In front of Professor Red Mountain, the practical instructors reporting their mistakes were too ashamed to lift their faces.
“Jaku. Is it true that a fourth year unexpectedly attacked and stole your keycard on your way home at night?”
“It is true. That brute strength undoubtedly belonged to the fourth year.”
“But you’re from the Production Department, which means your combat power is weak.”
“…”
“Are the instructors thinking of keeping quiet like a chick that’s eaten honey?”
The instructors did their best to make excuses. Of course, the excuses had no effect whatsoever.
“To sum it up. The lone Jaku returning home was robbed of their keycard, and the instructors didn’t even realize the security on the keycards they made was breached, and all the herbs in the herb field were completely stolen?”
“I’m sorry, Professor…”
“Of course you should be!”
gulp
“Drink one by one as punishment.”
Professor Red Mountain opened a middle drawer of the cabinet with his tail instead of the topmost one.
The eyes of the instructors trembled with unease, knowing dangerous potions would start coming out as they went down. Unlike the top drawers which had name tags, the middle ones had no mention of what effects the bottles possessed.
‘Does the professor not know what those things are either?’
‘Why did they even make such keycards?’
‘How did Jaku get defeated by a first year and lose the keycard? They might as well not have given it away.’
Of course, the instructors would not hesitate to give the keycard to Jaku with the intention of delegating their troublesome tasks.
After confirming that all instructors had taken a bottle each, Professor Red Mountain closed the cabinet.
“Hmm? Why aren’t you feeding the Jaku?”
“After fainting from losing to a first year, what kind of punishment is needed for someone caught trying to make excuses about getting beaten by a fourth year?”
“Ah…”
Jaku’s face was a mess, red and blue from humiliation. What was most embarrassing was that, just like the instructors, Jaku had lost face in front of the Professor they secretly admired.
“Professor, please give me a chance for redemption. I can’t live like this anymore. No matter where I go, the label of being a third year beaten by a first year will follow me!”
“What nonsense are you saying? I should hear about having a Jaku who lost to a first year while being a third year? At least you know how to be ashamed.”
“Because of me, even your reputation…”
While the instructors were left embarrassed, Professor Red Mountain gained a lot of information from this situation.
‘Quite a crafty little brat. They’ve been monitoring our instructors’ actions and immediately identified the weakness of the keycard. They even figured out the Jaku’s path home!’
With good skills, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had some ulterior motives, but the mental fortitude was strong enough to gather only what they targeted and escape cleanly.
‘They even took the rainbow herb. Judging by the traces left on the ground, 23 different status abnormalities activated in succession, yet they managed to counter them all within a set distance.’
The ability to immediately detect different status abnormalities and deploy defense techniques shows sharp insight and reflexes with versatile defensive techniques. It was only natural for the Jaku to get rolled.
However, excessive competence can sometimes lead to unexpected mistakes.
‘Ah, that exceptional ability caused the hiding technique to activate.’
Professor Red Mountain activated the control technique of the Mana Board paired with the rainbow herb.
As a result, the hiding technique concealed in the rainbow herb would always be detected by the owner of the control technique, allowing for eavesdropping as well.
‘I shall take more from you than you stole from me. You arrogant little first year thief!’
But this Mana Board was acting strangely.
[SIGNAL LOST]
[Unable to identify the current location of the target.]
[NO SOUND]
[Unable to capture any sounds currently.]
Location unknown.
Silence.
All reactions were completely severed.
The expensive rainbow herb, which required much effort to produce, could not have been consumed in such a short period, meaning the hiding technique of the rainbow herb was stored in an environment where it could not be transmitted externally.
Perhaps an artifact of artifact level or higher that releases its own Mana?
Considering the value of the rainbow herb, using a special storage box would not be that unusual.
It would indeed be disappointing if the thief’s disciple couldn’t think ahead to that extent.
“Tsk. What a letdown.”
With that, the tracking was cut off.
There was no way to act until the stolen goods were revealed.
‘If you thought that was the case, you’d be mistaken.’
Professor Red Mountain, who appeared to give up in front of the instructors, did not let the Jaku, who was thoroughly beaten by a first-year, go.
“What a poor fellow. Is he planning to feed the sleeping potions in the lower drawer?”
“It must be a sight too horrible to even show us.”
“If he eats the potion that curses him to become a water flea, what can we do, really?”
The terrible imaginations of the instructors mirrored the panic in Jaku’s head.
‘Mom and Dad, I’m sorry. I planned to succeed and come back home, but now I just regret not being satisfied with being a mere third year.’
The professor’s tail smacked Jaku’s trembling arm.
“What are you shaking for? You wimp. If you’re so angry about getting hit, why not fight back?”
“Professor… please don’t be so kind… If you keep doing this, it’ll confuse me…”
sniff
whimper
The professor paused at the sight of Jaku suffering.
“Hmm. So you’ve been looking at me with those eyes?”
“S-Sorry!”
“No, it’s just that although my body isn’t in its prime like when I was hit by Professor Bronze, I am still a professor. It’s no wonder you could think that way.”
The professor felt delighted.
Even when his aura was stolen, there was still a man who could look at him with those eyes!
“Your heart is commendable, but I am a professor, and you are a Jaku. Don’t cross the line.”
“I’m really sorry!!”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Just grant me a small favor.”
Professor Red Mountain crafted a small totem right then and there.
At first glance, it looked like a badge, but in reality, it was a reconnaissance artifact that neutralizes the mana response of the artifact held by the target to enhance communication capabilities!
“Stick this on the body of an Oknodie first year.”
“M-Me!?”
“Heh. No need to get so moved. If it’s too burdensome to do it yourself, I can hand it over to you.”
As he dropped the artifact he carefully held into the hands of the timid Jaku, they nodded with a very complex expression.
The professor thought of it as the face of a love-struck kid, but in reality, it was just a man who had given up after being terrified.
After getting thrashed by the student who appeared with Oknodie, now asking to stick a totem on someone possibly even stronger than that.
No matter how much he thought about it, this was more difficult than putting a bell on a cat!
But still, it is the destiny of a Jaku to comply when the professor says so!
*
Sniff sniff
Whimper
‘Waaah! The professor is trying to kill me!’
Internally sobbing, Jaku went to the classroom to find the Oknodie student at the end of their lectures.
Planning to quickly wrap things up as the saying goes, they suddenly panicked upon seeing Oknodie surrounded by friends.
‘If I approach and talk to someone with so many friends…’
“Ah, hello! The senior who got badly beaten by someone weaker than me!”
Just a single greeting would spread around the entire school, and they would become the officially recognized punching bag of Class 981.
Then their life at the Academy would be over from today.
‘I’ll follow them. Then approach when nobody is around!’
Though there was no guarantee that Oknodie would keep their embarrassing secrets, it was better than being caught in the eyes of a third party and having rumors spread uncontrollably!
But… this child has a lot of lectures.
More than just a little, it went beyond that—by the time the sun was setting and the moon was rising, they were still attending lectures.
‘Is this really the timetable of a kid who’s not even in their third year?’
After working until 2 a.m. due to Professor Red Mountain’s laziness, Jaku considered that Oknodie would be perfect for the Jaku position due to their diligence.
If they attended lectures so late, they must be doing assignments until dawn, right?
But even after all the lectures ended, Oknodie still wasn’t alone.
“You’re late today, Agassi.”
“The lecture time was extended!”
A maid typical to the academy greeted Oknodie.
However, unlike the cat-tailed beastkin maids, Jaku was confused by the fact that the maid had no tail showing behind her.
If she had no tail, she wouldn’t be a maid working at the academy.
What was that?
“Your achievement in the Mana Flow Technique Manual for Maids has also greatly increased. Your posture is so proper and your footsteps so silent that you are now prepared to master absolute balance to make sure not a single drop spills from the teacup even in the most gruesome battlefield filled with blood and guts.”
“Wow, I’m excited!”
“By the way, is the one behind you your friend?”
“!?”
“No? Just someone you don’t know?”
Perhaps startled by the frightening conversation they were overhearing, Jaku’s quick reflexes kicked in. However, the maid’s two eyes were clearly fixed on him.
Fearing another unwanted attack without a dialogue, Jaku hurriedly dropped his concealment and showed himself.
“D-Don’t attack me! I don’t come with bad intentions!”
“Following an Agassi late at night to meet them, if it’s not for bad intentions, what kind of scheme are you sneaking behind?”
Struggling to answer and nervously fidgeting with the badge, the maid keenly observed his actions.
“Is that badge a gift for the Agassi?”
“Ah, ummm… yes, that’s right…”
“You filthy pedophile.”
“N-No! That’s definitely not the intention!”
“Then what is the intention? Are you trying to harm the Agassi, after all?”
The cold eyes were sharper than the night wind.
A sharp dagger glimmered in the maid’s hand.
‘I’m here on a threat from the professor to stick a reconnaissance artifact on you. Can you please just wear it once for me?’
Jaku could not utter such words and just slumped down, resigned.
“I’m sorry… It’s true, I came to confess… sniff! I don’t need your response to the confession, just please accept this badge! Then my heart will be at ease.”
With a foolish expression, the maid looked at him, then turned to Oknodie.
“Agassi. This man is so large-hearted that he’s crying while trying to gift you something.”
“Um, I guess so!”
“While it’s contemptible, I feel some pity, so how about we just spare him this once?”
“If he just confesses, isn’t it a bit much to kill a person? It’s a bit gross and gives me the creeps as if bugs are crawling on my skin, but that’s not a death sentence, right?”
Just kill me.
Jaku was truly sorrowful and shed tears over having to force a confession.
“By the way, what do you find appealing about me?”
“Your dedication to your studies late into the night truly touched me.”
“You have a really weird taste.”
Oknodie looked at him just like how you’d look at an uncle saying he’ll give you candy.
The gaze of the world’s most suspicious child intensified Jaku’s feelings of injustice.
