Ch.334334 – The Unjust Snowball

<334 – Unfair Snowball>

Titosoga, who had recorded chapters 30 and 33 before and after activating Strength but failed to escape the classroom by the deadline, grumbled with a sulky face.

“Oknodie is banned from taking the test first!”

“Huh? That’s unfair. Where’s that rule written?”

“You’re the unfair one, Oknodie. With skills like yours, passing first leaves nothing for those behind. In the end, only one person who beat the record managed to leave the classroom.”

“I wanted us to go home together!”

“That… made me a little happy. Hehe.”

Zhang, who was listening nearby, lifted his mask with a surprised expression, revealing his bare face.

“Who was that one person?”

“Senior Bigstone.”

“Must be skilled, huh?”

“He passed by mixing penetration magic with Strength. The professor said it was fine as long as the basics were solid, applications didn’t matter. Tch. Passing with cheap tricks not taught in lectures is totally cheating. This is why first-years shouldn’t take this class.”

“That’s strange. I take that class with Oknodie too.”

Titosoga’s eyes lit up.

“Really? What was it like there? Didn’t Oknodie bully the seniors?”

“I wouldn’t know about that.”

“Didn’t the lectures get harder because of Oknodie?”

“Not particularly. It was just fun.”

Wednesday, second period.

Professor Bronze’s <All About Dismantling> lecture.

After the shocking mimic experience in the underground stairway, the two decided to challenge Professor Bronze’s lecture, reasoning they couldn’t let Oknodie attend such dangerous special training alone.

Since Oknodie, Zhang, and Titosoga all attended this lecture together, information exchange was active.

“What did you do in the Basics and Understanding of Disguise lecture?”

“Want me to tell you?”

“Yes, yes! I want to hear!”

Zhang recalled what happened the day before yesterday.

* * *

<Basics and Understanding of Disguise>.

Monday and Wednesday, 6th period, 9PM-11PM.

Professor Pinkberry’s lecture.

Zhang had a clear concept for choosing lectures.

It must help develop skills as an assassin!

Disguise techniques were very useful not only for infiltration while avoiding others’ eyes but also for approaching targets even in plain sight.

“What a weakling. What first-year tries to learn disguise techniques already?”

“…”

Among the many older male professors at the academy, this uniquely young and cheerful professor particularly caught the eye.

The academy’s shortest professor, swinging pink twin-tails from side to side while prancing in front of the blackboard.

Standing at just 144cm.

She was also the only professor Zhang, the third shortest in the academy, could surpass in height.

‘Just like Oknodie.’

Someone stronger than me but simultaneously shorter than me.

“What a strange kid.”

Despite her harsh words clearly meant to drive him away, Zhang remained calmly seated, and Pinkberry gave up trying to expel him.

The disguise lecture was one first-years typically didn’t attend.

Just last week, quite a few first-years had flocked to the class after hearing rumors about a short professor teaching, just like Oknodie.

Professor Pinkberry, with her cute appearance but contrary temperament, taught those disrespectful students a lesson by transforming them into mice or fleas.

…It made one wonder if this was a transformation magic lecture rather than disguise!

Of course, Zhang suffered no such punishment.

Being short himself and quite fond of the short professor, he never made any disrespectful comments.

The professor, sensitive to goodwill as much as malice, recognized Zhang’s good nature and even gave preferential treatment to this admirable first-year.

“I brought a friend.”

When someone I like meets a friend I like, my happiness doubles.

It would be even better if they got along well.

Zhang’s simple idea seemed to hit the mark as Professor Pinkberry’s reaction to Oknodie was quite intense.

“You…! The child who had mosquitoes nearby!”

Professor Pinkberry, who had recognized Oknodie while watching the <Inter-Year Competition: Dodgeball> at the sports festival.

In response to the professor’s reaction, Oknodie feigned ignorance.

“Mosquitoes? I don’t know anything about that!”

To Zhang, who remembered how Oknodie had utilized that mosquito on the cruise ship to eliminate the Apostle of the Comfortable Chair with <Latent Mana-Paralyzing Poison>, this seemed like the natural response.

It would be unworthy of an assassin to openly reveal a secret weapon that could threaten every student and professor in the classroom if she wanted.

Pretend not to know even if you do.

Pretend it doesn’t exist even if it does.

Shamelessness is a mindset an assassin must possess.

Just like Oknodie’s habit of brazenly claiming she’ll someday be 230cm tall despite being the academy’s shortest at 133cm.

“Reeeally? So you have absolutely nothing to do with the mosquito master who fearlessly entered a professor’s bedroom and sucked blood~?”

Oknodie awkwardly looked away while whistling.

One might wonder if she even had any intention of hiding it.

“Well, this works out. I’ll properly educate both of you now. Including you, Zhang, who brought this mosquito-controlling enemy with that innocent face that lowered my guard!”

Professor Pinkberry’s disguise lecture last week emphasized TPO—dressing appropriately for time, place, and occasion to blend in naturally anywhere.

However, today’s lecture directly contradicted previous teachings as some very unique outfits appeared.

“Fishnet stockings?”

“Bunny ear headbands?”

The second-year seniors jumped up in shock.

“Professor! How could you make us do this? Bunny girl outfits?”

“Making us dress like lowly beastkin—are you insulting us?”

“If you don’t like it, don’t attend. I’ll only teach students who can wear this.”

The second-year seniors left the classroom, grumbling.

Suddenly, only Zhang and Oknodie remained in the disguise classroom.

“Well? Can you two wear this?”

With a provocative and annoying smile like Princess Massgakki, the professor challenged them.

Zhang smiled slightly under his mask and changed into the bunny girl outfit.

Neither the cold night air stinging his skin nor the unfamiliar sensation of fabric brushing against his body felt strange.

Due to his profession, he’d sometimes worn nightwear to infiltrate mansion ceilings, then changed into maid outfits to pick locks and enter through windows.

There’s no hierarchy among disguises.

Only outfits that are advantageous or disadvantageous to the mission.

Unlike the second-year seniors, his extreme pragmatism found no reason to dislike bunny girl outfits.

“Is Oknodie okay with this?”

Oknodie had changed just as nonchalantly as he had.

Seemingly bothered by the bunny ear headband, she fiddled with the drooping long ears before answering.

“Veteran players collect costumes when they have nothing better to do! Of course I’m fine with it. I actually like it!”

Only Professor Pinkberry was furious.

Her scheme to punish Oknodie, whom she’d personally thrown into the Great Prison after being bitten by mosquitoes, and Zhang who brought her, had backfired.

Only the second-years had left, while the remaining students showed no awareness of being insulted.

In a world where beastkin were widely considered inferior to humans—rabbit beastkin being at the bottom of the food chain—they should have run out crying. Seeing them actually enjoy it made her blood boil.

“Being able to infiltrate naturally even in unnatural attire. That’s the next level of disguise.”

Unlike Professor Pinkberry, who was struggling to suppress her discomfort, the two first-years’ satisfaction with the lecture remained at perfect scores.

* *

“That’s what happened. The professor has good sense, right? She must have recognized we’re assassins and focused on teaching disguise techniques that would help us.”

“Is that really it? Somehow I don’t think so…”

Could I really say I’m taking the same class that all the second-years ran away from?

Titosoga had some doubts but no time to raise questions.

Professor Bronze’s lecture was beginning.

“Today I’ll teach you how to dismantle magic. Once you complete this course, you’ll be able to dismantle the night-time magical traps surrounding the first-year dormitory and secretly wander around campus.”

“!”

Professor Pinkberry wasn’t the only one teaching good things to the students.

* *

Professor Bronze noticed Oknodie’s remarkable growth during the vacation.

‘Her total power has increased.’

Not just Oknodie.

Everyone who went on the “boat trip” with her had achieved significant growth.

Exotic foods from around the world, systematic practical training facilities, and even one or two treasure-grade (+5 enhancement) spoils.

Their growth was so impressive it seemed like they had raided a dungeon.

‘Then they should be able to keep up even if I make the lectures a bit more difficult?’

A truly unexpected ordeal for students who hadn’t participated in Oknodie’s boat trip!

However, this phenomenon wasn’t happening only in Professor Bronze’s lectures.

After class, while passing by the professors’ lounge, Bronze accidentally overheard other professors’ conversation.

“Haven’t the first-years’ overall level improved?”

“Not all of them, but some who were already decent in the lower class have definitely improved.”

“The intermediate class was supposed to be introduced from second year, but the difference is so significant we might request early implementation for first-years next year.”

“Is it the same in the advanced class?”

“They clearly spent their vacation productively, which is satisfying. We must step up our game too. These youngsters trained so hard to learn more—it would hurt my pride as an educator to deliver lazy lectures.”

Professors who believe the true standard of teaching is pushing students to the brink of begging for mercy!

Bronze nodded with satisfaction after overhearing this wicked meeting.

Despite their heavy bias toward Imperial students, there was definitely something that connected professors.

“Wouldn’t this be especially burdensome for students taking multiple lectures? I heard there are two first-years taking as many as 13 classes.”

“Oknodie and Ishtar. The top and second-ranked students in their year.”

“Then we should work even harder on lectures they attend. If one side goes easy and that student’s grades drop, wouldn’t that be unfair?”

The Imperial professors’ eyes sparkled.

“Indeed. We can’t let Imperial professors lose to frontier professors. I’ll increase the midterm exam coverage by 1.2 times.”

“Then I’ll double the assignments.”

“I should make the practical test standards even more severe.”

After eavesdropping on the Imperial professors’ ambitious declarations, Professor Bronze secretly made his own pledge.

He would explosively increase the difficulty of his own lectures next time.