While Arcadia was shocked by the news, there was someone on the cruise ship equally startled.
“Hi! Did your friend turn into a statue?”
“Ugh! Put me down, hurry up!”
Sandkooker shouted in a panic.
“What are you doing holding someone who’s petrified horizontally? What if their waist cracks under the weight?”
“Eh, won’t it be fine? I told you it’s the Absolute Defense Petrification Scroll for the auction.”
“Absolute Defense Petrification Scroll?”
The yellow mage, Sandkooker, was well-versed in petrification magic related to earth magic. His knowledge was so exceptional that he could guess and interpret the structure of magic just by looking at the remaining spell patterns on a torn scroll.
“Phew. There’s no worry about breaking their waist. The defense power is so high it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it Absolute Defense. Not even a speck of dust would be scratched by a sword or magic hit directly.”
“Really?”
Ppyoi hit Rosgini’s arm with a shield, “Uwaaa!! Stop that crazy thing!”
“You just said it was safe.”
“That’s a matter of feeling! I know in my head it’s safe, but seeing it is scary!”
So petty!
Ignoring Ppyoi, who was pouting and complaining, Sandkooker continued analyzing the scroll. After a long time, when the room’s light began to dim, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
“If it gets sunlight, it can move again. The conditions for breaking petrification are simple, which means it’s a scroll that helps survive a few days on an uninhabited island. It releases from petrification in as fast as one day or as long as fifteen.”
Ppyoi raised a hand to ask, “What if I’m all alone in a cave and no one discovers me?”
“Then you’d probably just stay there until sunlight comes…?”
Sandkooker felt a chill.
The treatment of people was rough at the academy, much like the foundation. But in that case, the ground was unfathomable.
How rough could people be treated?
What kind of terrible things happen?
He couldn’t predict what that ‘worst’ scenario would be.
Now he knew, even if he didn’t like it, why the academy was so wary of the foundation. Including why Oknodie, despite his bright disposition, instilled fear in many.
“I definitely have to help.”
“Help? Who?”
“The Northern Grand Duchess. While you guys were on that uninhabited island, she made a suggestion. To start a revolt on the ship.”
Ppyoi’s eyes widened.
“A revolt on the ship? Why?”
“I don’t know. I thought it was crazy to start a revolt when on a cruise ship. But after glimpsing the foundation’s reality, I kinda get it now.”
If she could get off this crazy ship as soon as possible, she wouldn’t be able to resist starting a revolt, right?
“Is a rebellion possible with thousands of crew members?”
“Don’t worry. Irene isn’t alone either. A competent person chosen by Oknodie and Arcadia is by her side.”
“Ah, I think I know! The sword-wielding man, right? The remarkable Eastern Swordsman named Sing.”
Sandkooker retorted, “He’s neither a man nor wielding a sword. The competent person chosen by both of them must be Titosso the Light Bearer. You can’t even see Sing around here!”
“Eh~? He was that strong? I just thought he was an adorable, clueless fool!”
Ppyoi couldn’t help but show disbelief and widened her eyes.
She knew of the rumors about Titosso. A lower-class student and top student who once was the closest to the largest faction of first-year students under the Arcadia Lady, now a statue had an astoundingly large light stand that he always wheeled around extremely slowly, grunting when faced with stairs.
It was quite surprising that such a fool was now joining the rebellion at Irene’s selection.
‘Could he actually not be a fool?’
When she thought of it that way as she moved towards the rendezvous point Sandkooker taught her, her thoughts changed to “Amazing!”
“Is it still far until the backup lights arrive?”
“There are no spare backup lights to provide because all the lights, including emergency ones, have been removed from the entire 3rd floor!”
“Did a monster hiding in the darkness somehow infiltrate? Why is it only the lights being taken away? This really feels like an ominous commotion.”
Even just listening to the conversations of the crew members hiding at the bottom of the stairs made it clear: Titosso was instilling considerable fear on the ship.
While he posed as a harmless small animal next to Oknodie and Arcadia Lady, Titosso could unleash this kind of terrifying power if he set his mind to it!
‘Oknodie really is amazing!’
To roam with such an impressive powerhouse.
Surely, beneath that baggy school uniform, Bikini Armor would suit her body perfectly.
Determined to impart the excellence of Bikini Armor to the hidden powerhouse as fast as she could, Ppyoi wandered around the ship in search of Irene and Titosso’s whereabouts.
Reaching the rendezvous point, Ppyoi saw the two who seemed to be instigating a revolt on the ship.
“Uwaaa! I can’t see ahead!”
“Everyone, put on blindfolds! If you look at the blinding radiance reflected by the ice wall with your bare eyes, you might go blind!”
“Titosso… The advance scouting by the church considered him merely a worthless failing student, yet he hid this level of prowess; being a top student really is terrifying.”
“This isn’t the time for admiration! If we don’t stop them quickly, we’ll allow an intrusion in the control room!”
The unexpected duo of Irene and Titosso scattering blinding flashes across the entire floor was capable of making thousands of crew members panic.
While the unpredicted synergistic effect of the ice wall and the light was great, Ppyoi was feeling awkward.
“If they’re not at the rendezvous point, why did we choose this location?”
At this rate, the two would succeed in the ship’s rebellion, and she would do nothing.
– Huh? Bikini Armor? B~aka. There’s no way a loser who can’t even mount a revolt would wear such clothing.
…This could lead to such slander!
With her eyes squeezed shut, Ppyoi stepped into the hallway where it was difficult to see her feet due to the light.
Thud.
Boing.
It might be pointless.
But still, for the pride of the Bikini Armor group, Ppyoi pressed on.
Just as she steeled her courage, the situation suddenly changed.
“Let’s put a stop to this nonsense here.”
With a loud explosion, two figures came bursting out from the control room.
It was clear at a glance they were the Northern Grand Duchess, with her long silver hair billowing, taking a combat stance, and Titosso, holding a light so dazzling it hurt to look at!
…To be honest, the light was so intense that it’s hard to make out skin color or face.
For now, casually greeting them, she attempted to slyly join the ship rebellion to raise her contribution, but her outstretched hand halted abruptly.
Due to the Bikini Armor’s revealing appearance, the exposed spine was sending electrifying shivers down her back.
It’s dangerous.
I shouldn’t go out.
She heard the footsteps leisurely emerging from the control room right around the corner.
“A revolt on the ship. I never expected students to do something foolish like what we did five years ago. Quite delightful, isn’t it, Kildum? Hehe. You’re right, Usun. Young ones show promise of growing immensely.”
The man spoke to himself, his tone and atmosphere changing as if he was multiple personalities.
“Who are you?”
“You? Wrong. You should call us ‘we.’”
The man introduced himself — no, introduced themselves.
“We are the Apostles of Anrage. Reckless challengers who boarded to obtain the secrets hidden by the foundation and the corrupt entity made of body and soul.”
Equivalent to the dangerous existence Jonas Wahyhiemhai.
Perhaps even more dangerous, a foundation executive emerged from the control room.
‘A multiple personality villain talking to himself is obviously dangerous!’
Thought the terrorist who forces people into wearing Bikini Armor.
*
To halt the auction, Arcadia returned to the cruise with the mission to start a revolt. She felt a strong sense of discomfort.
Even though the extravagantly gigantic deluxe cruise ship remained, the colorful lights that showcased that opulence had mostly disappeared.
‘Why is the ship so dark?’
To save electricity.
To reduce the waste of mana crystals.
If that was the case, there was no need to prepare such a large ship from the start.
Something must have happened.
The event detection function, naturally honed through countless incidents at the academy, was sounding warning bells from within her.
Tap
A paper airplane landed on Arcadia’s shoulder.
The way it flew was a mess, but anyone who’d experienced a grand sports event would understand that what mattered was the spell inscribed within rather than the airplane itself.
Unfolding the airplane revealed a basic code of spell cipher, the kind even noble children with no talent for magic learn just for culture.
Entering the cabin number listed, she found Rosgini as a statue and Sandkooker, who had returned a day early.
“I knew you’d recognize it, since you are the highborn Arcadia Lady!”
“Sandkooker. The reason the mage from the magic tower sought me was probably to ask for Rosgini’s aid. Sorry, but right now…”
“Oh, the statue is fine.”
“…Really?”
“If you leave it in the sunlight, the petrification will lift on its own.”
She felt a strange stare, and Rosgini’s petrified eyes were fixed straight on her.
With unnecessary curiosity, she placed her hand on Sandkooker’s chest, and Rosgini’s eyes sparked with intensity.
It’s a warning glare that means “Don’t mess around with my comrade!”
‘…What can a statue do with just its open eyes?’
Arcadia returned to the cruise ship the same day she purchased a bidding item for the ship’s rebellion. She was feeling stressed.
What caught her attention was Rosgini’s somewhat cocky glare as a statue stuck in petrification.
In short, Rosgini ran into bad luck.
‘Should I take out some frustration on her?’
As Arcadia gazed back and forth between the petrified Rosgini and Sandkooker with a meaningful smile, Rosgini’s eyes shook violently.
