Ch.375375 – Library Expedition Team 2

<375 – Library Expedition Team 2>

According to Oknodie’s theory, even patrol instructors couldn’t handle over a hundred first-year students with senior students mixed in if they all rushed at once!

Once the common understanding of “if caught, just beat them up and leave” took hold, the students’ fear disappeared.

Dorothy, who was leading these students, also had one less worry and could guide them without burden, making Zhang admire the positive effects of such a crude solution.

‘I guess even assassins need to increase their strength.’

With enough strength, one wouldn’t need to contort their body to perform difficult assassinations.

A small but significant change began to sprout in Zhang’s growth build.

“So what’s all this enormous amount of supplies for?”

“Expedition supplies!”

“Are we going to war?”

Dorothy had several students prepare enough food and water for 120 students to survive for a week if stranded, along with cave escape ropes, oil-soaked torches, weed-cutting daggers, multipurpose sticks, blankets, and more.

The contents were packed so tightly that the lower-class students frowned slightly as soon as they put on their backpacks.

“Heavy.”

“Why is there so much stuff?”

“I used to be an adventurer outside, and even during my active days, I never prepared this thoroughly for A-grade missions.”

Zhang inwardly sneered.

Adventurers were beings whose existence was built on risking human lives.

These manual laborers with their “let’s just wing it” mentality would never consistently pack supplies worth more than their daily wages.

But now even these inferior beings were part of the organization.

They were in a position to use their labor for Oknodie and hope for some scraps to fall their way.

“Sing will be the supply captain who protects the lower-class students with heavy luggage!”

“Do I look like someone who would do such troublesome work? Choose another position. I would gladly accept the job of cutting down instructors with my sword if they come at us.”

“Didn’t you say you have an aptitude for being a shadow quartermaster? Wouldn’t it be good to try something that suits your aptitude?”

“I detest meaningless tasks.”

What meaning was there in looking after lower-class students who would drop out anyway?

Despite Sing’s cold words, Dorothy responded confidently.

“You need to practice protecting people to improve your skills! Don’t you want to protect Oknodie?”

“Remember this clearly. I’m only playing along with your little game this one time.”

At Sing’s chilling gaze, Swiftblade Rockpell, who always stood by Dorothy’s side, reflexively placed his hand on his scabbard.

“That was truly terrifying killing intent.”

“Ugh. I’m never asking him to do anything again. I’ve never met anyone as fierce as the growler in my neighborhood.”

“Let’s save the chitchat for later and explain why you packed so much food and supplies. Everyone seems curious.”

At Zhang’s urging, Dorothy returned with a smiling face.

“Seniors told me that anything can happen in the unknown places of the Academy. So I prepared everything at A-grade level, assuming we might get stranded!”

“A week’s worth of food? Isn’t that excessive for a journey that would take at most two and a half days, from Friday evening to Monday morning?”

“What if we get caught in formations and illusions and drift into another dimension? Time could disappear completely! Actually, I wanted to pack enough for a month, but I held back because Oknodie is with us!”

Dorothy’s prediction was that with Oknodie—known for her brutal class schedule—participating, they wouldn’t spend such dangerous time!

“Has everyone’s questions been answered? Then let’s go!”

“Where to?”

“To the back door of the school store!”

The Library Expedition Team set off.

* * *

Yuie said:

“The school store is the only channel through which books from the library are distributed. If we follow the trail backward from the store, we can reach the library.”

With this simple but logical argument, Hector’s knights’ trust in Yuie increased.

“So we’re going to the school store?”

“No. I heard a shortcut related to book distribution from the teaching assistant at the store.”

Book Club.

Deipobosu, the loyal knight asking questions on behalf of the prince, was perplexed by the name written on Yuie’s map.

“There’s such a club? I’ve heard the names of many clubs and learned about dangerous ones, but I’ve never heard of a Book Club.”

“First-years can’t join it, and they shouldn’t be encouraged to. The library is that dangerous, they say.”

He began to wonder if seeking out such a place was an extremely foolish choice, but the expedition team had already been assembled.

Like riding a tiger, the affair had already begun, and there was no backing out now.

If he tried to withdraw now, it wouldn’t be Deipobosu himself but Prince Hector who would be called a coward by his knights.

‘I cannot tarnish the prince’s dignity.’

“If we go to the Book Club, will they show us the next path?”

“Something like that. The seniors said they would lend us the path they use. I paid a hefty fee, but it’s much better than throwing money in the wrong places.”

The path to the library was beginning to appear, but even reaching the Book Club was not an easy task.

“Not that corridor. We need to go through here.”

Yuie pointed to a suspiciously and dangerously labeled room called <Detention Room>, ignoring the perfectly normal path.

The students were disturbed, but Yuie had her reasons for pointing to such a suspicious place.

“The corridor is monitored by instructors. If first-years set foot there, they’ll be driven out immediately.”

“Hmph. What would a merchant’s daughter know? I’m no coward.”

No sooner had one student impulsively rushed into the corridor than an iron stake flew from somewhere, hitting him and slamming him into the wall with a thud.

The students, who were so startled they almost hiccupped, nearly fainted when they saw an instructor appear like a ghost in the middle of the corridor and hoist the fallen student onto his shoulder.

‘We must follow only the guided path!’

The inside of the detention room was as luxurious as a hotel, with one person lying on an expensive bed with shackles on their feet.

“Huh? Aren’t you first-years?”

“Are you a senior?”

In this mutually surprised situation, the person lying on the bed was the first to regain composure.

“Wow. Not just one or two, but about thirty first-years wandering around at night? The 981st class really has great adventurous spirit.”

“We are Hector’s knights, serving Prince Hector of Troy. May we have your introduction, senior?”

“976th class, Production Department, 3rd year, Tetrapos.”

The students were surprised first by the fact that the other person was two years ahead of them, and then again by the fact that he had entered five classes before them.

“What is such a senior doing here?”

“As you can see, I’m detained in the detention room. This is a room where one person must be detained for the rest to leave.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“If no one comes to rescue you, you can be released after a week. It’s a minimal relief measure.”

So they’re not imprisoned forever.

The students were secretly relieved.

They had begun to fear that in Gift Academy, it wouldn’t be strange to find a few skeletons rolling around in the corner of a detention room.

“Well, life in detention isn’t bad. At least here, food is free, and you can sleep comfortably. It’s perfect as a hideout. I’m just hiding here temporarily to avoid the student council’s eyes.”

“Student council…?”

“Oops. My tongue was too loose. I’ve told the soon-to-be-detained first-year friend various things to reassure them, but don’t pay attention to the student council. There’s nothing good for first-years to get involved with them.”

The students were dumbfounded.

Setting aside the student council, it seemed that one of them would definitely be detained.

“Why do we have to be detained there? You’re already detained, senior. You even have shackles on.”

“Oh, these? They come off when there are two people in the room.”

Click.

Tetrapos really did remove his shackles.

Seeing him free his hands and feet, Hector’s knights finally understood the situation and trembled in fear.

This was… like sheep walking into a lion’s den to escape a wolf.

And in a dead-end room with no escape route!

“So, what will you do? Do you want to fight me once and then decide, or will you choose one person among yourselves to be detained? Either way is fine with me. I’m curious about the skills of first-years too.”

The senior’s confidence despite being outnumbered reminded them of the instructor who had instantly taken down a first-year with an iron stake.

Deipobosu glared at Yuie with resentful eyes.

“Did you have to guide us to such a place?”

“Don’t look at me like that. Here, only one person needs to be sacrificed, but in other places, more would have to be sacrificed.”

In the end, Hector’s knights, excluding Hector, the loyal knight Deipobosu, and the guide Yuie, drew lots to select one person to be detained.

As the third-year senior Tetrapos personally shackled the freshman’s hands and feet, he said:

“Don’t worry too much. There are even adult books under the bed.”

This wasn’t much consolation for a student whose grades were about to be destroyed.

* * *

Detention Room (10-person room).

Following Dorothy’s guidance, they arrived at a room where ten people had to be left shackled to escape.

Zhang thought Dorothy had made a major mistake, but Dorothy herself pulled out ten straw dolls from her backpack, which was twice as large as others’.

“Here, let’s shackle these and go!”

“Dolls instead of people…? How did you prepare such things?”

“Huh? Doesn’t everyone who lives in the forest know there’s always at least one path that can’t be crossed without offering sacrifices? Having substitute dolls for human sacrifices is common sense!”

At Dorothy’s words, Oknodie also nodded and took out dolls from her backpack.

“Dorothy is right. The shabby dolls that seniors occasionally sell are meant for this purpose!”

Thanks to the thorough preparation of guide Dorothy and leader Oknodie, the organization playing with Oknodie was able to escape the ten times more dangerous 10-person detention room without a single loss.