Chapter 20
Faculty Meeting.
With the Sky Island Governor-General's Office abolished and the Board of Directors rendered nominal, the Academy is currently the Powerful Decision-making body.
The professors sat around the table.
In the center of the table was the Magic Stone Stimulant that the Student Council had barely managed to submit after much effort.
The Professor who had conducted the Analysis on the stimulant opened his mouth.
“It seems to be the work of the Church.”
“Hoh.”
“Is it really the Church? It hasn’t even been twenty years since His Excellency Kraft of the previous generation conducted the Subjugation.”
“They may be Remnants, but it is indeed the Church. This level of Manufacturing Technology isn’t something a newly formed Group could Acquire all at once. It’s the Church’s technology.”
Sighs erupted from Here and There.
“Still, since they’re Remnants, it shouldn’t be a big problem, right? Don’t tell me we have to stand night watch every day or something?”
“There’s no way they could have recovered in that time. Distributing the stimulant might be a Drastic Measure for Talent Infusion.”
“Even if they are Remnants, shouldn’t we at least Consider a response?”
Amidst the Murmuring, one Professor frowned.
He was the one who had been the Professor in Charge during the Combat Practical when the Marquis Excellency’s Airship Crash occurred.
“What Church? You’re all misjudging the issue!”
A fist slammed the table.
“It’s Demonkind! Demonkind! What funds would a completely ruined Church have to use Sky Whale Fins as a stimulant!”
It wasn’t as if they had completely robbed some great Family blind, leaving not a single piece of furniture behind.
“Those disgusting Demonkind have revealed their true colors! They’ve absorbed the Church’s Remnants and are playing dirty tricks! I knew it! I knew this would happen!”
The complexions of some professors changed.
“Certainly…”
“Demonkind is more realistic than the Church.”
“Professor Marius has a point.”
Professor Marius’s eyes gleamed.
“We must Search the Demonkind on Sky Island immediately! The Enrolled Students of the Academy must be searched too! We shouldn’t have let Demonkind onto Sky Island in the first place! It was wrong from the very foundation!”
“Isn’t that a bit too extreme?”
One Professor spoke with a cynical look, resting his chin on his hand.
Professor Marius frowned.
“What? Are you taking the side of Demonkind now?”
“Sure, I’ll take the side of Demonkind. What are you going to do about it?”
So what.
Their gazes clashed intensely.
A quiet war of nerves simmered.
A moment later, Professor Carlo, who had been reading the Analysis report on the stimulant, set the report down.
“The meeting is getting heated. Everyone, please Calm Down. What would the students say if they saw this?”
Professor Marius exhaled and turned his head.
“It’s because I’m Worried…I suppose I did get a bit emotional. I Apologize.”
“Yes, Professor Marius. I understand.”
Professor Carlo looked around at everyone.
“Opinions are divided. Since they are Remnants anyway, how about we observe this matter calmly?”
Gazes gathered on him.
“Let’s assign the Student Council To Take full Charge of the stimulant crackdown in the Surrounding Commercial District and Wait for its future report.”
The meeting continued and then ended.
A piece of work was handed down to the Student Council.
#
Eeng.
After finishing the Smuggling, I found a Construction Company in the Demon Realm and returned to the Student Council.
Pastel looked at the roughly completed Dormitory New Construction schedule with a tearful face.
Dormitory New Construction - Construction begins during Summer Vacation.
Eeeeng.
We couldn’t just Kick out students who were living perfectly fine and proceed with the construction. The plan was to start the new construction when most of them returned home during Summer Vacation.
It was a very Correct Statement .
It was a very, very Correct Statement.
Uwaah.
Pastel messed up her hair.
My Demon King's Inheritance…!
The Ruin Exploration in the Dormitory’s underground…!
The authority of Magic Stone Replication (wishful thinking) Nom Nom Nom…!
Heouk.
Life is too hard for Pastel.
Is Ruthless Reality this cold to a Hungry child?
[The first semester is naturally short. Summer Vacation will come soon.]
That’s true, but
[If you really want to get it quickly, how about looking through the Library materials? If you’re lucky, you might be able To Deduce the secret entrance to the Dormitory’s underground.]
Eh?
Spending time in a Library where I can’t even chatter?
The Top Scorer in Written Exam, Pastel, can’t do things like that.
Pastel put on a Dumbfounded Expression. She did her best and Pretended Not to Hear.
Woah-Woah, I have to do Student Council Work.
Since I’m the Vice Student Council President, the Head of General Affairs Department, the Head of Planning Department, the Head of Public Relations Department, the Head of Volunteer Department, and the Head of Disciplinary Department, I have too much work to do.
She flailed around on the Student Council sofa.
Flail, flail.
Laze, laze.
Heok.
Working is too hard.
Life is too hard for Pastel…!
Uwaah.
Cold social life is attacking a Hungry child!
Ellie approached with Dark Circles under her eyes.
“Instructions came down from the Faculty Meeting.”
Pastel paused.
“Ah, I already checked that. It’s about the Commercial District crackdown, right?”
Ellie gave her a Strange look for a moment.
“Yeah.”
“Pull up a list of the Surrounding Commercial District and organize it separately case by case. And map it out on a diagram so it’s easy to use at the Site.”
“Okay.”
Ellie left. She started working while consulting with Dustin.
Pastel flailed around again.
Life is too hard for Pastel…!
Uwaah.
The cold Decision of the Faculty Meeting Mercilessly rolled a Smuggling hopeful.
What should a Pitiful Smuggling hopeful do here?
What kind of dream could there be in a Commercial District crackdown?
But there was one.
A while later, a Merchant visited the Student Council. He was also someone who owned one of the Commercial Districts to be cracked down on.
Pastel, with a Blank Expression, sat face-to-face with him alone.
The Merchant looked like he had a lot on his conscience. Sweating profusely, he took a small box out of his bag with trembling hands.
Then, he slid it toward Pastel.
“Ahem. This is a token of sincerity from our store to the Student Council.”
The box clicked open.
Gold bars were stacked Neatly.
Heok.
Pastel’s mouth fell open.
Ueeeh.
The gold bars are greeting me!
Bye-bye.
Ueeeh.
Hellooo, gold bar Friend.
Pastel twisted her body at her friend’s brilliant light.
Heueok.
It’s too Powerful.
Then she rubbed her face with both hands.
But I’m sorry, gold bar Friend.
See you next time.
Pastel pushed the box away with a cold expression.
“Our Student Council does not accept money or valuables. The crackdown and Investigation on the stimulant will be conducted on principle, according to procedures and regulations.”
Drugs were a Serious Issue, so she couldn’t mix Personal Feelings into it.
Personally, she also wanted To Search for the stimulant and Nom Nom Nom it.
The Merchant nodded.
“Of Course! We will earnestly comply with the stimulant crackdown! Isn’t it a matter of the students' safety? However, that’s not it.”
Eeng?
The Merchant sweated profusely. He looked as if he desperately hoped his Opponent would catch on.
But perhaps realizing that his opponent was an Innocent girl, he eventually confessed.
“A very Minor case of Tax Evasion, hahaha!”
Tax Evasion?
A hearty laugh rang out.
“It’s a very, very Minor issue! Hahaha!”
“Tax Evasion,” he says.
Heok.
Memories flashed.
The arduous journey To Save a Hungry child.
Meeting Pirates, meeting ruffians, and, anyway, these were all arduous journeys.
Could this Merchant also be someone working hard for a hungry child?
Heok.
Pastel’s Eyes Widened.
She looked down at her gold bar friend.
Was this Friend actually for a Hungry child (me) too?
Heok.
I’m sorry, Friend.
I couldn’t trust your Good Heart.
Pastel’s naughty hand smoothly pocketed the gold bar box.
Her Righteous mouth quickly muttered.
“The Student Council promises to Focus on the stimulant crackdown. There won’t be any reason for anything else to catch our eye.”
“Of Course! Our store will also earnestly comply! Hahaha!”
The Merchant smiled brightly.
Pastel’s mouth also curled up, Grinning.
Hehe.
[You…]
Eeng, where is this auditory hallucination coming from?
I must have misheard.
Various Merchants began visiting the Student Council.
The power of the Merchants Running shops on Sky Island, famous for its expensive real estate, was incredible.
Boxes piled up one after another.
Gold bars and gold coins were sparkling.
Ueeeh.
Pastel inhaled.
“Uwaaang!”
They’re gold bars, gold bars.
They’re gold coins, gold coins.
Just how much tax Evasion did these people commit?
Innocent Pastel, who has absolutely zero connection to Tax Evasion, wouldn’t know.
Hehe.
I should exchange it all for Smuggled Goods.
Oh yeah.
#
A certain gloomy Commercial District building.
Merchants flocked together.
“We can’t just keep handing over our money like this! This is the Academy’s merciless oppression of the Commercial District!”
A Merchant shouted from the Podium.
“Hear, hear! It’s an infringement on commercial rights!”
The good-natured Tax Evaders agreed.
In contrast to the enthusiastic atmosphere, Merchants at one table were having a Serious discussion.
A Merchant with an impression of a Veteran frowned.
“Keugh, it’s Kraft just as the rumors say. To Think she’d cause half of us to defect through flexible Bribery. We’ve been hit helplessly while divided.”
“Wasn’t the Marquis Excellency definitely an Innocent girl? I Clearly saw her presenting a Luminous Dragon at the festival.”
A certain Merchant looked dejected.
The Veteran Merchant chuckled.
“You fell for that? The Luminous Dragon wasn’t important in the first place. It wouldn’t have mattered if it failed.”
Kraft’s tricks have been consistent For Generations.
A dual Strategy of thoroughly performing Image Management normally is only to reveal the dark inner intentions when it matters.
The kind of image each Family Head created differed.
“This time, it’s an Innocent girl. Everyone gets fooled every time because of that Appearance, but doesn’t everyone know by now? Kraft is Different on the Inside and outside.”
“Hoh.”
Another Merchant slammed the table.
“We’ve been fooled, fooled!”
“Exactly. She did Image Management in unimportant areas. What Marquis Excellency would Sincerely present a Luminous Dragon so embarrassingly? It’s definitely a dark inner intention!”
The Veteran Merchant was Confident.
“Hoh! You’re right! There’s no way she’d do something so Embarrassing, Sincerely!”
A skinny Merchant Slapped his thigh.
“Then aren’t we in big trouble? How are we supposed To Face Kraft, who is the best in the Empire at schemes?”
The Veteran Merchant smiled.
“We have to show our strength. A Trial by Combat! We just need to challenge His Excellency the Marquis to a duel over the infringement of commercial rights and win.”
The Merchants murmured in surprise.
Trial by Combat.
The victory or defeat of a duel currently has no particular legal effect.
But in terms of honor, it was a different matter. It was extremely Dishonorable for the loser not to concede. It was even more so the higher the loser’s title was.
“According to what I found out through a secret Investigation.”
The Merchant smiled wickedly.
“His Excellency is the Top Scorer in the Written Exam but has Zero Points in Combat!”
“Is that true?!”
The Merchants were very surprised.
The Veteran Merchant laughed.
“There’s no way we’ll lose in a duel!”
The Merchants murmured.
This will work.
We’ll definitely win!
One Merchant felt anxious.
“But is it really okay to do that? Pointing a sword is close to lèse-majesté.”
The Merchants paused. Anxiety gradually spread.
The Veteran Merchant smiled.
“Hmph, I considered that too.”
“Ooh, as expected of you! Hurry and tell us the method!”
“During the Process of investigating His Excellency, I heard the students Murmuring. I couldn’t hear the details, but I definitely heard the important words!”
“What is it?”
The Veteran Merchant clenched his fist.
“An Arm Wrestling Duel! With this, we don’t have to point swords!”
“Ooh! You’re a Genius!”
“The Outstanding Talent of the Merchant Association!”
“The God of Schemes who surpasses Kraft!”
The Merchants fell into a frenzy.
A while later.
Receiving an invitation from the Surrounding Commercial District’s Merchant Association, the Marquis Excellency visited.
The Commercial District Representative stepped forward.
“Marquis Excellency, we request an Arm Wrestling Match as a Trial by Combat.”
“Heok!”
The pink girl’s Eyes Widened.
“How did you know I’m a child who’s only good with her head!”
Uwaah.
The Veteran Merchant Triumphantly called forth a Mercenary.
The burly Mercenary showed off his massive muscles. His copper-toned muscles bulged.
Bulge, bulge.
Uwaah.
A harsh Death Game is targeting the weakness of a child who’s only good with her head…!
The Mercenary and the Girl took their places at the table.
Uwaah.
“The Merchant Association swears to concede to the results…”
Blah blah blah procedures.
And the duel begins!
The Girl squeezed her eyes shut.
“Euryah!”
This is the best of a child who’s only good with her head!
CRACK - went the table.
“Aaaagh!”
The Mercenary rolled along with the Table Debris.
Silence hung in the air.
One Merchant in particular was dripping with cold sweat.
A moment later, the Merchants gathered at the back side of the Commercial District as if promised. The Veteran Merchant rolled on the Ground as he suffered kicks.
“Hey, you senile bastard!”
“Ack! Ack! Don’t do this! I was just a victim of Kraft’s Information Operation!”