LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 21
How many days has it been since I returned to my room?
I’ve been quite busy lately with repair requests, approvals, post-entrance ceremony cleanup, and investments in the Illusion Magic department, so I had been working and eating in my office.
Technically, I haven’t clocked out, but still, coming back to my room gives me a strangely good feeling. It’s like I’ve actually left work behind.
As I enjoy this subtle emotion, I moved some piles of documents and books to the side and pulled out some tea leaves that were tucked away in the corner. I can’t guarantee the taste, but it’s better than nothing, right?
While I was brewing the tea…
Oh?
Luck was on my side as I found a single cigarette that had dropped on the floor. Granted, it was just one after I had smoked all the others, but hey, something is better than nothing!
I tucked it into my front pocket and felt a little happier for no reason. Meanwhile, I took the brewed tea over to the table and sat down… but then—
Hey, what are you doing over there?
“Are you interested in those books?”
“F-Finance Director! What about these books and papers…?”
“They’re for studying.”
“Studying, you say?”
“As you know, Your Highness the Fourth Princess, I’m serving as the Finance Director without any experience or background… It’s the least I can do to maintain my position.”
To be honest, it feels like I’m on a parachute ride. It’s no wonder the academy staff gossip about me behind my back!
To dispel such rumors and, more importantly, to properly fulfill my role as Finance Director, I definitely need to study.
After all, suddenly having the ability to run a large academy without a status screen or unique perks in this other world wouldn’t just happen.
“I’ve heard you became the Finance Director right after graduating from the academy…”
“Last year when I just became the Finance Director, it was complete chaos. I didn’t understand what anyone was saying, ended up finishing tasks somehow, and even after that, I kept studying.”
An ex-public service exam taker couldn’t just leap straight into being the Finance Director of a massive academy, right? So I leaned on the Headmistress a lot at first.
While she might have “very” poor economic sense and management skills, she had managed finances for a long time and knew well how to prepare financial statements and budgets. The problem was she had the knowledge but lacked the ability to apply it effectively.
It’s curious how someone with such terrible management skills could establish an academy on her own and fund nearly all of its finances from her personal wealth.
“Does that mean you’ve studied all these books in just a year?”
“By cutting down on sleep, it’s doable. Now I’ve gotten used to it and can sleep for about 4 hours a day.”
“………”
If I had tried to learn finance from other staff other than the Headmistress or professors, there would have immediately been calls for impeachment. So, I painstakingly self-studied.
I dedicated about 12 hours a day to being Finance Director, and after work, I’d read management books and papers from professors in administration for another 10 hours.
As a result, I ended up sleeping only 2 hours daily, but thanks to the Headmistress’s split sleeping arrangement and that bed artifact, I managed to survive somehow. Consequently, I’ve become fairly accustomed in just a year, making it a good choice overall.
Stunned at my effort, Beatrice observed the assorted piles of books and papers in my room and eventually pulled out one: Fundamentals of Accounting.
Flap!
“…You’ve worked really hard.”
“Everyone makes an effort.”
As she struggled to hold up the thick book, she flipped it open randomly to find traces of my studies.
There were explanations, annotations, problem-solving methods, wrong answer notes, and even handwritten practice questions that I had created myself to solve.
Wow, it’s only been a year, but what a memory!
“Are you still doing this now?”
“You ask strange questions. Of course, I’m still studying.”
I had been studying a management professor’s paper just a few days ago. Even though understanding the paper was tough, looking back at those days when I struggled with just Fundamentals of Accounting feels like a lifetime ago.
Well, enough small talk.
“Time is short, so we should get to the main point.”
“…Alright.”
Beatrice looked at my densely written Fundamentals of Accounting for a moment before placing the book down and sitting across from me. Is she interested in accounting?
I placed a cup of tea in front of her to urge her to speak.
“Now, I’m all ears.”
“Well, the truth is, the reason I wanted to meet the Headmistress was—”
What Beatrice was saying was exactly her story that I had seen in the game.
She had come to meet the Headmistress to return to her homeland. The bribe she had given me was also related to that. In exchange, she could create a branch of Grandis Academy in the Delphia Kingdom, and so on.
I knew all of this, but I acted clueless and asked a question I was genuinely curious about.
“But why are you in such a hurry to return to the Delphia Kingdom? Honestly speaking, since you’re the Fourth Princess, I don’t think it’s about succession.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard that to my face. It’s rude, but you’re right. I just… have someone to meet.”
“Who is it?”
“…My nurse, who raised me like a mother, has fallen ill and is bedridden. She was just diagnosed with a terminal illness, and since we don’t know when she’ll take her last breath, I need to return as quickly as possible.”
“I’ve been too insensitive. I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright.”
I hadn’t known this. Up until the part with the academy that I had played through, my ally’s backstory had hardly unraveled, so I wasn’t aware of such circumstances.
Thinking back, the protagonist did say something like this.
—Beware of Lisha Claudia.
—Even if she may seem like a good person, she can be different when wielding a weapon.
Was that about the spear she wielded? I saw it when I went to collect the bribe at the dormitory last time.
Just like I didn’t know Beatrice’s background, I knew nothing of Lisha’s personal story either. I would have likely seen it if the second part had progressed after the academy section. Damn.
Then what was the protagonist trying to warn me about when he seemed to know that much?
Did he just personally know about it, or…
“Finance Director? Don’t you have any other questions?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment. Can I ask one more?”
“Feel free.”
“Why did you accept the duel with Chloe Pisty?”
“………….”
“You mentioned you had to reclaim something. I believe you’re referring to the item requested after the duel with Chloe Student, is that correct?”
“…You’re quite perceptive.”
In the academy part of Dark Kingdom, it had often been mentioned that the relationship between Beatrice and Chloe was bad. For instance, when one was taken as an ally, the other could not be.
However, the reasons behind this were not explained in detail. As it was merely described that Chloe harbored some resentment towards Beatrice.
If I was going to be reincarnated in the game, wasn’t it supposed to be after I cleared it? In web novels, only seasoned players seem to get reincarnated… why am I the exception?
Regardless, there must have been a reason for Beatrice, who initially thought of returning to her homeland, to accept the duel.
And that was likely…
“Was there something you needed from Chloe?”
“To be precise, it wasn’t an item, but a ‘right’.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re aware that Chloe Pisty is the Empire’s only Mage Tower Master, the apprentice of the Grand Mage, right?”
“Of course.”
Since the Empire’s Mage Tower comes to reinforce buildings like the auditorium or entrance exam hall, it’s clear why. Thanks to that, even after the auditorium’s walls collapsed three times, the entire building didn’t fall apart.
This also happened to be a privilege the Headmistress received from the kingdom. Allowing top mages from a hegemonic nation into their territory, especially since the Headmistress and the Grand Mage have connections.
I have seen the Grand Mage once, but anyway.
“And since Chloe, the Grand Mage’s disciple, can directly communicate with her mentor whenever she wants, she possesses a magical tool for that.”
“Was that the item you requested from her?”
“Of course not. Even if I asked, she wouldn’t give it to me. What I asked for was the right to use that magical tool.”
Ah, the right to use a magical tool that allows direct communication with the Grand Mage. Now things are starting to make sense.
The reason Beatrice asked for that was painfully clear.
“Is it because of your chronic condition?”
“…You saw it in the duel, right? My magic was a complete mess.”
The Grand Mage is at rank 8 like the Headmistress, and is one of the Empire’s top powers. Given that the Empire is the hegemonic nation on the continent, it’s unlikely that someone with the status of a mere Fourth Princess like Beatrice would ever meet the Grand Mage.
Thus, Beatrice sought the privilege to use Chloe’s magical tool to consult the Grand Mage on how to treat her chronic condition.
“When I was born, the Grand Mage was visiting the Delphia Kingdom as part of a continental tour. My father, urging her sincerely, asked her to assess the talent of me, a baby.”
“………….”
“At that point, I was evaluated as having the potential to become a great mage, and my father was so happy that he showered me with all sorts of support. However…”
Beatrice had a chronic condition. Even though she had extraordinary magical talent, she had the fatal flaw of being unable to control the magic she wielded.
What good is possessing high-level magic when that magic is like a bomb that can explode at any time since she can’t control it?
Because of that, Beatrice fell from being a promising talent in the kingdom to becoming a headache, so much so that she was to become a hostage for studying abroad.
“The Grand Mage must know how to cure my chronic condition. No, she has to know.”
“If the Grand Mage doesn’t know, then there’s no way to heal.”
“…Finance Director, do you get told that you’re too blunt?”
“Those who manage money prefer to get to the point rather than beat around the bush. Anyway, if the princess’s request was for the right to use that magical tool, what did Chloe Student request in return?”
“………….”
“Your Highness?”
“A pendant. It’s the most precious thing I own.”
A pendant?
Is it something expensive?
“Is it an artifact or something with valuable gemstones?”
“No. It’s just a cheap pendant that doesn’t have much value on its own. But… it was a gift from the Grand Mage when I was a baby.”
“The Grand Mage?”
“I don’t know why she gave it to me. However, it has been a symbol that I was recognized, proving I’m not a nobody, and thus, I treasured it. Chloe wanted that.”
“Why did she want that…?”
“Finance Director may not realize, but Chloe Pisty is extremely proud of being the disciple of the Grand Mage. The moment I met her after the entrance ceremony, she taunted me about my chronic illness so much that I snapped and retorted that I had a gift from the Grand Mage…”
“Oh, so that was the reason.”
“Well, Chloe probably never liked me from the start. She thinks she should monopolize the attention of her beloved mentor. It’s only natural she wouldn’t look kindly upon me, who has been acknowledged for my talent by that person.”
That was the reason.
But in the original story, Beatrice never fought Chloe, did she? Nothing happened until she took first place a year later and suggested something to the Headmistress during the award ceremony.
What has changed?
“If it weren’t for that manticore… No, was it just a matter of time?”
“Excuse me? What happened during the entrance ceremony?”
“The Headmistress protected the students, so I got to use magic for once, but of course, it went out of control and rampaged in a way that obstructed Chloe’s magic too.”
“Oh.”
“It was purely coincidental, but it seems that caught Chloe’s attention. After that, she’s been referencing that incident every time she sees me in class.”
——Isn’t that the opposite of what occurred during the entrance ceremony?
So that’s why Chloe said what she did during the duel?
In the end, it was Professor Alon’s suggestion to have the Illusion monster attack during the entrance ceremony that further intensified the conflict between Beatrice and Chloe.
That butterfly effect means I need to keep Beatrice here until she can reclaim that pendant?
Make a proposal to increase the investment ratio to 50% once we return.
While the villainous scheme converged on Professor Alon, I looked back at Beatrice.
Though anxious and lacking confidence, she still refused to give up that pendant.
This attitude — it impressed me… not really.
I just need to get that pendant back quickly so this Demolisher can leave the academy.
That way, I can lower the building repair costs and stabilize the academy’s finances.
Things have gotten complicated.
“Can you reclaim that pendant through a personal deal?”
“Given Chloe’s personality, she wouldn’t give it away under any circumstances. I think even if it were you, Finance Director, approaching her, the result would be the same. Her obsession with her mentor’s belongings is legendary.”
What a hassle! Since I took Beatrice on as an ally instead of Chloe in the game, I never knew she was this infuriating.
Then, what?
“I suppose a duel is the quickest answer.”
“…Indeed, it seems so.”
Just like she lost the pendant in a duel, reclaiming it through a duel is not the most efficient but the fastest way.
Besides, Chloe wouldn’t even think for a second that she might lose, making it easier for her to accept. That means I have to set things up for Beatrice to defeat Chloe.
In short, I have only one task.
“But how can I win when I can’t even control the magic?”
“If I help you control that chronic condition, could you win?”
“───Huh?”
“I can’t guarantee a permanent cure, but I have a way to offer temporary relief.”
Most importantly, even you wouldn’t believe there’s a permanent treatment.
So, the only option left was to quickly share the method that she herself discovered as the Mid-boss during the second-year section of the game.
Although it’s a method that I felt quite reluctant to share due to various reasons.
But given the circumstances, I have no choice. Getting Beatrice out of the academy is my top priority.
Upon hearing my words, Beatrice’s face had frozen stiff.
“…You’re joking, right? No matter how much of a Finance Director you are, that was an extremely unpleasant joke.”
“I’m not joking.”
“H-How… can I trust you?”
“This is a method I heard from the Headmistress.”
“……!!”
Truly, the “Omnicompetent Headmistress Theory.” Together with the “Orphan Omnipotent Theory,” it provides the highest level of plausibility. It’s great not having to waste time persuading her.
She’d never said such a thing, but anyway, let’s just say she did. We can sort out the specifics later.
The moment I said that, Beatrice stepped closer to me, her eyes shaking with uncertainty.
“Y-You mean, with words…?”
“There’s something that the Headmistress said after your registration confirmed. She mentioned that your chronic condition could be alleviated for a while using this method, but it’s a shame.”
“H, ha! Hahaha…!!!”
Momentarily, she let out a laugh that felt void, yet filled with madness. She grabbed my shoulder with a deeply yearning yet submissive expression.
“I’ll do anything. Anything! If there’s a chance to even temporarily treat this damn chronic condition, I’ll do anything!!”
“Your Highness?”
“If it’s what the Finance Director desires, I can do anything! If you tell me to roll over and bark like a dog, I’ll do it!”
Why would I make you do that? It’s not like doing that will make a budget!
More importantly, she just said she’d do anything, didn’t she? In her own words?
“Just remember what you just said.”
“………….”
“You shouldn’t forget that.”
Since I have the bedding I need, this is just perfect.
Now then, let’s start.
“Shall we begin with you lying on the bed?”