Ch.125125 – Ominous Information

<125 – Ominous Information>

There are differences even among third-years.

The strong ones are truly strong, while the weak ones are so weak you’d wonder, “This is a third-year?”

The one who fainted after being shot by Zigoku was among the weak ones.

It’s actually quite natural when you think about it.

How strong could students who earn points by taking daily patrol quests really be?

The true monsters are out there participating in missions with much higher points or benefits at stake.

‘He must be at Morb’s level as a third-year!’

Objectively speaking, that senior was exactly at that level.

“A first-year beat a third-year?”

“Must be from the advanced class.”

“No wonder he wasn’t intimidated when selling drugs.”

The third-years muttered quietly, but thanks to my <Hearing> skill experience, I caught their conversation.

A moment later, Icarus, the squadron leader, slowly flew over, showing he had no intention of causing harm.

“Sorry about that, juniors. One of our squadron members seems to have gotten heatstroke.”

“Don’t come any closer. If you attack again, we’ll report you to the student council!”

“Haha. It’s nothing like that. I just came to retrieve that pathetically unconscious friend of mine, so cut me some slack.”

Icarus had his other members retrieve the squadron member who had crashed into the tree and fainted.

“That blood stone—you’d better be careful with it. Anyone who knows its value will definitely covet it.”

“I’ll handle it myself!”

Faced with my vigilant attitude, Icarus shut his mouth like a civil servant afraid of getting a complaint education and left.

“How did you do that? Getting guys who only stop when shot to leave after just a few words.”

“I borrowed the power of authority!”

“Authority?”

At Gift Academy, the student council’s power rivals that of a royal decree from any kingdom.

For instance, there was an incident where a princess violated school rules and was dragged to the student council.

When the king sent a lengthy threatening letter saying he would ruin the life of anyone who touched his daughter, the student council member reportedly responded, “Whatever, I can just emigrate~”

That senior is currently a third-year student of the 979th class and still serves on the student council.

‘Compared to such seniors, those who just patrol are nothing!’

Zigoku looked at me with admiration in his eyes.

“You would’ve handled it fine on your own anyway.”

“No, it was thanks to Zigoku using expensive elemental bullets that things resolved easily! If they thought we were pushovers, they would’ve taken it by force and ignored any threats about reporting to the student council.”

“Is that so? Hmm. Well, I’m glad they were reasonable.”

Zigoku lowered his head and whispered in a subtle tone.

“Does this clear my debt from before?”

“You mean the demonic warehouse incident?”

When I nodded to Zigoku, who was anxiously reading my expression, his tense face brightened up.

“Oknodie, what happened? What did you say up there that made the seniors just leave?”

When I explained the situation to Hestia and everyone else who had arrived late, Rozini expressed concern.

“What if it’s really dangerous?”

“Hmph. That won’t happen.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I know this better than anyone in the world!”

Energy-containing materials are rare even within the Academy.

Blood stones are materials used for blood magic.

They’re a new energy source discovered when someone thought, “What if mages with insufficient mana pools used the bio-mana contained in the blood of living creatures?”

If people are already illegally cultivating and consuming mana spore sacs, there’s no reason they couldn’t use blood stones too.

Moreover, unlike the widely recognized valuable mana spore sacs, blood stones are currently undervalued because people think, “Who uses such outdated technology these days?”

‘It’s something easy to obtain but not valued properly. In other words, it could be like winning the lottery!’

Among the Academy’s visiting professors, a blood mage will soon be added.

Perhaps the upper-year students have already started receiving education from a blood mage.

When that time comes, blood magic will become trendy as people with insufficient mana start using blood, and the value of blood stones will skyrocket daily!

‘Of course, such dangerous magic will lead to safety accidents and stricter regulations.’

After a short while, blood magic will be heavily regulated with usage restrictions and qualification requirements to prevent accidents.

By then, the value of blood stones will plummet again.

But as someone with insider knowledge, I just need to sell before that happens. Even if I can’t sell at peak price, it should be enough to get a carriage season pass when the price rises reasonably.

* *

Rozini is an aspiring magic department student.

She attends lectures not only from Professor Warerd, a master of nature magic, but also from several other professors.

As a promising junior, some senior teaching assistants viewed Rozini favorably, occasionally chatting with her and sharing various information.

-You’re taking Professor Warerd’s lectures, right? You should be careful.

-Why?

-I heard that professor is testing whether eating stones increases nature affinity with the fourth-years.

Hearing this rumor, she suddenly understood the strange rumors about Oknodie as well.

‘So Oknodie isn’t eating stones because she’s lacking something, but to increase her nature affinity!’

Surely she’s not just eating them raw.

Even in magic towers, when odd research topics came up, they would approach them with surprisingly practical methods.

There must be magic to digest stones, special drugs or constitutions to adjust stomach acid levels, or arcane techniques.

Would they really just make students eat stones without any of that? The professor and fourth-years at the world’s premier academy?

‘No way.’

They couldn’t be that ignorant.

Common sense dictates that humans can’t digest stones.

Obviously, she had no intention of trying it herself.

But she did gain an insight: Oknodie is truly knowledgeable about stones.

Especially since that child also loves eating.

In such circumstances, how much more would she know and love edible stones!

Moreover, the item Oknodie obtained this time was a blood “stone.”

It was something she wanted badly enough to recruit daily party members by offering 50 points each—enough for ten meals—a considerable sum.

Whether she eats it or uses it for research, that’s her business!

“The mosquito was pretty scary.”

“…Do you realize my ears are still ringing from your screaming next to me?”

“But it was really scary! I’ve never seen such a huge mosquito in my life.”

The cowardly Zealot was one thing, but the sharp-tongued Echo truly got points for free.

“How can you just stand there without lifting a finger?”

“If a boss hires the wrong employee and lets them leech salary, that’s the boss’s fault, not the employee’s.”

“If I had paid with my own money, I would’ve demanded every point back. Oknodie is really too nice.”

Echo, who had freeloaded 50 points, stuck out her tongue mockingly before leaving.

Anyway, since she had earned points, Rozini could also return in a good mood.

* *

“What are Oknodie and Hestia discussing?”

“They said they’re going to look for someone to buy the blood stone and test the waters.”

Niche, a nun of the Thunderbolt Holy Divine Church who had negotiated fiercely to receive honey candy instead of the animal drug catnip as payment, answered while sucking on her honey candy.

“It’s truly amazing. They actually executed such a reckless plan successfully, and even after encountering third-years, they returned safely without any casualties.”

“Third-years are seniors, not monsters. Why would you think there would be casualties fighting third-years, when we didn’t even have any fighting that mosquito?”

“Oknodie’s demeanor seemed strange.”

Arcadia recalled.

Oknodie, who was no longer the good child she once knew.

The rumors about Oknodie that kept surfacing after her “good child” facade fell away.

Even if Oknodie wasn’t the ruthless assassin the rumors suggested, if she wasn’t the good child Arcadia had known, she might possess some assassin-like qualities.

In truth, what Arcadia had worried about was Oknodie killing a senior.

“Have you heard about the Wiheomhae Foundation?”

“I know it as a scholarship foundation that nurtures talented individuals from countries around the world.”

“There’s a rumor going around that Oknodie might have been threatened that if she refused to be trained as an assassin by the foundation, she would become a prostitute.”

Students who attended the eye-training lecture promised confidentiality, but Arcadia, with her keen ear for rumors, had uncovered the secret from those students.

“I was worried that someone raised by such a harsh foundation might endanger classmates or even kill seniors.”

Niche stopped savoring her honey candy at this unexpectedly heavy topic.

“Are you afraid of that child, Lady Arcadia, or concerned for her?”

“Both. I’m worried and afraid that she might take the wrong path.”

“Why do you care so much about Oknodie?”

Niche’s question was valid.

“She’s not the only foundation scholarship student, nor the only child forced to choose between becoming a prostitute or an assassin, nor the only one with a tragic fate. What makes her special in your eyes?”

“At first, I just liked her because she was cute, but as time passed, I saw her kindness.”

Despite knowing the reality of the weak Firenze Kingdom, lacking in both cultural and military power, Oknodie spoke well of it and showed consideration.

She protected weak and oppressed students and wasn’t afraid to stand against injustice.

Princess Arcadia of Firenze Kingdom.

Hestia the Berserker, whom everyone avoided.

Morb the inferior student, whom no one paid attention to.

From the rumors she heard.

From her own experiences.

Oknodie possessed a pure heart that seemed impossible for someone who had experienced such an unfortunate upbringing.

“Of course, purity isn’t eternal. Her heart will gradually be tainted and chipped away by the foundation’s manipulation, losing its true form.”

“So you want to protect her. That child.”

“Yes.”

Niche could understand such a reason behind Arcadia’s sincere confession.

“Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

Niche nodded and replied.

“That the princess will soon suffer a great wound.”

“…What?”

“I have information I bought with points from an instructor.”

Niche said.

“Starting next week, comprehensive rankings and evaluation scores within the Academy will be posted for each year.”

“Scores…? What does that have to do with me or Oknodie?”

“I’ve received information that around this time every year, inferior students from the Wiheomhae Foundation cause incidents.”

Among children from the same foundation as Oknodie, the most lagging ones cause trouble.

“It will be a turning point that distances both Oknodie, from the same foundation, and Princess Arcadia, who cares for her, from the Academy life they’ve known until now.”