NOVEL NEXT Chapter 303
<303 - The Final Item>
Reap’s attack was quite sharp.
A timing-stealing attack.
A trickster’s attack.
All this is on par with the technical prowess of Oknodie at the peak of its glory, boasting veteran-level skills.
“Give up now, and you can escape without suffering or fainting.”
“Hmm~ Nope, I’d still rather not!”
Where’s the source of information about the Apostle of Anrage?
I can just skirt around the answer.
But still, the shame of being outmatched as a veteran stings. To admit I’ve bowed my head in defeat is a self-destructive act for someone with a lot of pride.
Unfortunately for Reap, the conditions of the fight were in my favor.
[Night Vision]
A bonus skill trained through night-time activities for adventurers.
Thus, the disadvantage of darkness is eliminated.
[Balance]
Maintaining precarious balance on the violently shifting ground during a fierce battle.
Thanks to the function experience points I’ve built up, this disadvantage disappears.
With the functional adjustments allowing some relaxation, a decision was made right away.
“Reap’s strength is equal to a chapter boss!”
Hestia’s deranged eyes and the queen of pets, Camela, loom over the peaceful silence of the forest.
Reap possesses a strength rivaling the early chapter bosses from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4.
Even if overwhelmed by sheer numbers, the projecting speed and power of the scattered projectile storms could easily send them tumbling if they keep the distance while paired with ‘magic.’
Bam!
The ground where the shuriken landed exploded with a loud boom, scattering everywhere.
In anticipation of the explosion, the surface of the dark veil froze with a terrible sound, and a chill surged up through my arm as it tried to invade my body.
Just as I violently shook my hand to shake it off, another shuriken accompanied by Wind Cutter sliced through a few strands of hair and vanished into the darkness.
“Enchant!”
Timing, deception, magic.
The factors to consider keep increasing.
“Are you just going to keep getting hit?”
“Hmm. My attacks have already succeeded, you know?”
“Not a single one has hit.”
Reap effortlessly dodged my counter-attack and retorted with amusement until her body lurched.
“!”
So you finally noticed.
The ground around Reap was shattering and sinking.
My target wasn’t Reap.
It was the ground of the uninhabited island that Reap was stepping on.
“Jonnas~! Please redefine the meaning of uninhabited island in the auction!”
“Understood. The area defined as uninhabited island in the Uninhabited Island Auction means land that is not large and can provide fresh water, not the ocean.”
“Heard that~? ‘Not the ocean’, Reap will be declared ‘out of bounds’ if even one of her feet touches the incoming seawater!”
Reap honestly acknowledged it.
“You used your head well.”
“Hehe. Assassins are strong in player-versus-player combat but weaken in other battles.”
In a battle against terrain rather than a person, it’s only natural to be weaker than a veteran who can master everything.
To analogize, it’s like rejecting a fighting game and switching to a shooting game genre.
“But you’ve underestimated assassins. If you thought you could send me ‘out of bounds’ with just this much, you’re seriously mistaken.”
Reap’s momentum suddenly became terrifyingly strong.
Shurikens were flying everywhere.
By strongly projecting magic and examining them, I could see the faint lines connecting to the shurikens.
Seeing Reap dashing across those lines, I realized.
That’s a path.
The assassin’s path that can only be utilized by Reap, connecting through the terrain.
“Hmm~?”
Normally, trying to cut the line connected to the shuriken would end up suffering terribly from a laid trap spell.
Binding and cutting.
Even roaming through such deadly traps, surprisingly, I felt confident.
I might just pull this off!
Carefully, I reached out and devoured the protective mana of the trap magic with dark mana.
“!?”
In an instant, the entire line turned pitch black.
Reap was strong but was trying to do too many things at once.
Greed is a poison!
It was impossible to dominate all the lines spread out, but taking one away was not hard.
The result was that as she spread her power thinly, Reap’s control weakened.
“Reverse Binding activated!”
The line under Reap’s feet sprang up as she soared into the air, writhing like a snake and rushing towards her.
Splash!
Reap, who fell into the water, bubbled and then smoothly bobbed back up to the surface.
“We confirmed Reap’s exit. Effective immediately, all kinds of interference with Reap within the uninhabited island are prohibited and rendered void.”
“Yay! I won!”
The ecstatic Oknodie jumped up and down as Reap in the water said,
“…I don’t recall teaching you such binding techniques. Where did you learn them?”
“Uh, um. The academy?”
“Aka the academy teaching binding techniques…”
Plod, plod.
Reap climbed onto the uninhabited island, exerting herself to free the ropes bound in specific areas, signaling she could have escaped even when bound if she just focused.
“I’ve grasped the source despite you keeping it a secret, it was definitely the professors from the academy. Among them, the only ones capable of knowing about the Apostle of Anrage would be the previous hero, Destroyer, or the best rogue of the time, Bronze de Estrada.”
“Reap… are you mad…?”
“I’m not angry at you, milady. I’m angry at the cowardly adults who taught a child filthy binding techniques for their own enjoyment and instilled hatred for the Foundation.”
The foundation may be garbage, but Reap as a member has kept her standards.
She does not impart sexual education to children.
She does not let them step into overwhelming dangers.
Every professor of the academy violated the taboos even she, a member of the foundation, keeps.
“Still claiming to be teachers and mentors of an educational institution, huh.”
Just as the academy misunderstood the foundation, she too could not understand the academy professors as an assassin maid of the foundation.
“Reap’s combat methods were fun! Can I use them in the second semester when school starts?”
“…Do as you please.”
Although she intended to showcase the Mana Flow Technique, the veteran Oknodie had perfectly absorbed the combat methods.
Swinging her dagger in the air with shwshwsh and throwing it here and there while pulling the rope back looked quite proficient.
The way she infused mana into the projectiles was anything but ordinary.
“If I learn the Mana Flow Technique for Maids, can Titosso do as well as Reap?”
“Talent and effort are needed.”
“Is it possible?”
“I believe your friend would be able to.”
“Hehe. This is exciting! Now Titos can join with us until the third year!”
Not the fourth year but the third…?
Even after showing the strength of the Mana Flow Technique for Maids?
Reap felt a sting to her pride.
“Why can’t you guarantee until the fourth year?”
“Because to graduate with me, you must never repeat a grade or take a leave of absence!”
Did I underestimate the technique?
Reap’s tense expression softened a bit.
“Since I’m no longer a participant but an assistant supervisor, I can’t help with the meals anymore.”
“It’s okay. I’ve saved some food just for times like this!”
Oknodie’s little hand rummaged through her pocket, pulling out a crumpled bag.
Inside were rock-hard biscuit chunks, like bricks, given to prisoners in the underground prison.
Her eyes screamed, “To collect the cooking handbook, I have to eat this terrible thing now!”
When did you even go to the underground prison…?!
Did you expect this moment from the time you were on the cruise?
I had no strength left to be surprised by her thorough preparation.
“Oh, by the way, I’m just glad that thanks to Reap, the time spent on the uninhabited island was shortened!”
“I apologize. If it weren’t for me, you could have stayed an extra two days.”
“Ah. I’m not blaming you at all. In fact, this is a good thing. The most valuable condition for the uninhabited island’s rare item to appear is that all individual items have been auctioned and that one must spend more than ten days on the uninhabited island until it disappears.”
Where on earth did you hear that, and what could such a determined purchase entail?
I had no idea about the former, but I knew about the latter.
The next day at noon.
The last item from Jonnas’s auction finally came out.
“The final item of the uninhabited island auction is [Indulgence].”
Reap’s eyes widened.
An indulgence is nothing less than a spare life that forgives any sin committed by the foundation.
The only means of survival without fulfilling suicidal commands.
“The starting bid is 10 million points.”
“Me! Me!”
“With Oknodie being the sole participant, the [Indulgence] has been sold to her for 10 million points the moment bidding started. The uninhabited island auction for the last day is hereby concluded. Auction is over.”
After the auction ended, as we all began to return to the cruise ship.
Reap thought.
The indulgence is a denial of command and a spare life.
Though a thing not easily obtained, it is worth that much.
But would my lady ever have to use such a nefarious item?
Today, my lady’s actions have truly been rather risky.
She may have significantly annoyed ‘the Director,’ whom she calls Papa.
Yet personally, I think it’s still not enough.
Given her abilities, it’s likely she would only face commands that she can handle.
Having obtained what she wanted, the ecstatic Oknodie slept soundly with a blissful smile.
As I gently brushed her hair, I asked Reap,
“Will my lady ever need to use the indulgence?”
“Absolutely. I’m already in the middle of fulfilling a command.”
“Pardon?”
Unlike the flustered Reap, Jonnas clearly remembered it. The command received by my lady.
“The Director surely issued a command. ‘This vacation, take your friends home to visit.’ This command is valid during the summer vacation period and until you arrive at the Director’s mansion.”
“…So boarding the cruise was not the whole deal.”
“And there’s no mansion within the cruise’s stops or destinations. Only this uninhabited island exists.”
That’s right.
My lady has yet to complete the Director’s command.
And it’s certainly no ordinary command.
This command serves as feedback for the actions detrimental to the foundation committed by my lady at the academy.
A price to pay.
If she fails to execute it, the next command will be even harsher.
If she fails that as well, the foundation will unilaterally ‘collect’ the price.
It exists to evade such a harsh future.
That is the [Indulgence].
This indulgence could potentially be used not in a far-off future but right during this summer vacation.
“But my lady already plotted a mutiny before boarding the ship.”
That sparked Jonnas’s curiosity.
Did she do it knowingly or unknowingly?
Whichever the case, my lady found the answer.
Recovering the ship and heading towards the mansion.
While the dark merchant, who reached the same conclusion but lacked the strength, couldn’t even touch the uninhabited island before being stopped by the Apostle of Anrage, would my lady succeed in completely seizing the ship?
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
In Jonnas’s hand was the spy doll that Jezel had stealthily inserted.