chapter_0128

129 – Budget Cuts?

129 – Budget Cuts?

A slow day with no customers.

I leisurely sipped tea and checked the news through the newspaper.

-The ‘Blester’ school, an Imperial Magic academy, has developed an innovative attack Magic Circle capable of destroying magic-barriered castle walls.

The Darkness and Goldmoon schools, doubting the stability, question the reliability of Blester’s Magic.

-The ‘Goldmoon’ school, commercially exploiting Magic, is investing in new technology development with the Meister school.

They announced they would deliver new hope to remote areas suffering from Mana shortages by bestowing Magic.

-[Exclusive] Chancellor Donald Markerson of the Magic University is suspected of various corruption allegations…

-Recently, the budget for unnecessary non-mainstream Magic schools is considered absurdly high, making budget cuts not an option but a necessity…

The Magic newspaper covered newly invented Magic and gossip about existing magicians.

“Budget cuts for non-mainstream Magic schools, huh…”

Wait a minute.

Checking the list, I frowned without realizing it.

-Illusion school -25% reduction target.

“Our Illusion Magic school is also a target for cuts?”

A whopping 25% cut?

I’m currently receiving 80 gold a year, so cutting that much means they’ll be cutting 20 gold.

Are they kidding me?

Designating us as a reduction target without even informing us.

“Even if we’re a non-mainstream school with the lowest number of students and application rate, and the number one Magic school with low vision, this isn’t right.”

It stings a little.

Is it our fault that there are few people?

Isn’t the social perception of the Illusion school wrong?

We’re doing our best in our own way.

Due to the absolute shortage of magicians, the number of Magic developments is the lowest, but our development rate was number one.

It was inevitable.

One was Meiko, my master, who was called the greatest genius Illusion magician of all time.

The other, me, was also a magician considered an unprecedented prodigy.

Where else would you find better efficiency than this?

They’re not kidding right now.

“I have to argue about this.”

They increase and decrease the budget as they please.

Is the budget a rubber band?

Giving and taking away?

I turned on the crystal ball that allows short-range communication.

An excellent Magic invention developed by the Meister school.

It was a communication device made by modifying the technology of embedding videos in letters to transmit in real-time.

The problem is that the distance is still limited, so only the Imperial family, the Magic Department, and a small number of people in the school use it within the Empire.

-Yes, this is the budget officer of the Magic Department. What’s the matter?

A civil servant’s typical drawn-out voice was heard.

A man’s face, half-closed with boredom and fatigue, was reflected in the crystal ball.

“This is Max, a research professor at the Illusion school. I’m calling about the budget issue.”

-Did you see the newspaper?

“Yes. It was written in the Magic newspaper.”

-Yes, it’s as you saw. We plan to proceed with budget cuts for some schools with poor performance. The Illusion school is also a target.

The budget official spat out the words as if bored.

“Why are you doing this without prior notice? As you know, it’s customary to contact the head of the school in advance for such matters, isn’t it?”

-We contacted them several times. But they were always absent.

“Why didn’t you contact me?”

-Professor Max, you’re not the head of the school, are you?

“…What? Do you think it’s right to take such actions without contacting the representative?”

A sigh was heard.

-Frankly, isn’t the Illusion school taking a lot of the budget compared to the number of people? There are only two people, but you’re steadily taking more than 50 gold a year. This year, you received 80 gold, didn’t you?

“That’s because our research results…”

-Still, it’s a lot.

“Hey. Do you know how much money it takes to research Magic once?”

-The budget selection method is applied equally to other Magic schools. Support for Magic schools that are generating their own income is reduced. This is also applied equally.

I know that.

That’s why Meister and Goldmoon don’t receive any support.

Rather, they are in a position to pay taxes on the income they earn.

It was a characteristic of the two Magic schools to increase their influence and power within the Empire through the taxes they received.

“Still, you can’t reduce it like this.”

-We recently received a document from the tax office. It says that Max of the Illusion school has opened a store a few months ago.

“……”

-Do you know that the money earned through this exceeds the support standard?

“Huh? Exceeds the standard? If you combine the Magic material costs, raw materials, rent, and labor, the profit is only about 5 gold a month.”

5 gold.

That’s how much our store earns in a month.

Of course, monthly sales exceeded dozens of gold.

Sometimes customers who come once pay several gold at a time.

Even if I use my Mana to drive the Magic Circle to save money, there was a limit to saving.

A considerable amount of money was spent on preparing dyes for drawing Magic Circles, scrolls for business trips, and other tools.

It was an expenditure incurred in the process of expanding the business.

Therefore, the average money earned per month was 5 gold.

Of course, it was a lot of money.

It’s the living expenses of an ordinary Imperial citizen for 5 months.

But that wasn’t a reason to cut off support.

-Don’t you know? According to our standards, if the average monthly income exceeds 2 gold per person, it will be reduced by 20%.

The moment I heard that, I closed my eyes tightly.

The number of people in our Illusion school is only 2.

But since I earn 5 gold a month, my average income with my master is calculated as 2.5 gold.

Without thinking about how much my master spent or how much money was spent for research.

This damn Imperial law.

“……”

-We’re processing it according to the regulations. I’m sorry that we didn’t notify you in advance, but we can’t help it. You understand, right?

“Are you handling it like this?”

-That’s the regulation.

Damn regulations.

-It will be applied from next month. So please note that you may have to return some of the money.

The call was disconnected.

“Hoo.”

A sigh came out involuntarily.

“I’m so helpless.”

In my illusions, I manipulated the commander of the Knights, controlled the Hero as I pleased, and moved the Saintess according to my will.

But that wasn’t the case in reality.

“It’s possible because they wanted it.”

It wasn’t because I was strong that I subjugated them.

“Damn it.”

I was annoyed at myself, who was more helpless than anyone else in this situation.

I was also angry.

‘Is it just an illusion even if I fly and crawl?’

I felt like a fire was burning in my heart.

“It’s been a long time since I felt this helplessness.”

I’ve always felt omnipotent these days.

‘What should I say to my master?’

If she heard that the budget had been cut, she would stop researching and immediately return to run around for results.

I didn’t want to burden someone who was working hard for the development of Illusion Magic with another burden.

“There’s nothing I can do.”

It won’t change if I complain that I want the cut budget.

Because I’m just an Illusion magician.

Even if the head of the school visited, the Magic Department wouldn’t properly accept their opinion.

They were only focused on the schools that received titles such as Blester, Goldmoon, and Darkness.

Well.

“Most of them are magicians from that side, and they’re taking up all the issues.”

Anyway, the budget cut from next month was inevitable.

Then it’s time to think about how to make money.

“But this lingering unpleasantness doesn’t disappear.”

I clicked my tongue.

“If the budget officer was a woman, I would have charmed her with Illusion Magic.”

I even charmed the Hero, so wouldn’t I be able to charm one budget officer?

I sighed deeply.

“We earned a lot.”

I looked around the store.

Items purchased with the budget provided by the state, as well as items purchased with income from customers, decorated the store here and there.

From the store’s uniform worn when washing to the bed, chairs, and sofa, the materials were quite luxurious.

Many places were carefully designed so that customers who come here would not have any inconvenience.

Unlike before when there was nothing, now it was quite filled with various things.

Luxurious teacups, various Magic tools, and adult items for sexual pleasure.

“Our store has improved compared to before, but it’s not that much.”

As I sighed like that and tried to relieve the anger rising from the unfair treatment.

Knock knock knock.

I heard a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

I got up from my seat at the sudden guest and opened the door.

“Cough, cough! You were inside.”

The Elf Reina was standing there.

“It’s been a while. I thought you had stopped coming since you didn’t come.”

“Q, quit? What kind of disappointing words are those! But I liked what the Inferior species made.”

Reina’s last visit was the last time she enjoyed it with Yuris.

I fainted because I couldn’t handle the illusions of the two, and an accident occurred where the two customers recognized each other, and as a result, I refunded the full amount and sent them back.

‘I was very immature and arrogant.’

The arrogance that I could handle both of them.

Thanks to that, I will never repeat the same mistake again.

“The fact that you came to our store again means you want to see it one more time, right?”

“Cough… That’s right. I’m going back to the Elven Forest anyway. I won’t be able to come here for a while…”

She let out a faint sigh.

The breath felt hotter than usual, and it wasn’t just my imagination.

“I want to receive it a little more clearly.”

“I will serve you with the best service.”

I let her inside.

The budget was cut, but I had to deal with the customer.

“Then what kind of illusion do you want to see?”

“…I want to experience the feeling of being forcibly taken by an Inferior species again.”

She wants to be taken by a human.

“Ah, if it’s that, it’s enough…”

“B, but I want to add one more thing.”

“Tell me.”

Reina, who hesitated for a moment, carefully opened her mouth.

“A scene where I’m b, being taken by a mercenary guarding us on the way back to the Elven Forest…”

Ah, that kind of taste?

I know what it feels like.

“It’s definitely possible.”

“And, one more thing!”

Reina’s ears fluttered up and down.

“I, I want the person who’s violating me to be y, your face. Other Inferior species are u… unpleasant.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind too.”

“Then, please do that.”

Reina, blushing, hurriedly entered the shower room in the store.

My face.

‘Is my face someone’s taste for Elves?’

It was even better for me because it was easier to imagine.

I have to work hard.