NOVEL NEXT chapter 25
25 – Dark Elf Benita (2)
—“… … … Mother.”
─『Whoops. That’s it. Our good son Regid.”
Numerous memories built up with Benita in the previous episode run through my head.
‘At first, it was just an ordinary businesslike partnership.’
Benita was strong and reliable, so he chose him as his partner and climbed the tower together.
‘Looking back, the days when I climbed the sky tower alone with her were probably the most peaceful.’
But one day.
The fantasy mixed with the curse of a certain class that the two of us fell into changed everything.
‘Because of my complicated mind after returning, I haven’t been looking for her on purpose until now… .’
I can’t avoid it any longer.
I exhaled lightly and calmed my mind.
‘The previous round is only the previous round.’
I have no intention of being emotionally swayed.
Dean Benita greeted me first with cold eyes.
Apparently, from her point of view, I have no choice but to look precious.
Honestly, it’s a parachute.
“Nice to meet you, Prince Regid. I’m Benita Mullai, the dean, who has been leading this academy for over ‘fifty years’.”
“This is Ragged Kazidum. I’ve heard of your reputation, Dean Benita.”
“Huh. Heard of fame… . I didn’t think so… .”
“… … .”
This personality is still… .
I remember that it took a considerable amount of time to become close to each other in the previous episodes.
‘Of course, it’s hard to get close, so once you get close, you get closer.’
After brief greetings with her and other directors, he immediately sat down and entered the meeting.
As if conscious of me attending for the first time, a brief current status report and small agendas are discussed first.
In the meantime, trends in other countries were mentioned.
“Other countries with sky towers are also trying to recruit talented people by reorganizing their academies following our Kazidum.”
“Um… .”
The directors’ eyes narrowed.
“I expected you to follow suit, but… .”
“You look so foolish.”
“Fortunately, the publicity effect of the ‘Hidden Area – Killabet’s Back Garden’ hunting ground bestowed by His Highness Regid is very large, and our side is quite ahead.”
“Oh oh… !”
“There was!”
“Thanks to the prince, I can relax.”
“Because it will be of great help to the academy brand.”
I lightly bowed my head in response to the praise from the directors.
And then I asked them a question.
“How are the current academy facilities?”
“A facility? There is no particular problem, but… . We can use the existing building as it is.”
I asked such directors.
“I would like to take a closer look at the academy facilities.”
“Foot!”
As soon as I finished my words of inspecting the academy, a sneer mingled with ridicule erupted from somewhere.
“… … .”
“… … .”
“… … .”
The atmosphere in the meeting room turned cold as ice.
The eyes of the directors were all focused on one place.
“why? Will it change anything if I inspect it? Regid Prince?”
It was Benita, the dean, who sent the ridicule.
She had lived in the empire for over hundreds of years and had strong personal connections and influence in the political and business world.
It seems that he doesn’t care about the ‘male’ royal family of the empire.
‘If it was a female princess, would the story be a little different?’
Dean Benita leisurely lit a cigarette despite the rapidly cooling atmosphere.
Profit… .
And then, with a languid gesture… suck up
Soon, white smoke from cigarettes began to drift across the table.
“… … .”
“… … .”
“… … .”
The season in the conference room was moving beyond winter and towards the ice age.
It was the attitude of ‘I have dissatisfaction with the imperial prince’, as if drawn in a painting.
‘Hmm… .’
But I was paying attention to the other side than that.
‘indeed. I wonder why Benita only used a long pipe… .’
In the previous episode, even when asked, he refused to answer.
I took a fresh look at her breasts, the overflowing pockets of maternity lightly hanging over the table.
‘It must have been because of that big chest.’
She lifted her top and stared at the voluptuous hill that was asserting herself, and nodded inwardly.
‘Because if you use a small pipe, a catastrophe could happen, with hot cigarette ash falling through her breastbone.’
It was survival instinct that made her hold on to that long pipe.
The questions that had been bothering me for a long time, including the last episode, were released by the realization that came like a flash of light.
‘Curiosity solved.’
Even in the midst of that, Benita’s languid yet perverse questions continued.
“What will the prince do if he sees the facility? Are you going to put up a new building? foot… !”
“There is nothing I can’t do.”
“… Yes??”
Benita asked with a bewildered face.
“That, that can’t be… .”
“It’s possible.”
I took the checkbook out of my pocket and waved it in plain sight.
“Because I was promised full support from His Majesty.”
The gold leaf pattern of the imperial family on the cover of the checkbook shone brilliantly in the sunlight through the window.
“Me, that!!”
“The imperial family’s checkbook… !”
“Aagh! Whoa, eyes!!”
One of the directors hurriedly covered his eyes as if he had been dazzled by the gold leaf on the cover of his checkbook.
I wouldn’t be able to spend as much as I wanted, but I had enough money in my hands to at least refurbish an academy in a big and splendid way.
In the meantime, joining the academy board of directors was delayed because it was to secure this secret weapon.
The night before yesterday, I had finally succeeded in overcoming the miserly Emperor’s restraints and obtaining this checkbook as a trophy.
Asked with a grin at Benita, who was taken aback.
“Dean, will this be enough?”
“That, that… .”
Benita nodded reluctantly with a confused face that said she had eaten a shot.
‘Anyway, he’s kind of picky.’
As I experienced in the previous episode, it seems that it will take some time to get close to Benita.
‘what… But as time passes, the distance will naturally get closer.’
She has a unique cold and harsh atmosphere.
However, I knew very well that deep down in his heart, he also harbored affection as sweet and cozy as sugar cookies.
‘I have to slowly close the distance with her again.’
So, once the inspection was concluded according to my will, I moved on to another issue.
A director reviewed and presented the report he had investigated.
“Recently, there are rumors that the Brickell Kingdom and the City-State Alliance are also trying to recruit talent on the condition of marrying them with ‘Continental History’.”
food.
I laughed involuntarily at those words.
‘They follow me.’
It was a good thing, or rather a good thing.
I didn’t have much interest in other continental history, so I don’t know much about it other than the name or basic information.
‘Since they are from different provinces and countries, we rarely meet each other in the first place.’
However, they will also boast of their own recognition, so they will definitely have a positive impact on people.
‘So if only people could concentrate on attacking the Sky Tower.’
It’s a really good thing. Rather, it is the wind that I want to promote more.
Director looked at me like that and continued the presentation.
“The fact that Prince Regid personally presented himself and gave us a dedicated hunting ground certainly played a big role in helping our academy stand at the forefront.”
The director gave me an apologetic look and continued to speak.
“However, since there are other competitors these days, I wonder if we should devise a new advertising strategy as well… A little bit of that thought… .”
I tilted my head and asked the middle-aged woman.
“Do you have any good ideas? It looks like that, but… .”
After hesitating for a moment, she clenched her fists as if she had finally made up her mind.
Jump!
She stood up from her seat with a sad face and cried out.
“It’s about releasing an academy pamphlet all over the continent with Prince Regid as the cover model!”
I tilted my head.
“Will it be just that much?”
“no!! It will definitely work!!”
she exclaimed with excitement.
* * *
next day.
A middle-aged painter was busy playing with a brush in front of me.
She chattered incessantly, correcting my posture.
“Prince! Raise your head a little more! Ah~ The angle is good! so good!”
He is a very famous portrait expert in this field.
“Wow~ It’s so nice~!”
Does this really work?
Wouldn’t it be better to just promote a dedicated hunting ground or increase the amount of the scholarship?
I think that would be more effective in recruiting new academy students.
* * *
shortly thereafter.
Pamphlets promoting admission to Kazidum Imperial Academy began to be released all over the continent.