Ch.429429 – Test Opponent

<429 – Exam Opponent>

[Cuteness is justice.]

Unlike the previous central base where murderers, clowns, and kidnappers swarmed under the harsh men, the new base was filled with adorable girls of all attributes under the motto of the foundation’s new supervisor who boasted of being forty years old.

Even the guards perched on the windowsills were sharp-clawed girls with a pair of wings growing from their shoulders.

“Die-hoo.”

“No-hoo.”

Their identity was owl beastkin who, though rarer than the meowing cat beastkin, had similar speech habits.

The heads of the two owl beastkin with excellent eyesight suddenly jerked toward the sky.

“Something’s coming-hoo.”

“Die-hoo.”

One of the owl beastkin silently kicked off the windowsill, flew up, and bit the neck of a messenger bird.

“Blood splattered-hoo.”

“Die-hoo.”

Like a loyal cat bringing its prey to the front door, the owl beastkin hunted the messenger bird and dropped it inside the window.

“Die-hoo.”

“Hehe. Cuteness is justice, but that aggressive nature so similar to cat beastkin needs reconsideration.”

“I don’t like this one either-hoo.”

“Die-hoo.”

“Kamang. Please decode the message.”

Unlike the owl beastkin, the supervisor’s assistant who was permitted to assist in the office spread her wings as black as ebony.

As one feather fluttered down and seeped into the letter, the blood-stained envelope opened by itself.

The contents were ordinary trash mixed with items exported from the academy.

When the reduction magic engraved on it was magnified and examined, an extremely tiny mana formula was detected.

<Decoding Magic>

<Cipher Input>

“An unofficial communication has arrived from code name Steel. It’s an urgent matter.”

“If it were a face-to-face request, I would have certainly refused. That man is needlessly persistent, true to his code name.”

The foundation’s supervisor and Charlotte’s butler, a forty-year-old man, stroked his stylishly grown beard.

“The content?”

“If you don’t want to lose your sharpest thorn, respond to a face-to-face meeting. The deadline is one week.”

“That’s unfortunate. To make an enemy of the new supervisor after the predecessor. Both the young lady and her butler are fierce, just like our eagle owl beastkin, aren’t they?”

“Die-hoo.”

“Those are just low intelligence. Don’t try to understand too deeply these fools who cling to one favorite word because they can’t let go of their wild nature. Jona Wiheomhae and Oknodie are no different from that stupid die-hoo.”

The die-hoo parrot glared at the supervisor’s assistant with raven wings, eyes wide open.

The assistant returned the gaze without avoiding it, as if saying, “What can you do besides glaring at me?”

Swish…

The intimidated die-hoo parrot averted its gaze.

Raptor beastkin have high aggression, but conversely, they can recognize opponents stronger than themselves and avoid fights.

In nature, crows rank below owls, but crow beastkin who have gained human power through civilization have defied the laws of nature.

<Dark Mana>

<Darkness Naturalization>

The dark mana swirling in both eyes would be enough to instill fear in anyone, not just owl beastkin.

“Calm yourself, Kamang. You are a cool-headed office secretary. Your cuteness stems from your composure.”

Symbol of ill omen.

Harbinger of disaster.

Despite seeing a form that would instill fear in everyone, the supervisor neither blamed nor avoided her.

Rather, he found her cute.

Kamang, instead of feeling disgust or glaring back, folded her wings, calmed her dark aura, and composed herself with dignity.

“The supervisor is too weak for female beauty. With such an infatuated mindset, I worry you might be kidnapped into some foreign beastkin’s nest and become a breeding slave if you go out.”

“Hehe. It would be fortunate if there was such demand for an old male like me. But don’t worry. I don’t plan to go out alone this time.”

“Charlotte. You could abandon the human female. Is the young lady who doesn’t follow control and hides in the area for leave of absence students worth risking your life for?”

“A foolish question.”

The supervisor answered immediately, as if it wasn’t worth considering.

“Charlotte is a cool beauty princess knight. A noble blood who has turned to darkness, yet hasn’t defiled her body with dark mana—a flower blooming in darkness. How could I call myself an adult if I don’t protect such cuteness?”

“The supervisor is too soft-hearted. As I thought, without a sharp-minded assistant like me, you’d quickly be taken advantage of somewhere and be used up by the foundation.”

“Hehehe. Then I’ll have to rely more on our Miss Kamang from now on.”

It’s a trap.

Oknodie and Jona Wiheomhae.

It’s clear they’re not calling him out for good purposes.

Knowing this, yet when Charlotte’s life was threatened, he no longer avoided it and accepted the challenge.

Supervisor’s assistant Kamang carefully watched as the supervisor prepared to go out, putting on his coat and hood.

Beastkin despised by society.

Beastkin used in the shadows but not respected.

To such beastkin, he puts forth an incomprehensible slogan that “cuteness is justice,” ensures their welfare, and is lenient even to individuals less integrated into human culture, simply because they’re cute.

Though she thinks he’s a fool, beastkin needed such a foolish supervisor.

‘Both the die-hoo parrot who only knows “die-hoo” and the no-hoo parrot who’s gradually learning human speech would be worked to death by the foundation within a year if the supervisor dies.’

The foundation doesn’t favor tools it can’t control.

If there are untamed beastkin, they drive them harshly until they’re tamed.

If they treat even humans so cruelly, how much more harsh would they be to real beastkin?

“Die-hoo parrot. No-hoo parrot. You will accompany us to the academy. I’m assigning you the task of protecting the supervisor with your lives.”

“Die-hoo.”

“No-hoo. Heard academy dangerous-hoo.”

“Think about it. If the supervisor dies now, the next supervisor won’t provide you with bloody prey every day, will make you work three times as much. They won’t stroke your wings saying ‘cute, cute,’ nor gift you oil or combs to prevent your feathers from tangling.”

The eyes of the die-hoo parrot and no-hoo parrot filled with sadness.

“Die-hoo…”

“No-hoo…”

“If you understand, risk your lives for this escort. He may be an unreliable middle-aged male past breeding season, but he’s a leader worth risking our lives for.”

A man with a handsome beard.

Charlotte’s butler and the foundation’s supervisor.

And a cute-girl enthusiast who crosses between humans and beastkin.

Possible Ef’s journey to the academy was decided.

* * *

“What does this supervisor do?”

“He’s a man who knows no impossibility.”

“Wow. He must be really strong!”

Both Charlotte and her butler are like new characters to me, a veteran player.

One is a young lady who’s strong enough to enter the leave of absence student zone as a freshman, or she’ll be killed by challengers, so I can’t even see her face.

The other is her butler, so he’s destined to fall when Charlotte dies.

“Heheh. I can’t resist a hidden boss challenge!”

“While I understand your excitement for new experiences, this time the opponent isn’t favorable. You should exercise some restraint, miss.”

“Huh. Is he that bad?”

“That man might even be capable of handling children like you.”

“Wow. A cold-blooded type with no blood or tears!”

“I think that’s different.”

Still, it’s relatively easy for them to visit the academy at this time.

“Which exam will they come as test opponents?”

“I’ve submitted documents to the academy stating they’ll help with the midterm exams for my second semester. If they can’t find another way, they’ll come through my channel.”

First year, second semester midterms.

From this exam, external people start coming in as test opponents.

For a lecture on targeting monster weak points, you could just bring in monsters and have students stab them, but for courses like <Basics and Understanding of Disguise> or <Healing with Picnics>, appropriate opponents need to be invited to test students’ skills.

“If they’re invited to Jona’s lecture, what role will they play in the exam? You only teach mana refining methods.”

“The method to test refining achievement is simple. How much muscle is compressed per unit area. Comparing is easy when competing with muscles from limited areas.”

Jona slightly rolled up his sleeve and placed one elbow on the table.

“Arm wrestling is one of them.”

“Wow! Arm wrestling! My second favorite wrestling!”

I quickly ran to the opposite side of the table and grasped Jona’s large hand.

Jona applied slight force without even closing his hand, keeping it wide open.

Thud!

“Ouch.”

“Of course, a match with a professor-level like me isn’t even feasible. So the main competitions will be with lower-ranked individuals. Depending on the level of the invited organization, students can compare how their refining methods measure up in the outside world.”

“Hmph. What if I lose then like I did now?”

“Your refining efficiency is quite good. You shouldn’t worry about your grades. Rather, I’ve become curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“What’s your first favorite wrestling?”

“How could I say such an embarrassing thing here!”

“?”

“Jona is stupid!”

<Double Strike>

<Penetrating Strike>

<Vital Point Strike>

<Mighty Strength>

<Powerful>

<Electric Punch>

I hit him a bit harder out of frustration from losing at arm wrestling, but he didn’t budge at all.

Well, if monsters like Jona appeared in the midterms, first-year students’ grades would plummet.

In the end, the subordinates brought by the supervisor will be the opponents, but what kind of people will they be?

‘The foundation’s level is oddly inconsistent, so I’m not sure!’

The shadow organization lurking behind the world.

The source of all unfair events and rare events.

Or suckers who bring delicious food.

I’m a bit curious about their skills, and perhaps the food they might offer.