15. Finance Director Fan Club (Not Really)
15. Finance Director Fan Club (Not Really)
Gregory Claudia, one of only four 8th Rank beings in the Kingdom and its Margrave.
And Sir Julius, the Royal Knight Commander, currently rated the 7th Rank closest to 8th Rank.
Two men whose presence would command attention anywhere were bowing their heads frantically.
Beyond them, their "Nunim" sighed and flicked a finger.
"Get up."
""Get up!!""
The Chairwoman clicked her tongue boredly at Gregory and Julius's sharp, disciplined response.
Her eyes turned toward the Margrave, Gregory Claudia.
"Julius, I can understand you coming as that little prince's guard... but Gregory, you came yourself."
"Your academy suffered a terrorist attack, Nunim. I thought it only natural to come."
"Of course it is. It's only natural, but it seems that's not your only purpose."
"............."
"See? Ever since the old days, your mustache twitches when you have something to feel guilty about."
"...Did my mustache just twitch?"
"No? That was all a lie. But I suppose you really do feel guilty?"
"Haah... I can never win against you, Nunim."
In truth, he didn't mean he couldn't win an argument; he was afraid that if he picked a fight, her fist would fly.
Gregory, wisely handling it like the 8th Rank he was, looked somewhat serious.
"I had intended to come from the start, but His Majesty ordered me to head straight to the academy. He told me to accept some damage to the villages near the border."
"Aken Delminos...."
"The reason is obvious. It's because of the troublesome guest from the Empire."
"You mean the Archmage, right? But there's also the 'Druid' and the 'Guardian Deity' among the 8th Ranks besides you."
"The Druid left the kingdom a while ago. Probably on one of his usual journeys. And the Guardian Deity... I'll assume that's a joke. How could it possibly come to the academy?"
"It was a joke, a joke. In any case, if they called you to check the Empire's 8th Rank...."
Ha.
The Chairwoman let out a hollow laugh as if in disbelief, then quietly lowered her voice.
"...Does the royal family see me as a toothless tiger? That I'd be pushed back by a mere Archmage?"
"Are you mad? Anyone who sees the basin you made would find that thought stranger."
"Oh? I-is that so?"
"Rather, it's probably to help you, Nunim. The royal family can't possibly not know of my close relationship with you. In fact, they seemed anxious that you might be extremely angry or heartbroken."
"Wait."
The Chairwoman, listening to Gregory, interrupted him. She felt something off about his words.
According to Gregory, the royal family intended to help her. But just yesterday, in her conversation with the Finance Director, had they not worried that the royal family might use the academy's terrorist attack as a pretext to intervene through donations and such?
It wasn't something she could dismiss as mere speculation. The Chairwoman knew the royal family all too well. They were the sort who would do exactly that. The current situation, where they were purely worried about her, was strange.
So then.
"...So they need my power. Something urgent must have come up for the royal family."
"As expected of Nunim."
If the royal family, who had desperately tried to keep the Chairwoman in check, suddenly changed their attitude, there could only be one reason.
Because a "matter" had arisen that required the Chairwoman's power. After all, she was one of the kingdom's 8th Ranks.
And the Chairwoman had an idea.
"It's about the Delphia Kingdom?"
"Yes. I told you through Julius last time."
"I conveyed it exactly as you said, Master!"
"...Anyway, as this ignorant disciple says, ominous movements have been observed in the Delphia Kingdom for some time now. And they're growing."
"But it's only a neighboring kingdom's affair. Why do they need my power?"
"......His Majesty is considering deploying troops to the Delphia Kingdom in case of emergency. Naturally, under the pretext of maintaining peace."
"What?"
"Of course, they wouldn't put you at the vanguard, but since troops are being deployed, they seem to want to leave a final means to recover even if things go wrong. And that is...."
"Me, then. And the bait is this donation?"
"That's correct."
In the end, the royal family's contact just a day after the terror attack wasn't to show off their intelligence or out of wariness. It was simply because the matter was that urgent.
That was why the Chairwoman could only frown.
"Then the one to be most careful about at this ball isn't the Archmage, but...."
"He who came all the way to a foreign academy, even though the whole kingdom is in an uneasy mood."
"The Crown Prince of the Delphia Kingdom."
*
Hmm, so.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince Zeke... if I may dare to call you that?"
"You may."
"Thank you. This humble academy's Finance Director greets the noble one from the Delphia Kingdom."
"There is no need for useless flattery. You are a person worthy of respect."
"You flatter me. Thank you."
Dry, unkempt gray hair, a monocle, and dark circles under his eyes.
This gloomy-looking man, who looked as if he was screaming, "I am utterly exhausted──"
Amatrius Delphia Zeke. Crown Prince of the Delphia Kingdom and heir to the throne.
"But why me?"
Well, okay. I know he's a great and important person.
But why does he want to meet me, of all people? Even when visiting elsewhere, does one specifically request to meet the Finance Director?
This was annoying, but I could think of two possibilities.
Either the crown prince is deeply interested in finance and economics and wants to hear the tales of a foreign academy's Finance Director...
"I hear you meet frequently with my foolish little sister."
"Yes, that's correct."
...Or he knows about my relationship with Beatrice.
But it's not much of a relationship, really. We just exchange shiny things. Is that a problem? That's just a normal relationship.
"And I heard an interesting rumor."
"What rumor would that be?"
"The insolent rumor that my foolish sister has overcome her chronic disease."
I figured as much.
Crown Prince Zeke had just arrived at Grandis Academy. As a foreigner, he was in a difficult position to know Beatrice's situation in detail.
Even if Beatrice were important, she's the Fourth Princess and has been sent abroad as a hostage to the point of being ignored by the Delphia royal family. So how did he find out that Beatrice overcame her chronic disease?
That was obvious. I glanced briefly at one of the attendants standing behind Crown Prince Zeke.
Though their face was hidden by a robe, the figure looked familiar.
"Was it Susanne?"
Her servant, who was with us when I first met Beatrice.
She was close enough to Beatrice to come with her to the academy, and she was there when we talked about bribes, so Beatrice seemed to trust her quite a bit.
But now Susanne is behind Crown Prince Zeke.
"What should I do?"
I don't know who Crown Prince Zeke is. He wasn't even mentioned in Dark Kingdom. Judging by how he called her a foolish sister, he doesn't seem to be on good terms with Beatrice, but I couldn't be sure to what extent.
He's not from the academy but a foreign figure, and a crown prince at that. If I mishandle this, it could cause a huge problem.
Shit, but why the hell did he come to me? Wouldn't it be better to meet Beatrice's assigned professor or the Chairwoman? Even Susanne shouldn't know that I taught Beatrice how to overcome her chronic disease.
"It was such an outrageous rumor that most dismissed it with a laugh. Even with the entire Delphia Kingdom's full efforts, it was impossible. To think a mere educational institution could accomplish it in a few months—no one believed it."
"You are absolutely correct."
"So I have a bold request to make."
"Please, go ahead."
A request? What could it be? Did he feel threatened by Beatrice overcoming her chronic disease? Does he want me to send her back to the Delphia Kingdom?
Sending her back is no problem in itself, but I feel like I could still squeeze out more bribes. Could you take her a bit later?
While I was mulling over various possibilities and wracking my lowly 1st Rank brain...
"I want you to keep Beatrice at the academy a little longer."
"Pardon...?"
"I heard you are the Chairwoman's closest aide. If you plead with her properly, you could prevent Beatrice's repatriation."
"Wait, repatriation?"
"A telegram came from your kingdom a few days ago. It said that since the border dispute issue has been fully resolved, they would send Beatrice back, whom they had taken as a hostage."
"......!!"
What? Those royal bastards.
How dare they try to send my bribery target away without my permission?
"So far, I'm the only one who knows, but if Beatrice is repatriated, everyone will learn the truth of that rumor. I intend to use the Chairwoman's power to overturn the kingdom's decision."
"...Is that so."
"Of course, I am not asking empty-handed. Since this is a matter that will pit you and the Chairwoman against the kingdom, I promise sufficient compensation."
With a quiet motion.
At Crown Prince Zeke's gesture, the robe-clad Susanne took something from another attendant and placed it on the table.
...It was a check. Guaranteed by the Delphia Kingdom itself.
"You can cash it immediately at the Imperial Bank. I will pay this amount every month."
The amount written on the check was truly significant. It was about half of the academy's monthly operating expenses. If I accepted this alone, the academy would escape its immediate bankruptcy crisis by a large margin.
And if such a sum is paid every month, I could run the academy far more stably than with all the schemes I've done so far.
I stared at the check for a moment, lost in thought.
"Double it."
"...What?"
"No more, no less. I'll take exactly double. That should be fine, right?"
"............."
At my counter-offer, Crown Prince Zeke looked both very flustered and utterly incredulous.
That was only natural. Demanding double of a sum that was by no means small was enough to make anyone suspect you were crazy. If I had been in his shoes, I wouldn't have hesitated to smash the other guy's head in with the nearest object.
But Crown Prince Zeke showed no other reaction.
It seemed almost as if he was telling me to keep talking.
So I decided to oblige him.
"If your purpose was truly just that, there would have been no need for you to seek me out, Your Highness."
"...You are the Chairwoman's closest aide. Was there a better choice?"
"Of course there is. The Chairwoman herself."
If you think about it, yes. A request to the Chairwoman through me? There's no reason to do that. The Crown Prince of the Delphia Kingdom isn't some nobody; even for the Chairwoman, he's someone who should be met face-to-face.
Afraid of arousing suspicion if he meets the Chairwoman? Think about why Crown Prince Zeke came to the academy in the first place. It's to console the academy after the terrorist attack and give a donation. The crown prince himself came for that, so it would be stranger if he didn't meet the Chairwoman.
In other words, there's no need to go through me; he could just go to the Chairwoman and talk to her.
Yet he came to me.
"So separate from what you just said, there's something else you wish to request, isn't there? Something for me alone."
"............."
"I'm trying to secure compensation for that effort. Hence the double."
Hmm, I don't know how to put this.
I had a gut feeling. As Finance Director, I receive many proposals every day, but this one was special.
I had a hunch that, though he desperately pretended to be calm, this was his most vulnerable weak point. Of course, bluffing based solely on a hunch was crazy.
So I needed a safety net.
"In exchange, I will definitely convince the Chairwoman for you."
"...Convince her, you say."
"Weren't you planning to go to the Chairwoman anyway? The contract here has two signature lines besides yours. I'll spare you the trouble. Especially since the Chairwoman has been in a very foul mood lately."
"Because of the terror attack?"
"Needless to say. You must have seen the basin made outside the academy on your way here. That's the terrain the enraged Chairwoman created. If you're not careful, a similar basin could appear right in the middle of the academy."
"...Are you saying you're confident?"
"Of course. As Your Highness said, I am her closest aide."
In all likelihood, Crown Prince Zeke had intended to tell me everything I just said from the start. If not, it's obvious from the contract alone that he wouldn't try such a petty scam on me.
But I seized the initiative by preempting him and saying it first. And I even boldly guaranteed the hardest part for him: "convincing the Chairwoman."
He closed his eyes for a moment, pondering.
"Double, you say."
"Exactly double will suffice."
"...Very well. I will place my trust in 'Finance Director Adam Caines.'"
"An excellent choice!"
I had planned to lower it to one-and-a-half times if the crown prince haggled, but I immediately clasped hands with Crown Prince Zeke.
This is why I like high-ranking people. They don't haggle well because it's not money they earned themselves.
However, he was clearly going to become the academy's most dependable sucker—no, source of income.
I exchanged a handshake of trust with the crown prince───
"Brother-in-law! I came to... protect you?"
"Huh?"
"?"
What the hell?
And who the hell are you...?