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Davion heard a notification only he could hear.
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[Event: Save the Freshmen]
―Half of the incoming freshmen are in mortal danger. As an academy senior, please save them.
―Reward: 15K Mana Points (x2)
―Achievement Reward: Charm+3, Leadership+5
―Accept: Y / N
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An event after a long time.
However.
The event details are too heavy.
'Half of the freshmen are in mortal danger?'
It's an unprecedented event.
Moreover, it's just an event, not a quest, yet hundreds of lives are at stake.
This is definitely.
'It's those X-7 base bastards.'
There was no need to hesitate.
It must be their doing.
He recalled what he had organized this afternoon.
Originally, the quest that would appear with the start of winter break was the 'Dormitory Poisoning Attempt Incident.'
Of course, it's the work of spies from the Marino Empire.
But.
That quest disappeared, and a new event appeared.
'The Dormitory Poisoning Attempt Incident has been replaced by this event.'
There are plenty of reasons for that.
First of all, Davion is not entering the dormitory at all during the break, having created a hideout.
The X-7 base would have many restrictions on its activities due to continued failures.
And Hugo Molton's strong warning.
Some spies may be hiding somewhere, ignoring orders from their home country to protect themselves.
'Since it's difficult to cause trouble inside the academy, they've turned their target to prospective students.'
They're trying to reduce the number of academy students and create confusion and fear.
Davion's eyes rolled towards the Y for accepting the event.
Ding.
Event accepted.
Davion closed the cheat sheet.
"Bellus. Do you remember the face of the guy who gave you this?"
"Huh? Ah... Yes, I remember."
"Was there anything else? Tell me everything you heard from him."
"He said they're actually wholesalers, and they have a lot of good stuff this time. They're offering a bundle of academy necessities at a low price, especially for the freshmen. A freshman package, I think?"
Liber approached and chimed in.
"I saw the list of that freshman package that Bellus got. The composition is excellent, right? And the price is cheaper than the market price."
It reeks of scam.
"Ah! And if you buy the freshman package that day, they'll give you a real cheat sheet for free. This is just a sample, and they're giving the full version of the cheat sheet only to students who buy the freshman package. Limited quantity!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes! So I'm thinking of going there. I don't have much money, and my magical skills are just average, so I think it would be very helpful if I bought the freshman package cheaply and got that cheat sheet."
Cheat sheet, my foot.
Bellus, you don't have to worry about being a candidate for expulsion until you finish the 7th grade.
Because you're a spirit mage, one of the rarest to appear in hundreds of years.
That's why I'm taking care of you like this.
Anyway.
That's not the important thing.
"Where is that swindler's shop?"
Bellus's eyes widened at Davion's words that they were swindlers.
"Swindlers...? Are those people swindlers?"
"Yes, they're swindlers. Anyone can tell they're swindlers. Why would they give away a cheat sheet if they're selling the freshman package cheaply? If they have a real cheat sheet and they're throwing it in, they should sell the freshman package for more."
"Ah...?"
Liber snapped his fingers.
"Of course! Davion. I knew you'd notice."
Davion turned to look at Liber.
Liber Specula.
From the Specula family, which has the best intelligence agency on the continent.
His magical skills are terrible, but his brain is brilliant.
Liber continued.
"I was thinking the same thing as you, Davion. It's too strange, right? If they're throwing in something that good, they should definitely charge more. So I followed the guy who gave Bellus this cheat sheet..."
Liber lowered his posture and toned down his voice.
An unfailing routine when he's talking about something important that only he knows.
Before long, other friends gathered near Liber.
A drunken Nubes was leaning against a corner sofa and had already fallen asleep.
"I saw him attach himself to a kid who looked like a rich young master. Of course, he must be a prospective student. And do you know what he said?"
Liber paused again.
Bellum shouted.
"Ah! Come on! Can't you just tell us straight?"
Liber nodded quickly as if he understood.
"He said he's a big wholesaler and he got the finest magic rings. It's so rare and expensive that he didn't even hand it over to the magic material store on purpose. He was looking for a suitable owner, and it seemed like he was perfect, so he called an unbelievably high price. Then he brought up the cheat sheet. Just like Bellus, he also received the same cheat sheet summary."
Bellum asked.
"What? He's talking differently to Bellus? But why did he call such an outrageous price? He won't buy it then. To scam someone, you have to call a price that's tempting at first."
Liber shook his head.
"No. His eyes lit up and he left. Judging by his clothes, he has enough money, and he seemed more drawn to the fact that it was expensive and special."
Davion said.
"They're scamming people with a customized approach based on who they are. Bellus, so? Where is their shop? Whether it's a wholesaler or a retailer, they must have a shop."
"That's... they don't have a shop. They said they'll contact me separately later and tell me to come there. They said it's for mutual benefit, and if other people find out, they'll get reported for illegal business..."
"How will they contact you?"
"I don't know either. They just said to wait."
The event popped up while he was listening to the cheat sheet story.
It said half of the freshmen were in mortal danger.
'If they kidnap and deal with them one by one, rumors will spread quickly. They're definitely going to try to deal with them all at once.'
The event and this cheat sheet incident connected, and he roughly drew a picture.
"Let's go together, Bellus."
"Huh? You said they're swindlers. I wasn't going to go because you said they're swindlers."
"It's suspicious. They're definitely plotting something."
Luna asked.
"Do you know something again, Davion?"
"No. It's not that, but it's suspicious, right?"
Liber clenched his fist.
"How dare they try to mess with our juniors! They haven't even enrolled yet!"
Bellum stretched out his arm towards Liber.
Liber also stretched out his arm and crossed it with Bellum's.
"Cross!"
"We prospective second-year seniors will protect the prospective freshmen juniors!"
Nubes, who was snoring, woke up startled by the loud noise.
"Protect! Snore."
And so.
The Junior Protection Corps was formed.
Davion, Bellum, Liber, Nubes, Luna.
Luna, wearing casual clothes for the first time in a while, spun around awkwardly.
It was a pink dress with white lace at the hem.
Bellum deliberately approached and spoke in an exaggerated voice.
"Oh, Luna. You look really cute?"
"Ah, really? I just wore whatever I had."
Actually, it was an outfit that Bellum and Luna had spent all day picking out at the market yesterday.
Bellum nudged Davion's side.
"What do you think? Davion. Isn't Luna cute? She looks young, so she's perfect as a prospective freshman."
Davion nodded.
"Yeah, it was a good idea to have Luna play the role of a freshman. But it's winter now, aren't you cold? The skirt is short."
"Huh? Huh? School skirts are short anyway."
"I guess. It suits you well, Luna."
Luna's cheeks quickly turned red.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Bellus, who had just changed, made a fuss.
"Luna unnie! You're so pretty! Wow!"
Davion held up his fingers towards Bellus's lips.
"Leave out the unnie part. Call her Luna. You two are friends of the same age for today."
The only age to enter Elton Academy is 17.
So all prospective freshmen are the same age.
This time, Liber, who hadn't shaved for three days, came out wearing shabby clothes.
He had a large bag on his back.
"How is it? Do I look like a commoner?"
Bellum gave a thumbs up.
"Yeah. Totally. It really suits you."
"It doesn't sound like a compliment?"
"You're quick on the uptake, talker."
"Hey!"
Davion looked around at his friends.
"Don't forget your roles, everyone?"
Luna, who was in a good mood after hearing that the dress suited her, answered in a bright voice.
"Yeah! I'm a friend who met Bellus a few days ago and became close! Prospective freshman! I heard about the entrance package and the cheat sheet from Bellus!"
"Good, next."
Liber answered.
"I am Luna's attendant!"
Next was Bellum's turn.
Unlike Luna and Liber, who were wearing casual clothes, he was neatly dressed in his school uniform.
"I'm Bellus's cousin! A second-year at Elton Academy! I'm going with her to check out the entrance package!"
Davion nodded.
"What's your real role?"
Liber reached his hand back and patted the bag on his back.
Inside the bag was a magic gun made by the Specula family.
"If something unexpected happens, I'll take out the magic gun and protect Luna and Bellus."
Bellum patted his legs.
"I'll run quickly to where Davion and Nubes are hiding and tell them the situation!"
Luna lightly raised her palm.
A blue healing magic was manifested.
"I'll heal anyone who gets hurt right away."
A few days ago, the man who gave Bellus the cheat sheet reappeared and secretly handed her a map.
A place in the forest was marked on the map.
He said that if they came there on Friday evening, they could buy the entrance package and the full version of the cheat sheet.
The plan is this.
Davion, whose face is already known to the Marino Empire spy organization, and Nubes, whose large size is conspicuous, will hide nearby.
Bellus will go to buy the entrance package.
Bellum will play the role of Bellus's cousin who is attending Elton Academy, accompanying her cousin to make sure she doesn't get scammed.
Luna will play the role of a freshman friend who heard about it from Bellus and is following her.
Liber will be Luna's attendant.
"The opponents are likely to be spies who have received professional training. Be careful not to get caught. Especially Bellus. Don't even say the word unnie. Luna and you are friends."
"Okay, oppa."
"Liber, you too. Don't speak informally to Luna, even by mistake. You're an attendant."
"Understood, young master."
"Bellum."
Bellum answered with an excited expression.
"Don't worry, Davion! I'm a professional at acting, Bellum Amandria!"
"Just do what you always do. Don't use strange language just because you're acting."
"Ah... is that so?"
Davion put his hand on Luna's shoulder.
"Luna, you have the business card I gave you, right?"
"Huh? Uh! Yeah!"
A magical tool made by Davion.
A scroll the size of a business card, and if you tear it, the connected scroll will react with mana.
"If something dangerous happens, tear it right away. Nubes and I will run."
"Okay! I understand."
This time, he turned to look at Nubes.
"Nubes, let's go first. We have to go around the forest."
"Okay, Davion."
"You guys go to that place on time. Check what those guys are plotting, and if there's anything, Bellum, you run straight to where Nubes and I are."
"Okay."
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