Ch.213213 – Official Documents from the Foundation

<213 – Official Document from the Foundation>

Oknodie tapped the hat and scolded it.

“You scared me. Suddenly talking to Hestia, please consider my feelings too.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t just watch when a child I’ve spoken with for so long was troubled…”

“It’s because of guilt, right? Actually, you found it painful to see the child you tried to possess suffering.”

The hat was quite surprised.

A child with an adult-like maturity unlike her age.

Perhaps a sharp child because of her childlike innocence.

“Maybe so. No, that’s right. The heart is like water in a cup. Actions are like water overflowing from that cup. If a heart filled beyond capacity spills over into action, the final drop was undoubtedly guilt.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to blame you.”

“I know. You were the one who watched Hestia as long as I did. I can understand a little. What kind of child you are.”

“Really?”

“I don’t fully understand the meaning behind your actions, but you know many things.”

“And?”

“People call you a good child or a bad child, but you’re really just doing what you want to do.”

“Hehe. You really have been watching me all along.”

“You don’t think of yourself as either good or bad. Because you can act however you want to be.”

“I’m sorry. Let’s stop here. Having your heart exposed isn’t a very pleasant feeling!”

What expression lies behind Oknodie’s bright smile?

The woman who had taken on the new name of Second Mad Hatter dared to measure those hidden feelings by her own standards.

“But you actually like it, don’t you? Being loved by everyone.”

“Tsk. I told you to stop.”

“You’re embarrassed. Like Hestia. You’re not used to being loved, so you try to brush it off.”

“Hmph. That was really mean.”

“I don’t think it’s bad. Both your behavior and your heart. You don’t always need to be a good child, but your desire to be a good child when possible.”

“So it’s okay to do bad things in secret?”

“Good children are weak. They can’t detect others’ malice and are easily deceived. That’s why they get trapped behind walls and lose their own lives. Someone like me can say this. Being a bad child… isn’t necessarily all bad.”

Oknodie raised her hand to gently stroke the hat as it shared its sincere thoughts filled with many worries and regrets.

This is what a good child would do.

Or so she thought.

Even actions without sincerity are fine.

Because she finds comfort in those actions.

The Second Mad Hatter thought.

Hestia and Oknodie.

Indeed, I want to protect these children.

“Oknodie.”

“What is it?”

“The Foundation’s retaliation will begin soon.”

“…Huh? Against whom?”

“Against you.”

That’s why she spoke.

About something she could have ignored as someone else’s problem.

* * *

Primer, a regular scholarship student of the Foundation.

After the failure of the curse operation that had caused quite a commotion, he received different orders from the Foundation.

Stay close to those around Oknodie.

And wait for an opportunity.

An opportunity to obtain information that could become her weakness.

“I never thought such an opportunity would actually come…”

━━━

<Message to the Foundation>

Oknodie visited Hestia’s club.

Infiltrated the <Paper Dungeon> where one loses physical freedom and is unilaterally subjected to external intervention for extended periods.

In the future, it is presumed that Oknodie can be pushed into the Paper Dungeon once more by using Hestia.

━━━

He rolled up the coded message, placed it in a small bottle, and put it in the cleaning supply cabinet used for transmitting internal information to the outside.

After this, another Foundation member hiding in the Academy would take care of delivering the information.

As Primer was feeling relieved that he had proven his usefulness once again and wouldn’t have to receive reckless missions from the Foundation for a while, a rough voice caught him by the ankle.

“Primer. Don’t do anything foolish.”

“Zaku.”

He couldn’t suppress a sneer.

“You again? Quite meddlesome for a loser. Or are you anxious? Because a competitor who’s proving to be much more capable than you has appeared. Afraid you’ll receive more difficult orders because of me.”

“Not really? I could crush someone like you anytime if I wanted to. What I just said was purely well-intentioned advice.”

“Ha. Pure. Purity. How ironic that such words come from the mouths of people like us. I thought only sheltered young ladies like Oknodie would say such things.”

“You know nothing about Oknodie. And even less about the Foundation. Don’t think the little information you have is everything.”

It’s an obvious ploy.

I know more valuable information than you.

I’m more important than you.

Be curious.

About the information I possess.

Cling to it.

To my opinion.

There’s no reason to play along with such a shallow ‘power struggle.’

“You talk big, but in the end, you’re just someone who has to follow the Foundation’s orders when they come, right? Just pray like the coward you are that no frightening orders come your way.”

Those who only have strength are merely controlled by the stronger ones, but someone smart like himself can raise his position in the Foundation by faithfully carrying out orders.

Perhaps someday he might rise to the position of an educator who gathers and trains apprentice scholarship students like himself.

When that time comes, he will finally be liberated.

From the fear of not knowing when he might be cut off.

From the fear of not knowing when he might be discarded after his usefulness ends.

He could live without being haunted by orders.

“I’ll become someone who gives orders, not someone who receives them. Unlike you.”

For that purpose, he can send as many reports as needed to trouble a child.

Because that’s what life is.

When he was a child.

The parents who sold him for the price of a sack of rice.

The people from the Foundation who trained him.

Not a single person listened to a child’s whims.

This was the reality he knew, the reality he had learned.

* * *

The supervisor who received the orders transmitted from the Academy picked up the magic communication device.

“We’ve received useful information from the cage. Information about an opportunity to correct Joker’s behavior. What would you like to do? Yes. Understood. I will proceed as directed.”

Click.

After turning off the communication device, the supervisor opened one of hundreds of drawers containing a new communication device needed to carry out the orders.

“Special orders. Send an official document to Gift Academy in the name of the Foundation. Send a request to Gift Academy for recognition of substitute classes and off-campus learning for top scholarship student Oknodie. The period is one week. The learning content is etiquette education to supplement her lacking common sense despite her sufficient abilities.”

Oknodie.

The Foundation’s top scholarship student.

A special child the chairman keeps an eye on.

But she has crossed the line too much.

The number of branches that have suffered because of this child is not small.

Personnel planted in various countries’ military are also under threat as they undergo extensive military inspections.

Although someone of her caliber wouldn’t be exposed so easily, the branch that became the direct target of the former warrior Destroyer was almost annihilated.

Someday, the military line and other lines might suffer severe damage as well.

Regardless of what this 11-year-old child knows and how she knows it, it’s time to put a lock on her.

“How much information should we give to Butler Jona? What nonsense. Tell him nothing.”

If the butler had educated her properly, the little wildcat wouldn’t have caused trouble.

He couldn’t trust the handling of someone who gave soft education because of his trauma from hurting the “young ladies” due to his own mistakes.

“During this week, we’ll thoroughly engrave it in her. What the Foundation is. What kind of behavior she should maintain. What if student Oknodie refuses?”

The supervisor loosened his butterfly tie with one hand and reached into his inner pocket.

Shing

A wrist-mounted weapon with a hook-shaped blade longer than a finger.

Claw, twin flying claw, hand claw.

Or also called Claw because it resembles a beast’s long talon.

The blade flashed as it cut through the air.

Pik.

An insect that had been flying around the corner of his vision, irritating his nerves, lost its wings and fell.

“When a bug that shouldn’t fly tries to soar, you must cut off its wings.”

Given the boss’s deep interest in the top scholarship student, they couldn’t treat her too roughly.

But it should be stricter education than what Jona had been providing.

Whether she bows her head obediently or tries to spread her wings and fly.

Either way, it doesn’t matter.

The Foundation has ways to deal with both.

As the supervisor’s hand went back into his breast pocket, the sharp claw blade disappeared without a trace.

As he stood up and left the room, his foot lightly crushed the insect that had fallen after losing its wings.

It was a crushing death that the person stepping didn’t even notice.

* * *

“Just because midterms are over doesn’t mean you can be too relaxed. You’ve only completed half of the first semester, a quarter of your first year.”

“Yes~”

“Haha. Your response is always so spirited, student Oknodie. Oh, and Oknodie, please come with me after class. I have something to tell you separately.”

The upper-class homeroom that comes every Monday during first period.

I was curious about Professor Mahabharata’s call, the first-year student affairs director.

There shouldn’t be any reason for this professor to call me at such an ambiguous time—has some new event appeared?

“The Wiheomhae Foundation, which guarantees student Oknodie’s identity, has sent an official document. The Foundation plans to give you separate etiquette education and asks us to recognize it as a substitute for regular classes.”

“Oh.”

“In conclusion, if student Oknodie accepts, we are willing to fully substitute your class attendance. After all, you’re the top student who surpassed the joint first place with Ishtar in the midterm comprehensive grades to proudly record first place.”

Think about it and let me know.

You have two days until the decision.

I immediately asked Professor Mahabharata.

“Can I answer right now?”

“Of course.”

A new event appearing for a veteran player? And the event comes to me on its own?

I’d have to surrender my veteran status if I passed this up. I can never resist a new event!

“I accept!”

“…Are you sure, student? Even if the Foundation tries to pressure you against your will, we are willing to protect you out of respect for your academic intentions.”

“It’s fine. I want to do this!”

“I’m not sure if this is right…”

Professor Mahabharata reluctantly handed me a document.

“This is a consent form confirming your willingness to participate. Sign here. But once you sign, we won’t be able to help you.”

Without hesitation, I quickly signed it!

“Sigh… I don’t know about this.”

As I put down the pen with a grin, Professor Mahabharata stamped the document with an angry face.