve been raising gets ditched as a result?
Jaku’s imagination took a turn for the worse.
Oknodie’s reaction surpassed his imagination.
“In that case, let’s stay for one more day!”
“Is it because we need thorough preparation?”
“If Mob got caught, the cursed armor would probably be duplicated too, right? If we gather it, we can use it as enhancement material; we need time to duplicate that armor!”
“…”
Mob started truly worrying about whether it was okay to be trained by such a monster. Jaku began to seriously fret over the future of his friend in a way he hadn’t before.
