A Deal Worth Making # 2
“Lucian student. What… what did you just say?”
Professor Milaze’s expression twists in a way I’ve never seen before.
It’s as if I’ve dropped something that shouldn’t be possible. The look on her face, stunned and utterly bewildered, makes me wonder if I misheard.
Most professors here keep their emotions tightly reined in. And elves, after all, are famous for that perpetual, unreadable smile.
Yet an elf professor like Milaze is wearing this expression. That alone proves just how shaken she is.
“I’m telling you, there might be a way to meet Prime Minister Ju Cloud Low Dragonschultz. Professor Milaze.”
“…”
I watch her stare at me in silence.
Is she joking? Testing me, perhaps?
But a freshman student—especially a new one—mocking a professor? Professor Milaze knows that better than anyone, so she quickly recovers, her gaze steady once more as she speaks.
“You wouldn’t dare joke with a professor, Lucian student.”
“Of course not.”
“Then tell me the detail again. The part about the method.”
“Exactly as I said. There might be a way. I can’t promise it will work.”
“That makes sense. Even the current king has trouble arranging meetings with him.”
That’s true. The old man, Cloud, is the kind of person you’d have to beg the current king Seor a few times before he’d even consider stepping foot in the academy.
Powerful, yes. But he’s also the type who hates crowds and hides away in some quiet corner of the capital.
Every time someone comes looking for him, he runs. That’s why he’s so elusive.
“Go on, Lucian. Tell me about the method you’re talking about.”
“The Academic Conference.”
“The Academic Conference?”
Minerva Academy has many events, but one stands out for stirring the minds of both students and professors—the Academic Conference.
That’s why I’m bringing it up now.
“From what I heard, the Academic Conference is held after the midterms end.”
“You’re right. It’s one of the academy’s most important annual events, always held right as summer begins.”
“And at the conference, the academy invites prominent figures from the kingdom. I also heard that fourth-years, assistants, or even professors will present papers there. Is that accurate, Professor?”
Professor Milaze nods, confirming my words.
Presenting a paper that’s well-received can earn the author support from noble houses—or, if things go exceptionally well, even royal patronage.
The kingdom is always hungry for talent, so any paper judged worthy of support draws crowds of sponsors from every corner of the realm.
That’s how big names from across the kingdom sometimes show up to the conference.
The academy even announces ahead of time who will present what, so people can plan to attend.
“What I’m proposing is this: prepare and present that paper before the conference begins. Right here.”
“Before the conference? Even if I rush it, a paper like that would take months…”
“Two months. That’s all it needs.”
“Two months seems awfully tight. Is there a reason you’re pushing for such a deadline?”
“A few people I’ve met while writing my own papers have told me stories. One of them was once an aide to the late Prime Minister Ju Cloud Low Dragonschultz. We’re on pretty good terms, she says.”
“Ah… now that I think about it, you’re from the Deodore viscountcy. Your connections must be quite extensive. More than I expected. I’m surprised though—someone who served as an aide to that man?”
“Aide, yes. My brother Edwin served beside Father in the military, so that’s the connection.”
I’m not lying, not exactly. I’m simply omitting a detail here and there.
“I’ll ask her if I may. And if Professor Milaze has written something a bit different about the late Prime Minister—something that even touches on his greatest achievement, like the law of naturalization, written by an elf who settled in the kingdom. Would that not pique his interest even a little?”
“Hmmm…”
That’s a tall order from the professor’s perspective.
If someone as ordinary as me could pull this off, why couldn’t anyone else use the same method?
That’s why I deliberately highlighted the “elf” part.
Elves are notoriously proud. They consider themselves the most superior race and have always looked down on humans, no matter what humans do or what heroes arise.
So if an elf—one of their own—calls the kingdom’s hero and announces a paper about the late Prime Minister, he might at least show a flicker of interest.
“It’s a bit unlikely… but the old man might come to the conference just to see who’s presenting on him. Of course, the chance is slim, but still.”
“That’s true. He’s the late Prime Minister Ju Cloud Low Dragonschultz, after all.”
To be honest, I’m worried he might not come even if I ask. He’s extreme in his laziness, and retirement has only made him worse.
I was already unsure when I requested this meeting, but he accepted without hesitation. Maybe there’s more to it than I think.
If he attends the conference, every eye in the academy will turn to him. And the massive hassle that will bring will drive the old man insane.
So even if he does show up, can I really be sure he’ll do it? Nothing is certain.
Professor Milaze murmurs that she’ll think it over, then suddenly meets my eyes and studies my face in silence.
“So… what exactly do you want from me, Lucian student?”
“What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t say something like that without wanting anything in return.”
“No. I was simply moved by your passion for scholarship and wondered if there might be something I could do to help.”
“So all of this was just polite kindness from you, Lucian student?”
“No. It’s respect from a student toward a professor’s dedication. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Of course it’s a lie. Could it really be nothing but kindness? And why would I show respect without reason?
As I’ve said before, Professor Milaze Eindhoven is considered a pioneer among elves in our time.
Relations between the elves and the kingdom had frozen over. As someone who lived among elves, she must have felt an overwhelming debt of gratitude toward the professor who, until now, had seemed like a traitor.
She even sent their own princess to Minerva Academy because of Milaze.
“I was so sorry I had almost no elven friends.”
The Deodore family has built strong connections across the kingdom. Our influence reaches beyond foreign affairs and into domestic matters.
But the part that aches is our ties with the elves. When it was time to dispatch someone to the Minas Elf Kingdom, Father’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse.
He had to withdraw, and a replacement had to be sent at once. It wasn’t a major mistake or breach of protocol—just that our chance to build bridges with the elves had been lost.
“Be honest. When someone offers you a deal, you should offer something in return.”
“A student offering a professor…”
“Right now, you’re the one helping my paper. So tell me, Lucian Theodore von Deodore.”
“Um…”
I try to look thoughtful, keeping a close eye on Professor Milaze’s reaction. I’m sure she knows I’m bluffing, but I want to give her a chance to feel respected.
That’s the only way I can tell whether this is real respect or just something she wants in return.
The clear difference between my past ordinary life and the life of a noble here—and the common ground between them—have let me stay ahead of everyone else.
“Actually… I’m preparing a paper of my own, Professor.”
“No way. As a student, you’re already busy with lectures, assignments, and exams. And you’re training in swordsmanship on top of that. You must be exhausted.”
“That’s what I said. I’m short on time, but if time is lacking, splitting the work is the right way. Isn’t that how you prepared your papers, Professor?”
Students are busy; professors are busier. Minerva only accepts those with real talent, so they must be able to teach while enjoying some freedom.
They also risk losing their positions if their own research isn’t strong enough.
That’s why Professor Milaze, who writes papers while holding a teaching position, is truly impressive.
Someone with that kind of passion would surely want to repay anyone who helps.
“My next paper topic is about the relationship between Lebechia and the Minas Elf Kingdom.”
“You’re working on a historical paper?”
“Yes, that’s right, Professor.”
“Would you need academic help like I did, Lucian student?”
“Something like that. Precisely—an elf who knows the situation well but doesn’t bring up sensitive topics. I want to write simply and ordinarily about what elves and humans in Lebechia actually feel. No grand speeches about diplomacy or history or war.”
“Hmmm…”
Professor Milaze falls silent, lost in thought.
That’s not an impossible request, and it carries genuine academic value, so as an academy professor she’ll naturally consider it.
“If that’s the case, I can probably help without much trouble.”
Finally, the answer I wanted.
But she’s a professor. She won’t simply hand over an elf like that.
She’ll introduce someone from a respectable family in the Minas Elf Kingdom.
“There are quite a few elven students at the academy, aren’t there?”
“And every single one of them comes from a respectable house in Minas.”
These students—or rather, the ones I can get close to among the seniors—wouldn’t be a bad choice at all.
“I’m relieved to hear that from Professor Milaze. Then, once the Academic Conference is over and you’ve had time to spare, I’d be most grateful if you’d fulfill my request…”
“Hold on a moment. I think I can handle your request by tomorrow.”
…What?