Reviving a Bankrupt Academy: My Financial Battle

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Traitor.

It was strange to believe the voice that suddenly started to echo out of thin air, of course. Naturally, I didn't glare at Professor Alon just because of those words.

But the resentment and emotions contained in that voice were so deep that…

I couldn't help but look at Professor Alon with a somewhat suspicious gaze.

The atmosphere was already tense.

Thud!

"Professor Alon!"

"H-Head of Academic Affairs."

"Didn't I tell you! The Headmistress gave a strict order, and yet you deceived me by using illusion magic! Are you in your right mind!!"

The middle-aged Head of Academic Affairs transformed his usually stern face into that of a demon and roared at Professor Alon.

The Head of Academic Affairs, who always kept his suit neat and tidy, rolled up his sleeves and took a deep breath before bowing towards me, or rather, the Headmistress.

"Headmistress, I sincerely apologize for interrupting this pleasant time. I have no excuse for failing you after you entrusted me with this task."

"…Head of Academic Affairs. Is it true that Professor Alon deceived you and came up here?"

"It is. The Professor Alon I was talking to left, but I sensed mana nearby, and when I looked around, another Professor Alon was heading to the top floor."

Illusion magic.

Considering Professor Alon's specialty, deceiving the Head of Academic Affairs must have been a piece of cake.

The Head of Academic Affairs was also around Rank 3, but there was a significant difference in rank and skill compared to Alon, who was a professor.

Professor Alon, under the Headmistress's cold gaze, shrunk back.

"Professor Alon."

"Y-yes…"

"Leave. If it's something that needs to be said urgently, submit a proper report, or we'll hear it later."

"B-but!"

"Do I have to say it twice?"

She didn't even release any killing intent or aura. She simply lowered her voice a little, but…

Both the Head of Academic Affairs and Professor Alon were overwhelmed by the Headmistress's presence and charisma. Milia, where did she go? Did she escape to the next room? She was quite skilled.

Perhaps out of consideration for me, or because she had just witnessed the Headmistress's cute… no, silly appearance, I didn't feel anything.

But for someone who appeared with such a clear intention, Professor Alon crumbled too easily.

Ah, that's right.

'Where's Chloe?'

Come to think of it, didn't Chloe come in with him? I had forgotten for a moment because she hadn't said a word.

I quickly looked around, and Chloe was standing in the corner of the room. She wasn't cowering or anything; she probably moved to the corner out of courtesy since the staff members were talking.

In fact, Chloe was being proactive in a different way.

'She's glaring at the Headmistress and Professor Alon alternately.'

I didn't know why she was glaring at the Headmistress, but I had a hunch about Professor Alon. That voice from earlier.

I thought it sounded familiar, and it only appeared when I was with Chloe just now.

It was a ridiculous thought, but it was Chloe's voice. A slightly more mature version?

'Can she hear my inner voice?'

But then, I hadn't heard anything since the "traitor" comment. It was as if she had shut her mouth after realizing I could hear her.

Besides, there was no way I could only hear Chloe's inner voice. It didn't make sense.

'And her words were strange.'

Calling Professor Alon a traitor and implying that the 'academy' was ruined because of him.

As far as I knew, Grandis Academy was Professor Alon's first workplace. He was from a southern noble family and didn't attend the academy as a child. He studied magic abroad in the Empire, or so I heard.

I remembered because I looked into Professor Alon's background to properly reject his proposal for the illusion monster attack at the entrance ceremony.

In other words, Grandis Academy was his first experience with the academy, whether as a student or a professor.

And yet, she said the academy was ruined because of Professor Alon.

'Is that voice telling me about the future?'

And in Chloe's voice?

"Sigh."

"Finance Director? What's wrong?"

"I just had a strange thought."

That couldn't possibly make sense. My thoughts were going too far.

Wasn't this just a side effect of the scabbard? Hearing strange nonsense in the voice of an acquaintance. That was more plausible.

Just in case, I looked at Chloe again, and she was still glaring at Professor Alon—what? What's this?

Why is she glaring at me like that?

'Is there something strange about me right now?'

I was just sitting next to the Headmistress on the bed in the secret room inside the office… Shit.

Come to think of it, didn't the Head of Academic Affairs also apologize for interrupting our "pleasant time"?

This was obviously… that, wasn't it? The thing that would only get worse if I shouted that it was a misunderstanding.

And I had nothing to say if they asked why there was a bed in my office in the first place.

—…Traitor.

I just heard the voice again. But why was it a teary voice this time? It must be my imagination that it seemed directed at me, not Professor Alon, right?

Damn it. How do I deal with this mess?

"Anyway, Professor Alon, follow me now! We need to go to Dean Billend and discuss disciplinary action for the entire Illusion Magic Department!"

"H-Head of Academic Affairs. Please, just a moment! I have something to tell you two!"

"Something to tell us? Just think about what you'll write in your apology letter!"

"N-no! The rock salt mine…!!"

"Wait."

"Finance Director…?"

Pause.

Professor Alon, you bastard.

What did you just say?

"Head of Academic Affairs, excuse me, but please could you step outside for a moment."

"Finance Director, I respect you, but you're not my superior."

"Don't worry. The Headmistress feels the same way."

"...…"

"...…"

"…You're hanging your head…"

"That's because she was sending me Aura until just now. I've been struggling with fatigue lately."

"Ah, is that so?"

The Head of Academic Affairs, seeming to understand, nodded. Chloe's cold gaze also softened a bit.

Of course, it would be troublesome if they asked why we were doing that on the bed, so I didn't stay silent for long.

I also wanted to hear what Professor Alon had to say.

Leaving the Headmistress, who was trembling with her head down due to the trauma, I stepped forward in front of the Head of Academic Affairs and Chloe.

"As you can see, I've recovered faster than expected, so it's fine now even if someone comes. Of course, we will thoroughly discipline Professor Alon for his deception."

"There's no need to hang your head like that. I also wrongly misunderstood the relationship between you and the Headmistress."

Yes, it was a scene that anyone would misunderstand.

By the way, since the Head of Academic Affairs was a Headmistress fanatic, did he misunderstand that I slept with the Headmistress?

"There's no way the Headmistress would be interested in someone as young as you. I should have trusted the Headmistress, I was foolish."

"…Yes."

Oh, I see. Head of Academic Affairs, you're a very sensible person.

You're a fanatic, but you still think it's strange for a great-grandmother to be intimate with a man young enough to be her great-grandson, right?

It seemed like a critical hit landed on the silent Headmistress, but let's leave that aside for now.

"Student Chloe, is it the same for you? Do you have the same reason as Professor Alon?"

"...…"

"Student Chloe?"

"…Don't you want to see me now?"

"Ahem! Student Chloe, please wait outside. I'll call you as soon as I'm finished talking with Professor Alon."

"Chloe Piste? How did you get in here?"

"I was caught up in Professor Alon's magic."

"Hmm… I'll believe that for now. You're a model student who often helps the Finance Director."

Meanwhile, the Head of Academic Affairs, who seemed unaware of Chloe's presence, gave her a suspicious look, but she was released thanks to her usual behavior.

He probably let it slide because she often came to the Finance Director's office to help me, even during the festival. Anyway…

Chloe, who had been staring at the Headmistress and me, and the Head of Academic Affairs, who seemed relieved, left the office.

The Headmistress raised her head.

"Professor Alon."

"…Yes."

"So, you're saying that the urgent proposal you have for me and the Finance Director is about the rock salt mine?"

"That's correct!"

"First, I'd like to ask, which rock salt mine are you referring to?"

Salt was an essential commodity, but unfortunately, the sea was an extremely dangerous area. Therefore, most of the salt circulating in the continent was either made from the relatively safe coastal areas or was rock salt.

So there were actually many rock salt mines. It was triggering my trauma, but it was unlikely to be 'that' rock salt mine.

There were several in the kingdom alone.

"It's the rock salt mine in the south! The one that was recently discovered and collapsed due to an unknown cause!"

Thud.

"H-Headmistress!? Finance Director, the Headmistress suddenly collapsed…!!"

"It's nothing, don't worry. So, what about that collapsed rock salt mine?"

"Uh… It's been over half a year since that rock salt mine collapsed."

Wow, has it really been that long? Because of that rock salt mine, the finances collapsed, my job collapsed, and the academy almost collapsed.

Praise me for somehow managing to keep it afloat for half a year and bringing it to this state. My comfortable job with a lifetime of benefits wasn't far off.

But why was he bringing up that satanic mine?

Professor Alon, clearing his throat, briefly glanced at the door and suddenly lowered his posture and voice.

What are you doing?

"…Actually, even back then, no one could figure out why it collapsed, so many people suffered losses. As you know, most rock salt mines are concentrated in the north where the Empire is located. Just the fact that a rock salt mine was discovered in the south led many to engage in futures trading even before mining began."

"…That's correct."

"It's funny that most of those who dreamed that absurd dream lost all their money, except for a select few—"

Flinch. Flinch.

"Professor Alon, your digression is a bit long. I'm not in a good mood right now."

"S-sorry! A-anyway, it did collapse, but it was a mine that was evaluated to have a considerable amount of rock salt deposits, so the lord is planning to rebuild it!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

Of course, it wasn't like I simply accepted the news that the rock salt mine collapsed and the futures trading was completely ruined with an "Oh, I see." After the Headmistress confessed about the futures trading, I did my own research on how the rock salt mine collapsed and its profitability.

As a result, I learned that the mine had collapsed spectacularly.

'They said that all three vertical shafts leading down to where the rock salt vein was located collapsed.'

Even in this world with advanced magic and all sorts of superhumans, half of the continent's population was Rank 1, ordinary people like me. And most miners were those Rank 1 commoners.

Therefore, digging and maintaining vertical shafts that even ordinary people could use was extremely difficult and costly, both in terms of time and money.

Maintaining them with magic? The labor costs of mages would probably exceed the profits. Asking Rank 7s or Rank 8s to dig holes? Even Rank 1s had to go down there, so what was the point of creating a path that only those superhumans could use?

Therefore, the fact that they dug three vertical shafts meant that the lord had truly invested in the rock salt mine, betting his future on it.

And the collapse of all three shafts effectively meant the lord's bankruptcy.

"I believe Viscount Davis, who owned the rock salt mine in question, is going bankrupt."

"You're very well-informed."

"It seems like you're adding unnecessary comments again."

"I apologize! And you're right, Finance Director. Viscount Davis, the original owner of the rock salt mine, did go bankrupt. But!"

"But?"

"Count Beryl, the lord of the neighboring territory, has bought up all of Viscount Davis's rock salt mine and the surrounding territory and is planning to start reconstruction! It's top-secret information!"

Ah, I see.

Yes, I understand all that, but…

"So what does that have to do with anything? Even if the count rebuilds it, why is Professor Alon… Wait a minute."

"And that Count Beryl… is my older brother."

Professor Alon. Professor of the Illusion Magic Department and from a southern noble family.

His name was… Alon Beryl.

"So, for now, I'm not Alon Beryl, professor of Grandis Academy, but a member of the Beryl family, making this proposal to the Finance Director."

Professor Alon, regaining his confidence…

…said with a sly smile once again.

"If the academy invests in the rock salt mine now, we'll give you the right of first refusal for the first batch of rock salt mined!"

"Damn it."

"F-Finance Director?"

He was spouting nonsense.

Was this guy really crazy?

"...…"

Meanwhile, the Headmistress had collapsed, seemingly breathless, and wasn't moving…