4. It's Not an Attack, It's the Entrance Ceremony
4. It's Not an Attack, It's the Entrance Ceremony
For a moment, I suspected the Chairwoman's doppelgänger, but my misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.
"Of course, the students' safety must be absolutely guaranteed."
"Thank goodness."
"Finance Director? Why the sudden sigh... and more importantly, why are you gripping that document binder like that? As if you were about to strike me with its corner."
"That's exactly what I intended. It's a chronic condition all office workers suffer from—pay it no mind."
"I don't have that condition."
"That's because you have no superior, Chairwoman."
"Ah."
Well, in any case.
That aside, the method the Chairwoman proposed was quite sound.
We were already exchanging bribes, so this was about charging a price in return for giving advance information about the entrance ceremony—a way to demonstrate how useful I could be while making the other party truly feel we were now in the same boat.
"But will this really be all right? This is essentially leaking exam content—practically grade manipulation. It's exactly the sort of thing you despise, Chairwoman..."
"It's fine. No matter how they deal with the illusions at the ceremony, I have no intention of assigning scores for it."
"Pardon?"
"So it's not an evaluation—it's part of the instruction. We might give a few points for attitude, but never enough to affect rankings or grades."
In other words, this wasn't leaking "exam" content; it was merely leaking "lesson" content.
Getting midterm information in advance would be a serious problem, but receiving a heads-up that there'd be a pop quiz during today's class wouldn't cause much harm. Though this act still went against the Chairwoman's educational convictions, she had apparently managed to compromise.
'If her convictions hadn't been so strong, she never would have let the finances get to this point.'
If the Chairwoman's principles could ever bend even a little, she'd have raised tuition long ago, or aggressively collected donations, or found other revenue streams to keep the academy running. Then again, Grandis Academy wouldn't hold its current prestige if she had. The present Grandis Academy was the result of pouring every bit of its finances into education and its students without reserve.
But because that wasn't the case—because she was someone who would accept zero compromise when it came to education and students—she was able to come this far.
...And the price is the current bankruptcy crisis, but anyway.
The academy can still hold out for three years, and the Chairwoman has made a tiny compromise.
I wish I could just say we followed the Chairwoman's plan and solved everything, but.
"If we go with your plan, Chairwoman, we'd profit."
"Just as I thought, right?!"
"Which means it's time to address the things we've been deliberately ignoring."
"Ignoring...?"
"To make a sudden monster attack feel natural—even if illusory—we'll have to destroy the ceremony hall. We'll have to manage two thousand new students so they don't get injured or trampled while panicking and fleeing. We'll have to accept the risk of psychological trauma. And we'll have to resolve the problem of administration students finding it extremely difficult to earn even those attitude points."
"..."
The Chairwoman fell silent. Not because she had nothing to say.
She had begun to compromise little by little, but the safety of her students and the quality of education were her absolute top priorities. There was no way she hadn't considered the problems I was raising.
That meant she already had solutions. She did, however.
Telling me about them right now would have been pointless.
"...We'll need to convene a department head meeting."
"Exactly."
This wasn't something we could handle between the two of us, like the bribe.
The entrance ceremony would involve two thousand new students, nearly every professor in the academy, and numerous distinguished guests. The decision to stage an illusory monster attack in such a setting wasn't one even the Chairwoman could make alone.
Strictly speaking, she could make it, but the aftermath would be harrowing. Just imagining the professors mistaking the monster for real and rushing in, or the guests fainting in shock, sent a chill down my spine.
Hence, the department head meeting was necessary.
"The Head of Academic Affairs, the Planning Department Head, the First Guard Unit Commander, and Professor Alon—the party directly involved—should be sufficient."
"Just in case, we should also call the Medical Department Head..."
"In that case, I will not be participating. Is that acceptable?"
"...Once it's settled, I'll convey the outcome to you separately."
Letting personal likes and dislikes interfere with an important meeting is a disqualifier for any working adult, but even factoring that in, that woman scared me.
The Chairwoman also nodded, knowing full well what I had suffered at that woman's hands. Because the Chairwoman was the only one who could hold a normal conversation with that lunatic.
In any case, the meeting was set.
"I'll handle the communications. Please head straight to the meeting room."
"I'll leave it to you, Finance Director."
"By the way, Chairwoman, that was unexpected. What gave you the idea of extracting more bribes?"
"It was nothing! I just thought about how I'd squeeze out more money if I were the Finance Director, that's all! Compared to what you always do, it's a drop in the bucket!"
"I... see. It's evidence of your growth."
"But thinking it through myself, I realized something: only the Finance Director is capable of such gloomy, wicked, money-crazed thoughts! Still, I'll help as much as I can within the bounds of student safety!"
...Strange. That sounded like excellent news—the Chairwoman actively offering to help.
So why do I feel so offended?
"More importantly, Chairwoman, there's something I should mention before the meeting."
"Finance Director?"
"In addition to your plan, I thought of a piece of advice."
"───Hm, as I expected."
"What do you think?"
"As expected of the money-crazed Finance Director! I had faith in you! I'm still a long way off!"
"..."
*
Grandis Academy had a number of departments.
The Office of Academic Affairs, handling the academy's overall operations.
The Student Affairs Department, in charge of student-related matters.
The Planning Department, responsible for events, festivals, and communications with alumni.
The Guard Corps, managing the academy's security and patrols.
The Exam Office, overseeing all types of examinations.
And even the Food Supplies Management Office, which tracked and ordered all food, office supplies, and daily necessities in the academy.
There were smaller subdivisions beneath each, but broadly, Grandis Academy operated under these six departments.
At least, it did until last year.
"At this time, I call to order the meeting on the realization of the illusory monster attack event at the entrance ceremony. I, Adam Caines, will serve as facilitator."
A department established just last year: the Finance Department.
A department consisting of only one person, yet one whose influence no corner of the academy could afford to ignore.
And so Adam Caines, the Finance Director—a man who had been a political hot potato due to his utterly unprecedented appointment—took his place at the head of the table.
In one of the countless meeting rooms of Grandis Academy: the highest-status room, reserved exclusively for meetings of department heads.
A middle-aged man in a formal suit raised his hand first.
"Head of Academic Affairs, you have the floor."
"The Office of Academic Affairs wishes to declare its vehement opposition to this event. Furthermore, Finance Director, are you truly accepting Professor Alon's absurd, preposterous proposal?"
"Wh—preposterous...?!"
Professor Alon, visibly more nervous than anyone else present, bristled and raised his voice, but the Head of Academic Affairs, his expression grave, did not even glance his way.
He only stared fixedly at me, standing at the head of the table.
"I am merely participating here as a facilitator, but I believe I can answer that question. I set conditions, and I have not yet heard a response."
"Conditions?"
"Professor Alon's proposal was to donate twenty percent of all future investments into the Illusion Magic Department."
"Twenty percent?"
The figure must have been unexpected. The Head of Academic Affairs muttered the words "twenty percent" and fell into thought for a moment.
Beside him, a man who had been sitting with narrowed eyes and a cheery grin raised his hand next.
"Twenty percent, hm. Finance Director, I have a question."
"This meeting is not a Q&A session aimed at me."
"It was the Head of Academic Affairs and I who sent Professor Alon to you, so I ask for your understanding."
"...In that case, speak."
"Surely you didn't accept the twenty-percent proposal as is? Knowing the Finance Director that I do..."
"I'm not sure why you're trailing off, but the conditions I added were an explicitly stipulated 30-year term, an increase in the percentage should the target investment sum fail to be met, and the rights to the name."
"Oho, you went surprisingly easy on him, then. Professor Alon, you've been lucky, haven't you?"
"Planning Department Head...? What do you mean by that?"
"Regrettably, the man named Adam Caines that I've seen possesses not a shred of compromise or consideration, at least in financial matters. The fact that it ended on terms like these likely means he showed some leniency since we're all still part of the same academy."
"Ghk...!"
"That aside, Professor Alon, you're truly remarkable. I did tell you to go see the Finance Director, but I never imagined you'd actually go... with the way I phrased it, I thought I'd neatly deflected you."
While the perpetually squinting, laughing Planning Department Head snickered, the Head of Academic Affairs remained lost in thought over something.
Professor Alon, upon hearing the Planning Department Head's words, broke out in a cold sweat and kept stealing glances at me.
And amid that strange atmosphere, a heavily armored knight, clad head to toe in full plate mail and a helmet—attire utterly out of place in this room—raised a hand.
"First Guard Unit Commander, you have the floor."
"I don't know much about all this investment money and percentages. I want to ask about something else."
"What is it?"
The voice that came from inside that plate armor was a woman's.
It was a considerable surprise, yet no one in the room—including Professor Alon—seemed startled by the fact.
After all, the First Guard Unit Commander was one of the academy's 'local fixtures.'
"This illusory monster attack. Looking at the report, if this plan goes ahead, massive chaos is predicted inside the hall."
"That is exceedingly likely."
"The intent is good. And it's only the intent that's good, dammit. That ceremony hall is wide, but two thousand people—two thousand!—are all packed in there! It's obvious what kind of pandemonium will break out if a monster, a Manticore no less, suddenly attacks!"
Crack!
Unable to contain her agitation, the First Guard Unit Commander crushed the armrest of her chair with raw grip strength and turned her head toward Professor Alon, who had been standing there like a convict this whole time, her gaze burning from inside her helmet.
"You call yourself a professor, you bastard, and you didn't even think about that?"
"Th-this is a misunderstanding! The proposal I originally submitted clearly included safety measures for the students..."
"The part where the First Guard Unit intervenes and quells the chaos? That one single line is your entire plan? No matter what stage of planning it's at, did you think I'd be thrilled with something like this? Huh?"
"You're being too harsh! You make it sound as though I'm neglecting the students' safety...!"
"Then what else would you call it? Even if those two thousand people in the crowd have the skills to enter Grandis Academy, they're still kids in the end. Kids who'll panic, shove everyone around them, and try to force their way out of the hall. They'll tangle together, crush against each other, and the First Guard Unit won't even be able to get in there, let alone intervene!"
"That..."
"I don't care how many eccentric freaks there are among the magic department professors—this crosses the line! What was that? Twenty percent of investment money? Appeal of illusion magic? Just die by my hand!"
"W-wait just a moment?!"
"First Guard Unit Commander, the use of force is strictly prohibited during this meeting. Take your seat."
"You little brat who's barely dry behind the ears—you think you can order me around just because you've got the Finance Director title?"
"Yes, exactly. Now that you understand, sit down quietly."
"You punk, even when you were attending the academy you caused nothing but trouble───"
"What do you think you're doing in front of me right now?"
"───!!"
In an instant.
The body of the enraged First Guard Unit Commander, who had been about to advance on me, shuddered.
And it wasn't just her. Professor Alon's cold sweat worsened, the Planning Department Head—still squinting—quietly erased his smile, and the Head of Academic Affairs bowed his head with the utmost deference.
It was easy to forget since I'd been answering questions nonstop, but I was not the host of this meeting. Why else would I have volunteered to be the facilitator?
The Chairwoman, sitting silent in the highest seat at the head of the meeting room, dominated the very air of this chamber with a single word.
'Ah, it's hard to breathe.'
That wasn't a figure of speech. The atmosphere inside the meeting room physically moved according to the Chairwoman's will.
A heavy air that made even breathing oppressive. It was not the result of any action, but merely the aftereffect of the pressure she had casually exuded.
She might get roasted by me every day, but the Chairwoman was one of only four 8th Rank individuals in this vast kingdom, and among them, she was considered the strongest.
The reason even the royal family couldn't treat her carelessly was because if the Chairwoman truly set her mind to staging a coup, the nation itself could be destroyed.
The First Guard Unit Commander's plate armor trembled under the pressure before snapping into a rigid, disciplined posture and bending at the waist toward the Chairwoman.
"...My deepest apologies, Chairwoman. I have committed an act of disrespect."
"I'm disappointed, First Guard Unit Commander. To think you were someone who amounted to no more than this."
"Th-that is..."
"Return to your seat. That is not a request—it's a command."
"...Yes."
That's the Chairwoman for you. She does earn her keep, after all.
Fiercely pressuring the First Guard Unit Commander while discreetly shooting me a thumbs-up under the table, as if to say, Did I do well?—I allowed myself a bitter smile and continued.
"Now, the Chairwoman, as the convener of this meeting, will speak."
"I'll give you the conclusion first. If the safety issue the First Guard Unit Commander raised is the concern, there's no need to worry."
"May we hear the reason?"
The only ones present who could even tack on a follow-up remark to the Chairwoman's words were the most senior Head of Academic Affairs and myself, her closest aide. No matter if they were the Planning Department Head or the First Guard Unit Commander, they could not rudely interrupt the Chairwoman.
I may have said this several times, but she only acts a bit like a scatterbrain in front of me—the Chairwoman rules the academy as an iron-willed tyrant.
At any rate, as the Head of Academic Affairs appropriately received her statement, the Chairwoman nodded slightly and declared:
"Because I will personally handle it."
A grandiose proclamation: that she alone would take full responsibility for the safety of the two thousand people attending the entrance ceremony.
The First Guard Unit Commander had just laid out all manner of practical objections, yet the Chairwoman was entirely composed, as if such things weren't worth her notice.
This was not because the Chairwoman had suddenly gone mad and was ignoring student safety, nor because she was turning a blind eye to practical problems.
Simply put.
"If the Chairwoman says she will personally handle it, that is more than sufficient."
The Head of Academic Affairs' words were not shallow flattery.
Just like the readily agreeing Planning Department Head and First Guard Unit Commander, or the relieved Professor Alon.
It was because the Chairwoman personally stepping in truly was sufficient.
'I've already heard up to this point.'
Two thousand people wouldn't be a problem at all. Safety would be absolutely guaranteed.
However, during the entrance ceremony, the Chairwoman wouldn't simply be sitting still. She had her own role to play, conversations to hold with the kingdom's distinguished guests.
And to set all that aside to guarantee student safety during an illusory monster attack—
"Therefore, Professor Alon."
"Y-yes!"
"With so little time remaining until the ceremony, I believe there is no method beyond my personal intervention that could guarantee the students' safety."
"Th-that's right! A wise judgment!"
"Then we must discuss the conditions again."
"Pardon...?"
"Forty percent. Of the investment funds."
"...!!!"
"My time is quite expensive, you see?"
This, right here—
was the "advice" I had given the Chairwoman.