Sponsorship Review (4)
"Phew..."
Aria Saintpol let out a sigh during her brief moment of rest, bowing her head.
Negotiating right in front of the department head and the president...
Her nerves had her on the verge of throwing up, but fortunately, she'd managed to wrap it up smoothly.
"Tired already, Vice Department Head Aria?"
"Ah, no! I'm still full of energy!"
"Hang in there just a bit longer. It's your turn soon."
The president spoke without even glancing her way, then fixed his icy, expressionless gaze on the Flügel representatives across the table.
"Hmm..."
"For our Flügel to commit to that kind of amount..."
"President, please reconsider just once more!"
Unlike the Total Student Council members stretching and relaxing, the Flügel executives looked downright grim.
They must have realized more funds were going in than expected.
They were covering half the sponsorship amount, plus all the aftercare afterward. From Flügel's perspective, it wasn't a sum they could accept lightly.
Even to Aria, the vice head of the Planning and Finance Department, the figure her boss had proposed was staggeringly huge—enough to make anyone gasp. For a profit-driven corporation obsessed with margins and results, it had to sting even more.
And sure enough, the executives who'd been silent until now all shot to their feet at once, for that very reason.
"The joint sponsorship alone is 5 billion! That's no small sum for a single company, and now aftercare on top? It's absurd!"
"Joint sponsorship should only cover the review process funds. If we handle post-review cleanup too, the clubs might start seeing Flügel as a pushover."
"Sponsoring clubs is fine. But babysitting them afterward? That's a different story. We're a profit-seeking enterprise, not a charity handing out cash."
The executives crowded around President Theodor, passionately venting their arguments.
Theodor, who had listened with a grave expression, finally fixed them with a sharp glare.
"So, you're saying we do the joint sponsorship and wash our hands of everything after?"
"Yes!"
"We have no need to handle the cleanup!"
"Phew..."
He patted his pockets as if craving a smoke, then seemed to remember us on the opposite side. With an awkward wave, he placed his hand on the table.
"You all know one thing and miss the other."
"...Pardon?"
"What do you mean by that?"
(Aftercare like that is no real burden for Flügel.)
(Through this sponsorship, we'll gain three key benefits.)
(Securing top talent, a reputation as a student-friendly company, and connections to the Total Student Council.)
(Considering all that, isn't it a worthwhile investment?)
"Hmm..."
"It's a deal with plenty of upsides, but still, isn't the amount excessive...?"
(Do you think Total Student Council connections come that easily? Remember, the biggest win here is forging ties with them.)
The Flügel executives grimaced but eventually nodded at Theodor's hushed words.
'He tried to keep it quiet from our side, at least...'
Aria glanced at the Flügel group, then shifted her gaze to the president.
His face remained unreadable, but there was no way he hadn't overheard. Even she, a mere student, had caught it clearly.
The other side had probably underestimated the abilities of a hero candidate trainee.
That was the moment.
"Shall we resume, then?"
Theodor turned to them after finishing with his executives.
"Let's."
"Then, let's discuss the sponsorship procedures and specific uses for the funds."
It was her turn.
Aria steadied her breath and focused on Theodor's words.
Aria Saintpol.
A probationary nun from the Rosaria Holy Empire, she had entered Academy City on the recommendation of her revered bishop.
After the transfer ceremony and guidance from the priests, she naturally enrolled in Saint Maria Holy Academy. By chance, she met Centonio and joined the Planning and Finance Department.
She had joined the Total Student Council with a heart for serving the city, but the department's work was far from easy as she'd imagined.
Handling countless financial accounts, supporting student economic activities with policies, and allocating budgets to each department—it was all daunting for her.
Thank goodness for the economic sense she'd honed since childhood, managing the church in the bishop's stead. Without that experience, she'd have been in real trouble.
So when Department Head Centonio appointed her vice head, she flatly refused.
As a nun devoted to faith, she didn't want to get too close to power.
More than that, she believed herself unfit for such a position.
But Centonio thought otherwise.
He'd stubbornly persuaded her reluctant self into the role, which spoke to his own determination.
Well, more precisely, she'd been swayed by his plea to help even more people from a higher position.
How could she resist? If she worked just a little harder, she could aid so many more!
Any faithful follower of the Goddess of Light would feel the same.
That's why Aria was stunned one day by Centonio's words.
-Graduate, and take over as department head.
The sudden declaration hit her like a thunderbolt.
Planning and Finance Department head.
What a position that was.
Among the Total Student Council, excluding executives, it was one of the highest ranks.
The lead among department heads, the heart where all power converged!
For her to sit there? Just imagining it made her want to quit on the spot.
But she accepted the offer.
Because she'd overheard.
-Why recommend you for head? Heh, with your devout faith, you'll resist temptations and uphold your beliefs. I figured you could handle it.
At first, she was thrilled.
Someone recognized her piety.
Then came the fear.
She knew she could never match Centonio's prowess in the role.
Having observed him closely for so long, she was certain.
She could never surpass him.
But she didn't know.
How exceptional Aria Saintpol's talent truly was.
──Even she herself.
"One moment, please."
It began with a clear, resonant voice.
Amid the heated debate, her beautiful tone drew every eye toward her.
There stood Aria, clutching a small rosary, staring unflinchingly at the Flügel executives.
"This is strange."
"...What's strange?"
"There's no need for that much funding in the review preparations."
"This is the limit. Cut any more, and the process grinds to a halt."
Did they see her as an easy mark because she was young?
The executive who snorted at her intervention glared and waved his documents, ranting.
"Look here! And here! Even the mid-review supplies! Everything's essential!"
"Here, here, here. And this too."
"...Huh?"
"Remove these and substitute that instead."
"Th-this...!"
"Hold on! That stops the review cold! Scrapping all that means no proper screening!"
"Then change the order."
"...?!"
"Switching to individual interviews in groups of three, with a bit more wait time, solves it all."
"But! The clubs will revolt...!"
"They're there to be reviewed anyway. Their complaints won't matter much. And from their side, it gives more prep time—they'll welcome it."
As her fluent counters flowed, confusion crept over the executives' protesting faces.
"And why spend this much here? Halve it to this, and you get over half the effect."
"Uh, uh...!?"
"This part's problematic too. First and second are fine, but the third is overreach. Space them out or drop the third."
"Nngh..."
Before long, Aria had seized control.
She dissected the review prep budget, traced its flow, and gave instant feedback on flaws or gaps.
Even Theodor, initially skeptical, recalculated along with her and blinked in disbelief as the numbers shrank.
And she didn't stop at the review—offering advice on aftercare methods too.
Recalculating per her suggestions yielded massive savings.
"Heh, what do you think?"
"...Impressive."
Meanwhile, watching it unfold, Yeon Je-seong nodded at Centonio's question.
"She has innate genius for financial accounting. Solid grasp of basic economics too."
"Yes, I guarantee her foresight surpasses even mine."
If Centonio dominated by reading emotions and seizing conversational high ground, Aria did the opposite.
She pressed with peripheral info the other side held, claiming the advantage.
"Seems she can spot fragments of their info at a glance. Items they focus on, weak points, key products. Even without money involved, she infers their state through keen observation."
Aria pierced the documents with razor-sharp eyes.
Yeon Je-seong nodded as she grilled Flügel.
"I see why you recommended her for head."
"Heh, she's the one I deemed worthy. No one will handle the role better."
And what of her for department head?
At Centonio's follow-up, Yeon Je-seong chuckled.
"...Obviously."
──
"Approved, of course."
The moment Aria Saintpol was tapped as the new department head.