Reviving a Bankrupt Academy: My Financial Battle

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BOOM!!!

"Oh? It seems something exploded again. Ruth, want to go see?"

"…It's okay."

"Really? Well, I guess we were only surprised at first, now it's just everyday life."

Despite the explosion, slight tremor, and rising smoke coming from somewhere, Mina, sitting on the terrace of the coffee house, just gave a wry smile and put down her coffee cup.

How long had it been since the entrance ceremony? About two weeks now?

It seemed like just after the entrance ceremony, she thought she would never get used to it.

But after only two weeks, she was left accepting it as everyday life.

"Still, aren't you curious? Where did it explode this time? Judging by the location, it seems like it's from the magic department?"

"Probably a lab… or a classroom."

"Why not a training ground…?"

Were all academies in the city like this? Mina, a girl from the countryside, added to her misunderstanding of the city as she looked towards the rising smoke.

Indeed, looking at the buildings near the smoke, it seemed like it was from the lab area. I heard there were labs that weren't even repaired because they exploded too often.

"Is it normal for magic kids to be like that? At least we, um, only have cracks or collapses! No explosions…"

"It's all the same."

"Haa, maybe what the student council president said was right. He said there was nothing better about magic or martial arts than administration, right? He also said that the senior he respects so much was from the administration department."

"...…."

"He said that senior already graduated, but I wanted to meet him since the student council president praised him so much. What about you, Ruth? The student council president is the same Rank 6 as you!"

"Mina…"

"Ah, sorry. You're still doing volunteer work…"

Why am I so clueless? Mina sighed.

Her friend, Ruth, had broken the restriction at the entrance ceremony and used Sword Qi to cut down the illusion of the manticore. And because of that, he was called to the Student Affairs Department, scolded, and even disciplined.

'200 hours of volunteer work and banned from leaving the academy until it's all done…'

I heard he was the freshman who received disciplinary action the fastest after the student council president, and even that was reduced considering the sudden event. As a result, even now, two weeks later, Ruth was still doing various volunteer activities after class, even cutting back on sleep.

To bring up the topic of ranks right before her friend had to go back to volunteer work…

Ruth, seeing Mina's restlessness, looked at her for a moment and handed her a dessert.

"…Don't be too discouraged. Once next month comes, I'll have completed all 200 hours."

"Uh, yeah! Once you've finished all those volunteer hours, let's go out and have some fun outside the academy! I've already found several places! For example, if we go to the eastern district—"

"…Are you talking about that potato restaurant?"

"Huh? Ruth, how did you know?"

It was supposed to be a secret gem that even academy students didn't know about, so how did Ruth, who couldn't leave the academy, know about it?

At the innocent and sudden question, Ruth paused for a moment.

"Ah! You heard it from another senior too, right?"

"…Yes, that's right."

"As expected of Ruth! You've talked to so many classmates and seniors!"

A Rank 6 swordsman as a classmate. It was impossible not to be interested.

Although there were bad rumors circulating because he ignored Lady Lisha's handshake at the entrance ceremony, Mina knew it was a ridiculous misunderstanding.

'He's just shy.'

As proof, Ruth put in a lot of effort to get close to others. He knew a lot about classmates and professors he met for the first time, and even about Mina herself.

He must have been observing others closely to try and talk to them despite being shy. Mina, a naive girl from the countryside who was loved by everyone in her village, firmly believed that was the case.

To put it nicely, she was pure, but to put it bluntly, she was naive.

Seeing Mina's reaction, Ruth quietly looked into her eyes for a moment and then put down his coffee cup.

As if he had expected this reaction from the beginning.

"…Mina, and that senior."

"Yes? Ruth, do you also want to meet the senior the student council president admires!?"

"No."

"Huh? Ruth?"

"It would be best… if you never met him."

Ruth's eyes were somewhat cold and sunken as he said that.

Mina shivered for a moment from an unknown chill and then laughed.

"Um, okay! I should listen to what a Rank 6 says!"

"…Don't worry. You can become much stronger than me."

"Me? Come on, Ruth. You don't have to flatter me just because we're friends. I'm still only Rank 3. I'm almost at the bottom of the hand-to-hand combat class…"

"…You'll find out later. You have really good… instincts."

"Thank you. Hehe, I wish I could materialize Aura like you. Did you see what the Headmistress did with her Aura at the entrance ceremony? It was almost blasphemous to even think of her as a fellow martial artist."

"The Headmistress…"

"She's the most famous person in the kingdom. We learned about it in history class yesterday, when assassins broke into the royal palace about 100 years ago and almost killed all the royals!"

"…She dealt with all the assassins alone."

Clink.

Ruth, who had put several sugars in his coffee, continued quietly.

The Headmistress was revered as a hero in the kingdom due to her various achievements, including stopping the assassins. It was even mentioned in history books that the previous king offered her the title of duke and a vast territory to dissuade her from leaving the kingdom for another place.

Moreover, there was a saying that the number of Rank 8 individuals directly reflected a nation's power. The hegemonic Empire had over ten Rank 8s, and the next strongest kingdom had four, while there were also small countries that didn't even have a single Rank 8.

I didn't know why the Headmistress, who had also received offers from the Empire, chose the kingdom. She refused the title but accepted the territory, and considering that she established Grandis Academy on top of that, she clearly had a goal, but that was something she could have achieved in the Empire as well.

Anyway, the Headmistress, with her transcendental wealth gathered from who knows where, quickly raised Grandis Academy to the status of a prestigious institution in a few decades. Although there were various incidents along the way, Grandis Academy would continue to exist for the next 100, 200 years…

—Or so…

…Ruth Spero used to believe.

There were such days.

"...."

"Ruth? What's wrong?"

"…Just remembering old times."

Ruth simply answered Mina's concern and turned his head towards the street.

Whenever he was swallowed by 'past' memories, it was best to just space out instead of dwelling on it. Just thinking about what he had done before coming to the academy, about what happened at the rock salt mine, made him realize this was the best he could do.

As he stared blankly at the street where students were coming and going from the terrace…

Noisy voices reached him.

"Is that true? Another duel? Is that princess crazy?"

"Crazy or not, it's definitely a good show. She wouldn't challenge Chloe without thinking, would she? She must have some kind of hidden card."

"Hey, I saw that duel a week ago with my own eyes. Hidden card or not, the difference in skill was overwhelming. Chloe was just playing with her. More than anything, with that princess's chronic illness, she'll self-destruct even if she just stands still."

"So you're not going to watch?"

"Can't you see I'm already running?"

"Ruth, did you hear? There's a duel!"

"...…."

Duels. Although they weren't as frequent as building explosions or collapses, they happened every now and then.

Ruth himself had received duel requests from classmates and seniors. There would be no chance of winning against a Rank 6 swordsman, but they held onto the thought, 'Maybe if he seals one arm and doesn't use Sword Qi?'

Although there were some who mocked him, saying that he was all talk and no action since he rejected all the duels, those rumors disappeared after he knocked out ten opponents simultaneously with a single swing of his sword in the first sparring class.

Therefore, what Ruth was focused on wasn't the duel itself.

To be precise, it was the participants in the duel.

"…Amatriuss Delphia Beatrice, Chloe Piste."

"Wow, you memorized their full names? I keep getting tongue-tied."

"Those two, are having a duel?"

"That's right. You didn't know because you were doing volunteer work every day after class? The princess and the Tower Master's disciple had a duel a week ago!"

"…What?"

"Well, it wasn't a big topic in our department since it was a magic department affair. The martial arts department was busy with something else."

"Other rumors?"

"Haha… Ruth, because of what you did in the first sparring class…"

"...."

Ruth, who rarely showed emotional fluctuations, was flustered, but he calmed down after taking a sip of his sweet coffee.

After a moment of contemplation, Ruth asked Mina,

"…How did that duel go?"

"I heard the disciple won overwhelmingly! But listening to those students just now, it seems like the princess requested a duel only a week later. Did she train hard during that time?"

"…Indeed. For Beatrice, who suffers from a chronic illness, to challenge Chloe…"

"Ruth?"

"He chose… Beatrice 'this time.'"

A deep sigh. And eyes that seemed to be filled with regret.

Mina's close friend, Ruth, sometimes seemed so different. It was as if he had already lived a long life.

'It's a bit strange to say this, but…'

Ruth… resembled Mina's grandmother. Not in appearance, of course, but in his behavior and atmosphere.

He never panicked, acted as if he knew everything, and was completely different from others his age.

Rather than being mature, it was more like… experience and wisdom?

If she said this out loud, Ruth would glare at her again. Mina, having learned from the recent incident, nodded inwardly and kept her mouth shut, bringing up a different topic instead.

"We still have some time before we have to go back to volunteer work, right? Do you want to go watch?"

"…It's okay. The outcome is obvious anyway."

"Huh? You also think the disciple will win, Ruth?"

"Well…"

Ruth, who was spinning the teaspoon in his coffee cup for a moment…

Quietly muttered something.

"…Adam."

"Hmm? Where did I hear that name? I definitely…"

"…Forget it, Mina."

"Huh?"

"It's not something you need to remember…"

But it's something I must never forget.

Something I'll never forget even in death.

"That's the kind of name it is."

***

Duel Arena 21 was already packed with spectators.

Since it was a duel arena located in the magic department, most of the audience were magic department students with yellow bracelets, but there were also some martial arts department students with blue bracelets.

Unfortunately, there were hardly any students from the administration department, as they had to write group assignments and reports instead of watching the duel. As the department known as the hope of the commoners, it had the largest number of students among the three departments, and the competition for grades was fierce.

Anyway, the opinions of the students, who were enjoying their relative freedom compared to the administration department, were similar.

"Even so, it'll be difficult to win, right?"

"She must have some kind of plan since she requested the duel, but still, what can the princess do? It's not like she could have overcome her chronic illness in a week."

Unlike a week ago, it was Beatrice who requested the duel. Although she might have a plan, it would still be difficult to win.

The chattering students suddenly fell silent.

"...."

"Goodness, princess? You didn't fail to manage your condition, did you?"

Beatrice and Chloe. The two duelists appeared.

However, compared to Chloe, who was the picture of composure, Beatrice was clearly not in good condition.

Her steps were heavy, she seemed to struggle with breathing, and she staggered as if she was about to collapse at any moment.

Nevertheless, Beatrice, as if accustomed to such a state, stood in the duel arena. Chloe sneered at the sight.

"I'll praise you, princess."

"…For what?"

"For at least showing some courage. Or is it that you don't care about showing your disgrace a second time since you've already done it once? You're not planning to keep requesting duels until you win, are you?"

"…There's no need… for that."

Beatrice, barely answering in a hoarse voice took something out of her pocket and held it tightly.

"Why? I'm willing to keep accepting."

"Because… I'll win this time."

"…How boring."

What she held was a clock-shaped artifact.

But Chloe didn't stop her. If both parties agreed, artifacts could also be used in duels. And of course, Chloe very generously allowed Beatrice to use the artifact.

"Did you practice that for a week? How to use an artifact? You didn't think you could defeat me with such toys, did you?"

"...."

"That's not even for combat, is it? It's just an artifact with an alarm spell and other convenience spells added to a clock, what can you do with that…"

Immediately after.

Chloe frowned.

She had felt a sense of discomfort since earlier, but she dismissed it as impossible.

…There was no mana.

Beatrice was currently completely devoid of mana. It was close to the state of mana exhaustion she had only heard of.

Mana exhaustion was similar to starvation or dehydration for ordinary people. A normal mage would prevent mana exhaustion at the instinctual level to maintain their life.

But why?

"You."

But what was even more surprising was…

That mana was flowing through Beatrice's body, which was on the verge of mana exhaustion.

From the clock artifact she held in her hand.

Mana flowed and gathered at Beatrice's fingertips.

[Fireball]

A scene she had seen somewhere unfolded before her eyes.

Several fireballs floating in the air.

And then.

Crack!

A fireball froze.

Whoosh!

Wind blew and created a pillar of fire.

Rumble!

Lightning wrapped around a fireball, strengthening it.

"You, you…!!"

"…It's not that difficult. Cough, is this what you were boasting about?"

The talent acknowledged by the Archmage.

Just like Chloe, Beatrice also possessed multiple attributes, a rare ability.

Beatrice, who perfectly reproduced the magic Chloe had displayed in the duel a week ago was now in complete control of her magic, unlike back then.

"How!? Could it be, could it be with the mana from that artifact? Why such an unnecessary process… no."

Chloe, who was grinding her teeth so hard they bled as she watched the scene she had created unfold before her in reverse turned her eyes, burning with jealousy and hatred, towards Beatrice.

"That's… the way. The way to escape from that chronic illness of yours."

"...."

"I don't care what you did."

Flare!

[Fireball]

Chloe, who conjured even more fireballs than Beatrice, as if to devour her.

Declared in a voice filled with malice,

"The talent that your master acknowledged…!! If I break that!!"

"…Adam."

"Then it will be certain that I, only I, am the only mage worthy of his acknowledgment!!!"

"Wait for me. I'll come to see you soon."

Immediately after.

Magic clashed.