Chapter 169

Chapter 169

The snail beastman, Professor Pluvang, ‘gathered’ anything left outside and unguarded by its owner, whatever it might be.

His skill was so ghostly that unless he purposely left a trace, the gathered party wouldn’t know at all unless told.

…Though he didn’t know why that was called gathering instead of stealing, anyway.

Therefore, in Professor Pluvang’s class, one had to pay attention to their belongings at all times.

For instance, it was like this.

—Huh? Where did my pen go?

—Ah? I left my hat here…?

Students looking around because they couldn’t find their simple belongings.

The truly terrifying thing was the reaction of those around them in such situations.

—Seriously, where do you leave your mind?

—Didn’t you come without wearing it?

Because it was so seamless, the blame was pinned on the loser!

Of course, even those who blamed others like that were bound to lose one of their own belongings sooner or later and scan their surroundings.

Splat— splat— splat—

Roan was dumbfounded by the faint sounds heard each time.

‘It was like that in the game too, but seeing it in reality is absurd.’

If one took their eyes off their belongings or got distracted for even a moment, Pluvang’s hand stretched out without fail.

Since he was a snail beastman, his body could stretch almost at will, and

when combined with his holy power of the rare light attribute, especially his holy spells focused on speed, he was truly elusive.

An even more surprising point was,

“The gathering class will proceed in this clearing from now on unless there is other guidance. Akerandir is a natural treasure trove where most of the materials you seek exist. Always thank the principal as you take the class…”

that Pluvang was continuing the lecture in a very calm, somewhat slow voice even while frantically ‘gathering’ the students’ belongings.

A class where one had to be more careful of being gathered before gathering!

‘I can’t get stolen from anymore!’

‘He might even steal Eongeongi or Silsil!’

Of course, thanks to Roan, his friends who knew Pluvang’s true nature(?) glared at the professor as if to kill him, preventing any gathering.

Fitting for characters with outstanding basic talents, they couldn’t grasp Pluvang’s actions as thoroughly as Roan, but they still realized that he was definitely the culprit.

Rafia asked without taking her eyes off Pluvang,

“By the way, Roan. That professor is so fast… why does he move so slowly?”

Splat—

Even while she asked, Professor Pluvang gathered someone else’s snack.

—Uh, where did my snack go? It was you!

—What’s wrong with you? Are you crazy?

Roan answered nonchalantly,

“Because that way, no one suspects him.”

“What kind of bullsh— *gasp*.”

Unable to bear listening any longer, Sion tried to say a harsh word that she could not bring herself to utter as a saintess candidate, but held it in.

“Roan, what kind of bullsh*t is that?”

“…Phew.”

Only after Hektor said it clearly did Sion finally relax and ease her expression.

Roan shrugged and said,

“Look around you.”

At that, Hektor and Sion observed the surrounding students out of the corners of their eyes.

—Oh dear, why does it keep feeling like something is disappearing?

—Is there something wrong with this spot?

—Ultungi, did you eat it by any chance?

…Certainly, no one was suspecting him.

‘That is a strategy that actually works?’

The two of them realized how fortunate they were to have Roan by their side.

If it weren’t for Roan, they would have been saying things like that just like the other students!

Sion asked,

“B-But Dark. If we report this, won’t the professor be arrested too?”

“Probably.”

Demona, whose eyes were bloodshot and dripping tears because she hadn’t closed them once since having her gold coin gathered, said,

“Then let’s report him! How can a professor be like that?”

“…You can blink your eyes, Demona. And who knows who would come next if we reported him. It’s better to just be careful with our belongings.”

“““…”””

At Roan’s excellent explanation, the friends could immediately understand why Pluvang was still holding his position as a professor.

“T-That is certainly true…”

***

“What does everyone think gathering is?”

Pluvang, who had been explaining the basics of the class for a while, suddenly asked.

Demona tilted her head and replied,

“How to take other people’s things well?”

The students burst into laughter.

—No matter how much of a Wicronon she is, that’s not it!

—That’s stealing, is that gathering?

“Accurate.”

—??????

However, Pluvang affirmed Demona’s words.

Slide—

Then he slid out of the shell he had been inside until now.

—Gasp! The professor is coming out of his house!

—Then is he a slug beastman now?!

The snail beastman coming out of his shell was surprising enough, but the truly surprising thing was next.

“…Isn’t his body better than expected?”

Hektor asked as if it was unexpected.

Indeed, despite being a snail beastman who seemed to have absolutely no relation to muscle, Pluvang had a quite muscular and solid physique, standing at a tall height of mid-2 meters.

Moreover, since he was wearing a full-body black tights instead of other clothes, that point was even more prominent.

Pluvang looked down at the students sitting huddled in the clearing and said stiffly,

“Gathering is the most primal and peaceful combat.”

—Hieek…

—*hiccup*

His momentum was so ominous that some students even hiccuped.

Whether they did or not, Pluvang continued,

“Who is the combat against? It is combat against the entire world except for yourself. If you want to gather something, you must wage combat against the owner who has that thing! And the competitor who is eyeing it together with you! And even the colleague with whom you must share it!”

As Pluvang, who was a considerable giant, raised his voice, the atmosphere gradually grew intense.

“Keep in mind. Gathering does not end simply at the moment you obtain something. It is completed only when you can be confident that you possess it permanently.”

Unlike before, this time it was a low-pitched voice.

But to the students who had already focused entirely on his words, they were all clearly heard.

The students bitterly reflected on their past, where they had held wrong thoughts until now.

—I thought it was just picking fruits hanging on trees…

—Me too, just to the extent of plucking grass…

—I guess we were looking down on gathering too much.

‘That is actually what gathering is.’

…One could see how important school education was by looking at Akerandir.

How would students grow up when they were taught under a professor who described gathering as something like barbarians’ pillaging and plundering?

Meanwhile, Roan’s friends wore expressions as if they had gained some great realization.

First, Sion.

“D-Dark, could this be why you harvested the Elka Pomegranates earlier…?”

“Yes.”

To think that this was the reason behind Roan’s abnormally hurried action of harvesting the Elka Pomegranates and throwing them into Ssaengssaengi!

If they had left them alone in a daze, they would have surely all entered Pluvang’s possession by now.

And Rafia.

“So this is why it was certified as a knight class…”

“Exactly.”

Since paladins had no choice but to camp frequently, this kind of experience was extremely precious.

For it was perfect to prepare for situations where they didn’t know when or where an ambush or a plot would be launched.

Finally, Demona.

“Isn’t he just a thief?”

“…”

Surprisingly, Demona penetrated the truth of this class the best.

At any rate, Pluvang, who had completely changed the students’ concept of gathering with a few words, said,

“At any rate, since it is the first class, I won’t do much today.”

“Then is it over here?”

Hektor asked, his face brightening.

“…Now, look at this, Dorin.”

“Yes!”

Pluvang simply ignored Hektor’s question and called the teaching assistant, Dorin.

It was a wise handling befitting a professor.

Meanwhile, Demona asked Hektor with a dumbfounded face,

“That was what I was going to say, why are you gradually resembling me?”

“W-What do you mean by that! It was a question that would naturally be asked universally!”

Hektor hopped in shame, but had no particular words of rebuttal.

Whether they did or not, Pluvang had Dorin take out several items from inside the shell.

They were all common fruits and herbs that the students had already seen near this clearing.

—Huh? That looks like the fruit I picked earlier?

—Indeed, aren’t those heart shapes quite rare?

But seeing their shapes, a few students tilted their heads.

Even though they thought they couldn’t possibly be theirs since they were so common, they seemed quite intrigued.

“Nonsense! Why would these be yours!”

Pluvang flew into a rage at the students’ slight doubts.

—Uh… sorry, Professor.

—It was just somewhat similar to the one that disappeared just now…

The students apologized obediently.

‘They are probably theirs, though.’

Roan nodded at the fully expected situation.

To be precise, it was correct to say they ‘had been’ those students’ possessions.

Now, because Pluvang had gathered them, they belonged to Pluvang.

A world where the capable finally win what they want through gathering.

For that could be said to be Pluvang’s ideal.

In Pluvang’s standard, those who didn’t even know their own belongings were being gathered and only realized belatedly, ‘Huh? I think that’s mine?’ were bastards who did not deserve to own anything.

Pluvang glared at the students who hung their heads in shame and continued,

“Now, does anyone know the names of these?”

While most students kept silent in an atmosphere where it felt like they would get scolded no matter what they said,

Bendi, the nerd meerkat beastman, stepped forward.

“I know them. From the left: Cloud Plum, Candy Grape, Summer-avi, Rock Fleabane, and Pigeon Flower.”

‘Accurate.’

Roan thought it was indeed a correct answer befitting a nerd.

Even if they were common, not many would know all of them.

In the first place, they were common only by Akerandir’s standards; if one went outside, they were quite rare and expensive.

Pluvang also nodded.

—Oh, Arsha will receive a talent.

—Wouldn’t that be the case?

The students thought Bendi would be praised since he had answered correctly.

“Such things are not important.”

—????

Of course, that was the result of looking down on Pluvang too much.

Then why did he ask?

There was a reason Roan hadn’t stepped forward in the first place.

“When you are starving for about half a year, are the names of these fruits important? If it is a fruit, wouldn’t you just put it in your mouth first?”

‘No, if you starve for half a year, you just die.’

The snail beastman Pluvang might not know, but a normal human wouldn’t survive even a full month of complete starvation.

“If a strong person whom you can never defeat is guarding these nearby, will you still distinguish each one before taking it? You should just look for the right moment, sweep them up, and run away.”

‘That is literally stealing.’

People had already agreed to call such actions stealing.

Even among thieves, it’s just a petty thief.

“Keep in mind. Gathering is an instinct. There is no need to nitpick over names. Instinctively judge whether that is necessary for you or useless garbage. In nature, those with too many thoughts fall behind.”

Pluvang spoke word by word very clearly in a highly serious tone.

At a glance, it sounded somewhat correct.

The problem was that his actions were incredibly suspicious.

—Sob…

—How preciously had I been raised…

—Nature, the preciousness of nature!

However, to the noble students who had only eaten food brought by servants and thought they could buy anything with money, it couldn’t be more touching.

…Of course, a minority of commoner students had expressions like Roan’s, wondering what kind of bullshit this was.

“I-I could gather even without gold coins!”

Demona also seemed deeply impressed by Pluvang’s teachings.

“If you are dragged away for gathering carelessly in the commercial district, I do not know.”

“Ah, is that not allowed?”

“…Do it if you are capable.”

“It means it’s not allowed.”

Pluvang, who completely shattered the students’ moral concepts!

Actually, even Pluvang did not gather carelessly in Akerandir’s commercial district.

As mentioned last time, there were numerous past heroes who looked like good-natured merchants there.

For Demona, it was out of the question.