The Director didn’t hold back on the praise.
“You’ve done a great job noticing the trap.”
“Hehe!”
“Just because someone shows goodwill and makes a beneficial proposal doesn’t mean it will lead to good outcomes. Sometimes that very goodwill is a trap designed to lead one to break promises.”
“It was too obvious~ If someone lured me out of the tower so easily, it’s only natural to feel suspicious, right?”
“Hoho. It’s commendable that you can discern goodwill. I hope you learn a lot while staying by Oknodie’s side.”
As expected, Sing, who couldn’t do anything right except for wielding a sword, forgot the Director’s words like a goldfish, falling right into the trap.
But hey, I’ve got this, so it’s fine.
It’s not a matter of being unable to reach the 50th floor; it’s that I’m choosing not to.
Honestly, this is an opportunity.
A chance to sneak a peek at the powers of the [Foundation], known for its exceptionally strong organization.
‘If I return directly to the Academy, I’ll only experience the event indirectly, but by watching from outside, I can see the entire flow of events!’
The second chapter boss appearing in the second semester of the first year.
I’ll witness the [Evil Organization’s Attack] event, orchestrated by the Foundation.
Returning to the Academy can be done later.
Sure, there might be some deduction for not keeping up, but I’ve got more than enough points to cover that!
“By the way, was this just a test?”
The Director’s hand, reaching out as if to pat Sing’s head, froze in the air.
Oknodie didn’t look at the outstretched hand that came with an expectant face for a compliment.
With a face that insisted on the natural right to eat dessert after lunch, they spoke.
“Were you actually planning to show the regional event as just bait for traps and not execute it?”
The human troops of the Doichi Kingdom.
The beastman troops beyond the human borders.
Expressing disappointment that no tribal wars had ignited between the different races.
This was a significant incident, far beyond the discussions of a few deaths that the Academy had orchestrated.
No, it would even be insufficient to call it a tragedy.
Even the world’s Director was shocked by Oknodie’s madness, who casually mentioned such a tremendous future.
“Isn’t it usually a bad thing to use humans in a scheme when you could avoid it?”
“Eh. There are so many people who fight and scuffle with just one neighboring country. If they’re not close, hosting an event seems plausible, right?”
“Which side’s blood are you looking to see?”
“Hmm~ If I had to choose, I’d prefer the beastman side?”
“It’s been a hundred years since the official prohibition of the enslavement of beastmen within the Empire, but there are still human supremacists who only treat pure humans as humans.”
The Director commands an organization of oppressed beastmen, discriminated against in the current societal perception.
Even the Foundation’s scholarship students include a specific number of [Interracial Scholarship Students].
Discriminating between humans and non-humans is immensely foolish when it comes to utilizing available beings.
After all, what is the root cause of beastman discrimination?
To alleviate the insufficiencies of resources, territory, and manpower, humans exploited beastmen.
To transform these beastmen, on the surface, into “political supporters” through revolution, ingrained the need to change their perception.
At the very least, it’s not a mindset that a child succeeding them should possess.
The Director’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you… one of those human supremacists?”
It doesn’t suit them.
Human supremacy is a concept birthed to eliminate the Foundation’s political supporters.
It’s an extension of nationalism, born from the alliance of rulers around the world and the discarded lower classes who lost jobs to beastmen.
A defeatist ideology that does not suit a child meant to reign above all, such as Oknodie.
Especially not one destined to inherit the Foundation.
‘Maybe… just a little bit of correction is needed?’
If that’s the case, it requires fundamental changes.
This training might take a bit longer than expected.
Maybe preventing Oknodie’s return to the Academy altogether wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
“Excuse me? I don’t dislike beastmen.”
“Name three inferiorities of humans compared to beastmen.”
“They lack racial bonuses, their limit-breaking requirements are the highest, and their potential height is just too short!”
“Limit-breaking…?”
“Once stats exceed a certain threshold, most character growth has caps that require special items or achievements to increase. Elves can go up to 90 agility without such limits, and orcs can pass freely to 90 strength. But humans are all stuck at 70!”
“The Destroyer has taught you quite a bit. Are you also intending to walk the path of a warrior like them? Hoho. They really haven’t changed in terms of perception.”
But if there’s a talent that recognizes Oknodie’s excellence to this extent, the chances of returning with bad water aren’t that high.
“I understand. Oknodie. What you wanted was achieving accomplishments necessary for breaking the limits. That’s why you were so eager for killing!”
Ambition is a strong desire that doesn’t fear getting their hands bloodied.
The Director encouraged the tragedy that would stain hands for practical gain, while Oknodie argued to flip allies into enemies.
Even though that tragedy might not have to happen at all.
Only for their own strength.
To break through the limits of potential given to a human body.
While feelings of affection exist, restraint does not.
While they respect lives, they can be crushed in front of efficiency.
The Director came to a realization.
Oknodie wasn’t weak or improperly grown.
That whole impression was a misunderstanding.
The essence of this child was as wicked as their own.
The existence within that cute vessel is composed of ruthlessness that doesn’t even fear the consumption of human flesh, far more extreme than demons.
“What shall we start with?”
“Please support my collection of items to conquer the 50th floor!”
“Power should be sufficient, right?”
“Still, you promised to support me, didn’t you?”
Using promises as weapons, showing how to turn a trap made with goodwill into a means to force someone to break their promise. Even when it came to education, he surpassed that.
Demanding support while clarifying one’s position and the value of promises.
“Hahaha. Very well. I shall provide you with rare-grade items. Weapons, armor, insects, herbs, fish—those will be items of your specialty bag!”
“Oh, fish is fine! Only the ones I catch will count for the fishing log.”
“Then let’s do this. I’ll create a fishing spot for you. You can catch everything there.”
“Wow! Papa is the best!”
“Hoho. No, I didn’t even imagine that fishing would become an object of ‘collection.’ Thanks to that, I’ve found a new breakthrough. Hahahahaha.”
In a world where humanity is violated by dialogue, Sing realized that only a moment remained before Xenia and Son Ohchun’s hometown was destroyed.
The moment their fishing game ended, the great woods of beastmen beyond the human borders would ignite.
‘Jezel. I didn’t expect to use the tools you left behind so soon.’
Sing quickly wrote on a note hidden beneath the magic watch.
━━━
The moment the fishing log collection ends, the great woods will burn.
━━━
A single line emerged on the paper for sending messages. A means of communication left to be used if help was ever needed when only Oknodie and Sing remained in the Tower of Training.
Transferring information delivered by exchanging their life for opportunities made Jezel’s eyes suspicious.
“Collection… setting the great woods ablaze…?”
The word “collection” was too familiar to him.
It was a phrase Oknodie often used as a habit.
“Eating pea dishes is good for your health, so you can eat them as many times as you want, right? Nope! Eating healthy peas ten times is worse than having ten different kinds of junk jelly for value!”
“Still, you should eat bean dishes. For our little lady to grow robustly up to 230cm, the nutritional balance is important.”
“Don’t you know that the first collection of the log is important? The wealthy don’t go around eating all kinds of luxurious foods for no reason.”
“If you keep this up, I’ll make Isabel add peas to every new food she tries!”
Days spent whining against eating beans rose like vapor.
Good memories warm people.
Especially when they’re memories that won’t change.
“…activating the emergency contact network. I’ll have to use the might of the Dark Trading Company.”
The Dark Trading Company is an organization Jezel formed within the Academy.
However, a group of the same name had already taken root in the shadows of the Empire long before emerging in the Academy.
Just as flowers bloom from seeds carried by the wind, even in the dirtiest of sewers.
The [Dark Trading Company], nurtured by the Empire’s filthy wastes, has its eyes spread across all places where illicit trade and trafficking exist.
“Tell the [Revolutionary]. If they halt the activities of the legion at the beastmen’s great woods by the Doichi Kingdom, he will receive the comprehensive revolutionary support he has longed for.”
The time someone takes to catch fish for collection is the time another is using power to prevent a new turmoil from striking the continent.
The world’s three most dangerous individuals, aiming to overthrow the Empire’s Emperor.
Members of the Three Great Evils, the [Revolutionary].
The cost of borrowing his power is never light.
The Dark Trading Company must now provide more support to the revolutionary forces than ever before.
However, if this can extend peace between beastmen and humans and prevent Oknodie from shedding blood, then it’s not an unreasonably high cost.
“…still, this situation is risky. I have to separate Oknodie from the Director as soon as possible.”
Such atrocities may happen several more times in the future.
Especially now when the Foundation is invading various minority lands beyond human borders, crushing their symbols of faith, uprooting, and burning them in aggression, it’s even more perilous.
Something bad might stick to Oknodie.
Once it was stopped by the power of the Dark Trading Company, but honestly, stopping it twice would be difficult.
‘To start with, bringing the power of the Dark Trading Company into the light is troubling. Perhaps the Director aimed from the start to bring down those who would obstruct him…?’
My hands and feet froze as if blood did not flow.
