Ch.282282 – Deserted Island Auction

# 282 – Uninhabited Island Auction

The most bewildering thing about Oknodie’s claim, among many reasons, was what left Giselle most perplexed.

“Is it really okay to discuss a mutiny right next to the butler?”

If that person alone goes wild, all the students on the ship will be tied up with ropes like dried pollack and locked away in a row!

“Don’t worry. I am a butler and foundation representative who came to assist the young lady. I will not harm any of you with my own hands.”

“Did you hear that?”

“Then I suppose we have a chance. How exactly do you plan to carry out this mutiny?”

“I’ll threaten to turn all the crew members’ fingers, toes, and blood into <Points> if they don’t steer the ship to a port with a teleportation circle!”

Is this a mutiny or the beginning of the Dark Princess’s evil journey?

“When will you do it?”

“After the point auction ends!”

“How many days until the auction?”

“One day!”

In Giselle’s mind, routes, travel speeds, and sailing distances quickly mapped themselves out.

An uninhabited island three days away by ultra-luxury cruise ship equipped with a super-sized mana engine.

It shortens what would normally be a 14-day journey on an ordinary large vessel (avoiding dangerous sea monsters) to just 3 days.

This requires exceptional navigational skills, ship equipment, and high-quality mana stones.

It was proof that the Wiheomhae Foundation’s personnel weren’t just there to fill headcount or staff various facilities.

‘It’s somewhat frightening. Their level of preparation.’

Even the merchants of the underworld could imitate something similar if they pooled their resources.

They have enough money to acquire a ship, and with money, gathering people is possible.

However, finding top-quality equipment and trustworthy experts isn’t easy.

Wherever money accumulates, there will inevitably be incompetent but greedy power-holders, con artists, and hostile organizations with ulterior motives.

The fact that the Foundation could perfectly navigate a cruise ship of this scale, despite having numerous enemies, was further evidence of its strength.

“I’ve asked before, but I must ask again. How exactly do you know this information, miss?”

When Jona questioned her, Oknodie tried to brush it off with an awkward laugh, but Jona maintained a stern expression, saying this wouldn’t work twice.

The little lady’s pleading glances were subtly directed at Giselle, but he coldly ignored them.

Giselle was equally curious.

“Um… well… I saw it secretly.”

“Where exactly?”

“In the navigation room.”

Jona paused before asking again.

“Are you saying you deceived my eyes, infiltrated the navigation room—a top-security facility—obtained information, and escaped?”

“Hehe.”

…The young lady has become a spy for the Academy.

Unforgivable!

Giselle had prepared for such a reaction, reaching into his backpack ready to counter an attack, but Jona’s response was much more straightforward.

“You must have studied very hard at the Academy. You should be more proud of yourself, miss.”

The butler’s education was just as peculiar as Oknodie’s response, leaving Giselle as the only one bewildered by the incomprehensible leniency of the Foundation people.

* *

Giselle sold the information about having one day left until landing on the uninhabited island directly to the students.

Thanks to this, with just one day remaining, all students were completely absorbed in collecting points.

Booooooom—

As the ship’s horn sounded and small boats were lowered from the cruise ship for landing on the uninhabited island, students who had purchased boarding passes with points gathered closely.

Out of 128 students, only 12 boarded the boats.

They were either representatives who had points pooled to them from their groups or individuals with exceptional abilities.

“Didn’t the princess go bankrupt?”

“Haaah~? As if I’d drop out that easily♡ There are so many crew members weaker than me♡”

“…I feel sorry for the crew members.”

The noble Arcadia Ceviche and the Second Imperial Princess Massgakki Heugmag.

“Oh, gorilla woman. I thought I had monopolized all the points from physical labor, but where did you get yours?”

“From setting new records in the training room.”

The physically powerful Son Ocheon and Hestia.

“I won’t waste the points everyone collected for me.”

“How boring. Then you’ll divide whatever you win at the auction by N, right?”

“You’re one to talk, Zaku. You also had points pooled to you by others.”

“I didn’t have them pooled. I’m the strongest, so I extorted them by force, offering to go in their place.”

“…Are you proud of saying something like that?”

Morb and Zaku, who had collected points from the weak.

“Bikini Warrior fighting!”

“Take me! Waaah.”

“Thank you everyone~! I’ll win at the auction and show you the greatness of bikini armor!”

Ddidda, who swept up points by creating followers through seduction amid the chaos.

“I’ll split it with you, so stop nagging me.”

“Promise? You promise?”

“Ugh, fine.”

Rozini, the dark horse from the lower class.

“There are quite a few competitors.”

“Don’t let your guard down. Unlike us, they might join forces if necessary.”

The hero Ishtar and the saint Yufi.

“Where did Zhang get his points from?”

“Bathroom.”

“…?”

“When people are desperate, they won’t hesitate to spend points to pass through the corridor to the bathroom.”

“Wow. That’s genius! I should try that when we get back to the Academy!”

And finally, the ruthless Oknodie and Zhang.

Butler Jona and Maid Leaf each drove one boat as escorts for the 12 students.

“I hope they’ll at least treat me like a slave. I’ll give the Countess Arcadia something to bite into.”

“Hmph. This uninhabited island event isn’t for dealing with such trivial matters!”

The uninhabited island was far too large for 14 people including the butler and maid.

As soon as they landed on the island and watched the boats departing, Morb asked with a blank face:

“When does the auction start?”

“At this time every day.”

“What? Did you come here knowing nothing?”

“Everyone just pooled their points to me when they heard about the auction…”

Zaku looked at Morb’s armor with pitying eyes.

What foolishness to wear heavy armor on a hot, humid uninhabited island while participating in an auction where only one item is revealed each day over several days.

“What’s with that look? Why are you staring at me with such an unpleasant expression?”

“Give up if it’s too hard.”

“Ha. As if I’d give up on a secret auction where treasures from the Foundation might appear.”

He had endured without using any of the luxurious facilities or exquisite food, receiving everyone’s help to get this far.

He wouldn’t give up so easily.

Morb was full of enthusiasm.

Grumble.

At least until he got hungry.

He chewed on the black bread he had brought for emergencies, inserting it through the food intake slot of his helmet that only opened during mealtimes, tasting the saltiness carried by the sea breeze.

The worst black bread—hard with terrible texture, and salty when dissolved with saliva.

Of course, his drinking water was limited to what he had brought.

In this situation, he couldn’t afford to waste energy on training.

Clank clank

Morb set out to search for food with determined steps.

Clank clank…

He sat down on the ground with weakened steps and lamented.

“Rozini, you crazy woman… what the hell are you doing…”

Before his eyes, crimson vegetation was burning.

Fruit-bearing trees were collapsing in real-time as they burned.

The red mage Rozini responded shamelessly.

“I’m eliminating competition. If you don’t want to starve to death, give up on the auction. If you didn’t bring enough food and water to prepare for this situation, you don’t deserve to enjoy the auction.”

Students who had learned various survival techniques to survive at the Academy, even if they weren’t heroes!

Rozini was no exception.

“I’ll take the first day’s item out of sheer stubbornness.”

Morb persevered stubbornly for one day.

He was determined to win at least one item even if it meant spending all of his 250,000 points.

“I will now reveal the first item of the uninhabited island auction. Today’s item is <One Box of Black Bread>.”

“I withdraw.”

His determination ended as quickly as it had begun.

* *

Zaku sensed that things were getting complicated.

He had already predicted Rozini’s fire tactics.

He understood the importance of food and water and had stocked sufficient provisions in his backpack.

Other students who had obtained information would have prepared adequately as well.

But now black bread was being offered as an item.

They were selling supplies for students who weren’t prepared for a long battle.

Though it tasted terrible, having it might allow one to last a day longer in the auction than others.

‘That’s only if I have points to spare for such things.’

He didn’t know how valuable the upcoming items would be or how many points his competitors had brought.

It seemed wasteful to spend points thinking about the long game.

If he made a mistake, he might end up returning to the ship with just a pile of black bread.

Having extorted a certain percentage of points from scholarship students for this opportunity, returning empty-handed would make even Primer doubt his abilities and look down on him.

“The starting bid is 1,000 points. Bids will increase by 1,000. Is there anyone who wishes to participate?”

Zaku made his move.

“Zaku, 10,000 points.”

“10,000?”

“For mere black bread?”

Zaku had a winning strategy.

‘This auction allows you to see the next day’s item each time you survive a day on the island, so more valuable items will likely appear later.’

This means that the longer one can endure, the more valuable auction items they can participate in.

To obtain truly precious items, what matters isn’t points but how much food and water one has secured.

If everyone except him withdraws due to hunger and thirst, he could monopolize all the later items at minimum points.

‘Except for Giselle, who might have hidden an unknown amount of food in his magic backpack, I have no competitors.’

Just as he was confident in his auction victory strategy, Jona, who was acting as the auctioneer, spoke:

“Leaf, 20,000 points.”

“…!”

The Foundation’s new tail.

The assassin maid Leaf sneered at Zaku with contemptuous eyes.

Zaku bit his lip tightly and raised his hand.

“Zaku, 30,000 points.”

“Leaf, 40,000 points.”

“Zaku, 50,000 points.”

The points kept rising relentlessly.

Zhang, who was watching, spoke to Oknodie who was putting pebbles in her mouth and spitting them out one by one.

“Aren’t you going for that strategy, Oknodie?”

“The late-game strategy? No way!”

“Planning to get food from Giselle?”

“That’s part of it, but if worst comes to worst, I can just steal from whoever wins the black bread!”

“…”

This declaration was enough to completely deflate Zaku’s enthusiasm for the auction.