episode_0011

After parting ways with Princess Beatrice, instead of meeting the bribe candidate I originally intended to meet, I simply turned to my office.

There was no particular reason, the bribe box was just really heavy.

‘That maid heard something like this without any concern!?’

It seemed that the jewels in the box were very heavy compared to their size, such as gravity stones and condensation stones. The box, which was only the size of two palms, seemed to easily weigh over 20 kg.

Carry this and go meet another candidate? Anyway, the bribery plan only needs to be done before the entrance ceremony. I decided to go tomorrow and focused on moving the box first.

Damn body. If it had been at least a level 2, it would have been easy to hear this.

In a place with so many students, it was impossible for me to go unnoticed while sweating profusely and moving a small box. I tried my best to look as relaxed as possible and somehow managed to get to the office.

“It’s so fucking heavy.”

thud!

Finally, when I arrived at my office next to the chairman’s office and placed the box on the table, I heard a sound that suggested its weight.

I looked at the precious metals in the box while wiping away the sweat and shaking my hands.

I was lost in thought.

‘How do I deal with this?’

The bribery is different with Richa. After all, Richa is from the same kingdom, so she can smuggle gold coins through various routes.

All Beatrice, a foreigner, had were the precious metals she had brought with her when she was captured as a hostage.

And of course, these precious metals cannot be used as they are in the budget. If you want to use them for research expenses, labor costs, repair costs, maintenance costs, etc., you have to somehow convert them into gold.

‘By using the chairman’s connections?’

My gaze went to the chairman who was processing a pile of documents in the room next door, but he soon turned his head away.

That would be an easy solution, but it would be difficult to process it through the chairman every time I receive jewels from Beatrice.

It wasn’t a matter of conscience that I had to get help every time. It was a matter of pure efficiency.

‘It’s much faster to go to a jeweler in the city next door than to borrow the chairman’s connections.’

However, if you use the chairman’s connections, you may be able to sell it for more than what a regular jeweler would pay for it. However, it will take time to exchange it for money.

What should I do?

Is there no place to use it as a precious metal?

dripping.

“Come in.”

“… … Adam.”

“Oh, Laura?”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, so I thought it was someone.

But what’s going on with him all of a sudden?

“It’s a call. He’s here.”

“Huh?”

Call? That guy?

For a moment I didn’t understand what he was saying.

“The dwarves, you know. They came in just one day.”

“Ah!”

“Adam… … Good luck. Dwarves are famous for being picky and picky.”

Dwarf. That’s right, I called the dwarf because the meter was broken.

Thinking about the cost of repairing the measuring device, I suddenly felt like my internal organs were twisted and a murderous urge toward the protagonist who broke it boiled over, but I held it back.

Because a better idea just occurred to me.

“Yeah, there were some groundhogs, right?”

“… … Don’t say that in front of the dwarf.”

Why? They call me a human being too, so isn’t it okay to make such racist remarks?

Anyway, the thought that came to my mind was nothing else.

‘A place where you can use precious metals in their entirety.’

Because it just happened.

Now all that remains is.

… … It was just a matter of making up my mind.

*

“Bring me some alcohol, some alcohol!”

“… … Sorry, but drinking is not allowed in the reception room.”

“That’s none of my business, just bring me some alcohol! Is this how you treat your precious guests!?”

“The alcohol that was provided at the academy in the first place… … .”

“Oh my! I’m just going back? If you do this, you’ll be the ones who lose!”

I want to kill you.

It was a thought that ran through the minds of the Academy staff in charge of serving the ‘VIP’ dozens of times until the person in charge arrived.

Even if you try to smile and act friendly as much as possible, the other person will be stubborn and it will only end up as an awkward smile. And it was clear that this noble guy in front of you knew that and was intentionally being even more vicious.

About half the height of an adult male, with muscular body and a bushy beard.

The nobleman, the dwarf, scratched his belly and shouted at the top of his lungs to bring him some alcohol.

The staff did their best to calm the dwarf down, even though they blamed their own bad luck for losing the lottery.

“Grandis Academy is a good friend and business partner of Dwarves. Please wait a moment.”

“Friend? Business partner? Watch your words! After all, we dwarves are just going along with your stubbornness. How dare you, humans!”

Is it really not okay to kill someone? Even if you don’t kill them, wouldn’t it be okay to hit them once?

The employee, who was holding back his anger while being hit by the dwarf’s spit while opening his mouth wide and raising his voice, turned his gaze to the chair next to him.

The door to the reception room opened and two people, a man and a woman, came in.

“Thank you for waiting. This is Adam Keynes, the Secretary of the Treasury.”

“Minister of Finance… … !!”

The finance minister, who usually went around gossiping about the young brat being too arrogant, was closer to a savior now.

The employee, who had vowed never to speak ill of the Finance Director again, bowed his head repeatedly to Finance Director Adam and left the reception room without delay.

Sitting opposite the dwarf was Adam Keynes, the Secretary of the Treasury, and behind him stood Laura Edelwein.

Immediately after that.

“Is that the kid I saw last year?”

“Yes.”

“These humans really lack talent. You’re sticking out that lump of flesh that doesn’t even have hair on it. Why? Are you going to hide behind that guy called the CEO like you did last year and just wag your tail?”

“… … !! How rude───”

Laura glared at the dwarf, who was laughing and snickering.

Before the dwarf could respond, he hesitated at Adam’s gesture and soon became quiet again.

The dwarf just snorted at the sight. He crossed his legs, put one arm behind him, and looked at Adam with an arrogant attitude.

“I guess you’ve developed more patience than last year, kid?”

“I saw it last time, but dwarves are a race known for honesty.”

“… … What?”

“The city collapsed due to the monster wave, and now you know that the chairman is not around, so you are just going to block it.”

“… … … … … .”

“Whether it’s a monster or the CEO, being submissive in front of the strong and confident in front of the weak is the pinnacle of honesty.”

“You fucking bastard.”

“Oh, are you scratching the surface of a hairless lump of flesh? Or the one with a lot of hair under his mouth?”

Phew.

The dwarf’s face was distorted in a horrible way while Laura let out a small laugh at Adam’s words.

For the dwarves, the destruction of their city by monster waves and insults about beards were taboo.

The dwarf looked like he would rush at Adam and swear at him at any moment.

“… … Phew.”

He took a few deep breaths, then changed his posture with a gloomy look in his eyes.

From a posture that was incredibly arrogant, to a posture where he rested his chin on one arm.

With a tone of indignation.

“That monster-like human isn’t even by your side, so what are you believing in that makes you act like that?”

“You guys may be acting a little rude, but after all, this is Grandis Academy. Even if you blow my head off, you will be tortured to death, so isn’t your life guaranteed?”

“Tsk. What a crazy person you are.”

“Thank you for not calling me a land dog.”

“Didn’t I just call you, you crazy person? By the way, isn’t that a bit too aggressive? ”

“I was so angry thinking about what happened to our employee earlier. Now that it’s resolved, let’s get to the point.”

“… … … … .”

Looking at Adam, who shamelessly took out the contract as if the heated conversation just now was nothing.

Laura, who was standing behind, and the dwarf on the other side both looked at each other with a puzzled look for a moment, then looked at the documents Adam had taken out.

“The repair content is 1 grade meter. It’s currently completely destroyed up to the core. You must have already seen it, right?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what kind of kid it was, but it really was a harpoon. It was clearly a 6th grade or higher swordsman, but did you really want to see us that much that you didn’t stop him?”

“Fuck.”

“What?”

“I just agreed with what you said. Fuck, my meter.”

“… … … .”

There’s a reason why I agreed when the main character asked for five times the tuition instead of two. According to the regulations, a new contract must be written for that amount of tuition.

I was planning to secretly include the cost of repairing the collapsed entrance examination room and the cost of repairing the measuring instrument in the renewal contract. If I spread it out among other expenses, no one would notice.

Of course, even so, it wasn’t like it would be restored right away, so naturally, cursing came out.

The weight is 7 for the protagonist and 3 for the dwarf.

“Oh, anyway, I checked. To conclude, of course it can be repaired.”

“How long does it take?”

“It won’t even take 3 days if you just bring the materials. Okay, let’s get to the real point, right?”

As the dwarf said, it was actually only a skirmish up until now.

In reality, it’s a repair estimate after all.

“The type is quite different from last year, but the cost hasn’t changed much. Something like this?”

“Are you crazy? You even want us to prepare the materials?”

“Well, we can prepare it for you. But it will cost you extra.”

And the amount the dwarf offered was not just thuggery, it was larceny.

The grading scale is a useful tool in many ways. It is used in entrance exams, midterm evaluations, final evaluations before graduation, etc. It is an essential item.

Even though there are only 10 numbers, each one is precious.

It was clear that the dwarf had seen through the Academy’s circumstances and had offered such an unscrupulous amount.

You guys have to fix it anyway, right? Then you have to accept it, right? Same symbol.

However, Adam just frowned a little.

“Then let’s pretend this never happened.”

“What?”

“The measuring device is a necessary item for the Academy, but it is not something that can be repaired at this cost. It doesn’t make much difference whether you buy 10 or 9.”

“Human, are you serious?”

“To be frank, I am not the one using the meter. I just tell my students that there will be a bit more waiting time for the meter in the future.”

Adam’s words were the height of shamelessness, but they weren’t completely ridiculous.

If it were an item with only one measuring device, then it wouldn’t matter, but in other words, there are still nine left. And whether it’s ten or nine, the absolute number is the same.

Originally, if a student wanted to use the measuring device, they had to apply and wait a few days.

Now, it’s not like the students are going to riot just because it’s been extended by a day or two. It’s not like there’s going to be any major disruption to the academy’s operations.

Even if he was the chairman, as the head of the finance department, he could say that he would be willing to put up with some inconvenience if he was going to pay that much money.

“… … … … .”

“… … … … … .”

But Adam didn’t try to get out of his seat to pressure his opponent like he did during the previous negotiation with Raven Company.

I also knew that such bluffs weren’t an option for me, and even though I said so, fixing the meter was ultimately the best thing to do.

At the same time, the situation was not much different for the dwarves. The dwarven city was destroyed by a wave of monsters, and it is still being restored more than 20 years later.

With astronomical amounts of money being spent on rebuilding the city, there was no way all the dwarves could be given rations or salaries. As a result, the dwarves were operated on a performance-based system.

In short, if you sign a contract, you will receive money and distribution according to the performance. That is why, from the dwarf’s perspective, this measuring instrument repair deal could never be given up.

Because the amount of money he would get if he could pull this one off was beyond imagination.

Ultimately, it’s a game of chicken. Both sides have their reasons for wanting to make a deal, and they’re just swearing at each other and saying nonsense, but they never give up.

The silence that seemed like it would last forever.

“Well, first, take a look at this.”

“Huh?”

thud.

Adam suddenly broke the box by placing it on the table.

Inside that box, which boasts an unusual weight from the sound itself.

“Oh, oh, ohhh… …!?”

“How is it?”

There were plenty of jewels and gold worth more than the amount the dwarf had just offered.

Elaborately crafted golden ornaments, high-purity gravity stones, and condensed stones that contain objects weighing at least 10 kg condensed into a size smaller than a fingernail.

Each and every one of them is something of high value in the dwarven world.

“So, you’re not going to pay in gold like last year?”

“Anyway, don’t the dwarves exchange their gold for jewels or precious metals? It would be easier to just prepare from the beginning.”

“That’s right. Oh my gosh, how much is all this… … ?”

“Do you think this is enough for repair costs?”

“Of course! Of course! That’s enough!!”

Even though he was a dwarf known for having no conscience, he had no intention of making a fuss about this much precious metal.

Then, when Adam collects the box, it’s a total waste. The dwarf’s eyes never left the various jewels and gravity stones.

That’s why.

“Oh, is that so?”

“… … Huh?”

The dwarf didn’t notice.

A finance minister who is only a first-class person and can be easily defeated with one hand.

visor!

Take out a dagger.

Kwajik!!!!

Sticking it right next to the dwarf’s face.

“Huh!?”

“You little shit, do I look like a fool to you? Is this enough for you? You’re just being a jerk.”

“You crazy person!! What the hell are you doing!!”

“That’s what I’m saying. If the cost of repairing the meter was this much, the dwarven city would have been restored long ago. Even if it’s just a little, you’re trying to eat up all of it?”

“Are you trying to do it now?”

Uh-huh.

A slightly ominous sound rang out as the dwarf grabbed Adam’s wrist with his thick hand.

In the end, Adam is only a 1st class. The dwarf’s level is not that high either, but he is still above 4th class. The power gap is too big.

Still.

Adam just laughed shamelessly.

“I guess it would be okay to go to the afterlife with that shameless brat who says he can afford to pay twice as much for repairs.”

“… … … … .”

Can this really be called negotiation? It is not much different from the bickering of street thugs.

But Laura, standing behind Adam, knew.

If they were fellow humans, it might be different, but if the opponent were a ‘dwarf’…

All of this is also close to the negotiation process. As Adam said at the beginning, the dwarves do not properly negotiate or talk with the ‘weak’.

By using such rough means, we must make sure that the dwarves are recognized as equals.

Only then were the dwarves able to put down their arrogance and negotiate properly. This was also the reason why all the faculty members at the academy were reluctant to deal with dwarves.

It’s hard enough to simply endure their bullying, but they have to use these methods to gain recognition just for one negotiation.

The dwarf’s neck was right next to the dwarf’s neck, and the dwarf was glaring at Adam.

After exchanging rough glances countless times.

“… … half.”

“Originally, half would be right. But I can’t do it because it’s annoying. 1/3.”

“Do you think I’ll accept that?”

“Just got reduced to a quarter.”

“I’ll say it again, it’s half.”

“1/5.”

“I don’t mean half for the repair cost. If you give me half of that box, I’ll repair the meter and… …and give you one more. How about that? In return.”

“The contract says you only received a third, and you’re trying to swallow the difference?”

“You’re quick-witted, that’s good.”

“Okay, not bad.”

like that.

The negotiations started with bullying, swearing, repeated tests, attempts to deceive about repair costs, and even threats with a dagger.

It ended with just a brief conversation.

Looking at the dwarf and Adam shaking hands with truly satisfied smiles, the threatening looks they had just shown each other disappeared.

“… … As expected, Adam, you’re more suited to be a graduate student than the Treasurer.”

Laura.

He was muttering the most terrifying words in that place.