NOVEL NEXT Chapter 92
<92 - Delivery Contract>
“Oknodie, New Student. Truly, your insight is undoubtedly a natural talent for becoming a rogue.”
“Me??”
“Would you like to become my apprentice?”
“Apprenticeship usually means becoming a graduate student, right?”
“Graduate student? It’s not wrong in the sense that it involves delving deeper into research after completing major studies.”
Gulp
I messed up. I should have played it cool in front of the professor, but I did too well and caught his attention!
“I absolutely refuse!!”
As much as I want to say that firmly, I know bigger troubles will await if I do.
“Are you speaking loudly in a safe space now? Do you dare to refuse my kindness as a professor and act rudely as well?”
If I get a response like that, I might as well think my grades are doomed for that day.
“I think it’s too burdensome for me. I’m still young and shy.”
“Feigning is also one of the essential qualities of a rogue.”
“I’m too lazy for that. I have a lot of lectures to attend, and it’s my age to play with friends!”
“If you become a rogue, all the treasures in the world can become your friends. It’s even more fun to steal others’ treasures and play. The pleasures you can enjoy by becoming my apprentice.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Take your time until the next lecture time to think.”
Only after giving an ambiguous smile was I able to escape from Professor Bronze’s den.
Whoosh
Thud
The efficient raises in skill experience points are insane, but somehow, it feels a bit off. There’s no way the professor could be this nice.
I’ve often heard of schemes that try to turn poor college students into graduate student slaves with just one meal. This must definitely be a nefarious scheme to lure me with skill experience points!
But what if he offers such a juicy event again next week?
Could I eat and run away?
What would happen if I got caught and became an apprentice—then a graduate student?
With countless worries swirling in my mind, I distance myself from the research building.
—
The diligent students who piled up their lecture schedules from Monday to Thursday basked in freedom by Friday.
“I’m hungry.”
“I could chew on stones.”
“Doesn’t that grass over there look kind of tasty?”
Gulp
Freedom from hunger.
With no lectures, there are also fewer chances to earn points. The students were lost in nostalgia.
“I miss the custard dish we used to have every dinner.”
“I won’t ever miss another banquet by saying I’m full in the future.”
“I miss the heavy petticoats. I want to play with the friends I made at the dinner party.”
Of course, these were the luxurious complaints of empire nobles.
The nobles from the border region passing by snickered at those complaints.
“Go ahead and keep complaining. Do points just drop from the sky?”
“Watch out! Those first-years down there!”
“Huh?”
“I dropped a 10,000-point contract! If you pick it up carelessly, you’ll be in big trouble!”
“!!”
Points genuinely fell from the sky!
The empire nobles, who thought they would effortlessly grab the fluttering contracts, surprisingly showed a wary attitude and turned their hands behind their backs.
Though their minds were clouded with extravagant pasts and complaints, they were still nobles.
They were raised under strict family education and private tutoring.
They had heard repeatedly not to touch suspicious contracts carelessly.
But I’m curious.
Arcadia felt a sense of curiosity.
Every summer, she would board naval vessels to blast pirate ships with cannons to escape the sweltering heat, so a mere contract didn’t seem like a big deal, and she reached out her hand to grab the falling contract.
“Don’t!”
“Oknodie?”
Passing Oknodie dashed over, grabbing her hand before she could grab the contract.
“Come on now. No matter how happy we are to see each other, how can a girl carelessly hug someone she doesn’t know in front of a crowd?”
“But Arcadia was going to do something dangerous. That contract has a magical clause that forces the person who grabs it to stamp their hand on a designated area!”
“What??!”
Realizing it, Arcadia looked around to see a student who had carelessly grabbed the contract was wildly stamping their thumb.
“New students, be careful! If you accidentally get your finger stained, you just dropped a seal that has legal effects on campus!”
A senior holding ten seals threw one out the window.
“Ahhh, my body is moving by itself!”
“Someone stop me!”
“Why is this guy so strong? Hey, you come help and stop me!”
“Stay still. If you keep this up, you’re going to end up stamping a suspicious contract!”
New students wobbled, fixated on the stamp while running.
Watching the pitiful scene of lower-class students, Arcadia was bewildered.
“How could the seniors do such a terrible thing!”
“Calm down, Arcadia. They’re just second years. If you confront them carelessly, you’ll only be in trouble.”
Students trying to restrain their friends caught up in stamping the contract sneakily glanced at its contents.
===
Delivery Contract
[Receiver – Velocasio] (hereafter referred to as “Party A”) and [Supplier – Contractor] (hereafter referred to as “Party B”) have agreed to deal under the following conditions where “Party B” supplies goods and “Party A” receives them while “Party B” gets paid in points.
Article 1 (Transaction Details)
Item Name – Unit Price
– Flower Pig – 1p per unit
– Cheshil Grass – 1p per 20g
– Sandbags – 1p per 20kg
…
2nd Year Midterm Exam Past Papers – 10p per subject
Introducing New Admits – 10p per individual
Article 2 (Quality Inspection)
– “Party A” may refuse payment in points if they judge the quality of “Party B’s” supplied goods to be below standard.
– “Party B” must pay double the penalty or fulfill the imposed penalty if they fail to supply the goods on time designated by “Party A.”
– The inspection details are as follows: “Condition of goods,” “Freshness of goods,” “Weight manipulation through foreign substance addition,” “Magical concealment presence”
Article 3 (Payment Deadline)
“Party A” must pay for the goods provided by “Party B” within a week using a magic watch.
If “Party A” fails to meet the deadline, the contract is immediately terminated forcibly.
Article 4 (Cost Burden)
All costs incurred for delivery shall be borne by “Party B.”
All costs incurred for testing shall be borne by “Party A.”
…
Article 12 (Dispute Resolution)
All disputes arising from this contract will be ultimately resolved through mediation by the student council.
===
“What kind of contract is this so formal?”
“But wait, do they actually give points?”
“This seems unexpectedly awesome, right? Though the method feels a bit uncomfortable and suspicious, it creates a way to earn points even if you can’t study!”
“Just carrying 50kg of sand could earn me 5p for one meal!”
“Isn’t it a good way to build some muscle too?”
While the poor lower-class students hesitated, the first student to touch the contract stamped their thumb on it.
Following suit, other students exchanged looks and fought to see who would pick it up off the floor.
“Hey. I’m totally interested in that contract, too.”
“Don’t be fooled. How could you possibly sign a contract without knowing the market price of the items?”
“That’s not it. If I can get that contract, I can prepare by knowing what materials I’ll need for my second year ahead of time. If I monopolize the item, I can set the price… hehehe.”
Ah, Arcadia is scary!
Seeing Oknodie turning pale, Arcadia felt a twinge of guilt as if she was being disliked for some reason.
“Oh no. Don’t look so scared, Di. I was just reminded of some past experience helping my family’s business. I’m still your kind and gentle sister, as usual?”
How unfortunate, but let’s give up on the contract.
I can always procure it later through the accepted candidates of Seoguyeon’s lower class after sending Oknodie away.
There’s only one girl from the Western Noble Union who passed into the upper class, but there are quite a few who passed through to the lower class.
—
[Event “Stop the Slave Contract” (Arcadia) achieved.]
[Arcadia becomes free.]
I’m glad I stopped by to check on what random early events might happen during this time.
I almost became a slave!
That contract, at first glance, seems to offer struggling students a means of employment, but in reality, it’s a pure scam contract.
Velocasio, a second year, is a character with ominous tendencies from the 980th batch, one rank higher than the 981st.
He’s a scoundrel who exploits students immensely under the rules of the contract he created.
He sells the materials received from students at two to three times the price to others, and when complaints arise, he shows them the harsh realities.
– “Party B” must pay double the penalty or fulfill the imposed penalty if they fail to supply the goods on time designated by “Party A.”
Velocasio designates his suppliers with enormous quantities and short deadlines that rile them up.
They have three opportunities to reject the contract per year.
Requests for supplies can be made weekly.
After three weeks, they must fulfill the contract on the fourth week, or else it becomes a diabolical contract.
According to the weight of the materials, 100kg must be supplied within a week.
Students initially mistook it just because of “sand” but are shocked when they see the list filled with over 100kg of rare items.
– “How can we possibly gather this!”
– “Please, just let me see it once!”
Even after going through the trouble to gather materials, without a clause regarding compensation, students are left helpless and need to ask the student council for help.
Can first-years, barely enduring the incoming storm of assignments from next week, squeeze out the time to submit pleas to the student council and set up dispute management schedules?
Usually, they wouldn’t even know such a thing exists.
Before that, with several small failures in delivery, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Confidentiality Obligations, and Additional Penalty Clauses would roll out, causing law-ignorant students to just wither under them.
Even the noble students who would shudder thinking they’d gotten caught, what about uneducated commoner students?
They truly become slaves in every sense of the word.
Instead of vanishing the exorbitant compensation, they become supply slaves; providing all requested materials without pay and barely ensuring their own lodging and food.
I’ll have to deal with that guy later, but for now, maybe it’s best to leave him alone since his true colors haven’t shown yet?
I might as well take a look for buried stat stones near the nearby beach or find sand to dig, but I discovered Arcadia and Jezel having a conversation near the dormitory.
“Looks like the young lady came back from making a sandcastle.”
“Oh my, how is Di so adorable?”
“What are you two up to?”
“We’re discussing business. This may be difficult for Oknodie to comprehend.”
“After looking at the seniors’ business model, we thought of a great revenue model we could utilize.”
… I’m starting to feel scared about what these people are planning to do compared to the seniors.
What kind of chaos could Jezel, who previously caused a commotion with a fake flag, create this time?