Ch.4949 – You Should Always Turn Off Your Alarms

<49 – Remember to Turn Off Your Alarms>

Bronze De Estra, called Professor Estrada in the game and “Trash Personality Bronze Professor” on player forums.

Oknodie knows from experience how her lectures are conducted.

‘No matter what, she always included a practical test of discernment in every lecture.’

When you’re the one experiencing it, nothing could be more annoying, but it’s honey-sweet entertainment for spectators.

The first lecture is most likely the object hide-and-seek.

A mission to find alarm clocks disguised as ordinary classroom items and disable them to escape the classroom.

Naturally, this game favors experienced players like sophomores and veteran players, while being disadvantageous to freshmen and newbie players who walk in blind.

“A designer bag with the Emerald Company logo in the classroom is too suspicious. This must be an alarm clock disguised as a luxury bag.”

“Stop! That’s my book bag!”

“Such an expensive luxury item as a book bag?! T-then this flower petal light fixture must be a frivolous item unrelated to academics. It’s an alarm clock!”

“That’s my light fixture! My sister said with this, I’d be popular at any academy I attend!”

“What, your sister set you up for failure?!”

Giselle is stuck dealing with possessions that defy the common sense of provincial nobles who aren’t from the Central Empire!

Even as a player, I find it mind-boggling.

Students carrying around items that make you wonder why anyone would bring such things, and they even spent precious points to get permission to possess them.

It’s painful to think about, even for someone like me with plenty of points. When novice players see this, they naturally develop aristocrat-hatred and start looking for pitchforks and guillotines.

‘Tsk tsk. Poor things.’

At first, their family members support them without knowing better, but soon they’ll realize the gold-to-point exchange rate and cut funding while shuddering.

Nobles who become tight on points will regret spending enormous amounts on such trash, but points once spent never return.

Even without interference, these nobles who spent points on luxury item possession permits will be hitting the ground with regret.

Pitchforks and guillotines for inferior students who’ll be naturally eliminated?

Those aren’t corrupt officials or anything—they’re just pitiful children.

We need to save pitchforks and guillotines for the truly corrupt.

<Sing>

<Sword Drawing – Opening Strike>

Thud

Sing sheathed his sword and placed the severed cricket corpse on the instructor’s desk.

“I caught it. The alarm clock that was jumping between desks and making noise.”

“Well done catching it. That was quite a high-difficulty alarm clock for a freshman.”

When Professor Estrada tapped the cricket’s head with her baton, a halved alarm clock appeared.

Now that’s the real corruption.

How could a freshman catch an alarm clock that even sophomores would struggle with?

“But you destroyed school property. I said to turn off the alarm, not destroy it. The fine is minus 10 points.”

“……”

The freshmen who were about to follow Sing’s example by attacking surrounding objects in hopes of hitting an alarm clock quietly put their weapons away.

“There really are point deductions.”

Isabelle’s eyes filled with trust.

“Ahem. That’s what I told you, right? That extending lectures might result in more deductions.”

Isabelle is lucky.

She’s attending the same lecture as a veteran player who’s practically maxed out in avoiding deduction tactics!

“Don’t be confused. First, try to identify one of the alarms and find where the sound is coming from. There will be an alarm clock hidden in the form of another object.”

“And after finding it?”

“Even when transformed into another object, there will be something functioning as the ‘button’ of the alarm clock somewhere. If you keep pressing, it will surely work.”

After learning the trick, Isabelle quickly caught on and took a marker from a box of supplies in the corner of the classroom.

Pop

The alarm sound stopped as soon as she pulled off the cap.

With a light puff of smoke, the pen returned to its original form as an alarm clock.

“You have excellent senses. Good hearing is a quality of a thief… I mean, an adventurer.”

“Thank you.”

Isabelle tilted her head awkwardly.

Didn’t she just say thief?

“This three-panel folding whiteboard is a fixture that doesn’t exist in other classrooms. I don’t suppose anyone brought a whiteboard as a personal item?!”

Giselle, who had been suffering through the strange item challenge, asked in a half-sobbing voice.

Fortunately, no owner came forward this time, and Giselle was able to successfully submit the alarm clock.

“You’ve researched the fixtures of other classrooms in advance. Excellent preparation.”

“For a merchant, observing fixtures in unfamiliar places is fundamental. Those who don’t research cannot supply.”

“An excellent motto. Using supply of fixtures as a pretext to infiltrate a target building is the basic foundation of a righteous thief’s preliminary reconnaissance.”

Professor Estrada no longer tries to hide it and openly praises thief-like behavior!

“At this rate, is everyone who finds a desk clock going to be treated like a thief?”

“Would you rather be trapped in a classroom with non-stop alarm sounds for two hours?”

“Idiot, we can just escape the classroom!”

“Ah!”

“Hahaha. I’m going first, you suckers!”

A freshman ran laughing boldly toward the classroom exit!

The sophomores who had already opened the door and left turned back with wide eyes, gesturing for him to return.

“Seniors who ran out to save themselves are lecturing us?! Life is survival of the fittest. I’ll find my own way out!”

The moment the proudly shouting freshman stepped through the door, there was a crackling sound as he convulsed and collapsed backward with a thud.

“What did the seniors say?”

“Soundproofing magic ahead. Anyone leaving the classroom without the professor’s permission gets knocked out by electric shock?”

“Kyaaak! I’m going to lose my mind!!”

“This is c-crazy! What kind of educational institution knocks students out with electric shocks for leaving the classroom!”

“I’m telling my mom!!”

Professor Estrada twirled her hair with her finger, looking bored.

“I don’t care either way, but would you please find the clocks quickly? The longer you’re lazy, the longer my head rings.”

Then don’t give such assignments.

The freshmen, not wanting to receive electric shocks for very practical reasons, resumed their clock hunt.

But fearing deductions, they couldn’t just destroy property during their search, so they timidly felt around chairs and desks while wandering the classroom.

‘I guess everyone who could find one has found one by now?’

There were 29 people left in the classroom.

Out of 20 alarm clocks, only 9 had been found.

It seemed unlikely that the freshman newbie NPCs would find the remaining 11.

Isabelle and Giselle asked me:

“Aren’t you going to look for any, Oknodie?”

“I’m about to start. I’ve waited long enough that no one can complain if I find them all now.”

“Would it be alright if I leave first if it takes too long? My head is starting to hurt.”

“Ah, please bear with it a little longer. I’m going to find all the remaining ones before we leave.”

“What? Why would you do that… Don’t tell me you’re after the bonus points the professor mentioned?”

I’m not that interested in lecture points.

But I’m very interested in other points.

[You have found an alarm clock disguised as a floor tile.]

[Observation Experience +5]

[Hearing Experience +2]

[You have found an alarm clock disguised as a fake wall.]

[Observation Experience +5]

[Hearing Experience +2]

[You caught an alarm clock disguised as a light fixture with a stone without breaking it.]

[Observation Experience +5]

[Stone Throwing Experience +3]

[Hearing Experience +2]

[Precision Experience +1]

The freshmen’s jaws dropped as I found alarm clocks one after another.

“Oknodie is finding clocks at an incredible speed!”

“Why find multiple when you only need one?”

“I get it. Oknodie is doing this for us.”

One student shouted with genuine joy:

“If all the clocks are found, everyone can escape the classroom. As the top student of Group A, he’s setting an example by helping his fellow Group A students escape.”

“What a thoughtful idea!”

“How can this child be so kind-hearted? He could be thinking of his own welfare a little!”

“Thank you, Oknodie! As a token of gratitude, I’ll play the violet setting on my light fixture!”

You just want to use it yourself.

I looked at the light fixture with disbelief, but suddenly felt my ears clearing and my strength returning.

“???”

[You have viewed the Blessing Violet Light Fixture.]

[Health and Mental stats +1 for 10 minutes.]

This actually works?

I guess nobles’ luxury items can be helpful after all.

With my headache and fatigue reduced, I found clocks at an even faster pace.

“Excellent. That makes 19 clocks found, but one remains.”

“Professor, you said earlier that your head rings the longer we’re lazy. The last alarm clock is in your hat, isn’t it?”

A smile spread across Professor Estrada’s face.

“Excellent. Finding 11 out of 20 clocks by yourself is impressive. The last one had perception-blocking magic cast on it, making it quite difficult, but you used the hint well.”

“This much is basic for me.”

“Splendid. Your skill, accuracy, and consideration for the weak. You’re truly an exemplary righteous thief.”

That’s a compliment, right?

“That concludes today’s lecture. Everyone who remained in the classroom will receive bonus lecture points. And those who found clocks will receive an additional 100 bonus points per clock.”

The students looked at me in shock.

“So Oknodie earned 1100 points in a single lecture by himself?”

“The final high-difficulty alarm was worth 1000 points. Freshman Oknodie will receive 2000 points.”

The freshmen looked at me with envious eyes.

“Hmph. With 2000 points I could get another light fixture.”

“I’m jealous. I need 1500 more points to bring and raise my Poppy from home.”

“But Oknodie found the clocks for all of us. He didn’t know about the points and helped out of goodwill, so I have no complaints about his reward.”

“I agree.”

“If anyone envies Oknodie, I’ll be the first to punch them!”

Among the freshmen actively defending my actions, Isabelle and Giselle gave me knowing looks that said, “You knew all along, didn’t you?”

Hmph, I’m innocent, okay?

I gave those newbies plenty of chances to find the clocks out of pity, but it’s their fault if they couldn’t find them!