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Okay, situation closed.
'It seems like she arrived right on time.'
It was a good thing I contacted her right after Milia left to round up the cult members. It would have been troublesome if the Headmistress had been late.
Was it because I was worried about Malton escaping? No.
Strictly speaking, him escaping was the optimal timing.
"That just now… was that the Headmistress?"
"I heard she retired from active duty decades ago."
"That's why those terrorists aimed for when the Headmistress was away. They're insignificant with the Headmistress here."
The 3rd Security Unit members who, instead of leaving, stayed behind and gathered to capture Malton, who was trying to kidnap me.
Moreover, this was the perfect opportunity to show the Headmistress's authority to the faculty and the few students who remained at the academy.
Even if it was all staged, the Headmistress's position would inevitably be shaken with the terrorist attack. That would have been the case if she had returned after the attack ended.
But now, she had stopped the escape of the Rank 7 presumed to be the leader of the terrorists and personally subdued him with overwhelming power.
The Headmistress's position wouldn't decline; it would rise.
'After all, they'll think the terrorist attack wouldn't have happened if the Headmistress had been at the academy.'
In the end, regardless of the truth, people's perception was what mattered. And it wasn't wrong.
In other words, it was better for Malton to leave the academy late, in many ways.
If he hadn't stayed behind alone and retreated with the other cult members, this performance wouldn't have been possible. If the Headmistress encountered the cult members, she would have to annihilate them all, and I didn't want that.
But if she let them all go, as I mentioned before, her position would be shaken.
Then, was it just a coincidence that Malton stayed behind and tried to kidnap me?
'No way.'
Static.
The communication magic tool in my pocket rang. I lowered my voice and answered.
"Student Milia, the deal has been handled."
"—That's a relief. Things will be easier now."
"I'm the one who's grateful. I'm glad you offered this deal and seem to trust me."
"—…I just thought it was the best option."
"Indeed."
The deal Milia personally requested from me. It was to make 'Paladin Captain Malton' an example in this terrorist attack.
An example, a sacrifice, was necessary in the first place. If we suffered a terrorist attack but couldn't catch any of the terrorists, it would be a serious problem.
All members of the 3rd Security Unit would be replaced, Grandis Academy's security and reputation would plummet, and the royalty and nobles who couldn't find a way to interfere due to the Headmistress's iron-fisted rule would swarm in.
That's why I asked Milia to select a few individuals beforehand. Sacrifices to show that the academy wasn't just helplessly attacked.
Since my connection with Milia couldn't be exposed, having too many people was risky. In the end, one or two high-ranking executives were the most suitable. Leaking information didn't matter since I would half-kill them anyway.
I was thinking of one or two bishops, but…
──Finance Director, regarding the sacrifice you mentioned yesterday…
──Ah, have you chosen? It has to be at least Rank 5 for it to be convincing.
──How about a Rank 7? The Paladin Captain of the Wish Cult.
──…That's more than enough, but what's your intention? A Rank 7, the Paladin Captain, as a sacrifice to show that the academy wasn't just a victim?
──He's a nuisance in many ways. And it's also for the sake of maintaining a smooth relationship with you, Finance Director.
I never expected her to bring the Paladin Captain, a Rank 7, no less.
There were only two Rank 7s among the terrorists this time, the Archbishop and the Paladin Captain. Considering that this was the Wish Cult's most elite selection, she practically offered the only two Rank 7s in the entire cult as sacrifices.
Her motive was obvious.
'Eliminating a competitor, what else.'
Milia's position would rise significantly after this terrorist attack plan, and it was clear that she wanted to use this opportunity to get rid of a bothersome competitor. Her intentions were so transparent that Milia didn't even bother to hide them.
Indeed, Paladin Captain Malton, when I met him, was clearly wary of Milia.
It was also necessary for me, as Milia's rise to a higher position would benefit me.
'With a Rank 7 captured, there will be fewer people questioning things.'
Of course, there would still be some, but as long as the majority didn't blame the academy, it was fine. I could handle the rest.
More importantly, it was about creating an atmosphere conducive to receiving donations and support funds. The so-called misery porn, the "this academy needs your support" kind of thing.
And for that, a scene like this was necessary. A scene where various parts of the academy were destroyed and smoke was rising, making it seem like it was about to collapse.
The cult members did a good job of destroying things, but…
'Sigh, if only a little more collapsed, it would create the right atmosphere.'
Was there any other method I could use?
While I was pondering that, I heard an urgent voice from the communication magic tool.
"—Finance Director? Are you there?"
"Ah, I apologize. I was lost in thought. What were you saying?"
"—The cult members, including the Archbishop, have escaped. However, there's talk about the absence of Paladin Captain Malton."
"Well, I'll agree to that. Feel free to slander and misinterpret things in the most advantageous way for you."
"—…Your words have a bite to them."
"It's not wrong, is it?"
It was almost time. I couldn't continue this call for much longer.
"Then, after everything is over, come to the building where we always meet. I'll leave the cult's cleanup to you."
"—I hope you, Finance Director, can successfully finish what you started with this terrorist attack."
Milia also spoke with a bite to her words before ending the call. But it didn't really hurt.
Although countless buildings had collapsed, they were all old or abandoned, and thanks to the students being away for the final exams, there were no casualties. There was no combat, so none of the 3rd Security Unit members were injured.
And yet, they caught the Rank 7 who was the mastermind and culprit behind this wicked terrorist attack.
'The stage is set.'
The cult members played their roles well. With such a perfect setup, half the work was already done.
It would be best to take action right away, but…
Before that…
"…Finance Director, I brought you an elixir."
"Thank you, Student Ruth."
I had to figure out what to do with this Ruth first.
When I acted dizzy and pretended to need time to contact Milia, she immediately brought me an elixir from somewhere. Wait, this was top-grade? How much did this cost per bottle?
It was too expensive. I wanted to ask her to bring a lower-grade elixir from the fridge, but with the protagonist's intense gaze…
I just drank it. It was damn delicious, even if it was expensive.
No, more importantly…
"Student Ruth."
"Yes."
"So, you were… a woman?"
"…Yes."
Wow. This was a woman?
Well, you could choose the protagonist's gender in
I naturally thought she was a man when I first saw her.
"This is a bit of an awkward question, but your chest…"
"Chest bandages…"
"Is that even possible?"
"…It worked."
Was this magic and fantasy? That size could be hidden? They were almost as big as Beatrice's?
And how did you do it with your skeletal structure? Was that also possible with Rank 6? Truly, high rank was the best.
…Well, whether the protagonist was male or female wasn't really my concern. What mattered was how much of the budget would be used because of her; I wasn't interested in anything else.
But things were a bit different now.
"Um, were you deliberately hiding the fact that you're a woman?"
"There were circumstances."
"Are you going to keep hiding it?"
"Yes."
Then it was decided.
It was a truly heartbreaking decision, but…
"It can't be helped. I apologize, but I can't allow you to move in, since you've already brought all your luggage."
"…Excuse me?"
"Isn't it obvious? It's a problem for a student and a faculty member to live together even if they're the same sex, let alone if they're of the opposite sex."
Goodbye, my fifty times the rent.
If they were the same sex, I could at least make some excuses if they were caught, but if they were of the opposite sex, it was game over. A high-ranking academy official and a female student living together?
Even I couldn't help but think of it in that way.
"We just need to avoid being caught."
"The fact that we're even discussing that possibility is the problem."
This was truly impossible. No matter how much rent she offered, there were things that could be done and things that couldn't.
The protagonist's eyes wavered intensely, but even then…
"Rent, I'll pay more rent."
"Sigh… Student Ruth. Do you really think everything can be solved with money? That's a very unpleasant notion. I won't say more. Pack your things and go back."
"…F-Finance Director."
"I'll tell you the story I mentioned earlier at the dormitory. But that's it."
"...…"
Why was she so obsessed with living together? Was this… could I really think that way?
I vaguely remember having these thoughts several times before and being wrong, but was it real this time?
Honestly, seeing her without her disguise, she was quite beautiful, and I wasn't completely unattracted, but I wasn't in a position to be in a relationship.
Still, the fact that the protagonist liked me made me feel—
"Guarantee."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll… vouch it. So please, please don't tell me to leave…"
"...…"
Forget everything. This was crazy.
Just like resurrection was the number one thing you shouldn't do at a funeral, vouching for someone was the number one thing you shouldn't do in a relationship.
Wait, she was offering to vouching for me? She wanted to stay in the dormitory that badly?
'Is there some hidden treasure I don't know about? Or an artifact?'
No matter how much someone liked another person, there was no way they would offer to vouch for them. It was more logical to think in a different direction.
Was there some hidden item in the dormitory? I didn't know about it when I played
No, anyway…
"First of all, you shouldn't say such scary things so casually. Vouching for someone is not something you do, whether it's for a lover or family."
"Ah, yes…"
"So just… stay. But make sure your disguise is more thorough."
"F-Finance Director…!!"
"I'm being very lenient with you."
I had to find out why she was so desperate to stay in the dormitory that she even mentioned vouching for me.
Was she trying to raise her favorability rating? Am I actually an NPC? An NPC that gives rewards when the favorability rating reaches a certain level?
'Damn it, that's still a shitty word.'
As someone who had seen how dangerous vouching for someone could be, I was concerned about why the protagonist, that damn woman, was so obsessed with the dormitory. Once I figured that out, I would tell her to leave.
More importantly, how was I going to explain this to the Headmistress?
'Let's just hide it.'
The Headmistress would also think the protagonist was a man, wouldn't she? She would contact me before coming to the dormitory, so I could just tell her to disguise herself then.
In the end, it all came down to not getting caught. Well, with the protagonist's exceptional disguising skills, it might be surprisingly easy…
"Finance Director! I'm here! Are you hurt… huh?"
"…Headmistress."
"Wait, huh? Ruth Spero? Huh? Breasts?"
"Ah."
Right, as expected.
I knew this would happen…
***
Grandis Academy, the most prestigious school in the kingdom, had been attacked by terrorists!
The impact of that single sentence was truly immense. It was immense, but since it had only been a day since the attack, very few territories had received the news.
The kingdom was vast, and it usually took several days for a letter to reach the opposite end. But with the academy's noble students writing letters to their families, it was only a matter of time before the news spread.
And Grandis Academy, the target of the terrorist attack, was in a great uproar. Students, professors, and staff alike were in turmoil over the news of the attack.
But there was someone who didn't care about any of that.
"Ah… the sunlight… so beautiful…"
"…Finance Director, is she smiling?"
"Leave her alone. She must be having a good dream."
It was Circe, who was holed up in the basement of her research lab, engrossed in her research, regardless of the terrorist attack.
Her alopecia seemed to have progressed a bit more, and she was massaging her bare scalp in the spot where the sunlight shone most warmly.
"Anyway, just leave Professor Circe as she is. She's part of the Finance Department, but I've processed her affiliation differently."
"…Do I really have to join the Finance Department?"
"You can refuse if you want to. If you really don't want to."
"Sigh… Alright."
Today was a momentous day. Although it wasn't officially listed, it was the day the Finance Department, which unofficially assisted me, was first established!
Milia, the slave—no, the new bishop of the Wish Cult who would be helping me with my work, sighed and picked up one of the many documents piled up around her.
"I'm also making an effort for the sake of the 'trusting relationship' you emphasize so much. Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"The… Professor Circe's affiliation… is listed as 'equipment'?"
"It's literally what it means. Is there a problem?"
"N-no."
The Finance Director, the new bishop of the Wish Cult, and the balding equipment.
This was the newly formed Finance Department of Grandis Academy!!
…The despair edition.