Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: 5. Welcome to the Summoner's Academy. (3)
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#1 Their Circumstances: The Student Council President's Circumstances.
“Oh right.”
“Why?”
“I left some stuff in the student council room.”
In the midst of packing diligently to head home ahead of the upcoming break, he suddenly remembered leaving a few items in the student council room.
Sure, they were personal belongings, so no one would take them, but he figured it’d be best to grab them on his way back to the family estate. So he mentioned it to his roommate, with whom he shared the dorm, and visited the academy for the first time since the break began…
“Why’s it under construction?”
Even if it didn’t look it, he was this academy’s student council president.
If there were construction plans, he should’ve been informed. He’d never heard of work happening during break, though.
“No way…”
There were rumors the academy might shut down, but had it actually happened?!
Surely the new dean wouldn’t kick off the next semester by declaring, “Yuglasia is dead! It’s gone! But now it’ll rise again as the 00 Academy, teaching 000 instead of summoning!”
“Hey, student?”
“Yes? Ah, yes, I am.”
Lost in thoughts of what the academy might switch to if it changed disciplines, he felt a tap on his side and turned around—but no one was there!
Thankfully, it wasn’t a ghost, but he’d encountered something rarer than one.
“What’s your business?”
“Ah, well, I left some things in the student council room…”
“What, you a student council officer? You look like hot stuff.”
Tilting his head down a bit further, he spotted a head at about waist level.
Of course, this one wasn’t young.
Probably dozens of years his senior, despite the size.
Arms as thick as his torso, a brown beard flowing from the mouth down to the chest.
And a height that barely reached his waist. Anyone would associate it with a certain race.
That’s right. The workers repairing the academy were none other than dwarves!
Dwarves, so rare even imperial projects barely saw them, were working on their academy!
“What’re you staring at? First time seeing a dwarf?”
“Ah, yes…”
“I see.”
Slightly flustered by the response, the dwarf soon burst into hearty laughter and patted his side.
“Hahaha, well, most of our kin hole up in workshops rather than wander outside. Anyway, your academy’s getting a real nice makeover, so look forward to it.”
“I-is that so?”
From what little he heard, the client commissioning the work was none other than Yuglasia.
What a relief.
At least it wouldn’t change next year.
Surely they wouldn’t keep the name Yuglasia while teaching something else?
That thought brought fresh curiosity.
Why were dwarves handling the academy’s renovations?
“Is some imperial coming to transfer?”
Maybe even the legendary princess was visiting? He swung by the student council room, grabbed his stuff, and headed straight back to the dorms.
But at the time, caught up in the sudden dwarf situation, he hadn’t paid close attention to his surroundings.
If he had thought it through carefully, he would’ve been suspicious.
Why the construction focused on windows and entrances.
And why the dwarves were hauling countless iron bars to those spots.
But by the time he realized, it was far too late.
***
-Master? Shouldn’t the one who set the plan in motion be the busiest? You’re way too idle!
-It’s not idleness; it means things are going smoothly.
The one directing the operation doesn’t move—that’s the rule!
I’m absolutely not slacking!
Even if it looks that way, I’ve invited professors, negotiated with the dwarves for renovations, and I’m diligently sorting documents with the dean here. Sure, it’s just stamping finals, but still.
“Next week starts the pre-enrollment period, correct?”
“That’s right, Professor Niserwin.”
When I asked about the pre-enrollment period dominating the paperwork, the dean stamping beside me answered.
Pre-enrollment week.
In this holy land of imperial education, where the Empire’s Four Great Prestigious Academies cluster, prospective students get a week-long preview of each school a month before admissions.
Put simply, it’s like testing the bridge before crossing—like they say, inspect it twice.
A chance to check out the academy you’ll attend for four years, see the professors and students. More than students, it’s parents who watch with fiery eyes, deciding where to send their kids.
“The place to watch most closely is Marsis.”
“Indeed. With all the overlap…”
Summoning and magic have plenty of similarities.
Heck, in the broadest sense, summoning’s just a branch of magic.
Especially rear-line firepower mages—they often contract summons for protection.
Thus, our biggest rival is Marsis!
“The key is how many top talents we snag. We’re only taking a quarter of our usual freshmen this time, so we need that many with exceptional aptitude.”
“True. This year…”
-Tuition’s five times higher—think talent’ll come? Scam much? Students down to a quarter, fees up fivefold?
-Nobles’ll pay ten times over anyway. And the latter’s just a bit pricier.
Black Anvil maids are great, but pricey.
School finances are hitting the limit because of it.
Hence, raise tuition to refill the coffers.
-And later, skim some off the top secretly?
-Obviously.
It’s tough with real deficits now, but once there’s slack, negotiate dwarf discounts and pocket the savings.
As long as it’s upper-level talk, the working dwarves won’t know—no harm done, and cash flows my way!
“By the way, I didn’t expect active imperial summoners, let alone Muam and Professor Harian. They’re hard for the association to snag.”
“I’ve got some elf connections and leveraged that.”
“I’ve heard their reputations. Plus the two imperial military ones, both officers in the summoner corps—other military summoners will know them well.”
“Yes, I asked those two to bring retired summoners from the military who’re keen on teaching.”
“Heh, Professor Niserwin’s always one step ahead.”
We stamped away, aligning views with the dean.
Hm, everything per plan!
Now it’s about reeling in students—or precisely, their parents.
But what nation am I from?
The kind where every church cross means elementary kids hit summer Bible camp for a Choco Pie!
And there we learned Jesus’s words:
-Be fishers of men!
-Education fever’s intense.
A few days later, pre-enrollment week arrived, nobles everywhere.
“Didn’t expect the grand duke and finance minister in person.”
“Ah, both graduated top of Arsia and Mercaria. They don’t come every time, but often. Especially poach lots of grads.”
Oh ho, “poach elites” probably means hefty scholarships from us.
Better to fund early for easy recruitment. Alright then.
“Our academy’s students…”
“…Sniff.”
Huh?
-Whoa? He’s crying! Master made grandpa cry! No hesitation, straight elder attack from our cool master!
N-no, I didn’t say it knowing!
Didn’t think he’d tear up instantly!
Ah, not crying yet! Just sniffling!
“Sniff… none. Not a single student from our academy got scholarships from the grand dukes!”
-Now he’s really gonna bawl? Tear drop detected!
-No, not yet! No count!
After he wailed that it’d been five years without one, I confidently declared to the dean on the verge of real sobs, “It’ll be different next year!” He stared with burdensome admiration.
Got it, so please, stop…
-Whoa? At this scale, shouldn’t royals come too? Maybe a princess? Clink-clank here?
-No, princess isn’t in the capital.
Heard via imperial military summoner channels.
Apparently, that Bangkok—no, imperial princess—is personally hunting me.
Shivers at first, but now it’s good.
Stay far, all OK!
-Kids’ faces look sour.
-Students are just lazy.
Crowds gathered for speeches, but students looked bored to death.
Same for me.
No, this is serious.
“Our Marsis receives support from every magic tower on the continent, with all practical materials below cost. Esteemed tower masters’ disciples will guide you in turn, vowing to teach all magic knowledge as to their own heirs! Magic is the path to greatness. We need the finest passion, effort, and challenge!”
There’s Marsis’s speech—my third time hearing it.
They don’t repeat verbatim, but swap magic towers for sword clans on Arsia’s first go, tower masters for masters/disciples, done.
Mercaria too. Like they got copy-pasted from some speech service, tweaking contents slightly.
Even…
“Our Yuglasia receives support from every summoning association on the continent, with all practical materials below cost. Numerous senior summoners will guide you, vowing to teach all summoning knowledge as to their own heirs! Summoning explores the great path of nature. We need the finest passion, effort, and challenge!”
-Betrayed! Dean grandpa betrayed us! We trusted him! The guy who cried for the academy spouts the same crap!
Just pick one rep and chant “Empire’s Four Great Academies united!”—how great?
Even parents dozed off; speeches identical, dull.
Only student council presidents’ midway speeches got reactions.
Surprisingly, our prez was popular. Guess we’ve got some credibility?
“Next up: words from Yuglasia’s Professor Niserwin Ain.”
Boring slog ended; dean’s hard-won final speaker—my turn.
-Master, you’re famous too?
-I’m kinda famous.
-Yep, famous enough the princess smashed an org over you.
-That’s not me, that’s Niserwin!
-Whaat, split personality? Dangerous!
Bantering with Iron Candy as usual, I ascend the podium. Thousands fix on me.
Whew, usually just kids packed in—adults make it weird.
Heart-pounding!
One slip, and everything crumbles!
“To be honest, up till now, Yuglasia had no merits compared to any other academy.”
So, start by grabbing aggro.