159 | Connections

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MAX TAKES A SIP of water from his bottle while he continued to stare at the whiteboard in front of him. The 1st task has finally been completed, but instead of celebrating, Max went straight to their hideout and started planning for the second task.

     "Looks like things ended well. Maybe not for Thomas but for us," Keigo happily says while he finished the bento that he took from the Great Hall.

     "Who would have known that his older brother bought points in the past, and he's even proudly using those points now? I'm a serf, but if I was a gaffer just because of that then I'd be embarrassed too," Keigo then says, looking back at Max.

     Max writes something down on the whiteboard and crosses his arms. "I just hope after the deliberation he'll learn from his mistakes and try to redeem himself."

     "Well, if he doesn't end up getting expelled after his deliberation," Keigo says with a chuckle, closing his bento and throwing it into the trash.

     Max puts the marker down and looks back at his assistant. "That's unlikely. I asked someone if they could reconsider Thomas's deliberation and give him a lighter punishment. Despite what he did, it doesn't mean he's a terrible person. I was able to be with him when I entered the top 10, and I could tell that Thomas isn't entirely a bad person."

     "Are you a fucking saint?" Keigo manages to joke. "And who on earth did you ask for help? I don't think anyone would be able to—"

     "President Janus," Max answers, automatically making Keigo's eyes widen from shock.

     Keigo wanted to make a comment, but words couldn't come out of his mouth. For some reason, Keigo entirely forgot that J.S High literally has Max's surname on it. The most powerful man in their school is still related to him.

     "Anyway, we should focus on the next task now," Max says as he points to what was written on the board: (2) a boy who was "falsely accused" by those with a HIGHER POWER (??). His mouth is sealed, yet his truth is loud for those who are willing to hear it.

     "I don't know what this is about, but I feel like this is related to the first task," Max explains.

     "The first task? You think Daniel did something to this person too? Or do you mean Paradox?" Keigo wonders and Max shakes his head to disagree with it.

     "No, that's not what I was talking about. I meant the buying of points. Have you ever wondered where Daniel bought those points in the first place, or who he bought it from?" Max explains, and Keigo was surprised because it made sense.

     "Now that you mention it, you have a point," Keigo says as he takes a seat in front of his computer. "The task said that his mouth is sealed, yet his truth is loud for those who are willing to hear it. This could be one of the biggest hints."

     "It could mean he was vocal about this issue," Max says, and then his eyes widened when he realized something. "Could it be that he posted about this? Or maybe he posted a video online, something like that."

     "Oh, that's possible." Keigo excitedly says. He was about to type something on his computer, but he quickly stopped and scratched the back of his head like he realized something too. "That could be, but we have a problem. The Elites handle everything that happens online. If this person did post something about the injustice he experienced in J.S High, then the student council probably deleted it already. No one has successfully disclosed anything that happens in the houses. It's just impossible," Keigo explains.

     "Even for a genius hacker like you?" Max asks, and Keigo was moments away from blushing after hearing his crush call him a genius hacker, but he quickly shakes it off as he clears his throat and says, "I-I'm flattered, but what's deleted can't be found. Unless someone has a copy of it, but that's unlikely too."

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