NOVEL NEXT C3
Chapter 3
Shaking hands with a giant snail was not a pleasant experience.
After dragging her sobbing self to the podium, the principal added an unnecessary explanation.
“Mr. Hanaslug! He convinced me to trust you! To believe in you!”
-Guoh-oh-oh!
Hanaslug clutched Amon’s hand, spraying slime with excitement.
The problem was that the giant snail was the size of a wagon, and if a stranger had seen it, they would have thought they were being eaten.
‘No matter how much I wash, I’m still slimy.’
Back in the headmaster’s office.
The principal was carefully holding a 5,000 gold voucher guaranteed by the ‘Gold Road Trading Company’ and flapping her ears vigorously.
“You’ll fly away.”
“What? Fly away?”
“No. More than that, what are you going to do with that five thousand gold?”
“I’ll use them for operating expenses, of course. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Academy’s coffers are surprisingly light right now.”
I wondered if she knew who she was talking to.
But it was a surprise.
“I thought you’d throw, I mean, invest your money in racing snails again.”
The headmaster chuckled.
“The racing snails are held every ten years. I know they’re fun, but hold on a second.”
Ten years?
The headmaster pushed herself up anyway.
“Then you must be tired, so please rest. The Gold Road branch is close by, so I’ll exchange money and come back soon.”
“Okay, so you’re going to invest while I rest?”
Anar’el was about to leave the Headmaster’s office when she stopped dead in her tracks and said.
“Mr. Amon.”
“Yes.”
“Five thousand gold is certainly a lot of money. But Amonis Academy has thousands of students and hundreds of teachers. Five thousand gold is not enough to maintain that many people. Would they last a year? No, a few months at most.”
She paused, her face glistening with pride.
“I want to return this crumbling academy to its glory days, which means we’ll have to fund our own operations and attract students and teachers now that imperial support has been cut off.”
“…….”
“Do you see what I mean?”
Amon replied to the stern headmaster.
“So you’re going to invest?”
“Yes.”
“Is this pouty elf really crazy!”
“What!!! I’ll get mad if you keep saying that!”
I admit that my resolve to destroy the Academy wavered a bit when I heard that she would spend all 5,000 gold on operating expenses.
I realized that this elf’s heart was in the right place, even if her methods were wrong.
‘But I have to push for what I believe in.’
Right in front of me was the woman who had destroyed the Academy!
Amon regained his composure.
“Phew, Headmaster.”
“You’re not supposed to……you’re not supposed to…….”
“Headmaster, calm down and let’s talk.”
The sulking principal’s eyes widened.
“What do you want to talk about with this elf?”
“About the investment! As I said yesterday, I agree with you that we can’t get the academy back on its feet through normal means.”
“Hmm! So?”
“In other words, I think that even if the method is right, the direction is the problem. For example, the direction of investing in dragon banana farms that take 15 years to harvest.”
Elves also organize snail races every 10 years!
The headmaster, who had already heard enough of the differences in time between humans and elves, dropped her ears.
‘I wonder why the academy hasn’t gone under by now……No, it has.’
But it’s amazing that an academy that should have been relegated to the dustbin of history has survived.
Anyway, that question aside.
“It’s not that the investment itself was wrong, after all.”
“…….”
“So let’s be careful this time, so that the Headmaster’s wishes can be fulfilled.”
“Ah, Mr. Amon.”
The principal’s ears perked up with excitement!
Amon said with a rotten smile.
Then let’s head to the merchants’ guild!”
“Yes, Mr. Amon!”
* * *
The headmaster decided to exchange 100 gold coins for immediate use and keep the rest as a slip.
And the amount to invest is a whopping 3,000 gold!
‘I’m surprised, I thought the headmaster would have lost 5,000 gold through ignorance.’
Amon, who was looking at the three thousand gold vouchers, turned his gaze.
The Gold Road Chamber of Commerce also handles investment business.
Therefore, the headmaster was reading a booklet with a serious face that listed businesses waiting for investors.
“……See, Mr. Amon.”
“Yes.”
“What about this one? It looks good.”
[Blaton Temple Construction Project]
[Low profit expectations]
A temple to the war god Blaton!
He is one of the gods with the most followers in the Amonis Empire, and as a god related to war, he is famous for sucking up donations at an incredible rate.
‘Plus, it’s being built in the Empire’s newest territory, right?’
It would be unprofitable right now, but it had a promising future.
‘Plus, it’s a temple, so once it’s established, they’ll send priests and paladins to visit, blessings and other perks.’
Did she choose this business with that in mind?
Amon said, his eyes wary.
“I don’t like it.”
“What? Really?”
“Look at where the temple is going to be built. Newly settled territory, which means it lacks a base. There’s going to be heathen rampages, and there’s going to be a lot of backlash from the existing peoples.”
“I see. You’re right, Mr. Amon.”
“You’re welcome.”
The headmaster gave up neatly.
“I’ll read some more, then.”
“Yes, I’m going to use the restroom.”
I hustled out, grabbed the attendant, and said.
“I’d like to invest two gold in the construction of the Blaton Temple.”
“Yes, here’s your investment confirmation.”
Amon, who had invested a whopping two gold out of his total wealth of three gold, returned to the headmaster with a beaming face.
“Were you in a hurry? Your face is really bright.”
“Hahaha, yes.”
“Hmm, but more than that, Mr. Amon.”
“What?”
The principal, ears perked up, held out a booklet.
“Mr. Amon, please take a look. To be honest, I don’t know what I’m looking at.”
“What? You don’t mind if I take a look?”
“If it weren’t for you, Mr. Amon, I wouldn’t have this opportunity, so I’ll leave it to you.”
Amon narrowed his eyes at the smiling principal.
‘That smile makes me feel guilty…….’
At that moment, he remembered the grin on the principal’s face as she dragged him to the giant snail.
‘I have a clear conscience.’
Amon flipped through the brochure.
“I think I’ll take this one.”
“What is it?”
[King of Mango Cultivation Business]
[Highly profitable]
The headmaster frowned.
“Do you know what a King of Mango is? It’s a high-end crop, comparable to the Dragon Banana that made you accuse me of being a sucker……”
“Yeah. It takes two years to sprout and five years to bear fruit.”
“Then why on earth would…….”
I said, looking at the principal who was scrunching her ears as if she didn’t understand.
“At the very least, the headmaster will protect this academy until the end.”
“It’s ……?”
I said, closing the booklet.
“Elves have a different sense of time than humans, so I couldn’t understand an investment that would take fifteen years to pay off.”
“…….”
“But if they’re trying to grow dragon bananas, they must be determined to spend that much time, and if they’re determined, they’ll succeed, so the fifteen-year wait will be worth it.”
Amon cleared his throat.
“But fifteen years. Will the Academy be able to withstand that time? The upkeep is one thing, but would the imperial family really want to keep a dying academy around?”
“Well, that’s…….”
“That’s why I’m against it. Fifteen years is a long time to risk.”
“But,” said Amon, who had had enough.
“King of Mango, on the other hand, only takes seven years to grow, less than half the time of Dragon Banana.”
“…….”
“Of course, seven years is a long time for a human. But what about seven years for an elf?”
“Tsk, it’s not short, but it’s not very long either.”
Right.
Because they hold their popular racing snail event once every ten years.
I turned to the headmaster and spoke with authority.
“As I said, the imperial family may try to shut down the academy, but you have seven years to hold on.”
“……!”
“After that, your investment will pay off, and you won’t have to wrap your head in maintenance costs. Once you have the funds, you’ll be relatively free of imperial pressure.”
Anar’el, who had been listening in silence, spoke up as if suddenly remembering.
“Well, that may be true, but I thought you said seven years was a long time for a human?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then isn’t it a long time for you, Mr. Amon, too?”
Goosebumps ran down my spine.
Did she really think I would endure it with her?
‘I’m going to run away with this and destroy the academy.’
Amon smiled bitterly at the thought.
“Like I said, you’re the only one who’ll see the Academy through to the end.”
The headmaster’s eyes widened at that.
“Seriously, you can’t…….”
“I’m human, too, and I don’t know what will happen in seven years. I might end up somewhere else, due to circumstances.”
“…….”
“But since you’ll be staying on at the academy, this investment will go to…….”
I pointed to the King of Mango prospectus.
“The investment will be entirely for you and the Academy.”
“Oh, Mr. Amon…….”
I grinned at the principal, whose mouth was agape and ears were flapping with excitement.
“Seven years, do you think you can hold out?”
“Well, of course, I won’t let them close the academy at any cost!”
The headmaster added.
“And if Mr. Amon isn’t here then, I’ll make sure to bring you back to the Academy!”
What goes around, comes around.
‘If that time really comes, I guess I’ll just have to play dead.’
I smiled and nodded.
“We’ll talk about that later, but first, let’s settle on an investment amount.”
“Okay!”
The original plan was to invest 3,000 gold and keep the rest.
But now that the plan to ‘hang in there’ was clear, Anar’el was bolder.
“I’ll invest all 4,900 gold, leaving only 100 gold for minimal operating expenses!”
Amon applauded.
“Excellent choice!”
I can’t help but be impressed.
This is how I destroyed the Academy.
‘Anyway, this is perfect.’
The last 100 gold is a bit annoying, but I’ll just have to cajole her into spending it.
‘Finally, I’ll be free of this hellhole.’
The rest of the seven years will be up to Anar’el whether she holds out or not, and if the investment pays off in seven years, it’s none of my business.
“Then, Headmaster, let’s go!”
“Yes!”
Anar’el stood up, smiling broadly as she held up the 4900 gold slip.
* * *
The farmer of the King of Mango business widened his eyes.
“You have an investment worth 4900 gold?”
“That’s right, farmer!”
“Oh my…….”
The farmer rolled his eyes.
“It’s been ten years……since I developed a new cultivation method for King of Mango, and I finally perfected a cultivation method that can harvest King of Mango in one year, but I’ve been struggling with mass production and distribution due to lack of funds…….”
The tearful farmer’s eyes lit up and he exclaimed.
“Let’s get down to business right away! Buy up all the land you’ve seen, hire laborers, and get to work!”
“Yes, farmer!”
The farmer muttered, tears streaming down his face as he watched his workers move in unison.
“Heaven help us.”
He shook his head.
“No, there are people I have to be more grateful to than the heavens.”
The farmer hurriedly grabbed a pen and paper.
He began to write a letter to his investors.
* * * *
The next morning Amon found a large lump of mail in the Academy’s mailbox.
‘What mail?’
He checked the recipients and saw that one was addressed to him and the other to ‘Amonis Academy’.
Amon’s face fell as he examined the large lump.
The words on the outside said ‘King of Mango.’
Feeling unnecessarily anxious, Amon took the letter and the King of Mango and headed to his room.
He opened the letter and read it.
“What, what……?”
The news was that they had developed a new method of growing King of Mango that could dramatically increase their production!
And a huge commitment to hand over a portion of the net profits for the next 10 years to a well-heeled investor!
[……] So, we wanted to give you a sneak peek at our prototype King of Mango. May only light shine on your path.]
Amon clutched his chest as he read the letter.
His heart pounded in his chest, his head throbbed, and his hands and feet trembled.
Amon then opened the letter to himself.
[Notice to investors in the Blaton Temple construction project.]
“Ugh, ugh…….”
[The construction of the temple was abandoned due to riots by the pagans, opposition from the existing peoples, and extreme unrest in the newly settled territories.]
“Ughhhh……!”
[The company in charge of the construction has also gone bankrupt, asking for the forgiveness of those who invested in the project…….]
He lost two gold.
Amon tore up the letter and screamed.