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A lecture by Sir Julius, the Royal Knight Captain and the strongest among Rank 7s. It was something that not only the academy students, but any knight below Rank 6 would want to hear.
An offer to come to the academy and give lectures and training free of charge, despite his busy schedule.
Considering Sir Julius's position and influence, it was objectively a sufficient compensation. However, unfortunately, it wasn't for Grandis Academy.
Cash… money was the best.
"So it's monetary compensation."
"As you can see from the estimate, it includes not only filling the hole and replanting the trees, but also the labor costs, the cost of magic to accelerate the growth of the trees, the magic ship rental fee to get to the island, and a protest fee for Kaern Deste, who tried to deceive the Headmistress by mentioning the academy rules even after causing the damage."
"Hmm…"
"We can negotiate the estimate if you need to."
Honestly, even I thought the compensation was a bit high. Each item was necessary, but I inflated each item by 30-40%.
Am I a swindler? Honestly, yes. The Royal Knight Captain wouldn't be familiar with these prices, but he would know that it was an excessive amount. The reason I did this was that the Headmistress herself called Sir Julius a 'pushover.' I was testing the waters.
If Sir Julius were a stern person, I would have presented a normal estimate, but seeing his conversation with the Headmistress, he seemed quite easygoing, so I handed him this estimate.
More importantly, Kaern was the one at fault, so they couldn't argue strongly.
I secretly crumpled one of the two estimates I had prepared and placed a pen in front of Sir Julius.
"What are your thoughts?"
"...…."
Sir Julius seemed to be contemplating the amount on the estimate for a moment.
Then he held up two fingers.
'What? Does he mean half? Or is he saying he'll only pay 20%?'
The former would make him a bastard, and the latter would make him a son of a bitch.
Was he only acting like a pushover in front of the Headmistress? As the Royal Knight Captain, he should be strict in this kind of situation—
"I'll pay twice this amount."
"Thank you for your consideration, Sir Julius!"
"It's only natural considering my foolish disciple offended you, sister. Rather, I'm grateful for the Finance Director's consideration."
"Consideration, you say…?"
"You deliberately asked for such a low amount out of consideration for me. If you had actually accepted the free lectures I offered earlier, it would have been quite difficult to arrange the schedule and time. I understand why my sister trusts and entrusts you with her work."
Hmm, so…
He was calling this amount 'low'?
I, receiving Sir Julius's impressed gaze, quietly looked back at the Headmistress.
As if saying, "See? I told you," the Headmistress nodded, and I immediately smiled and faced Sir Julius.
Pushover Julius, Moneybags Julius, Money-printing Julius.
I understood why he had those nicknames when I briefly saw them in the strategy guide community.
I hereby retract calling Julius a pushover.
From today onwards, Julius's money and the academy's finances are one and the same.
An attack on Julius will be considered an attack on the academy…!
"As expected of Sir Julius. I've heard a lot about you from the Headmistress, but I never imagined you would grasp my intentions and offer the 'appropriate' amount."
"Haha, you flatter me, Finance Director."
"Not at all. I'm only a Rank 1, but I think I understand why you're called the Rank 7 closest to Rank 8, Sir Julius."
"You're praising me too much, I don't know what to say. Should I take this opportunity to show my sincerity to my sister?"
"Sincerity? As you know, Sir Julius, the Headmistress is the wealthiest person in the kingdom. This amount is enough."
"Your words make me even more motivated. It's Grandis Academy, where my sister is, not just any other place. I was actually troubled because my sister kept refusing my donations."
It was natural for the Headmistress to refuse donations. Even if it was a pure donation from Julius's perspective, it could be perceived differently by others.
If a Grandis Academy graduate joined the Royal Knights, there would be rumors that they were accepted because of a donation. It was something that other private academies did.
However, people were obsessed with finding flaws in those who were seen as upright and honest. They would point fingers and say that Grandis Academy, which had been operating solely on the Headmistress's assets without any subsidies or donations, was no different, and there would be more people trying to manipulate things with donations or subsidies.
Of course, with a 'justification' like compensation, it wasn't a donation, so there was no problem.
"I said twice the amount earlier, but I'll make it three times."
"Three times! As expected of the wealthiest person in the kingdom! But even for you, Sir Julius, wouldn't it be difficult to spend that much?"
"Haha! I was just lucky with my investments. Uh, about a month ago, I made a huge profit from futures trading, so I have quite a bit of extra funds."
…Futures trading?
My smile stiffened slightly, and the Headmistress's face turned pale as if her trauma had resurfaced.
Sir Julius, as a Rank 7, immediately noticed our change in expression and looked like he had stepped on a landmine.
"Uh, what kind of futures trading did you do a month ago…?"
"…Rock salt mining."
Oh dear.
You were involved in that too?
"C-come to think of it, I heard that there were a few investors who suffered huge losses because they couldn't receive their goods due to some accident that completely destroyed the mine…"
"...."
"Sister, could it be…?"
"Don't say another word…"
"…I'll pay five times the amount."
"Thank you, Sir Julius."
Lift your head, Headmistress. Of course, the amount you lost was much greater, but we did receive more compensation, didn't we?
It's a profit if we can use the money that's already gone in this way.
By the way, Julius managed to succeed.
'Is he just lucky with money, rather than having a knack for business?'
Of course, if he became the wealthiest person in the kingdom with that, it was more than just luck. However, it seemed like he spent money as easily as he earned it.
So this is why the Headmistress called him a pushover. Even though I praised him and we now had the rock salt mine as common ground, the compensation suddenly increased fivefold.
Should I thank Kaern for causing trouble?
Anyway, since we received a huge amount of compensation at the expense of the Headmistress's mental state…
"I express my deepest gratitude for your consideration, Sir Julius. I'll be taking my leave now, so please enjoy your reunion with the Headmistress."
"…Understood, Finance Director."
"I'll be waiting outside."
Click.
I left the Headmistress, whose mental state was shattered due to the rock salt mine incident, and opened the door.
Comfort her? Honestly, thinking about the two years' worth of budget that went down the drain, even if I tried to comfort her, I would naturally start nagging.
It would be much better for her to reminisce about old times with Sir Julius.
'Let's think about how to use the fivefold compensation.'
Isn't this true creative economics?
Kaern Deste, you're now the guardian of the academy's finances.
Can't you just destroy another building out of frustration?
***
The room after the Finance Director left.
As soon as he closed the door and left, the Headmistress raised a hand and snapped her fingers.
Immediately, the Aura emanating from her fingers covered the entire room.
"Bow your head."
"Bow your head!!"
Thud!
In the perfectly soundproofed room, Sir Julius immediately slammed his head on the floor without hesitation, and the Headmistress crossed her legs.
It was a completely different scene from when Adam was present.
"Julius, are you going to keep bringing out your old self?"
"I apologize!"
"What did you do wrong?"
"I don't know! I apologize!"
"I sent you a message right before entering the room, didn't I? To treat our Finance Director with utmost respect. And to act wisely."
"You certainly did!"
"And yet you immediately bow? Do you know how flustered I was?"
"I apologize!"
The Headmistress, without her usual honorifics, with an extremely fierce and arrogant expression looked down at Julius, who was sweating profusely and diligently bowing his head.
"The jokes are fine. It seems like the Finance Director didn't mind them. But bowing? What would the Finance Director think of me after seeing that? Ah, she's the kind of person who bosses around her younger brother's disciple, what would you do if he thought that?"
"I apologize!!"
"Haa… Let's do better. Okay?"
"Yes!!!"
"…Alright, you can get up now."
"Yes! Thank you for forgiving me!"
At the words of the Headmistress, who had returned to her usual self, Julius immediately stood up and bowed at a 90-degree angle.
It was a familiar sight, as if it were natural.
The Headmistress frowned slightly at the sight, but she naturally accepted the bow and gestured for him to sit.
"By the way, sister, is that Finance Director your…?"
"My what?"
"You know, even in the past, you weren't interested in men at all, so for you to go this far…"
"..."
"Could it be that you're embarrassed now? If Master saw this, he would be sure it was fake and draw his sword."
"Do you want to bow your head again?"
"…You've really changed a lot, sister."
Julius smiled faintly. It was even more so because he knew what kind of person the Headmistress was in the past.
The Mad Dragon, the Human Slaughterer, as she was called back then… remained a symbol of fear and a superior to Julius.
Honestly, even now, he got goosebumps thinking about her tearing apart monsters and bandits with a smile.
That woman became the Headmistress of the academy, changed her speech from informal to formal, and rarely resorted to violence. However, sometimes, when meeting with Julius, the Headmistress would return to her old self, as if taking off uncomfortable clothes.
So that's why he bowed. If it were her old self, she would have punched him for not bowing to a superior.
But now, even when meeting Julius, she was trying to maintain the appearance of the 'Headmistress,' not her old self.
'For that sister of mine to be so meek in front of that young man…'
More than the thought that this human tank was also a woman.
He felt a personal interest.
"So how far have you gotten?"
"…Julius."
"Come on, I'm a married man. I even saw my grandchild a few months ago. Compared to you, sister, who has never been with a man despite your age, I'm a step ahead in this regard."
"…We kissed."
"Oh! You've already gotten that far!?"
Honestly, it was hard to support them purely considering their ridiculous age gap, but.
If this tyrant, the Headmistress, became this docile with the sacrifice of one Finance Director, it would be a profitable deal.
"So, you'll be taking him down soon, then? Should I prepare a congratulatory gift?"
"W-we kissed, but…"
"…?"
"When the Finance Director was sleeping, I secretly… not on the lips, but on the forehead, cheeks, and the back of the neck… I did it."
"No way."
Aren't you being too creepy and childish for your age?
…If he said that, he would surely get beaten up, so Julius wisely changed the subject.
"Still, seeing the Finance Director earlier, he clearly seemed to have favorable feelings towards you, sister. Of course he does."
"Really!?"
"O-of course."
He didn't know if it was romantic interest, but there were definitely favorable feelings. He wasn't lying.
Julius almost gagged at the sight of the Headmistress beaming at the mere mention of favorable feelings, but he managed to hold it back.
'I should give that young friend some consolation money every time I see him from now on.'
Julius, offering a brief prayer for the Finance Director, looked at the Headmistress, who was smiling foolishly.
"But sister, there was something I wanted to tell you."
"Something to tell me?"
"It's a message from Master."
"From my younger brother?"
Until now, it was just casual conversation, but this was a serious matter, so…
Julius straightened his posture and spoke quietly.
"He says that the recent movements in the Delphia Kingdom are unsettling."
"…Hmm."
"But sister, isn't there a fourth princess of the Delphia Kingdom at the academy? It seems like Master is worried about that."
"That Aken fellow also asked me a favor. To keep the fourth princess at the academy."
"He said that since Master's territory borders the Delphia Kingdom, he would contact you immediately if anything happened. Please be aware of that as well, sister."
"Tell my younger brother I'm grateful."
Ah, and.
There was one small question.
"But sister, why are you receiving compensation in money instead of my lectures? Did you run out of your vast fortune?"
"…That's impossible, isn't it? As you said earlier, it would be great if you could come and teach directly, but it's realistically impossible. It's cleanest to settle it with money."
"Oh, why are you reacting so seriously to a joke? Well, unless you were practically throwing money away, you wouldn't run out of all that gold and treasure. Haha!"
"Th-that's right."
With that last joke, both the Headmistress and Julius stood up. They had said what they needed to say, and there was nothing more to discuss.
The Finance Director told them to continue their reunion, but the Headmistress wouldn't want to talk about the past. Because if she did, there was someone she would inevitably have to talk about.
Her colleague who traveled with the Headmistress, Margravine Claudia, and Julius.
The mage who helped the Headmistress the most in establishing the academy, the one whose memento the Headmistress still cherished.
Neither Julius nor the Headmistress wanted to talk about her again.
***
When I stepped out of the room, the Captain of the 1st Security Unit, who was guarding the probably safest room in the world, was there.
As soon as she saw me, she shouted in a voice filled with excitement, despite the echo from her helmet.
"Adam! Is it over!?"
"The Headmistress is still inside. I don't know how much longer it will take… but…"
Was she planning to enter the room wearing that thick armor?
It didn't seem like she could even sit on a chair. Come to think of it, how did she even live her daily life?
"…Captain of the 1st Security Unit, just in case, may I ask if you're planning to meet Sir Julius in that state?"
"I once dreamed of joining the Royal Knights. What's wrong with meeting him in armor as a knight?"
"Let's be precise with our words. You were dismissed from the Knights, so aren't you a former knight? You should at least take off your helmet."
"Th-that's…"
Well, I knew better than anyone why she couldn't take off her helmet. It was truly an unavoidable accident that I saw inside the 1st Security Captain's helmet when I was a student.
She's been obsessed with me ever since. It's quite persistent that her grudge continued even now that I'm the Finance Director.
There was something I wanted to ask.
"Captain of the 1st Security Unit, have there been any unusual incidents during your recent patrols?"
"Unusual incidents? There were some, but I reported them, so you should know, Adam. Why do you ask?"
"I've been feeling an ominous feeling since earlier."
I tried to ignore it, but it kept bothering me.
A feeling that I had forgotten something important, this uneasiness.
I was going to check as soon as I returned to the academy with the Headmistress, but I asked just in case.
It had been five years since I transmigrated into . My hair, which was black, was completely bleached, and I had forgotten a lot of the game's knowledge due to studying during my academy days and being overwhelmed with work as the Finance Director.
I felt uneasy, wondering if there was an important event among the knowledge I had forgotten.
And the Captain of the 1st Security Unit said,
"An ominous feeling? Then isn't it because of that thing coming up, not a security issue?"
"…That thing? What is that?"
"Oh right, you said you were stuck in your office the whole time during that last year, right? But as the Finance Director, shouldn't you remember?"
"What?"
Wait, what's coming up in the recent academic schedule?
I couldn't remember clearly because I had forgotten about work and rested comfortably on the deserted island for a week. Even after returning, I was busy with the piled-up paperwork instead of looking at the calendar.
If it was something important enough for the Captain of the 1st Security Unit to mention it like this, something that would happen after the midterm exams…
Ah.
"There's the academy festival next month, isn't there? Is that why you feel ominous? Is something going to happen at the festival?"
"…No."
"Huh?"
"That damn festival itself is ominous."
Shit, that's right. The festival.
The festival that started every year after the first semester midterm exams, a party for the students filled with class suspensions, drinking, singing, and dancing.
And a critical hit to the finances, a completely unnecessary event with only losses and no profit.
"I'm about to submit the Security Unit's festival patrol plan. Please take care of that…"
"No, there's no need for that."
"What?"
"A festival? Such a thing is only harmful to the academy."
A festival? There's no need for such a thing as long as I'm the Finance Director.
Last year, I couldn't even think about it because I was busy adapting to the work itself, but this year is different.
"Let's just get rid of the festival itself."
"…What?"