Reviving a Bankrupt Academy: My Financial Battle

Milia. That name was impossible to forget.

The ambitious woman who became the youngest bishop of the Wish Cult after the academy collapsed, then an archbishop, and finally, the cult leader.

I learned later that the archbishop and the previous cult leader died in 'mysterious accidents' during this process, which was quite strange.

I didn't know she was also attending Grandis Academy… The departments were different, and Milia had absolutely no presence at the academy.

But like it or not, the people of the continent couldn't forget the name Milia after the academy collapsed.

After the Holy Nation finally fell due to Circe's attack.

The Wish Cult, led by Milia, rampaged, claiming they would become the new Holy Nation.

—I am the savior of the new world and the sole pope of this continent!

Milia, after making this declaration, gathered the suffering lower class under the name of 'wish' and raised a massive army.

Naturally, most of them were Rank 1 or 2. Considering that the Empire only recruited those at least Rank 3, it was hardly an army.

But their numbers were truly overwhelming.

In the chaotic state of the continent, with the academy collapsed, the Holy Nation destroyed, and the Kingdom embroiled in civil war, the cult that 'granted wishes' explosively increased its power.

Wary of this, the Empire sent a Rank 8 to subdue them, but…

'They were killed instead.'

I heard it was a horrific battle. Even as hundreds of lower-class people died with a single attack from the Rank 8, the lower-class followers of the Wish Cult, driven by madness, rushed towards the Rank 8.

Rank 8 was the pinnacle of strength a living being could reach, but that didn't mean a single Rank 8 could wipe out the entire continent. They were still human, and their stamina had limits.

After killing tens of thousands of followers and becoming utterly exhausted, the Rank 8…

…had their throat pierced by Milia, who was only Rank 3.

After that, the Wish Cult gained even more momentum and actively stirred up trouble across the continent.

…Come to think of it, it was thanks to that that Adam and Chloe weren't easily captured. The Empire, the only stable nation at the time, was more concerned with the Wish Cult that had killed their Rank 8.

'She's the one I have to kill, no matter what.'

In the end, they managed to kill Milia and stop the Wish Cult, but many questions remained.

How did the Wish Cult transform the lower-class followers, who were simply drawn to 'wishes,' into suicidal fanatics?

How did they feed tens of thousands, millions of people in a time when food was scarce across the continent due to various incidents?

And above all, how did Milia, a mere Rank 3 mage, perfectly control millions of followers?

None of these questions were answered. Until the moment I beheaded Milia with Dark Sword, she only laughed madly.

Well, it didn't matter anyway.

'Though I only found out she attended the academy later.'

In the end, I was keeping a close eye on Milia now. The reason I hadn't killed her yet was that I needed to handle this discreetly to prevent things from escalating, and also because Milia seemed different somehow.

If Milia had changed, I needed to know why. After the summoning ritual incident, I was being a bit more cautious.

So…

"F-Finance Director! Please have mercy! Please forgive me!"

"No, please let go of this first. I'm begging you."

"Finance Director!"

"Sigh…"

"…"

Hiding in the darkness, gripping Dark Sword so tightly it could shatter.

Right behind Adam and that damn fanatic.

I had to endure not striking at the neck of that woman who was shamelessly clinging to Adam.

It was fine. I could endure it.

Really.

I felt no emotion at all.

***

Somehow, I managed to pull her off.

Somehow, I managed to explain.

"So… you're saying Student Milia suddenly grabbed your pants and started crying and begging?"

"That's right. I was quite flustered as well."

To be honest, considering what they saw, it was understandable that they were skeptical.

But surprisingly, the professors who were giving me disdainful looks soon came to understand.

"Well, if he were really going to do something like that, he wouldn't do it here."

"Besides, the Finance Director, well, he was famous even back when he was a student."

"He was famous for studying in the library during the festival. We used that a lot, didn't we? Telling students to study like that senior."

"And look at those dark circles under his eyes. He looks like he needs sleep, not sex."

I can hear you all, you professors.

I couldn't say anything because many of them were the professors who taught me and helped me when I was at the academy.

Anyway, the misunderstanding was cleared up, so I turned to Milia, who was now sobbing and calming down.

"Now then, Student Milia?"

"Yes…"

"Shall we continue our conversation from earlier? You can all go back to work, professors."

"Good luck, Finance Director."

"Take care."

Although some suspicion lingered in their eyes, the professors all returned to their seats. They had to get back to their research rooms once the meeting and the joint paperwork were done.

Besides, the topic of my conversation with Milia was such that no one else could be present.

I somehow managed to get the sobbing Milia back in her seat, closed the door, and this time, remembering to activate the soundproofing enchantment in the room, I adjusted my pants and looked at Milia.

"We had a little interruption, but now we can talk properly, can't we?"

"…"

"The Wish Cult, what do you mean by that?"

Things had gone off track, but in the end, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

After all, the plans I had initially made were focused on 'getting Milia to talk about the cult first.' Although it happened in a very different way than I expected, Milia had already confessed about the Wish Cult.

Of course, it wasn't something I could just gloss over.

"You are aware of the relationship between the Wish Cult and our academy, aren't you?"

"…Yes."

"And yet you say you are from the Wish Cult?"

Although the Headmistress treated them like small fry, the Wish Cult was indeed the group that had attacked the academy in its early days. Naturally, even after all this time, the relationship couldn't be good.

If the cult had continued to send spies to the academy to retrieve the sacred treasure, it would make sense that they would send someone who had received proper training.

It didn't make sense that she would spill the beans about the cult while discussing a living expenses scholarship, without any pressure or threats.

It was fortunate that I already knew Milia was a member of the Wish Cult through . Otherwise, it would have been normal to suspect misinformation or a deceptive tactic.

Faced with my reasonable questioning, Milia…

"As I said earlier… the cult has no future."

"I don't know everything, but I understand that the Wish Cult, despite being labeled as heretics, has continued to maintain its power in its own way."

The Wish Cult existed even when the Holy Nation was the dominant power before the Empire, not in its current state of being beaten down by the Mountain King.

That meant they somehow survived being declared heretics by the dominant power, a religious nation at that. Naturally, this was thanks to the Wish Cult's unique 'wish' ability.

The doctrine of the Wish Cult was very simple.

'Believe and offer, and your wish will be granted. Whatever it may be.'

It was literally the doctrine of a cult, hard to consider a normal religion. However, the Wish Cult actually fulfilled those wishes.

That's because they had…

'Because they have Dark Sword.'

Honestly, this was information I wasn't supposed to know. In the three-part indie game , the story about the Wish Cult and Dark Sword barely appeared in the first part, the academy arc.

Besides, I wasn't the type to read the story that attentively, and it was just a piece of information that appeared in a few lines, so there was no way I would remember it.

But thanks to an accidental spoiler, I knew.

'Looking at the strategy community was the problem.'

The game was so difficult that I went to a strategy community, where I accidentally saw a guide on how to obtain Dark Sword, which had the best stats in the game.

That's how I learned that Milia was a member of the Wish Cult and that Dark Sword was in the cult's possession.

I sighed at the spoiler, thinking I would naturally learn about it when I played the second or third part of the game.

"The Wish Cult, which grants the wishes of its followers. Are you saying that the cult that endured the oppression of the Holy Nation has no future?"

"…"

Well, did Dark Sword disappear or something? That wasn't the case, was it?

Dark Sword was a conceptual weapon, like those of the Holy Nation, so it couldn't disappear.

Someone could steal it, but Dark Sword should be safe in your cult's headquarters, right?

"If you're really from the Wish Cult, answer this. Why are you so obsessed with the living expenses scholarship? If you're a spy sent by the cult, with the cult being wealthy, the support funds…"

"…That's not true."

"Excuse me?"

"They're not wealthy…! They said they had a lot of money in the past! I was tricked!"

What?

Why was she suddenly getting worked up again?

For a moment, as Milia shouted, the shadow of the chair behind her seemed to flinch. I must be seeing things because I'm so tired.

Meanwhile, Milia, as if overwhelmed by something, stood up from her seat and shouted.

"They said they would give me a lot of support if I infiltrated the academy! But all they gave me was barely enough to eat! How am I supposed to do anything with this! And yet they tell me to submit reports regularly! Paper and pens cost money too!"

"Student Milia?"

"They said they invested the remaining money in some mine while they were collapsing, and that failed too! Why are they doing this!"

"…Mine?"

"So I applied for the living expenses scholarship, and it's like this too! Why am I so unlucky…?"

"Student!"

Thud

Milia, who had jumped up from her chair, tripped over something and fell.

It was a place where there should have been nothing. There was only a shadow. But she fell backward as if there was something there.

Milia let out a confused gasp, as if she hadn't expected this at all.

I hurriedly grabbed Milia's hand—

──What are you looking at with those eyes? How dare you look down on the Pope of this continent with such eyes.

Suddenly.

A voice echoed. The scene shifted.

My head.

My head throbbed with pain.

──Damn woman. I should have killed you long ago.

"Such unsightly words. Any last words?"

──Why? After wanting to kill me so badly, have you suddenly developed some sympathy? Are you going to listen to my last will and testament?

"I'm curious what someone like you would say before you die."

Whoosh

Rain poured down. My senses were in disarray. I couldn't understand where I was standing, what this coldness I felt was, or what was happening.

But I could clearly see…

Amidst the crumbling ruins, beyond countless corpses, a woman lay collapsed, covered in blood.

And before her stood a white-haired woman.

…It was strange.

The blood-soaked woman looked like Milia. But it wasn't the current Milia. It was a more mature face, as if she had aged several years.

Why?

──Last words? I have them. Spit, you fucking bitch.

"That's it?"

──Hardly.

The rain continued to pour. The downpour from the dark sky washed away the blood and brain matter.

The only one standing in the rain was the white-haired woman holding an ominous black sword.

Was it just my imagination that her appearance seemed familiar?

──I can't believe… that the culprit who stole Dark Sword was a mere Rank 6. How pathetic.

"Technically, you were also robbed by a Rank 1."

──What?

"Something you don't need to know. Something I don't want to tell someone who's about to die."

Raindrops dripped from the tip of the raised sword. The crude sword, stained black from blade to hilt, emanated an undeniably sinister aura.

In that place where rain mingled with blood.

──Last words, yes. I do have some last words.

"I don't think I need to hear them anymore."

──You bitch! You'll die in a ditch! You'll rot for eternity! Your life will be as dark as your rotten fish eyes! Everything you try to possess will vanish, and everything you desire will crumble!

The blood-soaked woman, who looked like Milia but wasn't the current Milia,

Her extremely ornate robes and golden ornaments stained with her own blood,

Shouted with a crazed smile, consumed by malice.

──I will curse you forever! Die! Die!! Ruth Spero!!!

Thud

The head that seemed ready to spew curses for an eternity flew off with a single, simple swing of the sword.

Her eyes, until the very end, glared at the woman with lifeless eyes and an unchanging expression.

The blood on the black sword was quickly washed away by the rain.

The woman standing before Milia, now a corpse, said,

"Unfortunately, I can't die yet."

"Before I die."

"…There's someone I have to stop, even if it means killing them."

──────────.

And then.

My vision and senses returned to normal.

"…Huh?"

When I came to my senses, I had grabbed Milia's hand to prevent her from falling. I froze for a moment, but then pulled Milia up and sat her on the chair.

More importantly, what was that just now?

'Definitely… something.'

I saw something. It was a sensation I had felt before.

But back then, I couldn't remember anything.

This time, there were a few things that remained.

'Rain, ruins, corpses, blood… and.'

A black sword.

Dark Sword.

'Why?'

Someone was holding Dark Sword. It seemed like a woman, but I couldn't remember anything else. We had a conversation, but what was it about?

I tried hard to recall, but the memory had long since vanished. It was even more puzzling why these faint fragments remained this time.

And Milia, who was spacing out just like me,

"…Ah."

"Student Milia?"

"Ah…"

She let out a deep, heavy, and sticky sigh.

"I'll do it."

"…Excuse me?"

"I'll do it! Please let me carry out the attack!"

She started talking like the 'original' Milia, as if everything I had just seen was an illusion.

But was it just my imagination that her acting seemed incredibly skillful?

And an attack? I hadn't even mentioned it yet.

"An attack, what do you mean?"

"Let's talk about the details later!"

"Student Milia!?"

Milia just smiled and left the room before I could stop her.

Left alone so suddenly, I…

'What…?'

I couldn't easily comprehend this whole situation. The sudden change in Milia, the unknown hallucination I just saw, everything.

Why?

…It felt like the shadows in the room were swaying.

Restlessly.

Chaotically.