NOVEL NEXT Chapter 276
276 – Bad Laugh
It wasn’t surprising.
NPCs acting on their own was nothing new.
Still, this was a bit much.
“Why is Reap trying to kill April and Jaku?”
“…Lady. I apologize for showing an unpleasant side during our long-awaited meeting. But…”
“Enough with the excuses.”
As I stepped in front of the two, Reap’s pupils trembled violently.
“You cannot do this. The Foundation’s orders are absolute. There are no commands that go unexecuted.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to make an exception today! I said I wanted to see Reap and Jonnas, not that I wanted Reap to fight April.”
“The Foundation has dispatched me, the Assassin Maid. If I fail to execute my orders, a more dangerous individual will be sent next.”
“That’s fine.”
I was confident in my abilities, but there was more that gave me confidence.
“Because I’m Papa’s daughter!”
The Director of the Foundation.
The head of a powerful secret organization rivaling the Academy in this iteration.
“You don’t understand his danger, dear.”
“No, I understand plenty.”
Until now, I’d kept my senses off.
It wasn’t time for the event yet.
But the finals were right around the corner.
Right after the finals, summer vacation would start.
I couldn’t keep ignoring it like someone else’s problem forever.
So I thought.
What NPC might the Director correspond to in the iteration I know?
In a game like Surviving at the Academy by Luck, where fixed and variable elements co-exist, the villains appearing as protagonists have strong fixed elements linked to core characters.
Even if the organization’s name changes, faces and appearances morph, and even gender shifts.
Yet there are three worst villains who remain unchanged.
Just as there are Chapter Bosses within the Academy, these three fulfill the role of Season Bosses, impacting the external environment far more than the Chapter Bosses.
The Revolutionary of the Holy Central Empire.
Man’s Representative.
Leader of the Organization.
All of them are instigators accelerating or directly causing regional events on a national scale.
The influence of the Wahyhiemhai Foundation can stand shoulder to shoulder with these Three Great Evils that affect the entire continent.
It’s highly probable that Papa, the Director of the Foundation, is also one of the Revolutionary, Man’s Representative, or the Leader!
“Normally, the Season Boss is expected to be in opposition, but this iteration is special.”
The influence of the Wahyhiemhai Foundation in this world cannot be comprehended without the Three Great Evils disrupting things on a global scale.
Currently, due to a lack of information, any of the three could fit.
However, there’s a commonality among the three evils.
“A good villain holds on to their beliefs!”
They cast aside promises, disregard principles, and lack self-imposed constraints they might call their own lines. They aren’t trash like the Season Boss, right?
“Reap treats me like a little kid. I have the power to choose whether to save a maid’s life or not~!”
“…You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you. I wonder if this counts as growth.”
“My height hasn’t grown at all!”
Yet, standing confidently against Reap wasn’t difficult.
“Both of you follow me. I won’t allow you to have a catfight where I can’t see it. You need to take care of your cute tails!”
“…The obsession of Foundation people with tails is truly baffling.”
April followed awkwardly, her legs crossed nervously.
“What are you doing? Not coming?”
“…Can I go too?”
“Of course, as an official, you should come along. Jaku and Primer too.”
Then, with a thud, someone fell from the tree.
It was Primer, startled by the fact they’d been discovered, collapsing down with their butt landing first.
“I can get up by myself!!”
I led them towards the Communication Room.
The call was inevitably to the Wahyhiemhai Foundation.
“Wahyhiemhai Foundation, Director’s Secretary Office. Please leave a message if you have business.”
“Hello! This is Oknodie, Papa’s daughter! It’s troublesome if you tell me to dispose of my maid without warning, you know?”
“…I’ll say this once. Whatever your intention, dispose of the maid. It is surely the path that minimizes Oknodie’s loss.”
Huh?
The Secretary talking back?
“Just let me talk to Papa!”
“I’ve assured you this as a warning.”
The Secretary put down the phone with a heavy sigh.
In the Chairman’s Office of the Wahyhiemhai Foundation.
The Chairperson’s hand, scanning the northern magic clan-occupied territory through the window, stopped at the charred earth surrounding it.
The area was smaller.
Five times smaller than he expected.
“Unfortunately, the assassination of the betrayer hidden in the Demon Realm ended in failure.”
“The information hasn’t yet been detected by the Academy. Our scholarship student Magdonar is still deemed to have simply had a practice accident, so no severe penalties have been imposed yet.”
“Well, even this is a gain. The world has creatures that are as tenacious as cockroaches.”
Switching the setting of the map revealed the temperature readings from various parts of the continent.
The raised temperatures around forested areas being alarming meant that plant-type monsters like Flame Herb or Flame Vines were flooding in.
It served as proof that the spirits had been properly angered by the upper-tier fire magic leaking from the Academy.
At least once a month.
These global disturbances, happening like a monthly event, can no longer be dismissed as a joke.
“Will you hire water mages and ice mages to protect the hideout and facilities, and resources?”
“It’s a trap.”
A kind and gentle smile adorned the Chairperson’s face.
The smile of a handsome man with both youth and knowledge could have even intrigued men, but the Secretary felt a coldness in his heart that felt like a knife.
The Chairperson’s laughter meant nothing good.
Considering that he always smiled made it all the more so.
He was always a dangerous person.
“I’m gathering those with the intelligence that can place the entire continent in my hands. I must acknowledge the Dragon Principal’s cunning. Hehe, he’s an interesting rival, despite being an enemy.”
“…I apologize for my short-sightedness. I greatly respect your insights, Director.”
“What strategies will you devise based on my advice, Secretary?”
This was a test.
The proof that the Chairperson was toying with him, mocking him with human emotions.
Failure to meet expectations would lead to a rough treatment of the toy.
A loveless toy can be shook vigorously, and if its arm pops off, it could be replaced carelessly with another.
One must think and speak with caution.
“…I will leak this information to the Empire’s Revolutionary.”
The Chairperson lightly nodded, indicating that no wrong answer had been given.
Gaining confidence, the Secretary continued.
“The Revolutionary is aware that our arch-enemies are not just the Empire and Gods, but also the Academy. They won’t openly show moves incorporating ice mages. However, they will certainly use this information as a stepping stone for revolution.”
“For example?”
“They’ll utilize fire mages in turn. In this time of strengthening fire magic within the continent, the strength of fire mages will peak. It’s ideal for destruction rather than salvation.”
“Why not just sell the information to Man’s Representative, who is keen on destruction?”
“That’s not it. The Revolutionary still requires revolutionary funds. We’ll sell the leaked information to Man’s Representative. He wouldn’t mind using water or ice magic without a care for the Academy’s eyes.”
The Chairperson turned around.
“Secretary, you are a wonderful model student. You never miss the model answers, as always.”
Not bad.
But it also meant that the Secretary hadn’t satisfied the Chairperson this time either, causing him to feel diminished.
Could there really be an idea that would satisfy that devilish man’s heart?
“…I almost forgot to mention. Oknodie from the Academy contacted us.”
Perhaps in this mood, he wouldn’t get too mad.
With a small glimmer of hope, the Secretary delivered what he had heard from Oknodie.
“Children are indeed greedy. They want to hold onto everything they get. I think that innocent desire isn’t so bad.”
“…”
What kind of mood has this man gotten into to speak such heartwarming words?
This isn’t a good intent.
The Secretary was convinced.
Soon, his assumptions were revealed to be correct.
“Please grant permission.”
“…!”
“Don’t you want to see? When a child holding a mountain of sweets has more than they can handle, which sweets they’ll throw first?”
The Chairperson smiled, just like always.
“I’ll say this. After the finals next week, I intend to give special gifts to the children and maids visiting the Foundation during summer vacation. Make sure to bring all your friends without leaving anyone behind. Hehehe.”
That was truly a bad laugh.