Reviving a Bankrupt Academy: My Financial Battle

The dormitory after Adam left.

The already desolate dormitory seemed even more forlorn with its owner gone. Dust motes danced in the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a somewhat musty smell lingered in the poorly ventilated air.

In the midst of it all, Ruth quietly began her work.

"…"

Click. Click.

First, she opened the windows for ventilation and swept the floor and dust with a broom that looked like it had never been used.

She washed the dishes Adam had used, neatly organized the remaining food and put it in the magic refrigerator, and threw away all the low-grade elixirs that had been inside.

She dampened a rag and wiped down every nook and cranny, then organized the haphazardly piled books and documents.

It was a two-story dormitory, no matter how small. With so much dust accumulated, it seemed like a daunting task for a single student to handle leisurely. However…

…a faint light began to emanate from the broom Ruth was holding.

Sword Qi.

The power that all swordsmen yearned for, the symbol of Rank 6. That extravagant and formidable power…

…was being used to simply clean quickly and efficiently.

"…"

In silence, the first floor of the dormitory was quickly tidied up. Just in case, she looked through all the documents and theses that Adam had left, but there was no truly important information. That was to be expected.

However, while she could understand the cleaning, simply piling up the countless books and documents in one place didn't sit well with Ruth.

After a moment of contemplation, she went outside the dormitory and returned with a few planks of wood.

Thump! Thump!

She stacked the planks and hammered nails into them, creating makeshift bookshelves and display cases.

It was a familiar task. During her days wandering the continent alone, she often had to spend nights outdoors, and she needed this kind of handiness to make things more comfortable.

Ruth, having quickly built the makeshift bookshelves, organized the books and documents by type and name and placed them on the shelves.

Then, she pulled a chair to the center of the now-clean first floor and sat down.

"Adam."

She quietly murmured someone's name.

The person she was living with again, the person she could meet again, the person she could talk to again.

And…

"…Adam."

The person who, despite all the kindness he showed, had once set the world on fire.

Countless lives lost, led to ruin, and finally, the destruction of the Empire, plunging the entire continent into chaos.

Ruth, sitting on the chair, recalled all those sins and destruction.

As if to firmly set her heart.

…It was ironic.

"Ha."

She had just prepared breakfast for that villain, cleaned the dormitory for that villain.

And she still couldn't forget him.

She felt so ridiculous and pathetic.

Her head ached. About Adam, about the changed future, about her return.

Ruth, closing her eyes in contemplation,

'…Alright.'

Finally made up her mind.

It wasn't… solely out of a desire to take care of Adam that she moved into this dormitory. Or so she wanted to believe.

After all, she wanted to find out about the academy attack she heard about yesterday, didn't she? It was clear that Adam was involved.

There had been an academy attack before. But…

'I stopped it before it happened.'

She had accidentally discovered unidentified individuals trying to infiltrate Grandis Academy and stopped them. At the time, she didn't know who they were, but after the academy collapsed, she learned that it was the Wish Cult.

If an attack were to happen, it would naturally be similar to that time—

'No, no.'

She shouldn't jump to conclusions. How many times had she been caught off guard by the changed future because of such hasty judgments? She needed to be more cautious.

She had realized after the summoning ritual incident that her intervention didn't always lead to a positive outcome.

Therefore, this time…

She decided to be a bystander.

'I'll hide thoroughly and observe.'

Fortunately, with the help of Dark Sword's power, she could observe without being detected by most people. She would maintain a strict observer's stance in this attack.

She would find out how things unfolded, who was involved, and if an attack truly occurred, she would step in then. She would gain something by observing as much as possible.

After all, even the Wish Cult was involved. If she played her cards right, she might be able to learn about the cult's current state of decline, unlike before.

And if, just if…

Adam was involved in the cult's attack on the academy—

"…Let's not think useless thoughts."

Nothing was certain yet. Ruth, shaking off the ominous thoughts, rose from the chair.

Now for the second floor. Ruth went upstairs and looked at her room, and Adam's room right next to it.

'Should I make a hole?'

With the physical abilities of a Rank 6, a single wall was practically non-existent, but she wanted to be sure. Adam wouldn't notice anyway. She had done this before.

As Ruth, thinking she should renovate the dormitory while Adam was away, reached for the doorknob of Adam's room,

Click.

"Huh?"

It wouldn't open.

It wasn't simply locked. Ruth, a Rank 6 capable of using Sword Qi, could clearly feel it.

An overwhelmingly strong and solid Aura. Such power was protecting this entire room.

It was obvious who the owner of that power was.

'The Headmistress.'

It was a measure that could be considered natural… but why?

Right after Ruth moved in, Adam said he wouldn't be returning to the dormitory for two weeks. He said it was because of work, but did it make sense to not even go home and eat and sleep at the office?

There weren't many people who could give such an order to someone of the Finance Director's position. To be precise, there was only one.

And on top of that,

'Judging by the density of the Aura, it seems like it was newly established very recently.'

She could guess when it was. Yesterday.

She probably came right after Adam told her about Ruth moving in. This measure, noticeable only to those Rank 6 or higher, was blatantly intentional.

──Don't target the Finance Director.

Since Ruth was disguised as a male, it wasn't about romantic interest, but rather a warning against a Rank 6 harming the weak Adam.

Ruth found it disgusting.

'Whose fault is it that Adam is suffering…?'

For some reason, even though Adam was working overtime every day, they didn't hire more people for the finance team, and he was more exhausted than before. It was obvious that the Headmistress was the cause. Ruth was certain of it.

Anyway, she couldn't enter this room. Still, as if she couldn't let go of her lingering attachment, Ruth didn't release the doorknob of Adam's room.

Just like that…

Ruth simply stood in front of the door.

That thin door was like a wall between Adam and herself.

Suddenly, she felt a pang of sadness, and…

…it was complicated.

***

Milia had changed. Yesterday, she wasn't sure, but now she was.

There was a hint of pretense, and I couldn't see the same sincerity as yesterday. But it felt like it was just a stroke of luck.

I wouldn't have noticed the pretense if it weren't for some major upheaval that caused her to show a slight opening.

It was an opportunity obtained through luck, but without revealing anything, I immediately pressured Milia. She seemed desperate about the attack plan.

And the changed Milia was, well, in many ways…

Convenient.

"Here's the plan for the attack. This is the initial draft, the revised draft, this is a separate compilation of the appendix, and I've also brought some blueprints of the academy's construction and design as supporting evidence."

"…You said you hadn't thought about the attack at all, but you prepared all of this in one day?"

"Yes, I pulled an all-nighter. Read it and let me know what you think."

"Sigh… First, here's the list of participants from our side and a detailed plan of action."

"This is unexpected."

"Did you think the cult wouldn't have made any preparations?"

"Indeed."

Milia was easy to talk to. Or rather, should I say we were on the same wavelength as professionals?

I thought I had gained some experience working as the Finance Director, but somehow, Milia seemed even more proficient than I was. It felt like she had not only worked as a professional but also led others.

With both of us having prepared a stack of documents thick enough to break the desk, the work proceeded quickly.

"Here, on page 39, is there clear evidence for the deployment status of the guards?"

"If you look at page 142 of the appendix, you'll find the patrol route and personnel list of the 3rd Security Unit from last year's final exams. The 1st and 2nd Security Units accompany the students during the final exams for their safety."

"Hmm… Regarding the infiltration method, I think the initial draft was better than this. What was the reason for the change?"

"To minimize encounters with the 3rd Security Unit. This attack should end as the cult's attempt to retrieve the sacred treasure. If bloodshed begins, things will get out of hand. The cult wouldn't want to face the Headmistress's wrath, would they?"

"I think she'll be furious enough with the attack itself."

"It's fine as long as it's just the building that collapses. The Headmistress is the richest person in the kingdom. As long as no one dies, it's fine."

"If you say so, Finance Director, her closest confidant…"

We examined each other's plans and documents, asking and answering questions whenever something seemed unclear.

Since I had prepared a considerable amount in one day (?), I was mostly the one being questioned, but there were quite a few instances where it was the other way around.

"According to the list of participants from the cult, it says that even the archbishop is coming. Is that true?"

"Yes. If someone as strong as the archbishop comes, it will be easier to handle things in case of an emergency."

"And he isn't here already?"

"Excuse me? What do you…"

"Let me ask you frankly. Is Student Milia the only spy the Wish Cult has infiltrated into our academy? Really?"

"That seems irrelevant to this plan. I'm not obligated to answer."

"It will damage our trust."

"Was there ever any trust between us in the first place? We're just retrieving the sacred treasure, and you, Finance Director, are achieving your personal goals. It's just a transaction."

"If you fail to retrieve the sacred treasure, will you immediately give up on the academy? No, you won't. It seems like we'll continue to have a relationship, so can't you tell me this much as part of building trust?"

"…I'm the only spy. And you should know that speaking as if the cult will definitely fail to retrieve the sacred treasure is detrimental to the trust you speak of."

"I misspoke. I apologize."

I had seen that being wielding the power of Dark Sword, and you're saying there are no other spies?

As the conversation progressed, the gaps in Milia's acting disappeared, making it impossible to discern her true intentions. It was better to assume the worst in these situations.

Let's assume that there was already a powerful individual at the archbishop level in the academy.

'On the other hand, it's good that things are proceeding quickly.'

Since it was an attack plan, I thought even two weeks wouldn't be enough time, but Milia's processing speed was beyond imagination.

This, I wanted this.

'Is there any way to poach her?'

She would be perfect for the Finance Department under me. If I could make her work with Circe, who was practically a slave, it would be quite satisfying.

But Milia hadn't done anything wrong like Circe yet, so I was just savoring the thought when…

Milia, who had been examining the plans I brought, turned her gaze towards me.

Her eyes seemed to be filled with determination.

"If we carry out the attack, when would be the date…?"

"As stated in the plan, we're considering the final exam period. Grandis Academy's final exams traditionally involve outdoor practicals. With most of the students and professors away, it will be easier to carry out the attack in many ways."

"And the Headmistress's office would be included in this 'easy' attack, right?"

"You're being very blunt."

Asking me about something clearly written in the plan…

Wanting my confirmation…

She was blatantly targeting the sacred treasure. It was only natural from the cult's perspective, though.

"That's the reason we've been hostile to the academy. I don't know what you want to achieve with this attack, Finance Director, but what our cult wants isn't social notoriety or fame, but the sacred treasure."

"Unfortunately, the Headmistress doesn't know about this. However, she will be away during the final exams, so it might be possible."

"Such vague words won't—"

"Let me be frank. Are you saying that even with the Headmistress away and only minimal security, it would be difficult? As expected of the Wish Cult."

"I apologize, but I won't fall for such provocations. The cult isn't composed of mindless fanatics."

Our eyes met for a moment. We were glaring at each other.

For some reason, Milia and the cult seemed desperate about this attack plan, so they wouldn't easily back down regarding the sacred treasure. It was the very reason the cult agreed to the attack.

And I had to somehow deflect this. The sacred treasure, whatever it was, would have already melted down in the dwarven city.

Perhaps sensing that I wouldn't easily give in, Milia's gaze intensified.

In this tense atmosphere,

"The real thing."

"Hmm."

"Can I see the real thing?"

Milia said with a smile.

"Haha, I'll believe that you're not serious. Or could it be that I can see Dark Sword myself?"

"You're being stingy for someone who values trust so much."

"But I understand the cult's need for caution. So I'll give you some information instead."

"Information?"

It was information I shouldn't be revealing, but…

It was information that no longer held any meaning.

"It seems like you're targeting the Headmistress's office to retrieve the sacred treasure, but it's not there."

"…Excuse me? But I'm sure it was there before."

"It's been decades since the cult attacked and confirmed that. Of course, there are valuable artifacts in the Headmistress's office, but the Wish Cult's sacred treasure is currently in a different location."

Milia seemed flustered for a moment, but then she closed her mouth tightly. And I wasn't lying. It really was in a different place.

If you looked closely at the bricks in the dwarven city, you might find it.

Of course, I couldn't say that, so…

"It's right here."

"Here…? This old, empty building?"

"It's one of the secret places where the Headmistress stores her artifacts. Only the Headmistress and I know about this place."

I pointed my finger at the spot I had marked on the map beforehand. This wasn't a classroom or a dormitory. It was just an old building, as Milia said.

So was this really a secret vault?

No way.

'After the terrorist attack, we'll be able to receive various donations and recovery funds.'

Since we're going to receive it anyway, it would be nice to build something better, wouldn't it?

The place I pointed to was exactly that kind of place. A place where they had to build a new building but gave up due to the high cost, a place that needed redevelopment, so to speak.

Once it's rebuilt, it will become a nice dormitory or research facility, increasing the academy's income. There are many dormitories in the academy, but the number of high-quality ones where nobles can live comfortably are limited. They'll probably try to get into the newly built dormitory even if they have to pay extra, right?

So, destroy this place. It's an attack, isn't it? Just go wild.

Wish Cult, I'm counting on you!