Chapter 22
They tied up the subdued Upperclassman tightly with a rope.
“Senior! How could you commit such an Evil Deed? Your junior is disappointed!”
Pastel was disappointed in this senior whose name she didn’t even know.
The senior, wrapped up tightly like a mummy, looked dumbfounded.
“What Evil Deed did I even commit?”
“Are you even trying to feign ignorance?!”
Uwaah.
The epitome of an Evil criminal!
Overflowing with shamelessness and immorality.
Pastel opened her mouth with a Resolute Expression.
“Senior, you did an Evil thing, uh…”
Gasp.
I don’t know what this senior did.
She subtly glanced at the First-year Student who had been chasing him. The First-year Student Hurriedly answered.
“We found a Secret Warehouse. The senior happened to be in the Warehouse and ran away.”
Gasp, a Secret Warehouse.
It sounded Evil just from the name.
“That’s right! An Evil Secret Warehouse! Your junior is disappointed! Disappointed in the Evil Secret Warehouse!”
Tremble Tremble, it is an Evil Secret Warehouse, they say.
How many Magic Stone Stimulants would there be? She felt like she was drooling. She Hurriedly swallowed her saliva and made a strong Declaration.
“The Student Council will Confiscate it immediately!”
They took the senior and made a Movement to the Secret Warehouse. The Capture of the senior seemed too excessive, leaving him unable to walk, so they only untied his feet.
“Is this it?”
“Yeah.”
Pastel arrived at a Warehouse that didn’t seem particularly secret. It was a single-unit Warehouse on the back side of the Commercial District.
To Think it was out in the open like this.
“How did you get a Secret Warehouse? Could it be Covert Lobbying? Is it a Connected Crime Network with the Commercial District?”
“It’s just a Warehouse Rental.”
The Upperclassman tied in ropes looked Awkward.
Eh, how could that be…
Feeling somewhat disappointed, Pastel searched the Warehouse.
Straight ahead, she saw a desk piled with Wooden Boxes and Pill Sacks of Stimulants. Finished Stimulant Boxes densely filled one Wall Surface.
“Uwaak.”
It was a Perfect Stimulant Commercialization Site.
Is this much to eat?
Her salivary glands tingled.
Pastel Hurriedly wiped her drool before anyone could see.
And she quickly shouted.
“Full Confiscation! Full Confiscation!”
Her arms flailed about in excitement.
I took all into my Womb!
The Stimulant Friends would want that too.
Oh yeah.
The Upperclassman looked distressed.
“Isn’t that a bit much? I bought these for a high price.”
“It also has a Punitive Meaning!”
“Can’t you let me off just this once?”
“There are no exceptions! Right, Friend Friends?”
The Friends, who had already experienced Confiscation themselves, nodded.
Pastel confidently faced the senior.
“Senior! Anyone can make a mistake once. But Skill is built through Honest Effort. You shouldn’t rely on things like Drug Doping. It prevents you from Training your true essence!”
Ahem.
Her shoulders went Eusseugeusseuk.
“That’s a sound argument, but listen.”
The senior pointed things out one by one.
“There are no side effects and it’s not addictive. But the effects are certain. It’s a product with no problems other than the burdensome price. The professors have already confirmed it.”
Ing, is that so? Is it actually a fine product?
“Of course, it’s a result that seems to contain the Church’s know-how. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth.”
The senior shrugged.
“But why does that matter? The Church is ruined anyway. Isn’t it just someone with the skills surviving and doing Stimulant Business? And this product is for promotional purposes.”
His Logical Voice rang out.
“Isn’t a Stimulant Business pretty Minor? Do we have To Be Wary Of a completely ruined Church down to its Minor businesses? No, we don’t. Then, is it wrong to use a drug with no side effects and no addiction in a Life-Threatening Combat Situation? That’s not it either.”
Oh.
When it was heard, it was a Correct Statement.
Oh my.
Have I been acting with a misunderstanding of the Culture and History of this World?
Is Drug Use in this World actually Not a Serious Matter?
Was Pastel, ignorant of the ways of the World, just shocked all by herself at the word 'drug'?
Come to Think of it, tobacco and alcohol are drugs too.
She quickly tapped the Magic sword.
Lord Demon! Lord Demon!
“It is a Correct Statement to some extent.”
Gasp.
“The Imperial Family’s Elite Soldiers also use Magic Stone Drugs. And they use them very well. Even for a Student who should Focus on achievement, it’s worth considering during a Combat Mission. Few things are more important than one’s life.”
Oh my.
Pastel’s eyes trembled violently.
Why is this World like this?
Or am I the one who’s wrong?
“However, underestimating the danger of the Church is wrong. Is their perception different because they are a generation born after the Church fell? Confiscating the stimulants is an Appropriate Measure. This is related to the Church, after all.”
Oh.
As expected of Lord Demon.
He supports my 'Confiscation into my Womb!'
Pastel regained her Confident Expression.
“Senior, you are wrong!”
She didn’t really know what the Church was, but anyway, she repeated the Devil's Words like a parrot.
Jongaljongaljongal.
Ahem.
Her shoulders went Eusseugeusseuk.
The Upperclassman listened and then dropped his head.
“I suppose it is the Faculty Meeting’s Decision. Take it and sigh.”
This was the persuasive power of the top scorer in the Written Exam.
Hehe.
“Friends, pack it all up! It’s all Confiscation! Confiscation!”
The First-year students moved busily.
Pastel smiled and looked back at the senior.
“By the way, senior, what is your name?”
I need to know how to write the report properly.
The eyes of the senior, who was tied tightly in ropes, changed.
“My name?”
Suddenly, the ropes slipped down. The senior moved his perfectly fine hands. A Black Sphere was pulled out from his chest.
“Of course I can’t tell you. Why would I get myself in trouble for nothing?”
Eh.
The sphere crashed into the Ground. Smoke exploded.
Uwaak.
Startled, Pastel freaked out at the piercing onion scent.
Ueeeh.
Her eyes rapidly began to sting. Tears came out. When she breathed, her nose burned.
“I’ll give you that, so leave me out of the report!”
His voice rang out and faded away.
Smoke filled the Warehouse.
Uwaah.
What kind of Onion Smoke is this?
Flailing her arms, she stumbled out of the Warehouse.
She breathed in the Clean Air. Coughs came out in Succession. Her eyes stung and her nose burned.
Oniooon!
She unconsciously tried to rub her eyes, then Flinched in surprise. The Smoke Residue on her hands touched her eyes.
A burning pain flared up.
“Uwaaang!”
Pastel wailed with a different meaning than usual.
“Uwaaaang!”
Chaos ensued.
The Onion Smell wafted thickly.
From somewhere, a Calm Voice was heard.
“It’s a Good Experience. You will occasionally experience things like this in real Combat. Experiencing it beforehand when it’s safe is very special.”
Ruthless advice with Zero Empathy followed.
“Calm Down and Hold your breath. Having transcended being Human, you don’t need to breathe. And whatever the ingredients are, they have no effect on you anyway. Calm your mind. It is Not Dangerous.”
What kind of advice are you giving in this onion Kolok-kolok situation?
A completely Evil Lord Demon!
A Demon-like Demon!
Amidst her flowing tears, Pastel shouted with all her might.
“Cold-blooded Person! Shameless Person! Zero Empathy!”
A total Demon!
The Demon Itself!
The Demon was flustered.
“Ahem, I happen To Be Sorry. I suppose you still feel pain. Is it too much to ask you to Endure the pain when it’s not even real Combat? Don’t rub your eyes and spread your arms. Let the Clean Air blow the residue away. It should fade soon.”
Pastel spread her arms.
Wind, oh wind.
Then she Frantically flapped her arms.
Flap-Flap-Flap-Flap.
Uwaah.
Unable to stand it, she turned around.
Binggeulbinggeul-Binggeulbinggeul.
Uwaat, the World is spinning.
Pastel is spinning too.
She lost her balance and slumped onto the Ground.
Pastel dropped her head with a Dazed Expression. Her eyes and nose were red.
The onion scent still lingered strongly.
I absolutely hate onions.
It’s the worst ingredient in my life.
“I’m not going to eat onions.”
For the rest of my life.
Please leave them out of Cooking from now on.
“Hmm.”
The Demon pondered for a moment.
“That would make Cooking difficult. No, eat a balanced Diet. Being a picky eater is not good.”
Uwaah, a cold-blooded person.
The kind of person who would secretly grind anchovies into a Hamburg Steak!
The kind of person who would shamelessly Force you to eat it even after getting caught!
Gasp! It is the Demon Itself.
A little while later, the situation was sorted out.
Dustin, who had Hurriedly run over, took Command/Leadership of the Friend Friends, cleaned up the Warehouse, and retrieved the stimulants. Of course, he kept strict Surveillance to ensure no one pocketed any.
After washing her face, Pastel Coolly and meticulously checked the situation at the Site. And after Double-checking, she marveled.
“Uwaaa! Clean Work Processing!”
Unlike Ellie, who was good at Paperwork, Dustin was definitely suited for the Site.
“Dustin! Dustin!”
Pastel spoke while making a Mumbling/Chewing Sound with the chicken skewers she had bought from a nearby Chicken Skewer Shop, as she was washing her face.
“As expected, you have an aptitude for Serving Others! You’re overflowing with talent!”
Chicken skewer Mumbling/Chewing Sound.
Dustin’s expression became Complex and Subtle.
He must dislike compliments.
Does he have a lot of Embarrassment?
As an understanding person, I should understand him!
#
“We executed Confiscation on a significant number of stimulants, although we had To Discard most of them because they got wet during the Suppression of a fire in the Warehouse.”
Pastel made her report while chewing, her mouth filled with a High-Class Candy Flavor.
Professor Carlo looked up while reading the report.
“Did you also get the Department’s cooperation?”
“Yes, because a Joint Response is necessary to catch the Illicit Trade. We intend to root it out before it becomes chronic. We also request the Faculty’s cooperation on this matter.”
The report he was reading was placed on the desk.
“There’s no need for the Student Council to go to such lengths.”
“Pardon?”
“As a result of our reanalysis of the Stimulant, there are still no issues with its ingredients. It should be fine to just leave the Illicit Trade alone.”
Pastel was bewildered.
Uh, is that right?
Professor Carlo pulled a document from his drawer.
It was the External Request data for all Enrolled Students.
Since the Drug Distribution, the Quality of Requests has increased, and the Completed Amount has also grown.
Eh.
“It wouldn’t be good to rely on it, but there’s no reason To Stop them if they’re spending their own money. There are no side effects, either.”
The Academy had chosen Institutional Performance over Student Health.
Uwaa?
“What about the Church? Is it Not Dangerous?”
“You must be concerned because you’re a Kraft. We’ll discuss that at the next Faculty Meeting. It’s a ruined Organization anyway, so there’s nothing Dangerous about it.”
Professor Carlo pulled out a New Document.
“More importantly, the Magic Tower sent an official document. It’s just a Minor Regular Exchange, so there’s no need to pay it much mind, but the Student Council should know in advance.”
Pastel received the official document and returned to the Student Council.
Ing.
Reality is too cold.
She lay down on the sofa and skimmed through the official document.
It was a simple message stating that the Magic Tower would be visiting soon, as it does for its regular exchanges.
Hmm.
“Ellie! Ellie! They say the Magic Tower is coming. Do you know Specifically what it does?”
Ellie, who had been moving her quill, looked up.
“It’s probably the Freshman Exchange. They couldn’t do it last year because there were no New Students, but it seems they’ll do it this time. It’s a simple event, so we’ll probably just Gather in the Auditorium To Watch, and then it’ll end.”
Heh, I see.
Pastel secretly took out a pill without Ellie noticing and Popped it into her mouth.
When she chewed it instead of swallowing, a Sweet Candy Flavor lingered in her mouth.
Uwaa.
The Chef’s Magic Stone Cocktail.
It was To Be on a Different Level from a Raw Magic Stone.
The corners of her mouth relaxed into a smile.
Ellie, who had been thinking while biting her quill, spoke again.
“Pastel, you won’t be watching; you’ll have to step up as the Freshman Representative in front of the Enrolled Students. You’re going to suffer.”
Ing.
Are you doing a Talent Show in the Auditorium?
Heh, that sounds fun.
“What do I have to do? Sing a song?”
Uwang.
Here comes a song from Pastel.
“You’re the Top Scorer in the Written Exam, aren’t you?”
“That’s right!”
Hehe.
Ellie said Coolly.
“Then an Academic Debate.”
An Academic Debate?
Pastel Carefully mulled over the words she just heard.
Academic Debate.
Gasp.
Academic Debate?
She jumped up from the sofa.
“W-what’s the topic?”
It would be a topic that the competent Pastel could Answer Clearly, right?
Something like Administrative Work or Practical Administration.
Oh my.
Those aren’t really topics worth debating in an Auditorium.
“It probably won’t be limited to any specific field, just like during the Written Exam.”
Ellie Rummaged through the Student Council drawer. She found the topic from two years ago. - Discuss the impact that the Habitat Migration of the Fire Boar will have on the Great Forest ecosystem from a Defensive Perspective.
Uwaah.
Content I know absolutely nothing about!
The Top Scorer in Written Exam Pastel is in a massive crisis…!