"This exam should be a great opportunity for you. Sacrificing one pawn could shatter Class A's 400-point lead. And since Nagumo will compensate your losses, the only thing he can give you is Personal Points. In the end, you lose 100 points and one pawn but gain millions in Personal Points. That's a pretty good calculation, isn't it?"
Ryuuen showed no panic at Kaoru's words.
Instead, he smiled as if it were the most natural thing.
"So what if you figured it out?"
He hadn't planned to hide this scheme from Kaoru in the first place—once Yamamura's situation was noticed, the conclusion was obvious.
"Want to take it a step further?" Kaoru said, "If we sacrifice one more from the male group, Class A might lose eight hundred points, and you could continue receiving Nagumo's rewards."
"Are you implying you're targeting me now?"
Ryuuen laughed.
He had considered this possibility when joining Katsuragi's group.
"If it's me, things get complicated. But do you even have enough points for this?"
To save an expelled student required both Class Points and Personal Points.
Ryuuen didn't believe Class 1-A currently had over forty million in Personal Points.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I do."
Kaoru replied calmly, "Thanks to Nagumo gifting me a substantial amount, combined with our class's pooled points, we can cover forty million."
Ryuuen's expression stiffened.
He knew Nagumo had suffered heavy losses from previous dealings with Kaoru, though no one knew the exact amount.
With recent rumors circulating, Ryuuen couldn't determine whether Kaoru truly possessed twenty million Personal Points.
But outwardly, he maintained his composure.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"If you don't, feel free to test it."
Kaoru continued, "Horikita-senpai answers to me. So does Kiriyama-senpai. Even Katsuragi here is mine. They can afford low scores—might even slightly disrupt your exam."
Ryuuen scoffed coldly, "You take me for a fool? Horikita's graduating soon. Would he abandon his Class Points to collude with you?"
"How many points would last place deduct?"
Kaoru paused deliberately. "Besides, you've noticed, haven't you? Nagumo plans to kill two birds with one stone—arranging someone to target Horikita-senpai's class in the female group too."
Understanding dawned on Ryuuen.
To prevent incidents in the female group, Horikita Manabu could collaborate with Kaoru to create a counter-incident in the male group—a tactical retaliation.
"Heh. Planning mutual destruction?"
Ryuuen forced a laugh. "Won't work. Someone like Horikita would save everyone, but Ishikura could choose to rescue just one. Class A would lose more than their Class B. Ishikura still profits!"
"But you'd get expelled."
Kaoru reminded him.
After a tense silence, Ryuuen recognized the predicament.
If Kaoru insisted on mutual destruction, Class 1-A would lose eight hundred points at worst, while his Class 1-C would plunge into negative territory—demoting directly to Class 1-D.
Though Personal Points were tempting, he couldn't ignore Class Points.
His usual indifference stemmed from knowing instant promotion to Class A was impossible.
But negative points changed everything.
"Class C would forfeit five hundred Class Points plus twenty million Personal Points. Do you think Nagumo can compensate for losses this extreme?"
"You know exactly how many Personal Points he holds—maybe twenty or thirty million at most. The only reason you accepted his deal is because you're eyeing not just those points, but also Nagumo's future gains—backed by an entire grade's resources."
"But how long can this situation last? With Kiriyama-senpai deciding to openly oppose him alongside me, Class 2-B has effectively withdrawn from his system. The remaining Class 2-C and Class 2-D have already lost significant Class Points due to the exams in the previous two semesters. How much more Personal Points can they squeeze out?"
"Even in Nagumo's own class, his control is waning. Didn't a traitor emerge during the last final exam? That's right—you guessed it. He's one of mine, and he's not the only one."
"Nagumo has recently squeezed out even more Personal Points, and resentment is growing among the second-years. Do you really think he'll continue to reap long-term benefits?"
By the end, Kaoru's expression was cold as he delivered his ultimatum.
"The only reward you can get from him now is the few million Personal Points he holds. But is that really enough?"
Ryuuen fell into a prolonged silence.
To compensate for the losses of Class 1-C, a mere two or three million wouldn't suffice.
After all his efforts, he had lost 500 Class Points and still had to fork over 20 million Personal Points.
In the end, he might only net a little over 10 million—far too little in exchange.
He had considered this before, but as Kaoru had pointed out, he had judged that Nagumo would hold out for at least a while longer, and that this "stock" would yield further returns.
But if Nagumo collapsed too soon, Ryuuen would be left holding the bag.
The critical question now was when Nagumo would fall.
At this moment, Ryuuen was like an investor losing confidence, hesitating over whether to cut his losses and bail.
"Mitoma, I'll admit your words have a strange persuasiveness. But I'm not conceding to you."
Ryuuen snorted. "If you want me to stop, it's simple—just have your Class A give me 10 million."
If Nagumo could no longer inspire market confidence, then of course the "investor" would shift his capital elsewhere to recoup his losses.
"Do you really think you're in any position to bargain with me now?"
Kaoru's gaze was filled with pity.
"Katsuragi has already informed Horikita-senpai of the situation. Nagumo might even suffer heavy losses in his own class. Do you really think he can protect you?"
Ryuuen's face stiffened.
The only reason he could stand up to Kaoru was because of the Personal Points Nagumo had provided.
Without that, defeating Kaoru would be nearly impossible.
He was beginning to regret joining Katsuragi's group back then.
"What do you want?" Ryuuen asked.
Kaoru replied, "Starting tonight, you cancel your original plan. No more attacks on my people."
"You also have to guarantee that neither you nor Katsuragi will target Class C. If you dare to name any of my people... well, I'll give you a little surprise."
Ryuuen hadn't forgotten his suspicions about Kaoru.
Sooner or later, he'd find a way to contact the agency.
If it was confirmed to be the real deal, Ryuuen would report it immediately.
Ignoring him, Kaoru continued, "Second, cancel our previous contract."
There was an agreement between Class 1-A and Class 1-C, signed during the uninhabited island exam.
Ryuuen would provide them with supplies, and in return, they would pay him Personal Points—continuing until graduation.
However, Kaoru later extorted millions of Personal Points from Ryuuen, using those very points to fulfill the contract's payments to him.
This move of getting something for nothing left Ryuuen with nothing to gain.
It wasn't until this semester that he finally waited for Kaoru to distribute the Personal Points that originally belonged to him.
Yet now, Kaoru wanted to cancel the contract.
Ryuuen was practically gnashing his teeth as he glared at Kaoru.
However, considering that the initial contract hadn't extorted much to begin with, even if he insisted on keeping it, he probably wouldn't have gotten more than ten million over two years.
"Heh, if you want it back, I'll generously return it to you."
Though he spoke these words, his heart was filled with frustration.
Ryuuen swallowed his anger because he already knew how to make up for the loss.
For instance, Nagumo would surely be very interested in this conversation—it could fetch a good price.
Moreover, Kaoru had exposed his own plan to team up with Horikita Manabu against Nagumo.
Thinking of this, Ryuuen desperately suppressed the smirk threatening to break across his face.
Even a sinking ship like Nagumo had some scrap metal worth salvaging!
---------
Read 50 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator