525 – Seditious Meta
After finishing their final exams, the first-year students set out to search and rescue Oknodie in Jeido.
Jezel, Isabel, Son Ohchun, Jiang, Titosso.
While they had all bumped into each other while taking on private requests or receiving rewards related to Jezel’s Dark Trading Company, one person stood out.
“What, why is everyone looking at me…?”
Titosso, the proud owner of such embarrassingly awkward vibes, was suddenly struck by the focus of attention.
Wiggling their hands and feet nervously, Titosso awkwardly whistled, but as the whistle failed to come out, they tried to hide their embarrassment by turning up the brightness of the lighting.
“Tito. It’s blinding.”
“S-sorry!”
With a single remark from Jiang sitting beside them, the brightness of the light dimmed, exposing Titosso’s even more distressed face—a true social awkwardness level max.
Just watching her was amusing enough that the trio of entrance exam passers began to understand why Oknodie often hung out with Titosso.
This child, the joy of tormenting is overflowing!
“Alright. While I understand the desire to tease Titosso, let’s focus for a moment. Before we board the magic circle heading to Jeido, I’ll convey the information.”
“Don’t bother understanding that!”
“Our little lady Oknodie is currently confined in the imperial palace under the identity of the Fourth Princess of the Empire. She’s managed to clear out a variety of children’s items including white bear panties and is using palace staff to transport necessary supplies.”
Jezel hit the nail on the head right there.
“This is the point we need to target. If we ambush the transporting supplies, we can cause a temporary chaos that would delay the supply and give us an opportunity to execute our plan.”
“What plan?”
“Of course, it’s a plan to infiltrate the palace and rescue our little lady. We’ll take advantage of the chaos to bribe the existing attendants and maids, sending them off with a hefty sum of money to the far border so we can sneak in with their identities.”
Isabel asked with a skeptical look on her face.
“Who’s going to do the ambush and who’s going to pretend to be the attendants and maids?”
“Of course, it will be me, Son Ohchun, and Isabel.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if I went instead of the kid with such an obvious light stand? They can’t do anything without it.”
“Haha. Looks like another person has fallen to Titosso.”
“Yay.”
At Jezel’s signal, Titosso grinned and revealed a shocking truth.
“Actually… I can operate without the light stand!”
“What?!”
Isabel was hit by an overwhelming shock.
“Then why do you carry that? Wasn’t it to treat mana saturation symptoms?”
“I just bring it to boost my popularity!”
“Liar. If that’s true, turn off the light!”
Titosso confidently turned off the light.
This time, Son Ohchun’s mouth dropped open.
“What’s this? The light stand isn’t a charm enhancement tool but a charm suppression device!”
Jezel asked.
“So, what do you think? With this level of looks, can you take on the role of a palace maid?”
“Definitely.”
“If she can’t get in, then the palace maids must only be selected based on skills—looks are irrelevant.”
They arrived at Jeido using the magic circle.
But instead of finding themselves in a properly certified facility near the main street, they were met with the sight of dilapidated buildings in the slums.
“Jezel. Where is this…?”
“This is the slums of Jeido. Due to reckless expansion plans, it has lost its function as a commercial district, resulting in people leaving and turning into makeshift dwellers collectively living with their properties worth less than dirt. Of course, it’s also a favorite spot for the Revolutionary Army and other anti-imperial factions.”
“Why is such a place connected to the Academy’s official teleportation circle?”
“Because they hijacked the teleportation signal. But rather than that, we should quickly execute the plan. Our little lady detained by the Emperor might be going through something terrible inside the palace right now.”
Isabel shelved her skepticism.
Jezel was right.
She didn’t care about how the teleportation circle hijacking worked.
Her thoughts went to the child who always ate deliciously.
A child she followed to repay kindness but ended up being owed even more significant debts.
That Oknodie might be in a situation needing help.
“Welcome, Dark…”
“Shush.”
At Jezel’s gesture, a man waiting for them promptly shut his mouth and bowed his head.
Though her companions looked confused, Jezel continued as if wearing a suit of armor.
“Did you get the list of supply delivery locations and transporters?”
“Already finished all preparations. The positions are marked on the Mana Panel, and the watchers are updating the locations of the enemy transporters and escorts in real-time.”
When Son Ohchun craned his neck to look, he saw green supply markers, yellow transporter markers, and red escort markers scattered across a map reflecting the entire Jeido region.
“What’s the area covered in black?”
“That’s the Empire’s Enforcer Corps, and you must avoid them at all costs. If you get caught close to them, there’s no escaping arrest.”
“Are the Empire’s Enforcers that strong?”
“Most Academy Graduates can’t secure a victory against the core forces of the Empire.”
Son Ohchun was shocked.
“So, the Academy Graduates can’t win? Are they literal monsters? How come there are nineteen of those?”
“That’s what makes the Empire impressive. The Enforcer Corps may just be the visible strong, while there are undoubtedly stronger ones the Empire hasn’t revealed. That’s why this operation is dangerous.”
“To help with such a risky task, you all have some serious loyalty. You’re quite remarkable for common folk of the plains.”
The man cloaked in dark robes and wrapped up, bowed his head gratefully at Son Ohchun’s compliment.
“I appreciate your words, but we’re just under the command of Dark… No, of Jezel.”
“That looks suspicious, though. This guy has been hinting at something about the saint since earlier.”
Jezel responded to Son Ohchun’s hard gaze with her usual half-squint smile.
“Enough of that. Let’s change our clothes quickly. We’re not going to flaunt the fact that Academy students are launching an attack, right?”
“If we’re going to disguise, we need to forge our identities. If we don’t decide on weapons and techniques beforehand, we risk our identities being exposed.”
“Jiang’s advice is very timely. Son Ohchun, Isabel. Do you two have any thoughts on disguise identities?”
The ambush was to fall on Jezel, Son Ohchun, and Isabel.
Each of them had to contemplate their disguises.
“As long as it doesn’t harm Esinia’s siblings, I’m fine with anything. I’ll go with your recommendations.”
“Then I’ll prepare Isabel as a Revolutionary Army member. Do you have any hopes, Son Ohchun?”
“I do. If the opportunity arises, I want those who I’ve been wanting to target.”
“Oh? That sounds like a grudge.”
“The Beastman Resurgence Society. Those guys who often spouted nonsense about beastmen’s rights have made my life miserable, so I’m quite annoyed.”
“Haha. So you’re planning to give them a taste of their own medicine? Let’s make sure to prepare properly.”
The Beastman Resurgence Society was a subsidiary organization of the Foundation.
Since their crushing defeat at the Academy, they had been laying low, but Son Ohchun’s sudden disguise would drag them out into the open, ruining their reputation.
Jezel felt no regret about that.
It was true that most beastmen were collectively blamed for the terrorist actions of the Resurgence Society.
“Alright, let’s go.”
This time was different from the disastrous failure of the first search and rescue operation for Oknodie.
With a determination to reclaim Oknodie through their strength, the operation commenced.
*
When strong humans clash, how do they determine the victor?
The Empire provided the answer.
“Whoa. A duel!”
“Isn’t it a brawl?”
“There’s no way a real brawl is happening in the middle of Jeido, right? It must be a legally sanctioned duel!”
A private duel trial with a notary present!
“That’s right, this is a duel. Let’s have a match!”
“Wow!”
The disguised attendants of the palace, who were collecting girl clothes, were utterly flustered.
Suddenly, a group of men attacked them while loading garments onto their carriage.
“What the hell! We were just loading clothes! What’s your issue? If there’s a misunderstanding, withdraw immediately!”
“We are the Revolutionary Army, an organization that received information about you seeking clothes for the banned slaves from the Empire!”
“What?! The Revolutionary Army must have perished, right? Wait, who’s seeking clothes for girl slaves? That’s a misunderstanding. We don’t deal with slaves!”
The palace attendants’ grievances fell on deaf ears.
They kicked the carriage and began beating the attendants senseless while smashing the boxes they were ferrying, revealing their contents to the world.
“Look! Here’s a box full of white bear panties for girls!”
“Yikes! It’s real!”
“Those perverts. What are they planning to do with kidnapped girls?”
Amidst the outraged citizens, Isabel remarked.
“Clearly, they must have kidnapped poor girls from the border for the filthy tastes of the high-ranking officials.”
“Oh my gosh! In this day and age, such things are happening? These barbaric people!”
Just then, the Security Force began rushing over, blowing their whistles.
According to the Mana Panel, they were supreme palace guards disguised as the Security Force, stationed nearby just in case of any mishaps.
“Arrest anyone attacking the carriage immediately!”
“They aren’t engaged in a proper duel trial!”
“Stop this private violence that violates the laws of the Empire!”
As if questioning the truth of those words, the citizens’ eyes zeroed in on the notary.
Jezel hesitated, looking like a public defender intimidated by those in power. Yet, she mustered the courage to step forward with all her might for justice.
“Whether or not the noblemen of the capital wish for girl slaves can easily be brushed aside with the trivial process of a notary’s duel verification. But I believe in the righteousness of Empire citizens. I believe in justice!”
“Thus, I will continue the duties of a notary until I am dragged into prison at the last moment. Please watch over my final notarial act!”
The upper-class women of the Empire visiting the clothing store cried with tears in their eyes.
“Such a touching sight.”
“I can’t just watch such a handsome and brave person suffer from unjust persecution.”
“Everyone, let’s block the Security Force with our bodies. We won’t let the guards, who have become the private troops of unjust nobles, prevent this duel!”
Enraged civilians began to rush towards the approaching Security Force.
As the women found their voice and shouted, pedestrians on the street joined in the march, enraged.
In no time, over hundreds of citizens, young and old, men and women, blocked the street in a perfect line.
“Are you still human?”
“Step aside, you wretched soldiers of the nobility! Get back!”
“Free the poor child slaves of the border! Liberation!”
While Jezel and Isabel bought some time, Son Ohchun got pumped up, laying into the palace attendants one after another.
“We won! Let’s seize their carriage to hide it!”
“Yay!”
As a result, the carriages became smashed and seized, and the attendants lost everything, unable to chase after the carriages, shielding themselves from stones thrown by civilians.
As they turned into the alley pre-arranged, Jiang and Titosso jumped onto one of the carriages.
“How was it?”
“That was awesome!”
“Hehe. I could never shine at the Academy; outside I’m unbeatable!”
Celebrating with a thumbs-up from Titosso, Son Ohchun grinned widely.
“But where did Jiang go?”
“Huh? They came in just now. Where did they actually go?”
Suddenly, Jiang peeked their head from below the carriage.
“Here.”
“Yikes! Why are you coming out of there?!”
“Occupational hazard.”
“Hahaha! You’ll be a great asset for infiltration tasks.”
“Jezel really knows how to command people. If she keeps rallying like this, she might even become a second revolutionary figure.”
Son Ohchun felt a bit uneasy at Jiang’s words.
“Ugh, save the headache for later. The carriage will take you directly to the palace; it’s your turn to handle things inside!”
With the carriage piled high with enhancement materials, Jiang and Titosso set off toward the palace.
While Jezel’s sedition worked flawlessly, sometimes strict people get caught in the backlash.
“That disturbing manipulation skill might just be the work of the Revolutionary Army.”
“Look at the public support. There’s no way this isn’t the work of the Revolutionary Army!”
“Wait, look at the emblem on the notary’s collar. That’s the real emblem of a Revolutionary Army executive!”
As Jezel’s plan to frame the Revolutionary Army executed perfectly, the Empire’s Security Force began a crackdown, hunting down Revolutionary Army remnants.
The fallout hit Jeto, who had been lurking to execute a rescue operation for genuine remnants of the Revolutionary Army…
“This is an unregistered transport carriage that hasn’t been reported!”
“Arrest it immediately!”
“Those filthy dogs of the Empire, suddenly increasing security. What terrible luck.”
“Jeto, what should we do now?!”
“Now that we’re exposed, there’s nothing we can do. We’ll stuff the bombs hidden between the boxes of girl underwear into the city gate!”
That day, the gates of the Imperial Outer Palace received three boxes of bombs.
