Ch.215215 – Choose the Bad Person from the Following

<215 – Choose the Bad Person from the Following>

The Ceviche Ducal Family.

In the Kingdom of Florence, this is Arcadia’s notorious home family.

In truth, they deserve to be ruined.

They lobbied for their private interests, mobilizing the navy to protect their merchant ships.

As a result, villagers who could no longer handle the threat of sea monsters became pirates who robbed people instead of catching fish.

It was easier to plunder merchant ships traveling safe routes than to fight monsters while fishing.

While the Ceviche Ducal Family contributed to Florence Kingdom’s economic prosperity, they also brought extreme wealth disparity, social chaos, deteriorating public welfare, and security.

A powerful family embodying both the light and darkness of a nation.

The consequences of accumulated karma eventually arrive.

Noble Lady Arcadia vs. Pirate Zigoku.

A regional event where you take one character’s side to destroy the other.

The outcome completely changes the landscape of the Florence Kingdom.

But regardless of who wins, there’s a common result.

“The Ceviche family has accumulated too much bad karma. It’s only natural for such a family to fall, isn’t it?”

In Arcadia’s victory route, she eliminates the family head and retainers to correct a family that repeatedly shows ugly behavior despite her sacrifices.

In Zigoku’s victory route, Zigoku, who becomes the pirates’ leader, thoroughly plunders the territory, discovering substantial evidence of criminal involvement that sends the family into ruin.

“So you have no intention of saving the Ceviche Ducal Family for your friend Lady Arcadia, nor showing support for the Foundation?”

“Why should a student do such things? I’m close to both sides, so there’s no need for me to get involved.”

Conflict events are those where you sacrifice one character’s affection to raise another’s.

Naturally, as someone who’s close to both, I have no reason to participate in such events.

“Surely you’re not going to say something like ‘Now that I’ve come all this way, my business is done so I’ll head back,’ are you?”

Fear began to show in the supervisor’s eyes, who had been so confident before.

“I came here with quite high expectations, you know? Yet I was greeted by a fake butler instead of Jona, treated poorly, and constantly irritated. I still patiently came to meet whoever called me. But if you disappoint me…”

Crack, crackle

Dark blue lightning flickered lightly at my fingertips.

“My event optimization route would be completely ruined.”

* *

The supervisor was completely intimidated.

Now he needed to appease this child by any means necessary.

The fate of the Ceviche Ducal Family?

The return of the Dark Aptitude Evaluation Hat?

Such matters shouldn’t even be mentioned.

Her cunning rivals that of underworld bosses.

If he upset her one more time, his safety would be in danger.

Even in a serious fight, he wasn’t sure if his chances of winning exceeded fifty percent.

Even if he won, harming the scholarship student especially favored by his boss would be disastrous.

He would inevitably end up thrown into the middle of the ocean along with magical waste.

Lose and perish, win and perish.

Whether it was confidence in her abilities or understanding of her position.

Whichever it was, she was prepared to fight if necessary.

As a supervisor, with the future he most wanted to avoid looming before him, he had to do his utmost to please Oknodie.

“I’ll grant whatever conditions you want. You should get something for coming all this way.”

“Then start by bringing me rare dishes worth at least 10 gold coins per meal from now until I return to the academy!”

“…Every day?”

“You said I was planning to be out for a week, right? I also postponed a week’s worth of plans to come here. I need corresponding benefits to break even. Do you object?”

“Not at all! I was just worried you might feel disappointed if things moved too quickly. Actually, you could stay for a month if you want.”

“Really?”

“…But considering your studies, I’d appreciate if you considered returning within a week.”

“I’ll think about it!”

What a demon.

“The only tasks here besides the Ceviche Ducal Family matter are the Clown Mask Gang’s affairs. It would just be troublesome and annoying, so you can just play, eat, and rest in your guest room.”

Of course, there’s no way an outpost where a supervisor stays would have only those tasks.

Organizing intelligence from Gift Academy and confirming directives from the Foundation.

Selecting appropriate scholarship students hiding in the academy to carry out those directives.

Devising new methods to bypass academy security regulations when they change.

Requesting personnel support and supplies, and sometimes even directly procuring items that can’t be obtained through the Clown Mask Gang—there’s truly an abundance of work.

‘I can’t entrust that to Oknodie, who’s also a scholarship student.’

The reason he mentioned the Clown Mask Gang—a dirty bunch involved in child abduction, acrobatic training, disposal, or transfer to higher agencies—was to discourage Oknodie’s enthusiasm.

No matter how mature, an 11-year-old child wouldn’t want to get involved with a Foundation’s criminal organization that abuses children her age.

“Organization quests? That’s cool. I like it!”

“…”

Is this a demon crawled up from the underworld?

Once again, his common-sense prediction was shattered.

* *

Year Head Mahabharata looked down at the official document and realized the inevitable had happened.

“Another document from the Foundation. Essentially a notification that they’re postponing Oknodie’s return date.”

The one-week promise was shamelessly extended to two weeks.

After another week passes, what then?

It might be postponed by another two weeks, making it a month.

After a month, two months.

After two months, half a year.

After half a year, a year.

The return period might keep extending vaguely, and eventually Oknodie might never leave the Foundation’s embrace.

“Professor Destroyer. May I ask a favor?”

“Is it about the first-year student Oknodie?”

“Yes.”

“Is a repatriation request impossible?”

“If they refuse, we might lose all information about Oknodie. Please go as a professor under the pretext of evaluating the effectiveness of Oknodie’s external activities, and find out what condition the child is in and whether she’s being detained against her will.”

Professor Destroyer gladly accepted the request.

He was the person who knew Oknodie’s current whereabouts better than anyone else in the academy.

There was no place beyond the reach of his information network using the Thief Guild he had established throughout the continent during his active years.

“Coming to me was a wise choice. I’m indeed more reliable than other professors.”

‘Should I tell him that since Oknodie is his only student, he seemed free to leave his position for long periods anytime, like an unemployed person?’

Year Head Mahabharata concealed his true thoughts with a smile.

“Professor! We’d like to help too!”

“We’ve done our own research about Oknodie. Even if it’s not much help, please accept it.”

“I can’t dismiss the sincere friendship between friends, regardless of age. I’ll accept the documents you’ve brought.”

Giselle and Isabelle had sought out Destroyer at the crack of dawn as he was about to leave the academy.

They each submitted information gathered through dark merchant connections and Esonia Adventurer Guild sightings.

After examining the precision of the materials, Destroyer was somewhat surprised by the unexpectedly thorough information.

‘First-year Giselle has quite a knack for intelligence gathering.’

The Clown Mask Gang.

She had discovered information that Oknodie was associating with this criminal organization known for specializing in kidnapping.

‘First-year Isabelle seems to have many connections from her adventurer days before enrollment.’

The Esonia Adventurer Guild.

They had also uncovered significant information.

They had directly tailed the Clown Mask Gang and witnessed Oknodie, covered in dirt, putting beasts into cages and offering them to the mask gang.

Both were considerable burdens.

They had actually obtained information that was difficult to access.

“According to what we’ve found, Oknodie has been captured by a Foundation’s subordinate organization called the Clown Mask Gang and is being forced into labor. At this rate, she might end up assisting with the organization’s main business of human trafficking.”

“Indeed. It’s not an appropriate environment to continue external studies. I’ll make good use of this information.”

Destroyer accepted their concern.

Meanwhile, he thought:

‘Is Oknodie still just a child after all?’

With her level of skill, she shouldn’t normally be swayed by someone’s request or coercion.

Perhaps due to her young age, she lacked worldly knowledge and was being manipulated by the Foundation’s intentions.

That child indeed needed the academy’s proper protection.

‘This is the place.’

Based on the information provided by Giselle and Isabelle, tracking Oknodie’s movements wasn’t particularly difficult, allowing him to narrow down her current location.

“Found you. Oknodie, have you been well?”

“Ah, Professor Destroyer!”

On the day that marked one week and three days since Oknodie left the academy, Professor Destroyer succeeded in finding her.

“I’ve come to rescue you. You don’t have to suffer from the Foundation’s outrageous actions anymore. Let’s return to the academy.”

Finding her was the task; taking her back shouldn’t be an issue.

The professor’s mind was busy contemplating how to retaliate against the Foundation.

Perhaps that’s why.

He was speechless at Oknodie’s response.

His brain might as well have stopped functioning.

“Rescue? I’m just doing what I want to do because I enjoy it! And I only eat delicious food!”

Oknodie refused to return to the academy.

As if she had been brainwashed.

“Please send my regards to Isabelle. I still have things to gather outside. I’ll be back soon!”

She even bid farewell with a bright smile.

He couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.