Leopin had created a base.
Faced with that fact, the principal and vice principal were completely crushed.
"It... It really is a base, zansu..."
"Our school was not scheduled to have a base until two years from now..."
The principal suddenly came to his senses and spat at the vice principal.
"V-Vice Principal! This is an unprecedented opportunity!
The fastest record for establishing a base at a pioneer academy is 793 days!
If we established one in just two days, that would be a massive record update!
If we submit this, our rank demotions will be canceled!"
"Th-That may be true, zansu...
But we cannot submit a base created by garbage from the Special Development Class...!"
"Guh... That's right...!"
Realizing he had forgotten the crucial point, the principal clutched his head.
Suddenly the vice principal shouted as if he had a brilliant idea.
"Principal! Then we can simply move up our schedule and have the students prioritize building a base!
If a single jobless piece of garbage can create a base, then with many excellent students working together, they can do it much faster, zansu!"
"Th... That is also true! Then we will select a project leader from among the students and put them in charge!"
The two waited until early the next morning and summoned a certain student to the principal's office.
"...Is there something you need from me?"
"Oh, Weiss-kun! How is your physical condition?"
"Yes, thanks to the infirmary teacher, I have completely recovered.
Um, regarding the recent rank demotion incident, it was not my fault..."
"Now, now, what is done is done!
More importantly, there is something I want you to do!"
"Exactly, zansu! You are a Sage, zansu!
We want you to use your overflowing Intelligence and Education stats to turn the residential area into a base, zansu!"
"A base? I thought base construction was still far in the future...?"
"No, no. With a capable student like you taking command, it is perfectly possible even starting now!
I will specially appoint you as 'Base Committee Chairman' using my authority!"
"You may use students from other classes to build it, zansu!"
"Fufu, I understand the situation.
It would be difficult with current personnel and materials, but with me it is possible.
In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that only I can do it."
"Then you will accept, right!?"
"Yes, but in return, I have a request of my own.
If I succeed in establishing the base... I want you to appoint me as student council president."
"Oh, something like that is no problem at all!"
"Exactly, zansu!
If you break the record for the fastest base establishment, that is more than enough reason to appoint you as student council president!"
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
I woke up feeling refreshed, bathed in the morning sunlight streaming through the window of my house.
"Mmm~ I slept well. And there was no prank like yesterday with black paper on the window, so I didn't oversleep.
Making a fence around the house was definitely the right decision."
While stretching, I peeked outside from the window.
I spotted a giant bagworm-like thing hanging from a tree in the yard.
It seemed it had gotten caught in the wire trap I had set and, in its struggle to escape, had become even more entangled in the wire.
The bagworm slowly rotated and faced me.
I recognized the face, and our eyes met perfectly.
"Shinobuko. You tried to sneak into my house again without permission, huh?"
Shinobuko did not answer and simply stared at me with her usual deadpan eyes.
Only her lips moved silently, saying "Help."
"Good grief. If you learn from this, don't try to sneak in again.
If you have business, come in properly through the gate."
I took out a Gisu Shuriken from my pocket and threw it at the threads holding the bagworm.
The threads snapped with a snap, and Shinobuko fell to the ground with a thud.
Shinobuko wriggled away like an inchworm, her body still wrapped in wire.
When she reached the gate, she rolled over and looked back.
"Next time we meet, it will be a fight to the death!"
She left her usual parting words and crawled away.
Immediately after, a groan of "Uuu..." came from under the window.
When I looked down, the pitfall had caved in.
Peering into the bottom of the hole, I once again met eyes with a familiar face.
"Vice Principal, what are you doing down there?"
The vice principal was lying at the bottom in a position that barely avoided being impaled by the wooden spears I had set.
With a face that looked like he was about to die, he pleaded, "H-Help me, zansu..."
Feeling a little sorry for him, I went out to the yard and used the Gisu Ladder I had made before to help the vice principal out of the hole.
It seemed he had sprained his ankle from the impact of the fall, but he was surprisingly energetic.
Because the moment he noticed his custom-made suit was torn and covered in mud, he screamed,
"Gyaaaaah!? My made-to-order suit is ruined, zansu!?
A suit that commoners could never buy even if they stood on their heads! The monthly payments aren't even finished yet!
And because of the rank demotion, my salary is going to drop from now on!
And yet, and yet...!!!"
He slumped forward on all fours, pounding the ground in frustration.
"Vice Principal. If you learn from this, when you have business with me, please come in properly through the gate."
The vice principal glared sharply at me.
"I have no business with a student from the Special Development Class...!"
"Then why were you in a place like that?"
However, the vice principal did not answer. Using a fallen branch as a cane, he walked away like an old man.
Then, just like Shinobuko, he turned back at the gate and said,
"There are no classes today. The entire school has free time for pioneering. Go dig some holes and play, zansu."
Leaving behind words that were unclear whether they were a parting shot or actual information, he staggered away.
As I watched his back, my body began to glow like morning dew catching the sunlight.
"Leveling up by trapping a classmate and a teacher... I feel a little bad about that."
--------------------------------------------------
**Leopin**
**Occupation:** Trapper
**LV:** 9 → 10
**HP:** 1810
**MP:** 1810
**Status**
**Vitality:** 181
**Endurance:** 181
**Toughness:** 181
**Spirit:** 181
**Resistance:** 181
**Agility:** 181
**Focus:** 181
**Strength:** 181
**Magic Power:** 181
**Divine Power:** 181
**Intelligence:** 181
**Education:** 181
**Five Senses:** 181
**Sixth Sense:** 181
**Charm:** 1
**Luck:** 2
**Dexterity:** 280 → 380
**Available Jobs**
**Production**
Woodcutter
Appraiser
Carpenter
Stonecrafter
Leatherworker
**NEW!** Woodworker
**Exploration**
Ranger
Treasure Hunter
**Combat**
Axe Battler
Ninja
Martial Artist
Trapper