episode_0013

My office is right next to the chairman’s office.

Normally, we should have been allocated a separate space like other departments, but since I am the only one in the finance department and I am one of the chairman’s closest associates, we decided to place it here… … That was the chairman’s explanation.

Anyway, at first, I felt extremely awkward about the fact that the chairman was in the room right next to me, but that went away as time passed. Rather, it was okay because I could go to the chairman by the shortest route if something happened.

Anyway, due to the nature of my office, it is really rare for faculty and staff to come to the finance director’s office. They have to be like Laura, who doesn’t feel personally burdened by me, or they have to be department heads or department heads of other departments.

The illusion magic professor in front of him, Alon, was strangely confident despite not being one of the two. What could it be?

“So, are you saying that you’re going to solve the monster’s fantasy at the entrance ceremony?”

“Yes, this is all for the better educational quality of the Academy!”

“… … First of all, let me ask, what type of monster is it?”

“It’s a manticore.”

Hey you crazy kid.

As soon as I heard the name of the monster, I almost crumpled up the report the professor handed me and threw it at his face, but I held myself back desperately.

‘Manticore? A manticore?’

The Manticore is a monster with the face of a lion, a solid body, a scorpion’s tail, and the wings of a bat. Let’s just leave out all the details and just talk about the conclusion.

Manticore is a level 7 monster that causes all nearby cities to enter a state of semi-wartime alert when its appearance is sighted.

Excluding monsters of level 8 or higher that rarely appear in the western wilderness of the empire, this monster is realistically the most powerful monster that can cause damage to the nation.

Even if it’s a fantasy, you’re going to do something like that at the entrance ceremony? And by surprise?

“Are you crazy?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Mr. Treasury. I’m sure you’re wondering if I’m crazy.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Unfortunately, you must not go crazy before you realize the extreme of fantasy magic. The most important thing in our specialty is a strong mind.”

It seems like the conversation is going well, but it’s not.

It was a familiar sight to me. Professors are not just educators and scholars, but scholars who also teach. They teach students, but they are also deeply immersed in their own fields.

In particular, professors in the field of magic often continuously reveal their specialized knowledge even when the other person refuses when asked about their area of expertise.

I don’t know if it’s because they only do research in a dark, gloomy lab every day, or if they’re trying to appeal by sucking up the budget like crazy, but anyway.

The professor was cut off before he could further explain the magic of illusion.

“Professor Alon, I’m sorry, but I don’t have much free time. So I’ll just get to the point.”

“… … That’s right.”

“The matter that Professor Alon brought is part of the additional event that will be held during the entrance ceremony, and considering the aftermath, it will inevitably be impossible to hold the normal entrance ceremony after it is held. So if it is to be held, it should be held at the end of the entrance ceremony.”

“Yes!”

“However, I have no authority to interfere with the order of the entrance ceremony.”

“… … … … .”

I am the finance director, and I ultimately handle all the costs of the entrance ceremony and am ultimately in charge of the final report, but that doesn’t mean I can intervene in other areas. I never intended to.

Even if we think back to the time when the entrance examination hall collapsed, the transport of the injured was the responsibility of the medical director, and the subsequent examination process and announcement of results were the job of the general examination director. All I did was, as befitting my position as the finance director, estimate the repairs and assess the financial damage.

So Professor Alon’s suggestion is something that I didn’t need to tell him in the first place.

And there’s no way Professor Alon wouldn’t know that.

“If you wanted to suggest a monster attack using fantasy magic at the entrance ceremony, you would have had to go to the Academic Affairs Department or at least the Planning Department in charge of the entrance ceremony.”

“That’s… ….”

“Of course, Professor Alon must have gone there first, and probably heard that I would let him pass if I allowed him to.”

It’s not that they were harassing me. The Academy faculty and staff disliked me, but it was only to the extent of gossiping or discriminating against me.

It’s probably because you really need my permission.

“So let me get straight to the point.”

“… … … … .”

“How much does it cost?”

The reason Professor Alon came to me was probably because his proposal exceeded the budget allocated for the entrance ceremony.

Because to spend more than that, you absolutely need my permission.

In response to my question, Professor Alon swallowed once, then quietly took out a report and politely placed it in front of me.

Under various circumstances, the final expected amount is.

“No shit.”

“Hey, Minister of Finance?”

“Are you crazy?”

I even threw away the formal formality and started speaking informally to myself.

This kid’s trying to shorten the life of the Academy by one day?

“I know it’s a significant amount of money! But… … !!”

“Say something.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been strangely confident since earlier. Isn’t it because you have some corner of yourself that you trust?”

“Uh… … .”

“I’ll listen to you once, so talk. If you’re a professor, try to convince me like a professor!”

Even though it’s a fantasy, would students be shocked by a manticore attack? Would students get hurt while running away? Would they learn fantasy magic and possibly protest from their parents?

Let’s put that aside for now. Of course, it’s something I have to consider, but as the finance minister, there’s something else that’s most important to me.

‘It has to make money.’

Or is it worth spending that kind of money on?

Of course, the Academy is not the top. It means that not everything you do has to be profitable.

Changing the textbooks for students to better ones, replacing the practice equipment, or hiring new professors are all just spending money, but I don’t oppose them with the same rude language and swearing as I do now. These are things that the academy should naturally do.

But weren’t those budgets all decided in the recent budget allocation meeting for each field? Since the allocated budget is to be used as each field sees fit, Professor Alon’s proposal was probably rejected by the magic field and brought to me.

So, if you’re going to use cash instead of money that’s already been allocated,

Of course, it had to be ‘productive’.

“Wow… … Professor Alon, I apologize for being so harsh. Do you see the piles of documents next to you? I’ve been working overtime for two days now, and I have to finish all of this today. I couldn’t help but be nervous. ”

“Oh, no. I understand, Mr. Treasury.”

“So please, please bring some logical and rational evidence. I don’t want to say anything harsh to you again, professor.”

The last sentence was sincere. I was already so tired that if I kept talking about improving the quality of education and evaluating students’ impromptu responses, I would really crumple up the report and throw it in their face.

Professor Alon, who looked nervous, took a deep breath and opened his mouth as he calmed down somehow.

“According to a recent report released by the Imperial Magic Ministry, the major that will be most useful in the next 30 years is fantasy magic. 200 years ago, fantasy magic was not considered magic, but rather a type of sorcery used by barbarians, and was not considered to have shined, but times have changed.”

“So?”

“Thanks to this trend, the kingdom’s ministers and magicians are becoming more interested in fantasy magic. And some of them are even attending the Grandis Academy entrance ceremony in person, lighting up the place.”

The introduction is long. Anyway, if I feel it is long, then it is long.

Professor Alon’s speech became faster as he sensed that my gaze was narrowing.

“If a manticore made of elaborate illusions appears at such an entrance ceremony, it will soon become an interest in illusion magic.”

“Is it really necessary to draw attention by making such a fuss, or rather, by doing something so outrageous, at the entrance ceremony?”

“People tend to remember visually striking and surprising experiences for a long time. This is a way to test students’ improvisation and try out new assessment methods that break the mold, while also generating interest in fantasy magic.”

“If I’m not mistaken, what I’ve heard so far is ultimately illusion magic… …so it seems like it’s only beneficial to Professor Alon’s department.”

Professors cannot conduct research solely on the basis of the academy’s budget. So, the purpose of attracting the attention of the top or those in power to receive investment and conduct research is understandable.

But why should we spend all that money, which is like blood money, only to benefit the Department of Illusion Magic?

Then Professor Alon lowered his posture for a moment and continued speaking quietly.

“I will donate 20% of all future investment funds received by the School of Fantasy Magic to the Academy.”

“… … Hmm.”

“How is it?”

“The exact contract period is 30 years from now. If the investment does not reach the basic target after one year, the ratio will be increased to 30%, and the donation will be made under Professor Alon’s personal name, not the Department of Illusion Magic.”

“Yeah?”

“These are the conditions I propose.”

“Oh, thirty years? And increasing the rate to 30%.”

“I’ll give you some time to think about it. The deadline is before I leave work.”

“Just a minute. It’s already afternoon, but if it’s before the Finance Minister leaves work… … … .”

“… … … … .”

“Ah.”

What an exclamation, you punk.

Professor Alon, who saw the mountain-like pile of documents next to me, realized that there was plenty of time until midnight today, so he immediately bowed his head and left the office.

‘No, maybe by tomorrow.’

Looking at the mountain of documents that seemed like it would never end today.

I collapsed with tears in my eyes.

I want to get off work… …

*

“That, the Minister of Finance? He seems to be very picky these days.”

“It’s unavoidable since I haven’t been able to leave the office for 3 days.”

“I also have a lot of dark circles… … … .”

“At least you wash up. Didn’t you anticipate this level of workload from the beginning and make a bathroom and sleeping room in the office?”

“Hmm, hmm.”

Even though I only go to the academy dormitory after work, there is a world of difference between sleeping at home and sleeping in the company nap room.

As I looked at my boss, who was the cause of my overtime work, I naturally felt a murderous urge, but while I was working all night, I could hear the CEO working in the room right next door.

What could I say when I also work overtime? I just sighed and handed the CEO a piece of paper.

It was the exact same approval document I had received from Professor Alon.

“Huh? This is… … ?”

“This is what Professor Alon, a fantasy magic specialist in the field of magic, suggested. To summarize it briefly in three lines for the chairman, it is as follows: ”

1. To promote fantasy magic, we will have fantasy monsters at the entrance ceremony.

2. This will also help with education.

3. So, ‘give’ me money.

“That’s all.”

“… … You came all the way to the office and submitted this directly to the Finance Minister?”

“Yes.”

“You sent him back alive, right?”

“What on earth do you think I am?”

Of course, if I had just gotten to level 8 without being greedy, I would have broken my head right away, but I am an extremely rational member of society.

Next year, for some unknown reason, the budget for magic will end up being cut slightly. Probably.

“So, what else is there?”

“How did you know?”

“If this is all Professor Alon suggested, then no finance director I know would have reported it to me. He would have just crumpled it up and thrown it in the trash.”

“… … proposed to donate 20% of all investment funds to be invested in the School of Fantasy Magic to the Academy.”

“Oh.”

The chairman was also changing little by little. Even the chairman, who would normally only express displeasure at such transactions, had a rather interesting expression on his face.

I hope it doesn’t change too much though.

“However, the conditions were judged to be insufficient, so the conditions were changed. The details are also in the document.”

“Conditional rate increase with deadline… …and donation name… …It’s essential. It’s probably something that Professor Alon didn’t mention on purpose.”

“They are scholars, not merchants. I can forgive them for this.”

If the person I was dealing with was like that, I would have immediately given him a headache-breaking combo, but he was a professor from the same academy.

Above all, from my perspective of having conducted many negotiations and transactions, it was a somewhat cute trick, so I decided to just let it go… … But.

The chairman’s expression was somewhat strange.

“Chairman, what do you think? In my opinion───”

“Wait a minute. Can I give you my opinion first?”

“… … ? Yes, it doesn’t matter.”

Well, are you saying that we can’t do something like this during the entrance ceremony, or that in this case only the magic and martial arts students will benefit, while the administrative students will be left behind, or that there’s a risk of injury or death caused by the confused students?

Since it was something that the chairman, who cares about students and education, would definitely say, I was going to just accept it if he opposed it since it was a deal I didn’t like from the beginning.

“I think I should accept it.”

“Yes? Can you tell me why?”

“If you tell this information to the Lady of the Claudia family, Princess Beatrice, and other candidates who received bribes in advance, you can receive additional bribes!”

“… … … … .”