Negotiation
It's all run out. No matter how intently she stared into the glass cube, not a single tea leaf magically welled up from within. I drank it way too recklessly. She'd thought her stock was plenty and sipped it every chance she got. Yet the leaves had run out far sooner than expected. All she could do was blame her own lack of restraint.
Should I ask Ditrua for more? After a brief moment of hesitation, Altair shook her head. Guess I'll have to go buy some again.
Altair had already become someone who could no longer live without Francdeamiz. The problem was that her salary had already hit rock bottom. It wasn't the sort of tea one could enjoy freely on an ordinary office worker's wages. The one saving grace was the fact that she wasn't an ordinary office worker. The account belonging to Gliese—who had once been part of the hero's party—still held thousands of gold.
Maybe I'll buy five this time. From now on, I'll stick to exactly one cup a day! With that firm resolution, Altair prepared to head out. But the moment she reached for her shoes, a sudden cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck.
Su... surely not...
Only then did the realization strike her. While it was true that thousands of gold lay piled in Gliese's account, she was no longer Gliese. There was currently not a single way to prove that she had ever been Gliese. In short, that fortune might as well be lost to her forever.
“My mooooney!”
Her wail echoed through the room.
The scheme cooked up by Nantisie and the other four collapsed like a soap bubble the instant Ditrua entered the picture. To think they would dare commit such a disgraceful act in the presence of a princess. Objectively speaking, their behavior deserved every bit of condemnation, so they could no longer raise their voices in protest.
At the same time, another line was added to the growing legend of Altair. It went without saying that she had slapped those nobles across their faces. Rumors also spread that she had overwhelmed the ten knights they had brought with them.
“No way, does that even make sense?”
“She couldn’t have faced them alone. Someone must have helped her.”
Honestly, even the previous rumors had been hard to swallow, but this one was simply too much. Taking on nearly ten knights at once and winning? Of course, the skill and prestige of knight orders owned by individual nobles varied wildly. But the reputation of Nantisie’s order was well-known throughout the kingdom. Their commander, Dmitri, was one of the most respected names in the business. There were even stories that the royal knight order had tried to recruit him, only to be turned down due to his fierce loyalty.
So disbelief was only natural. Some even whispered that she had taken the knights down with her bare fists, never once drawing her sword. Naturally, that claim was considered far too absurd to become the dominant version of events.
“If she were that strong, she would have made a name for herself ages ago,” someone muttered, shaking their head.
Yet ten students had clearly witnessed the scene, and one of them was none other than Princess Ditrua. When a brave soul worked up the courage to ask her directly, she gave a single nod. With the princess’s confirmation, the rumor solidified into fact and spread like wildfire across the academy.
Questions about how Altair could possibly be nothing more than an instructor soon traveled far beyond the swordsmanship department, sweeping through the entire school.
It was my mistake. Dean Lopez had no choice but to admit he had blundered. She was not someone who belonged in an instructor’s post. Although he had treated her with the salary of an assistant professor, an instructor’s badge and a professor’s badge were two entirely different things.
But at the time, no matter how I looked at it, that was the best I could do. He had his reasons. She radiated an overwhelming aura and her identity was completely unknown.
Even with Guillermo’s recommendation... Guillermo himself knew nothing of her past. No matter what, she probably had no connection to the demon race, but handing a professorship to an unidentified stranger who had appeared out of nowhere still felt too risky. On top of that, a princess was among the new swordsmanship students this year. The most conservative approach had been the only option.
Who could have guessed that she would turn out to be an overwhelmingly powerful expert and a gifted teacher? How on earth was anyone supposed to predict that?
Honestly, Theodore is the real mystery here. To promise a full professorship based on a single recommendation letter from Guillermo. Then again, that was probably how the man had become president in the first place.
Lopez let out a long sigh.
Whichever way you slice it, the fault is mine. The old saying claimed that what mattered was not experience but choice. Even at this late stage, it was only right to offer her the professor position.
Having summoned Altair, he intended to promise her the role and apologize at the same time. However—
“You want me to become a professor all of a sudden?”
Altair blinked, staring at the dean before her. Setting aside the aura caused by her curse, the dignity and atmosphere she carried were completely at odds with her casual speech and mannerisms. He still couldn’t get used to it no matter how many times he saw her.
It really is like her body has accepted a soul that isn’t its rightful owner. Lopez, who had seriously begun to entertain that thought, shook his head.
“I’m not saying you should start immediately. Beginning next semester. And ‘all of a sudden’? Do you not remember what you’ve done?”
“What did I do?”
“...You knocked out Marius—a full professor of swordsmanship—with a single punch, achieved an overwhelming victory in the duel, and essentially forced his retirement. On top of that, you subdued two of the princess’s escort knights without inflicting any serious injuries...”
Lopez began listing Altair’s various exploits one after another.
“Last weekend you held a surprise class that completely captivated the students. You slapped the faces of nobles who barged in during lecture. Then you took down their dozen-or-so knights using only your fists. Do you truly not remember any of this?”
“Is that really such a big deal?”
“It is.”
“I see.”
During her days in the hero’s party, far wilder things had happened on a regular basis. To Altair, none of this even qualified as an incident.
“And above all else.”
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out several letter envelopes.
“What are those?”
“Petitions from students begging to take your class. They’re complaining that it doesn’t make sense for only ten people to be allowed in per semester.”
Altair’s eyes widened as she stared at the stack.
“If we include the ones sent directly to the president, the number would be several times higher.”
“That’s surprising.”
Did I really teach that well? Altair struggled to hide her smile.
I’m dying of happiness over here.
To Lopez, Altair was a walking mystery. The curse went without saying. She possessed breathtaking beauty that enchanted everyone around her, yet her speech and personality clashed wildly with that elegance. On top of it all, she wielded monstrous swordsmanship skill. And yet, somehow, she had remained completely unknown until now. Why had a person of her caliber stayed hidden for so long?
With that level of skill, her name should have become famous ages ago. Either her ability or her aura alone should have been enough to make her renowned. Yet Lopez had only learned the name Altair recently. He had wondered if his own insight was simply lacking, but when he asked Theodore recently, even the president had never heard of her. Guillermo—the very person who recommended her—had also admitted he knew nothing of her name before their encounter in Rosenburg.
Just what kind of past does she carry? There had to be an incredible story behind her.
“Who exactly are you?” The question slipped from Lopez’s lips before he could stop it.
“Me? I’m Altair.”
“...Never mind.”
Lopez squeezed his eyes shut in defeat.
“I thought you called me here because of the noble-slapping incident. I was worried I might be getting disciplined.”
“It seems the princess handled all of that herself. Besides, discipline? What exactly did you do wrong?” Lopez’s tone was blunt. “You simply dealt with outsiders who interrupted your class. You only did what was proper.”
“That’s true.”
Altair broke into a satisfied smile.
“We’ll discuss next semester later. For now, you’ll need to fill Marius’s vacancy starting tomorrow. Luckily, the only class he was responsible for this term is a single three-credit course, so it shouldn’t be too heavy a load.”
“How many students are we talking about?”
“A little under thirty, I believe.”
That wasn’t an enormous number by itself. But it meant taking on nearly three times as many students as she currently taught.
“Will I really be able to handle that many?”
Ten students had been manageable even with the effect of her aura simply because the number was small. Thirty, however, made her hesitate.
Lopez stared at her with an utterly dumbfounded expression.
“I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Let me start with this: did you come here intending to avoid even that many students?”
“Well, when you put it that way...”
“And you don’t have to handle them perfectly. The students already know about your aura and still want to take your class, don’t they? They understand they must take responsibility for their own choices.”
“Is that how it works?”
“Besides, you’ve already taught several classes. The students have plenty of information to make an informed decision. And most importantly—”
“Most importantly?”
“In the end, you’re the one who drove Marius out and left a hole in the schedule. You should take responsibility for it.”
“Well, I guess I have no choice then.”
Altair could only meekly accept his logic.
If that was the case, only one crucial question remained.
“What about my salary?”
“You’re already receiving pay equivalent to a new assistant professor... Ah, never mind. And I think you’re misunderstanding something. I don’t have the authority to decide contract terms. That would need to go through the appropriate department...”
“But you can put in a good word, can’t you? Last time, thanks to your help, I received very favorable conditions.”
“Th-that’s true, I suppose.”
Since the situation was clearly his own fault, Lopez was willing to accommodate her requests to a reasonable degree.
“All right, then. Shall we talk terms?”
The light atmosphere from moments ago had vanished. Altair’s expression was now deadly serious.
I need to buy tea.
Her eyes gleamed with determination.