Reviving a Bankrupt Academy: My Financial Battle

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My goal, as the Finance Director of this academy, was to normalize the financial status.

To that end, I did various things, such as receiving bribes from some students, trying to repatriate Beatrice, and negotiating with dwarves and trading companies.

However, most of them focused on 'income.' The thought that we needed to earn money because we were lacking.

But there was a clear limit to this.

'In the end, we can't expect long-term income unless we receive subsidies or donations.'

Bribes had to be done in secret, so the scale had to be small, and if we increased it recklessly and the academy actually became corrupt, that would be a problem in itself.

Although we were able to get through this month and extend the lifespan of the academy with the artifacts received from the king, it was just an unexpected temporary income.

The academy's lifespan? It did increase. But time continued to flow. If we used a day to earn a day, it was merely maintaining the status quo.

Of course, that didn't mean we should neglect our efforts to increase income. It was simply the reality that it was difficult to even maintain the status quo as things were.

Therefore, we needed another method.

Increasing income wasn't the only way to normalize the finances.

'Then we can just reduce expenses.'

If we couldn't significantly increase the incoming money, we could just reduce the outgoing money.

And among the various expenses of the academy, the part I decided to touch was…

"F-Finance Director, are you serious? You're going to… abolish the custom?"

"Of course, I won't abolish all customs. But from now on, magic department professors will not be allowed to own their research achievements."

"That's absurd! That's a privilege we have—"

"The fact that you consider the Headmistress's favor a privilege is proof that it has already strayed far from its original intent. According to the employment contract you signed when you were appointed as a professor, all research achievements are jointly owned by the academy and cannot be used freely."

"But everyone knows that Grandis Academy gives professors ownership of their research achievements! If you abolish it now, we won't be able to attract talented professors…"

"Grandis Academy has already gained a reputation as the best in the kingdom, and there are countless professors who want to work at our academy. More importantly, if a professor wishes to be appointed to our academy just for the ownership of research achievements, we would have to decline."

"Even so…"

"More importantly, shouldn't you be clear about your words? It's given to 'magic department professors,' not 'all professors,' isn't it?"

"...…."

It was about abolishing the custom that the magic department professors had.

What did this have to do with reducing expenses? It's true that this alone didn't have much to do with it. Honestly, Professor Circe's case was exceptional. Usually, even if a professor owned their research achievements, it rarely resulted in a significant loss for the academy.

Just as not all research generated profit, profitable research was usually shared with the academy. In fact, the money generated from such research was substantial.

Even just considering Professor Circe's improved healing potion research, there were already several cases in the academy's history with similar profitability, and those profits were the primary contributors to maintaining the academy even after the Headmistress's assets were almost depleted.

The abolition of the custom was merely a 'trigger.'

A necessary trigger for the cost reduction I desired, and the easiest one to manipulate.

"Even so, no matter how much of a Finance Director you are, you can't arbitrarily abolish a custom that has lasted for decades!"

"Hmm."

"This is a clear outrage, an abuse of authority by the Finance Director!"

Anyone in a privileged position would resist having something they were given taken away. Even if it stemmed from the Headmistress's favor, as the saying goes, if a favor continues for too long, it's mistaken for a right.

It's similar to how even if a new company commander in the military tries to abolish hazing rituals, the soldiers will secretly continue them, saying that they're getting rid of a long-standing tradition.

It's because they gain something from that custom. The soldiers gain the thrill of tormenting new recruits, and the professors gain practical benefits.

Naturally, I expected this kind of resistance.

'But you see…'

There was a reason why I was saying this to Professor Circe, not Dean Billend.

"Don't worry, I'm not the one abolishing the custom."

"What…? Could it be, the Headmistress…!?"

It was understandable for her to think that. They could oppose me, even at the risk of personal loss, but opposing the Headmistress was impossible.

How could they win against the founder who personally established the academy, operated it with her own money for decades, and was always dedicated to education, a Rank 8 martial artist?

Moreover, with the rumors about me being the Headmistress's confidant, close aide, and secret lover, it was natural for them to think so.

"No."

"Th-then…"

"It's you, Professor Circe."

"…What?"

As Professor Circe said, if I stepped forward, there would be considerable backlash. I could use Professor Circe as a shield, but I wouldn't be able to avoid being criticized either.

After all, it could be seen as a new Finance Director abolishing a well-established 'tradition' for the sake of his achievements.

From the professors' perspective, there were no financial problems with the academy, the Headmistress was still the wealthiest person in the kingdom, and it seemed like the academy would continue to exist for the next 100 or 200 years, so it was only natural for them to think that way.

What would happen if, instead of a new Finance Director, a professor from the magic department stepped forward?

And not just any professor, but one who had abused the custom to the extent that even Dean Billend was worried.

What if it was someone who 'officially' hadn't used the custom yet and was seen as not having done so?

"What… do you mean?"

"More importantly, you've already used the custom, haven't you? Even if it's abolished now, it won't affect you, Professor."

"If I do that, I'll become a public enemy to the magic department professors! Why should I accept such a proposal?"

"In return, you can move to the Holy Kingdom sooner."

Silence.

Professor Circe, who had been reacting agitatedly, stopped in shock.

Did you think I wouldn't know?

"Professor, you said you needed urgent funds. You told the church it was out of 'pure faith' and handed it over for free, didn't you?"

"…How did you know?"

"Did you really think that the academy would just let it slide, saying 'it can't be helped because it's a custom,' after you forcibly took ownership of such a large-scale research achievement? I've already spoken with the church."

"...."

Thanks to that, I was able to clearly understand Professor Circe's true intentions. It was because the Cardinal over there was a perceptive person and handed over the entire conversation record with Professor Circe.

From the church's perspective, there was no way they wouldn't accept it when a professor with no prior connection suddenly donated this research achievement, claiming ownership through the custom.

However, perhaps sensing that the matter was quite significant, the Cardinal hinted that he could return it, but after much deliberation, I refused. I didn't want to antagonize the academy, or to be precise, the Headmistress.

Of course, I wasn't going to act like a fool and say a contract is a contract and hand it over. Since only the church could produce the healing potion, even if we got it back, we would have to deal with the church again, so I just made a new deal on the spot.

In exchange for the academy not pursuing the matter, we would receive a certain amount of healing potions free of charge every month. Although this felt somewhat insufficient, the rest was covered by the right for me to ask the Cardinal for a personal 'favor' whenever I wanted.

"You were planning to build a strong connection with the church by donating your research for free, continue the relationship, and then completely move to the Holy Kingdom after developing the hair loss cure, even if it meant sharing the intellectual property rights and giving most of the profits to the academy."

"...…."

"After all, all you need are the achievements of having done what the church couldn't."

Her intention to start developing the hair loss cure, talking about 20 years and all that, must have been sincere. If her goal was simply to move to the Holy Kingdom, she could have moved now after donating the improved healing potion method, but according to the Cardinal, what Professor Circe wanted was a high-ranking position in the Holy Kingdom.

In the end, she used the academy as a stepping stone for her career advancement, but this wasn't a big problem in itself. Just as the Headmistress turned a blind eye to the current custom to recruit professors, it was common for professors to move between academies. Although they were criticized as traitors from a moral standpoint, it wasn't illegal.

It was just that until now, there were hardly any people who wanted to leave Grandis Academy because it was the best in the kingdom.

"Of course, you will be heavily criticized by the magic department professors and become the target of their hatred, but that doesn't mean you'll become everyone's enemy."

"…You're referring to the professors in the martial arts and administration departments."

"From their perspective, the magic department is enjoying excessive privileges. If a young, talented professor who has 'never used the custom' steps up to abolish it, they'll all be happy."

And if she refused? Naturally, the course of action was obvious.

I would expose everything about Professor Circe's use of the custom and her plan to move to the Holy Kingdom. And I would use that chaos to achieve my goal. This was the original plan.

However, since the magic department was the main focus of Grandis Academy, if such chaos erupted, it could take a lot of time and effort to resolve. That's why I chose a different method.

Professor Circe was already cornered, but I still had to dangle a carrot to make it easier for her to come around.

"Naturally, you don't want to spend 20 years on the hair loss cure research, do you? Wouldn't you want to shorten that period if possible?"

"What do you mean…"

"For the next three years, I'll increase your research funding by tenfold. Wouldn't you have a rough idea of how long it will take in three years? Of course, I'll provide it directly instead of going through the magic department."

"You already know?"

"About the discord with other magic department professors? Of course I do. Dean Billend gave me a hint."

Why would the Dean ask me to give his regards, saying that the other professors were worried? It was the Dean's way of giving me a heads up, as he wanted to avoid getting involved in political matters as much as possible.

After receiving the document from the Headmistress yesterday, I asked my junior, and he said that the magic department students often saw Professor Circe arguing with other professors.

"It seems you're receiving a lot of jealousy and scrutiny. Is this the fate of a genius?"

"...."

"If you step forward yourself, the magic department professors, except for you, will be heavily criticized by others. Wouldn't that be quite satisfying?"

Professor Circe had no choice but to accept. She shouldn't have been so reckless. Even if she was going to exploit the academy and the Headmistress, she shouldn't have tried to take so much.

Still, if she succeeded in the hair loss cure research and gave 80% of the profits to the academy, the academy's financial situation would improve significantly, so I was willing to be very lenient. Very slightly.

"…If I refuse this offer, you'll immediately publicize my use of the custom, right?"

"Don't worry. You won't be fired, for the sake of the hair loss cure research. However, your position, already subject to jealousy and scrutiny, will become even more precarious. It might take twice as long as 20 years. And your research funding will be cut off for unknown reasons."

"Is that why you kept it a secret instead of officially announcing it?… It's a checkmate."

"So, what will you do?"

I extended my hand towards Professor Circe, who was clenching her teeth in anxiety.

She stared intently at my hand.

"…I believe it will make it easier for me to move to the Holy Kingdom after the development."

"If you succeed in the development, I'll personally negotiate with the church, so focus on your research. You'll be met with glares if you wander around outside anyway."

"I'll keep that in mind."

In the end, Professor Circe took my hand.

Moving to the Holy Kingdom? I'll help. If the academy doesn't go bankrupt before that.

If it goes bankrupt, it's a promise that won't be kept anyway, and if she truly succeeds in developing the hair loss cure and prevents bankruptcy, I can help her with that much. Of course, I'll subtly inform the Cardinal about Professor Circe's 'personality.'

'I'm a bit petty.'

I won't let her off easily after being screwed over like that.

Fortunately, the Cardinal was a reasonable person, so the damage was minimized, but if she hadn't done something like donating the research without permission, we could have negotiated from a much more advantageous position. We could have gotten more. Since the church already had all the research materials, it would have been really troublesome if they had just refused to cooperate.

I was quite angry that she didn't even apologize after doing that with the healing potion research and shamelessly said she would research for 20 years using the academy's money. Just you wait.

It seems like she's capable, so I'll squeeze her dry.

I didn't know why she was so obsessed with a high-ranking position in the Holy Kingdom, but it was a good thing if she focused on developing the hair loss cure—

──Circe, your appearance at the academy was a disguise. To think you would do this to the Holy Kingdom!

──You're definitely the… perpetually last-place student I saw at the academy?

──I'll never, never forgive you…! Circe!!

──Yes, I was quite immature back then. I'll take this opportunity to kill everything related to the past.

"...."

"Finance Director?"

"No… it's nothing."

What was that just now?

The moment I shook hands with Professor Circe, I heard someone's voice, like an auditory hallucination or tinnitus.

It wasn't my voice. It was a voice I had definitely heard somewhere before, a voice I knew.

The voice, along with its content, instantly vanished from my memory. Only a faint trace remained, and I couldn't even remember what was said.

…What was that all about?

I had no choice but to face Professor Circe, who was looking at me with questioning eyes…

…with a somewhat distorted expression.

***

Monday, the day cursed by countless people.

From the morning of that Monday, the large conference room of Grandis Academy was bustling with people.

"What's going on all of a sudden? Is there something important to discuss?"

"The research budget allocation meeting is already over."

"I heard the Headmistress made an announcement. She said all professors in the magic, martial arts, and administration departments should suspend their classes and gather."

"Anyway, it's nice to have a class suspension. Should I take a good rest for a day after this is over? This won't be counted towards the number of times we can suspend classes, will it?"

"But where's Professor Circe…? Could she be absent because of that precious research of hers? And where's Dean Billend?"

Professors from the magic, martial arts, and administration departments.

Gathered in the same conference room where they had met for the budget allocation meeting, the professors were buzzing with various thoughts about the reason for the summons, joy at the class suspension, and chatter with fellow professors.

Some professors were anxious, wondering if there was a problem with the academy, and others were talking about the absent professors even though almost all the professors were gathered, but…

Soon, the professors' voices subsided.

Something…

Someone with a tremendous presence was approaching the conference room.

"All professors, stand."

"The Headmistress is entering."

The Dean of the martial arts department, sitting at the front, and the Dean of the administration department took the lead in controlling the professors.

As all the professors stood up respectfully, the door to the conference room opened.

"I apologize for calling you all together early in the morning. Please have a seat."

"Greetings, Headmistress."

"""""Greetings, Headmistress!"""""

Respectful greetings and bows followed, as if welcoming the king of a nation.

It wasn't a strange analogy, at least within the academy, where the Headmistress's status was similar to that of a king.

The Headmistress, accepting the greetings of the professors with a slight nod, sat at the head of the table, with the four people she brought with her standing behind.

The Head of Academic Affairs and the Finance Director.

The professors' attention was drawn to the two who could be considered the most influential among the department heads, but compared to the other two, their presence wasn't as significant.

"Dean Billend."

"Yes, Headmistress."

"Begin."

"Understood."

One of the remaining two, Dean Billend, with a somewhat dark expression, stepped in front of the professors with heavy steps.

After clearing his throat, he began.

"This emergency meeting is due to a professor's confession."

"A confession…?"

"What does that mean?"

"Could it be…?"

"Professor Circe, speak."

"Yes, Dean Billend."

And the last person, Professor Circe, stepped forward with her usual cold expression. She seemed to glance at someone in the middle, but anyway.

Most of the martial arts and administration professors tilted their heads at the appearance of the young professor known as the greatest genius in the magic department, but only a few magic department professors widened their eyes as if they had a hunch.

"I stand here today as a professor, to make a confession. I express my infinite gratitude to the Headmistress for providing this opportunity."

"Continue."

"Here, I—the 'privilege' that the magic department professors, including myself, have been enjoying."

"C-could that be…!!"

"Professor Circe! Shut your mouth this instant!"

"Nonsense!"

Only then did the professors, or to be precise, the magic department professors, realize what Circe was about to say and stood up or raised their voices, but with a single gesture from the Headmistress, they were forced to shut their mouths or sit back down.

Behind her, the Head of Academic Affairs glared at the protesting professors with wide eyes, and the Finance Director continued to write something as if he were a secretary.

Dean Billend lowered his head with a gloomy expression.

"I intend to confess about that abuse and deep-rooted evil."

Professor Circe.

Dropped a bomb on the conference room.