Ch.288288 – What Are You Going to Do for Me

# 288 – What Will You Do For Me?

When Arcadia went to rescue Ddidda at Sandcooker’s request, all the students imprisoned in the underground dungeon had already been released.

“Someone else is coming.”

“Aim for the head and knock them out!”

As soon as the dungeon entrance opened, the students launched a coordinated attack against Arcadia!

Swoosh.

Taking one step back to keep the attacks in view and secure firing distance, Arcadia’s gun barrel deflected the two clubs flying toward her.

“Agh!”

“She fired a gun!”

The students groaned, clutching their wrists that had suddenly been twisted. The gun barrel that had been aimed at their heads lowered slightly.

“My, everyone’s safe I see.”

“Lady Arcadia…?”

“Gasp… when did she aim at our heads?”

Arcadia listened to the students’ explanation as they trembled at her terrifying marksmanship.

“I see. You created a diversion for a day, raided the cafeteria and food storage, and moved all supplies to the underground prison… With this strategy, you could take control of the entire ship’s crew without directly attacking the control room and captain’s quarters. The attention to logistics and supply lines must be Irene’s contribution, right?”

“That’s right.”

Northern Grand Duchess Irene stepped forward from among the students. With frost-white hair and an air of perpetually cold, subdued atmosphere around her, she was a beautiful girl who seemed difficult to approach. True to her reputation for being intimidating, though not quite as much as the Hero, the students nervously made way for her, moving urgently as if they might be struck if they didn’t step aside quickly enough.

‘Is she sad?’

Despite her expressionless face, Arcadia sensed that Irene seemed somewhat sorrowful. This was the effect of her improved “Expression Reading” ability, developed from constantly observing Oknodie’s inner thoughts—someone who always smiled but was secretly thoughtful and considerate.

“How is the shipboard rebellion progressing?”

“So far, so good.”

The raid and occupation of the Level 3 food storage had been successfully completed. The problem was what came next.

“The crew members are closing in on us, blocking our escape routes one by one.”

“Once their encirclement reaches the food storage, the Foundation executives will attack too.”

“We need to end this before that happens. And before the other executive arrives from the uninhabited island.”

Foundation executives were professor-class at the Academy. Even Arcadia didn’t dare think about facing two professors simultaneously. The problem was that they had no good options! There was no way to break the stalemate. Irene and some students were outside the storage area, trying to prevent the encirclement from tightening and helping Sing who had occupied the control room, but the numerical difference was too great. Even without executive intervention, if they lost the control room, the food storage would be next, and the rebellion would end.

“It’s fortunate that I came.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Yes. A much simpler one than you might think.”

Though Giselle had been eliminated out of consideration for her safety, Arcadia wondered if perhaps her early elimination was because Irene had hoped Arcadia would compensate for her own shortcomings. Arcadia realized she was the complete opposite type from Irene.

“Everyone, gather around here!”

Unlike the Northerners who maintained battle lines through strict discipline while hiding unfavorable situations, Arcadia, from the western maritime nation of Florence Kingdom, was skilled at boosting sailors’ morale.

“Everyone on the uninhabited island will come looking for you, one person each day, suspending the auction!”

“Wow!”

“They’re coming back despite giving up chances for amazing treasures? That’s so kind!”

“We also have plans to extract shipboard points from the crew to clear all your debts!”

“Upper class students are the best!”

“I’m sick of washing dishes!”

“Now I won’t have to fight as the crew’s fighting dog in the underground arena!”

“I’m so happy I won’t have to endure the hard labor of giving full-body massages to female crew members!”

The male students glared at their classmate who made this outrageous comment. If there had been such a good point-redemption position, you should have told us too!

“Time is on our side. Let’s go all out to hold back the enemy’s advance and buy time!”

Not everything was true. Arcadia’s statement cleverly mixed truth and lies, and it tremendously boosted morale. Under Irene’s leadership, the students had been diligently performing their duties at their respective positions, even while feeling death approaching day by day. Arcadia instantly refreshed this atmosphere, encouraging her allies and leading them out of the storage area.

‘So this is the true ability of Florence’s treasure, Arcadia Ceviche, who has commanded soldiers since a young age.’

I’ll acknowledge it. Oknodie is surrounded by outstanding individuals. Titosoga is one, and so is Arcadia. But when it comes to combat power, that’s different. I’ll show them the strength of a war mage specialized in stopping armies. And I’ll engrave in everyone’s minds once more that the one who contributes the most to this shipboard rebellion is none other than I, Irene. I’ll perform so impressively that even Oknodie will be unable to help but turn around in surprise. Arcadia’s speech had elevated Irene’s fighting spirit in a different way.

* * *

On the ship returning to the uninhabited island, Giselle and Son Ocheon looked back at the island with stiff expressions.

“Will that Mouse kid be alright?”

“I don’t know. I can’t be certain.”

Shipboard rebellion. They had heard that Oknodie was planning such a thing. But what really worried them wasn’t everyone on the cruise ship, but Oknodie on the uninhabited island.

“What if the Hero and the Imperial Princess don’t keep their promise and betray us in the end?”

They had made such a promise. That they couldn’t tolerate the Foundation’s auction items that would make everyone suffer. That they would teach the Foundation a lesson together. The intention was good. However, their plan to sabotage the auction and stage a shipboard rebellion had a major flaw. If even one person betrayed them, those remaining on the uninhabited island would suffer tremendous damage. They held each other’s weaknesses. Would they willingly give up such an opportunity? That Hero or that Imperial Princess?

“I still don’t trust them. That Hero has been desperate for a chance to take down the Mouse kid.”

“That’s not it.”

“Huh?”

“What I’m worried about is the opposite case.”

“Not the Hero or the Princess… but Mouse? You think he’s going to do something?”

Giselle coldly recounted the facts.

“Oknodie invited all of us after receiving an invitation from ‘Papa.’ Jona, the Foundation’s butler and executive, told us that Papa refers to the Foundation’s head, the chairman.”

“Being the daughter of someone important is a good thing, so why are you so concerned?”

“That chairman gave us ‘boarding points’ as gifts. Those who wasted those points became enslaved to the Foundation unless they became Foundation scholarship students or underwent experiences equivalent to torture. This was done to us, Academy students.”

A belated realization dawned on Son Ocheon’s face.

“You think Oknodie might have such evil within her too?”

“We know that Oknodie, contrary to what others say, has the appearance of a good child. At the same time, she occasionally displays bizarre thought patterns created by the Foundation, a results-first personality, and bad-child-like qualities.”

And now. Having experienced the chairman’s gift, Giselle had begun to think:

“The Oknodie we know is only from a few months of interaction. If there’s another side to her that we haven’t discovered yet, that side would be…”

“A ‘Scary Child.’ One who could commit terrifying acts without batting an eye.”

Like the owner of that cruise ship, the chairman.

* * *

The Hero’s betrayal is expected and can be dealt with. But what about Oknodie’s betrayal?

“Pfft~ That foolish Hero will definitely fall for it. Unlike me, Massgakki Imperial Princess who will be responsible for the Empire’s future♡”

“You’re quite full of yourself.”

“Of course~! I’ve obtained plenty of dark mana♡ High purity too♡ If I make Oknodie submit to me like you did, I can make the Hero grovel at my feet too~?”

The Imperial Princess had thoroughly prepared for this. She would use dark mana’s power to make Oknodie submit. This would prevent Oknodie’s betrayal. Simultaneously, she would use Oknodie’s power to block the powerful adversary, Hero Ishtar. The Hero’s strength, greater than Oknodie’s, could somehow be managed with her own addition to the fight!

“What about the Saint?”

“Once Oknodie is under control, Zhang will have no choice but to cooperate to protect Oknodie~? I’ll tell Zhang that if she doesn’t stop the Saint, I’ll hurt Oknodie♡”

“A splendid example of trash-like behavior.”

Even Zaku, a Foundation scholarship student, acknowledged the evil plan of the Empire’s Second Imperial Princess Massgakki! Boldly barging in before the auction started in broad daylight, Massgakki raised dark mana toward Oknodie and shouted:

“Submit to me♡”

“If I submit, what will you do for me?”

Oknodie blinked her eyes blankly and asked, clearly in a normal state, unaffected by any domination or submission.