Bonus chapter thanks to @Eeeeerrr and anonymous Ko-fi Supporter from Ko-fi!
During the time all the buses were leaving, I waved my hand in the playground. Kora was doing the same next to me.
“…They’re all gone.”
“That they are.”
I was relieved to see Kora speaking more comfortably.
At first, when she was with me, she was not used to honorifics and trembled while trying to use them. She wasn’t accustomed to formal speech, so she’d make mistakes and then tremble even more.
I didn’t try to persuade Kora; I just let her be.
After all, the fear she had of me would disappear over time. Especially since she didn’t even know why she was afraid.
…Is that a good thing?
“I wanted to go to Cropolis.”
“We can go next time. We can even go separately.”
I stroked Kora’s head.
No bus was coming for me. We weren’t going to Cropolis.
We would move towards that area, but not by bus. Another vehicle was prepared.
Vroom-
A compact car approached and stopped in front of me.
The window rolled down, and inside was teacher Isamaya.
“Get in.”
“Yes.”
I sat in the passenger seat, and Kora sat in the back. The car started moving without delay.
During the ride, Isamaya glanced at me briefly.
“Are you okay?”
Isamaya asked.
“What do you mean?”
“The field trip. It’s one of the few events in your precious school days.”
“Hahaha.”
I laughed out loud. Isamaya really seemed like a teacher at times like these. Naturally.
“I’m okay.”
Even as I spoke, a smile naturally formed. I could feel the excitement coursing through me.
“We’re going to do something more interesting.”
[Main Quest: Operation Suppress Indus]
•Description: Indus’s plan has been revealed. Stop the plan and suppress Indus members.
•Objective: Suppress Indus members and leader.
•Rewards: Compensation varies depending on the number of people suppressed.
• Failure may result in a state of anarchy.
The mission to eradicate Indus.
It’s an event that must eventually be faced in the game.
Should one fail, it becomes an event that leads straight to game over.
From the player’s perspective, it might seem like merely a change of emperors, but it’s not that simple.
“Frondier, you said that Indus aims to collapse the class system.”
“Yes.”
“What would happen to the world if they actually succeed? Would things go as Indus wishes?”
Isamaya seemed to still harbor doubts about Indus’s plan.
After all, they’re attempting something monumental.
And Isamaya’s intuition was correct.
“No, Indus will fail. Even if we enter a state of anarchy, there are problems.”
“Anarchy? Why?”
Isamaya tilted her head, probably thinking it difficult to actually reach a state of anarchy. And she’s right to think so. The possibility of Indus toppling the throne is just that, a possibility. The quest hints at it too.
But even if they succeed, Indus will crumble.
Indus overlooked one thing in their ‘revolution.’
The existence of ‘Manggot.’
“Teacher, do you happen to know about Manggot?”
“…It’s more surprising that it’s coming from you.”
It seems she knows.
Unlike Indus, Manggot does not disguise its identity.
Those who know about Manggot are fully aware of what kind of place it is.
I said, “Indus won’t be able to handle the fire of Manggot. A state of anarchy means the empire is at its weakest. Naturally, Manggot won’t just stand by.”
“Indus didn’t anticipate Manggot attacking?”
“No. They merely underestimate Manggot.”
Like Indus, the scale of Manggot is impossible to measure.
However, you can clearly see that they hate each other. You can tell just by the scorn Selena and Kraken have for each other.
And there is clearly ‘neglect’ in that hatred. That ends up strangling Indus.
“So Manggot and Indus are fighting to take control of the Empire from each other?”
“I don’t think so. Manggot isn’t interested in power.”
“Then?”
“All Manggot wants is revenge.”
Isamaya tilted her head at my answer.
“Then there’s no reason for Manggot to attack Indus if he brought down the Empire, right?”
“In Manggots eyes, Indus was also a part of the Empire. Indus is trying to take power for themselves, but Manggot wants the Empire to perish.”
In that sense, the one who is truly carrying out a class revolution would be Manggot.
Since their purge will consume the entire Empire, regardless of whether they are nobility or commoners.
Of course, it’s game over.
“……Well, I guess our priority is to stop Indus for now. We can worry about Manggot later.”
“That would be wise. Once we stop Indus, Manggot won’t make a move.”
Not yet, at least.
I gazed out the window for a moment.
We’re headed to the aerial railway right now. It’s an aerial railway that connects two distant cliffs in the sky.
We’re going to make sure the students make it safely through the train in case Indus really has gone crazy.
In all the times I played the game, Indus never once blew up the train, but I can understand why the teachers are anxious. Things could be different in reality.
And that’s where our operation is going to start.
But before that.
“TTeacher Isamaya.”
“What is it?”
“I have something to tell you.”
“What? If it’s about the operation, talk to the dean. I’m driving right now.”
“No. This is something that I need to tell you and you alone.”
“Just me?”
Isamaya scrunched up her nose and glanced at me.
With no other teachers around and no one else to hear us besides Kora, we couldn’t miss this opportunity.
“I-“