The Anonymous Sponsor (2)
"An anonymous sponsor? Who on earth would sponsor me?"
"If I told you, they wouldn't be anonymous anymore. If you refuse the sponsorship, I can reveal it, but if you accept, I must prioritize the sponsor's wish to remain hidden. What will it be, Yuri?"
"I... I..."
Yuri's lips trembled. Anonymous sponsor. Full tuition coverage. Special admission. The string of words she'd never imagined hearing in her lifetime overloaded her mind.
There's no place better than the Imperial Magic Academy for learning magic systematically... Would an opportunity like this ever come again? Once in a lifetime—statistically, one in hundreds of thousands. Even just the magic curriculum taught across all departments would far surpass anything she could learn elsewhere.
Her head knew she had to accept. Her heart, however, was dying to know the sponsor's identity. Who? Why? And most of all—how did they even know about her?
How many people even knew her? The orphanage director, the one-armed slave trader, and... no one else. The director or the slave trader? That was impossible. Both despised her, and neither could afford four years of academy tuition.
Footsteps? The gears in her mind ground to a halt. Yuri's sensitive ears caught the faint sound of approaching steps—light yet powerful, the stride of someone educated and composed.
Her eyes sharpened. "Dean. Is this sponsor currently inside the building?"
"They left just a moment ago—"
Before the dean could finish, Yuri's body flickered. She ignited the mana throughout her body in the self-taught method she'd mastered, accelerating again and again as she chased the sound.
The footsteps came from the rear corridor just now. If they left moments ago, those steps must belong to the anonymous sponsor!
Thanks to the dean's slip, she had her chance. She could find out exactly who they were and why they had chosen her!
Yuri burst through the door in a flash of motion—only to be met by a railing. She barely caught herself before tumbling over. This wasn't the first floor. The main entrance was on the second floor, reached by stairs.
That person!
Below, a man in a black suit and black hat was heading toward a carriage. That's him! Yuri calculated rapidly. Could she catch up if she went down now? No. Impossible.
She bit her lip hard, then shouted at the top of her lungs. "Sponsor!"
The man flinched but didn't turn around. Ah! I made a mistake! If she'd called out differently, he might have looked back. By the time she realized it, he was already climbing into the carriage—an ordinary one with no markings or distinctive features.
"I don't know who you are, but thank you!"
"..."
"I had to get into this school to make my dream come true! Thanks to you, I can! Thank you, truly!"
"..."
Only after hearing everything did the carriage finally depart. Yuri could only watch it disappear, powerless.
The dean, who had followed at a leisurely pace, cleared his throat. "The anonymous sponsor has vouched for your identity and will enroll you through special admission. There are three conditions. First: you must graduate. If you fail, all tuition paid will become debt. Do you accept?"
"...I accept."
"Second: maintain a B or higher in every subject each semester. This is evaluated at graduation. And finally: do not inquire about the sponsor's identity."
"That's...!"
"Do you accept?"
"I can't even contact them? What if I have something I want to say...?"
"Give it to me and I'll pass it along. Ah, and one more thing. If you truly wish to know their identity, wait until graduation day. They said they would meet you then, should you desire it."
...! This was troublesome. She'd planned to learn just enough magic to drop out, but now failing to graduate would saddle her with debt—and she'd never learn the sponsor's identity. The conditions were infuriatingly precise.
"Do you accept?"
"I... accept..."
"Congratulations. You are now a student of the Imperial Magic Academy."
"..."
The joy of admission lasted only a moment. Yuri's mind was already consumed by questions about the sponsor. Who were they? How did they know her, and that she wanted to attend this school? What made them willing to spend so much on her?
I'll find out. No matter what. Her fists clenched. She couldn't leave this debt unpaid. Once she achieved her dream—after taking revenge on the Belmonts and rescuing Charlotte and Julia—she would thank them properly.
***
"Huff, huff, huff..."
The moment the carriage successfully exited through the rear gate, the breath Aslan had been holding burst out in ragged gasps that filled the interior. Damn it. He'd thought he was going to lose his mind. That terrifying sensation of the footsteps drawing closer from afar... Was this what prey felt like when hunted by a predator?
Yuri was already using mana at this stage. That speed had clearly exceeded what an ordinary person could achieve. While neither Julia nor Charlotte had managed it yet, Yuri had done so unconsciously. A true genius, then. How quickly would she grow with proper education?
Did I just dig my own grave?
He still wasn't sure if this had been the right move. Enrolling the protagonist, Yuri, in the empire's top university through special admission. It would indebt her to him while also placing restrictions on her actions. At the very least, she'd have to study diligently to maintain B grades or higher. There was also the goal of keeping her from straying down a dark path. Yuri likely believed Charlotte and Julia were being tortured at Belmont Manor right now. She would stop at nothing to rescue them. If she'd failed to get in, she would have sought power in all sorts of unsavory places.
That was close. I nearly lost her to the underworld.
What if the protagonist's talent fell into the hands of villains? What if that immense talent was used for murder? The thought alone sent a chill down his spine. His decision had been correct. Having his own neck slowly squeezed was far preferable to her becoming a human weapon.
Right. Of course it was.
What about graduation day? What if she actually completed her academy life without incident and came to meet him? No—even if she caused trouble midway, it would become his problem. Since he'd vouched for her identity, any major incident she caused would fall on his shoulders.
Ah.
"Kuhuhu. With this, I've put a leash on the runaway. I can use the sponsorship money as leverage to control her however I please. Kukukuk."
He'd almost forgotten to say that line. He needed to be more careful not to arouse their suspicions. Having to constantly think of villainous things to say was giving him a headache.
"Haa..."
And there was one more thing. While arguing with the dean, he'd made an unreasonable demand to secure the special admission.
'Special admission? Our academy values fairness above all. We don't operate such a system, so look elsewhere.'
'Oh my. I wonder how much the Belmonts have been donating to the research fund. How many labs would have to close if that funding stopped...'
'Are you threatening me right now? If that's how you want to interpret it, fine.'
'Threat? I merely wish for a token of appreciation for the investment we've made over the years.'
'It was a donation, not an investment.'
'My, you thought it was a donation? It was clearly an investment. There seems to have been a miscommunication.'
'...Understood. This will be the first and last time. Since you're also vouching for the student named Yuri, I'll allow the special admission. However, we have a condition.'
'Speak.'
'This year's Magic Society Academic Conference will be held at our academy. We would like Sir Aslan to deliver the opening presentation...'
He must have been out of his mind to accept that. The Magic Society Academic Conference was the most prestigious event in the magical world, where mages from around the globe presented their research. Being chosen to open it carried enormous weight. A good impression would be a huge success. A mistake could drag not only himself but his entire family's reputation into ruin. It was all or nothing.
If this gets exposed, I'm finished.
He'd recklessly gambled the family's honor. And he didn't even have any research worth presenting. If the family found out, what would they say...?
His head was throbbing when—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The carriage door was pounded on, then violently thrown open.
"Aslan. What are you doing?"
"..."
It was none other than his older sister, Irene Belmont—and she looked furious. At the murderous aura radiating from her face, Aslan's body froze instantly.