Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Protagonist Isn’t Hiding His Power – Part 3
The Headmistress and the Chief Examiner's gazes were cold.
They seemed to misunderstand. I wasn't doing this just because I was tempted by the five times tuition fee.
'Even if it's five times, Grandis Academy's tuition itself is very cheap.'
Simply put, even after multiplying it by five, it barely matched the tuition of other private academies. In other words, whether the protagonist paid five times or ten times, it wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of repairing the measurement device and the wall.
The reason I changed my attitude so quickly was…
"According to the academy regulations, if an applicant pays an additional tuition fee exceeding a certain amount, their admission documents need to be updated. Normally, this would be quite a complicated process, but I'll take care of it right away."
"You will, mister?"
"Despite my appearance, I hold the position of Finance Director."
Mister? We're only five years apart, you know?
If he weren't Rank 6, I would have smacked him. But with such a difference in rank, I'd be the one getting hurt.
Anyway, I got the protagonist's confirmation, so I sent him away.
"Normally, you would have to retake the exam according to the regulations, but there's no need for that, Applicant Ruth Spero. Just wait a little, and you'll become a student of our academy."
"…Thank you."
"The honor is all mine to receive such an outstanding talent."
"Yes."
The protagonist bowed his head and left. He would probably wait with the other applicants.
As soon as he left, I felt Chief Examiner Ciel's gaze on me.
It was much colder than usual.
"Finance Director Adam, what is the meaning of this?"
"What do you mean by 'the meaning of this'?"
"Applicant Ruth Spero would have been unconditionally accepted even without paying extra tuition. I never imagined that someone in the position of Finance Director would do such a thing, using admission as leverage to extort money from an applicant."
"From what you're saying, it sounds like I sold an admission letter for money."
"Am I wrong?"
"Of course, you're wrong, Chief Examiner Ciel."
The person in charge of all exams at the academy, dealing with the most sensitive matters for students, where any rumors about grades or handling could arise, had an almost predetermined personality.
A stickler for rules, to a degree beyond just being thorough.
And at the same time… someone with few friends or acquaintances.
I'm not kidding. Requests for manipulating results through bribes or connections are the strongest temptations for an academy's exam supervisor. Moreover, exams are where all sorts of incidents and accidents occur.
That's why the person leading the exam supervision must strictly adhere to principles and, at the same time, have few friends or acquaintances to minimize requests based on personal relationships or blood ties… That's the Headmistress's philosophy.
'I'm not sure how effective it is.'
At least, that's what the Headmistress thought when she first created Grandis Academy, so it became a tradition. Therefore, the current Chief Examiner, Ciel, was both a principled person and a loner. I sometimes saw her in the staff cafeteria, and she always ate alone.
Anyway, that's why Ciel didn't quite understand such 'political' matters. How should I persuade someone like her?
'How, you ask?'
"Regarding Article 6, Clause 14 of the entrance exam regulations, on the restriction of applicants' combat power."
"That's…"
"According to the regulations, the academy can refuse admission to applicants with 'excessive' combat power. You're well aware of this, Chief Examiner Ciel."
"..."
The way to persuade someone who adheres to principles is to confront them with those very principles. It was an existing regulation, so Ciel couldn't argue.
And it was probably the regulation she hated the most.
'This regulation was created after Grandis Academy became known as the best in the kingdom.'
Out of necessity? No. It was born from the secret demands of nobles who wanted to enroll their children in the academy.
The reason was simple. If their child was in the same year as an applicant with excessively high combat power, their child wouldn't be able to rank first in the year.
As you'll learn in the working world, there's a world of difference between being first and second in your year. At the academy, it's just a difference of one rank, but in society, only the first place gets noticed.
'If you ask who the fastest person in the world is, the answer is Usain Bolt, but if you ask who the second fastest is, no one knows.'
Of course, one might argue that it's excessive to obsess over academy rankings, but for those aiming for the very top, even that small difference matters.
Besides, students who are too strong don't really gain much from the academy. Maybe it would be different if the protagonist aimed for magic or administration, which aren't directly related to combat power, but…
"I heard that applicant Ruth Spero is aiming for the Martial Arts field."
"…That's correct."
"While it may be acceptable for magic or administration fields, most of the martial arts exams involve actual combat. What would happen if we put applicant Ruth Spero among first-year students who are just starting to learn?"
"That's…"
"Even among graduates, it's very rare to achieve Rank 6. If applicant Ruth Spero is already Rank 6, he will likely dominate the top spot for all three years."
Would the knight families and nobles accept that? And would it be a good thing for the other students in his year?
If it were a level that could be surpassed through training and effort, it would be different. It could ignite a sense of competition.
But Rank 6 is enough to be a knight commander in any territory. What kind of feelings would others have towards such a powerhouse being in the same year? Wouldn't they give up on competing and just feel a sense of injustice?
This regulation was added not only because of pressure from the nobles but also because the Headmistress was concerned about that aspect.
And Ciel, who had no surname, a commoner who reached Rank 7 through sheer effort,
"…I understand."
She probably wouldn't like that regulation. No matter how you looked at it, it was a regulation that ultimately existed for the benefit of noble children.
But please, just listen to me until the end.
"That's why we need a justification to persuade the nobles."
"…Excuse me?"
"The justification of receiving five times the tuition fee."
"Ah."
"Of course, we'll also need to set a limit on applicant Ruth Spero's power."
"That goes without saying."
Ciel's expression softened slightly, just a tiny bit. It seemed she finally understood what I was saying.
In other words, the five times tuition fee was the bare minimum justification. It was proof that we weren't simply accepting Ruth Spero.
In fact, the five times tuition was for Ruth's sake, not mine.
It seemed like Ciel finally grasped that.
"That was unexpected."
"Pardon?"
"This isn't the first time I've seen Finance Director Adam, but all our previous encounters were in formal meetings. Seeing you handle matters with such consideration for the students firsthand has convinced me that all the rumors about you were unfounded."
"..."
What kind of rumors were going around, I wonder?
I didn't bother asking, in case something like the 'secret lover of the Headmistress' popped up again.
Anyway, leaving a good impression on one of the four powerhouses was a welcome development.
"I look forward to working with you in the future, Finance Director Adam."
"Feel free to call on me anytime you need me."
She meant the opposite.
"I will."
You understood, right? You won't actually call me whenever you need something, right?
It was just a polite remark, but knowing that she was a principled loner with no social skills made me feel uneasy.
…Anyway, after the handshake, Ciel left to take care of some work. Ultimately, what I had to approve was the repair cost issue, and matters like the retake exam and notifying the other applicants of the results were all the Chief Examiner's responsibility.
With only me and the Headmistress left in the entrance exam hall, the Headmistress, who had been quiet until then, approached me.
"I see you in a new light, Finance Director Adam. I never imagined that was all for applicant Ruth Spero."
"You didn't know, Headmistress?"
"I had a hunch. But if it were you, Finance Director, I thought you were genuinely tempted by the five times tuition fee. You're the one who sent the Headmistress to a deep-sea fishing vessel because we were short on money, after all."
"Futures trading."
"…I'm sorry for being cheeky."
Why did she always portray me as some kind of evil person? It was quite unfair.
The Headmistress, momentarily silenced by a single word, took a deep breath and looked at me.
"By the way, is five times the tuition really enough? Even if it's just a justification, I don't think the nobles will be satisfied with just five times."
"What are you talking about? Of course, it's completely useless."
"I knew it… What?"
Wait.
Did she not realize?
"As you said, Headmistress, would a mere five times be enough? Even if he paid 50 times, the nobles who sent their children to the Martial Arts field would throw a fit. Even with restrictions, Rank 6 is still Rank 6. Even I would curse if I had to compete with such a monster for three years."
"Then why…?"
"It's to persuade the Chief Examiner. Whether we receive five times or 50 times, we need her approval to make things easier."
"..."
"It's fortunate that she's insensitive to political matters."
"…Then how do you plan to handle the nobles' protests?"
"We'll have to take care of it. We can negotiate with the nobles in secret."
"But you already made it sound like he was accepted. If the negotiations fail…"
"Then we can just tell the Chief Examiner that we had no choice due to pressure from the nobles. And we'll apologize to applicant Ruth Spero."
It seemed like he wouldn't have any problems even if he skipped the academy arc anyway.
It would be far more beneficial for the protagonist to hunt monsters or join a knight order than to deal with third-rate noble villains at the academy and provide catharsis.
Why go through the growth arc when you've already reached the peak of your growth?
'Besides, there's no risk even if it fails.'
Going back on my word to Ciel? I already said it, it's because of the 'pressure from the nobles.' I'll add some convincing tears to the act, so Ciel will only be angry at the nobles for the protagonist's rejection, not at me.
The problem was that the protagonist was too strong. If he had just pretended to hide his power, things would have gone smoothly, but why didn't he hide his strength from the entrance exam? Isn't it common sense for protagonists to be OP but act like they're hiding their power?
If he had read at least one academy web novel, it would have been fine, but things got complicated.
"Finance Director…"
"Why are you looking at me like that? It's just a hypothetical scenario in case the negotiations fail and the worst happens. We'll do our best first, so don't worry."
"Finance Director…!!"
"Then I need to go negotiate right away, so please take care of the paperwork. Including my share, of course."
"…What?"
"I'll leave it to you, Headmistress."
I gave a smile to the Headmistress, who looked like she had lost her world, and immediately set off to find the negotiation target.
Who told you to slack off?
******
No matter how you looked at it, the Finance Director position was a 3 gains, 7 losses kind of deal. Especially when the place you're in charge of is an academy scheduled for bankruptcy in three years, the gains are reduced to 1.
Fiddling with the resignation letter in my pocket every day had become a routine since last year, but there were still some good points.
"Finance Director Adam Keynes, Lady Lisha is ready to see you."
"Can I go in now?"
"Of course. We sincerely welcome your visit to the Claudia family."
Within Grandis Academy, there were exclusive dormitories for each noble family. It wasn't just for the students attending the academy, but also for their servants, cooks, coachmen, and so on.
This place, practically a villa, was a privilege only the wealthiest nobles could afford. The land tax collected from here alone was quite substantial.
And the family I was visiting was one of the few who owned such an exclusive dormitory.
I walked through the lavishly decorated hallway, receiving the utmost hospitality from the servants, and headed to the reception room inside.
After knocking a few times and hearing permission to enter, I opened the door.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Finance Director Adam Keynes. I am Lisha of the Claudia family."
"I am Adam Keynes, Finance Director. Thank you for your hospitality despite my sudden visit. As expected of Margrave Claudia, the Shield of the Kingdom."
"You flatter me. How could I not extend hospitality to the esteemed Finance Director of the academy?"
A noble young lady with flowing blonde hair tied in a ponytail greeted me with a gentle smile, despite the calluses on her hands.
This was also the hospitality I received thanks to my position as Finance Director.
Lisha Claudia.
The Margrave's beloved youngest daughter, mentioned by the martial arts professors at the budget meeting.
And at the same time…
"But may I ask what brings the Finance Director here so suddenly…?"
"As Lady Lisha, renowned not only for your spear skills but also for your wisdom, already knows…"
To Lisha, who seemed somewhat uneasy as if she had a hunch about something…
I erased my smile and said,
"According to the regulations, applicant Ruth Spero's admission will be rejected."
"...…."
Clank.
At those words, Lisha Claudia, who was about to lift her teacup, trembled slightly.
But I didn't stop.
"However, as you know, the condition of that regulation is…"
"…It applies to applicants with 'excessive' strength."
"It's a deliberately ambiguous regulation. For times like this."
It wasn't explicitly stated in terms of rank, but rather the expression 'excessive' was used so that it could be applied as needed.
For prominent families like Margrave Claudia.
"So, I ask Lady Lisha…"
"…Go ahead."
"In exchange for us approving applicant Ruth Spero's admission, you will block any protests from nobles about him entering the academy."
"..."
"What are your thoughts?"
Words that encouraged breaking the very rule meant to prevent nobles from being in the same year as a strong individual like Ruth Spero.
A proposal asking the Claudia family to use their influence to admit an exceptionally strong individual. It was a proposal that violated the very purpose for which the regulation was created.
At first glance, it was an unreasonable proposal that seemed impossible to accept, but…
"Could you give me a moment to think?"
"Of course."
Lisha Claudia couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
From Lisha's perspective, who would have to compete with the 'youngest knight' who was clearly stronger than her if the protagonist wasn't there…
'Rather than competing with the youngest knight and losing.'
It would be better for both of them to lose to a suddenly appearing 'irregular,' thereby minimizing the impact of her defeat.
In other words, she would prefer the lesser of two evils.