Ch.392392 – Security Measures for the Greenhouse

<392 – Greenhouse Security Measures>

Unlike the hasty and reckless sophomores, Orcatch, the head of the Plant Club, was a junior who had been through it all.

After having his baby mandrake stolen by Oknodie, he once asked Professor Bronze for help while carefully searching for the culprit.

‘Though she cunningly dodged the issue with her chest, thanks to that I learned that the professor was suspicious.’

Shortly after, rumors spread that Professor Bronze had marked a freshman named Oknodie as her protégé.

The information came from a Chemistry/Alchemy Club member named Bigstone who supplied culture medium to the Plant Club and attended the same lecture, so its credibility was high.

‘Was the professor trying to protect that child?’

After keeping an eye on her, it was clear she was a serial offender.

Every night, she would scurry down the dormitory walls and dash across the lawn on her nightly excursions.

She was constantly stealing strange objects or stones from somewhere, quickly putting them in her mouth or pockets.

When bored, she would go to the beach and pretend to build sandcastles while actually digging up the ground—clearly investigating suitable soil for hiding stolen goods.

She might not be a protégé of a righteous thief, but her talent as a young thief was definitely in full bloom!

‘During the break, she really committed to building her thief skills.’

After the break, she started stuffing everything she pilfered from everywhere into a magical backpack she’d acquired from who knows where.

She meticulously stole items that students had hidden around campus using visual obstruction, perception interference, and spatial distortion magic for assignments or personal growth.

She cleaned out so thoroughly that the red-toothed mushroom cultivators should consider themselves lucky if they even realized they’d been robbed.

‘Magic armor, magic swords, explosive powder that requires careful handling, and even past exam papers!’

As if planning to establish a thief guild at the academy, she even distributed stolen items to children who joined the ridiculous organization called “The Group That Plays With Oknodie.”

Judging by the dramatic improvement in the grades of those children, she must have stolen plenty of past exam papers while he wasn’t looking.

While others were honorably struggling without knowing last year’s exam questions, she was unfairly analyzing the examiner’s intentions and trends to study efficiently!

“How outrageous. It’s so outrageous I can’t forgive it.”

Whether it was due to the grudge from having his baby mandrake taken or jealousy toward the juniors who were cheating their way through exams, his feelings of indignation were genuine!

“Let’s go raid the professor’s herb garden!”

Orcatch quickly moved as he watched the small but powerful girl persuade a large female student who could wrestle a bear without losing to be her escort.

Finally, it was time to teach that outrageous freshman thief a bitter lesson in life.

In the name of Orcatch, third-year Plant Club president…

“Professor Redmountain. A freshman has appeared who dares to steal from your herb garden.”

…with the power of Professor Redmountain who would receive this theft report!

“Huh? A freshman is stealing from my herb garden?”

“Yes. Without a doubt. I heard it clearly with my own two ears!”

“A freshman stealing a sophomore’s assignment materials? And from a course taught by me, Redmount?”

“Yes! I definitely heard it.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

The female professor, whose fair skin gleamed with moisture probably from lounging around and enjoying the good life.

However, beneath the casually worn long T-shirt with no pants in sight and only a monkey tail swishing back and forth, Redmountain’s eyes were filled with suspicion.

The professor doesn’t believe me!

Before the flustered Orcatch could try to be more persuasive, the professor’s magic sealed his mouth.

“Mmph!”

“I’ve seen despicable juniors like you before. Trash who claim they can’t bear to see juniors suffering with assignments and try to secretly harvest growing herbs. Did you think I wouldn’t know you were planning to steal herbs yourself under the pretext of a freshman?”

“Mmph mmph mmph!”

Truly indignant, Orcatch expressed his innocence with his whole body, blood vessels popping in his eyes.

Seeing his desperate gestures, the professor’s tail felt along the wall until it grabbed a drawer handle.

*Slide*

Orcatch trembled in fear as the tail rummaged through the drawer, tossing out potions labeled “Potion of One Year’s Sleep,” “Potion That Makes You Add ‘Wunyanya’ to Every Word,” “Potion of Walking on All Fours for 30 Days.”

Professor Redmountain was famous for developing all sorts of bizarre potions, consuming plenty of good herbs while exploiting students.

Her tail finally selected one bottle, closed the drawer, and placed it firmly in front of Orcatch.

His gaze momentarily drifted to her thighs, smooth and silky as her T-shirt rode up along with her tail, but the sound of her tail tapping on the table brought him back to his senses.

“Drink it. If you have something to say, I’ll listen afterward.”

“Mmph mmph mmph?”

“What kind of potion is it? See for yourself.”

Professor Redmountain turned the bottle halfway with her tail to make the label easier to read.

<Potion that Transfers Points to Professor Redmountain When You Lie>

“Mmph mmph mmph!!”

How could such a terrible potion exist in this world?

This is a nightmare!

After forcing the potion down the protesting Orcatch’s throat, the professor was very surprised when he repeated his earlier statement without transferring any points.

“So a freshman really did say they would raid my herb garden?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying! How could you trample on someone’s goodwill like this!”

“I’m sorry. As an apology, I’ll let you touch my tail once.”

“I don’t need that!”

“Really? My tail is extremely soft.”

Orcatch’s face reddened as her tail curved seductively like a snake’s tongue, wrapping around his arm.

“Puhah. Just kidding. Why are you taking it so seriously? Thanks for the report, you can go now.”

“Before I leave, may I ask one thing?”

“Curious about how I’ll deal with that freshman?”

“How long will the potion I just drank continue to send points to you when I lie…?”

“Tch. It’s only for a week, why is a man being so petty about such a small thing?”

“Please release me!!”

Orcatch returned safely after taking the antidote that removed the curse-like effect.

Alone, swishing her tail and putting the potion bottle back in the drawer, the professor recalled something.

Do I really have to prevent this myself? How annoying.

“Assistant. Post a notice on the magic clock lecture board.”

Don’t forget to include a warning that since they’ve been notified of an impending attack, all responsibility for stolen items lies with the students!

“Hehe. I really am a genius.”

Now all the hassle belongs to the students.

The responsibility for lost herbs belongs to the students.

And the herbs diligently cultivated by students belong to me!

“Excuse me, Professor. I hate to interrupt your pleasant daydreaming, but you should be especially careful of this particular freshman.”

“What’s wrong with you too, assistant? Do you also want to steal some potion from the lab?”

“Although the Plant Club president isn’t much except for his harvesting skills, the freshman he warned about, Oknodie, is no ordinary person.”

“She’s still just a freshman.”

“That child is the First of the Ten Great Thieves of the Continent, known as the Greatest Thief in the World, and the protégé of Professor Bronze, the righteous thief.”

The assistant, who had witnessed the professor—known as the incarnation of laziness—being so slothful that she floated around on a levitating platform with flight magic, saw for the first time the professor leap to her feet.

“The protégé of that wretched woman who stole my lover dares to come steal my herbs? Well, that changes everything!”

The professor stared at the assistant with eyes burning with anger instead of her usual sleepy, languid gaze.

“Let’s set traps.”

“Who will?”

“Summon all the teaching assistants.”

“Sigh.”

“And you too.”

“…”

I shouldn’t have sounded so smart in front of the professor.

The assistant wept inwardly.

* * *

“Have you all heard? That little Oknodie apparently pulverized Russo, the sophomore on leave.”

“Wasn’t Russo assigned as a dormitory supervisor, the lowest position among security assistant instructors, after taking a leave of absence because he couldn’t pass the junior advancement exam? And for freshmen at that.”

Not all instructors are the same.

There are security assistant instructors, the lowest of the low.

Administrative assistant instructors, valued for their diligence.

Practical assistant instructors, valued for their versatile skills.

And professor-affiliated instructors, who are envied by all other instructors for possessing something special that caught a professor’s eye.

The instructors employed by Professor Redmountain were practical assistant instructors who had been deceived for five years by sweet talk and the professor’s provocative attire, believing they would eventually become professor-affiliated instructors.

Whatever the case, these instructors, who prided themselves on being far superior to security instructors like Russo, weren’t particularly impressed by Oknodie’s exploits.

“She might be somewhat capable among freshmen. After all, Russo did somehow complete the sophomore curriculum. But she’s no match for us.”

“Right. We’re trusted assistants whom Professor Redmountain assigns to regularly install flight magic formations on her platform, check and replace mana stones, maintain greenhouse temperature and prevent monster intrusions, and sometimes even play the role of armed robbers to instill tension in relaxed classrooms!”

For this reason, these assistants, already accustomed to terrorizing current sophomores with armed robbery acts, could easily predict how Oknodie might infiltrate the greenhouse.

“She’ll probably tamper with the control magic formation for the greenhouse’s heating and cooling system to lure us out.”

“She might blend in with students and brazenly enter through the front.”

“Or she might create confusion with fake text messages about canceled lectures or classroom changes to target the herb garden.”

Whatever the approach, exploiting weaknesses would be the best strategy.

Trying to break through by force would mean facing not only the security measures installed by the assistants but also those set up by the professor herself, which they had never experienced.

Still, since the professor had instructed them to prevent her own security measures from activating if possible, the assistants diligently reorganized and installed new traps.

“Aren’t there so many that even we’re afraid to go in and out?”

“Let’s create security formula card keys so that traps won’t activate for assistants carrying the cards. That way, only Oknodie, who infiltrates while avoiding our eyes, will suffer.”

“Oh, that’s good!”

The assistants, who had mastered the art of laziness like their professor, created pass cards without being asked and went home satisfied.

Unaware that freshmen were lurking in the bushes on their way home, eyes gleaming as they prepared to ambush isolated assistants.