Ch.277277 – An Offer You Can’t Refuse

<277 – An Offer You Can’t Refuse>

The final exams were over.

“No way. That guy was a loser just like us. How did he manage to get such high scores?”

“I heard he joined the ‘Organization That Plays with Oknodie’ too.”

“Isn’t that just a useless group of gatherers who catch bugs and dig up herbs?”

While Oknodie, who takes care of his people, and Ishtar, who only knows herself, caused a stir in the midterm exams, this time the students who shook things up in the finals were members of the “Organization That Plays with Oknodie.”

“Did they leak the answer sheets or something?”

“That must be it. There’s no other explanation.”

“There were rumors that Professor Bronze, Oknodie’s mentor and the noble thief, stole answer sheets from other professors. Like mentor, like student—they definitely stole them!”

“Let’s go confront them.”

“The professors will definitely give them penalty points!”

These students couldn’t accept that people who were no different from them—or even those who neglected their training to play outside—received higher scores.

Among these students was someone with ambitions to build a reputation and establish a new organization.

“Everyone, would you allow me to help you?”

“Prince Hector!”

“Prince of which country?”

“You know, the prince of Troy, that small southern nation.”

“The only son of Heder, the founding king and famous general, but rumored to be inferior to his father…?”

He may be a prince, but from a weak, small nation.

The students who had been feeling burdened let down their guard.

‘This is a good opportunity. Oknodie, who surrounds Cassia—the chance to build influence to oppose that child doesn’t come easily.’

Cassia’s archenemy.

One who had steadily grown stronger with his followers, awaiting the day of revenge.

Unlike other organizations that exercised their influence openly, Prince Hector and his followers had quietly observed major events at the academy.

They attracted no attention and faced no opposition.

They simply quietly recruited talented individuals who could strike at Cassia from behind, as well as those who harbored hostility toward Oknodie who helped her.

“Leave the financial support to me. While it may not match the Dark Commerce Association, the influence of the Yuie Trading Company named after me is certainly not small.”

Yuie, who would have taken the merchant position instead of Giselle in the original work.

Having failed to advance to the upper class after being outperformed by Dorothy, she had joined Hector’s faction.

Though she had character flaws, Yuie, the Tier 2 supporting NTR heroine merchant, successfully increased Hector’s faction’s assets and greatly expanded their influence.

His power was not individual but organizational.

For students going to complain to professors out of ugly jealousy, he appeared as neither an overwhelming power nor a weak force, but as the leader of a moderately strong minor faction and a reliable supporter.

“What’s the problem with that?”

But this crazy professor with flowers in her hair had a mindset as open as her scantily clad appearance.

“In nature, theft is a survival strategy that puts one’s life on the line. If caught, you’ll be torn apart by angry predators, but if you’re not caught, you can achieve results beyond your capabilities.”

“…Are you condoning cheating?”

“On the contrary, isn’t it impressive? That mere first-years succeeded in cheating where even seniors fail. I look forward to the future of these brave mischief-makers who challenge the laws of nature.”

What kind of graduates is this person trying to produce?

My face involuntarily contorted.

The faces of the students huddled behind me also twisted unpleasantly.

“If we’d known this, we would have cheated too.”

“Why bother studying hard?”

“It seems there’s some misunderstanding.”

Professor Warerd opened the window and extended her hand. A beautiful butterfly that had been fluttering outside perched on the tip of her vine-like finger.

The students, mesmerized by this beautiful display of communion with nature, stared at the butterfly on her fingertip as if entranced.

To Hector’s eyes, there was no difference between the butterfly and these foolish students.

“You fundamentally misunderstand Gift Academy.”

“Misunderstand…? This is the world’s finest educational institution where the world’s best experts have gathered as professors to nurture the world’s greatest talents.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“The faculty is indeed the world’s finest. But we have no intention of nurturing all of you into the world’s greatest talents. That’s a level permitted only to those blessed with talent, effort, and luck.”

Unlike her usual self—a perverted plant woman who wraps plant stems around her body and barely covers her private parts with leaves, or a terrible woman who says “All done, right?” while quickly erasing the board before students can finish copying—Professor Warerd was different now.

Standing before them now was a true educator telling students what they needed to learn.

“There are always people who fall behind in the world. In nature too, many plants and animals become extinct. We aim to nurture talents with excellent adaptability who can respond to any situation so that students who pass through the academy won’t be eliminated in society outside. At least for the lower classes.”

“What does that have to do with the cheating by Oknodie’s followers?”

“Let’s say the Emperor of the Holy Central Empire dispatched a messenger to the battlefield with an imperial decree regarding territorial wars. Normally, nobles would only go so far as to greedily seek a little more advantage in territorial wars before the decree arrives.”

Hector nodded in agreement.

He believed this was common sense.

If advantageous, one would try to occupy as much land as possible; if disadvantageous, one would dig in with determination to fight to the death.

“But academy graduates will be different. Let’s ask this third-year student.”

Professor Warerd pulled out a senior who was buried among a pile of stones.

“What would you do? If I hear a satisfactory answer, I’ll overlook your crime of secretly spitting out and selling the medical stones meant for practical training.”

The dirt-covered senior answered.

“I would create a fake messenger to deceive the enemy, or kill the messenger with enemy weapons to frame them and incur the Emperor’s wrath. If that’s impossible, I’d send escorts to the messenger heading to the territory, or destroy waterways or roads to control their arrival time.”

“Did you hear that? None of your seniors just sit and wait. Those who are incompetent yet rigid are simply not desperate enough. Such individuals deserve to be naturally eliminated.”

Professor Warerd lightly patted the senior’s shoulder, and his dirt-covered uniform became as clean as new.

No sooner had the excited senior raised both arms shouting “Yahoo!” than the ground sank, burying him in the ground once more.

“I overlooked your crime of trying to sell the medical stones. Next, pay for your sin of shouting ‘Die, chalk demon, writing witch.'”

“…”

The senior’s and Professor Warerd’s responses delivered a great shock to Hector and his followers.

Those who merely follow rules without sufficient ability would simply be eliminated.

To survive, the weak must employ all manner of wisdom and strategy.

Sticking with Oknodie to steal answers.

This too is part of strategy.

They commit this knowing they’ll face punishment of at least N hours of live burial if caught.

They share stolen answer sheets through various means.

Neither those who commit the act nor those who benefit can do so without considerable resolve.

‘I see. I was still not ready to face Cassia or Oknodie.’

Hector’s eyes changed.

They became the eyes of someone close to madness, willing to do anything to avoid elimination.

That gaze was no different from the eerie look in the eyes of third-year students.

* * *

“During summer vacation, you may leave the academy grounds. However, be aware that failure to return by the start of the second semester will result in severe penalties, from disciplinary action to forced leave of absence.”

Professor Mahabharata delivered the announcement to the upper-class students and then dismissed them.

Students discussed how they would spend their vacation with friends or prepared to return home, dragging their luggage.

“Would you all like to come visit my home?”

Oknodie’s sudden invitation surprised many students.

“Oknodie’s home?”

“The foundation’s lair?”

“To the headquarters of the evil organization?”

Dorothy backed away hesitantly with a terrified expression.

“Can I refuse that? I’d like to visit my home forest with Rockpell.”

“If you don’t want to, that can’t be helped! But Papa specially prepared gifts for my friends, which is a shame!”

“…Gifts? What kind of gifts?”

“I don’t know exactly, but I heard they’re very special gifts! He said everyone would be delighted. He also mentioned you’d greatly regret not receiving them in time!”

Though Oknodie spoke as casually as Professor Mahabharata had delivered his announcement, the content was far from light.

‘That’s definitely a threat…’

Dorothy made a tearful face.