Chapter 57

“Would you, by any chance, have need of a mage in your territory?”

Count Ordogne was caught off guard by the sudden offer, furrowed his brow, and started wondering if he had misheard. Then he asked,

“Are you dissatisfied with the Academy’s treatment and thinking of moving elsewhere? Are you saying you wish to become my retainer, Baron?”

“That’s not what I mean. I’m asking whether you have any interest in hiring a graduate from the Magic Academy.”

“……?”

“Of course, there would be a small introduction fee.”

As I spoke with a sly, dark smile, the Count finally seemed reassured and let out a hearty laugh.

“Well, well. I knew Baron Winslet was a remarkable mage, but I didn’t expect you to have such a sharp business sense as well. Selling off mages trained at the crown’s expense to line your own pockets, is that it?”

“Do you dislike the idea?”

“Not at all. Academy-trained mages are a precious resource the royal family jealously guards against leaking out. Naturally, I’ve had my eye on them as well. The real reason I sent my son to the Academy was, in fact, to hire a mage for my territory.”

“Had any luck?”

“I’ve secured promises from two students in the Magic Department who are set to graduate this year. They’ve agreed to come to my territory once their mandatory service is over. If Bernard had been a bit sharper, I might have reaped a far greater harvest… but looking at him now, I see I was a fool to expect anything.”

“Since this whole affair has surely taken a toll on you, I’ll be blunt. I can send you thirty mages at once.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Count, I told you I would be honest.”

Count Ordogne who had gone beyond disbelief into irritation seemed nonetheless unsettled by the earnest look in my eyes.

“Are you telling me the truth? Thirty, you say?”

“Not just a bunch of barely competent graduates who scraped by on their final exams, but thirty genuine talents capable of earning advanced degrees.”

“Then explain to me how such a thing could be possible.”

“At present, there are professors at the Magic Academy under my patronage, along with the graduate researchers they supervise. In total, there are about three teams. If you, Count, were to take them all under your wing, I would be willing to transfer them to you at a fair price.”

The Count blinked repeatedly, unable to keep pace with the conversation.

I waited patiently until he had gathered his thoughts.

Finally, he spoke slowly.

“A tempting offer. But I find it hard to imagine why Baron Winslet would suddenly wish to handle such a large transaction. Do you need a sudden influx of money?”

“That’s not the reason. It’s simply that, looking at the state of this country lately, I’ve been having a lot of thoughts.”

“What sort of thoughts?”

Seeing that the Count still did not fully trust me, I decided to say something Winter Winslet would plausibly say.

“Have you ever been to Karaf?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s too far, and I’m busy managing my territory.”

“I studied magic in Karaf. There, there are no nobles, but mages are treated with respect. Depending on their skill, some wield greater power than any noble.”

“Hmm, is that so? Interesting.”

“But what about here in Laurencia? Mages who deserve respect are treated little better than slaves. I want to change that culture.”

“You mean to humiliate the crown?”

“I mean to set a precedent. If someone like you who understands the value of a mage were to treat them fairly, then in time a standard for a mage’s worth would naturally emerge.”

Count Ordogne mulled over my words, then let out a chuckle.

“It seems I’ve misjudged you all this time, Baron. You’re truly an educator who cares for his students.”

At this point, I knew I had him halfway convinced.

The Count, now clearly considering doing business with me, began to check the finer details.

“But there are still some hurdles we’d have to cross for this to work, wouldn’t you say? As I understand it, Academy graduates are required to serve under the crown for a set period. How do you intend to get around that?”

“The researchers I plan to transfer to you have, for the past few months, been producing goods for delivery to the royal family. With a little adjustment to the paperwork, I can bypass the regulation.”

“But what if falsifying the paperwork causes trouble later?”

“Then we take responsibility for it. The professors I’ve coordinated with are prepared to take the blame. Of course, you would need to provide them with a generous severance package.”

“You’ve already thought that far ahead? Hahaha! Well, I’ll be damned!”

Count Ordogne laughed heartily. The doubt was gone from his eyes and was replaced with genuine appreciation for my proposal.

“Truly impressive work, Baron. As expected of the man they call the real power behind the Academy. You have my trust. Punishment for the professors? That’s no trouble. I’ll even provide ample scholarships for the graduating researchers.”

“You are remarkably bold, Count.”

“You’ve given me an excellent opportunity. Offering a little goodwill in return is only natural, isn’t it? I hope we can maintain this good relationship in the future.”

“As long as you keep this transaction absolutely confidential, there will be no reason for our relationship to sour.”

“Don’t worry about that. Will my family’s honor as a pledge suffice?”

“That will do. We can have our trusted staff work out the exact numbers and terms later. For now, I should go to the newspaper and make sure they don’t run any more articles about your son.”

“Oh! I’ve been keeping a busy man from his work. I’m truly grateful for today. I’ll find a way to properly express my thanks to you later. To think I nearly ruined my business because of my son, only to meet a benefactor instead.”

I answered only with a dry smile.

A benefactor, indeed.

If anything, I was the one who should be thankful.

The professors and graduate students I had decided to sell off to Count Ordogne were, of course, those involved with the Heptagram Society’s operations. The same people who had been manufacturing Caraphine.

Thanks to the downfall of Student Council President Bernard, I now had the perfect opportunity to sweep away everyone connected to Caraphine production from the Academy.

If anyone were to investigate the suspicious mass graduation of the magic university’s graduate students, they would inevitably discover Count Ordogne’s financial backing and the corruption of their supervising professors.

And then, all suspicion would be directed toward the Count.

Later, I even planned to have Winter Winslet’s agents at the Academy headquarters forge documents to further strengthen that appearance. Everything was a part of my preparations to obstruct the inevitable investigation by the Candela Knights.

All of this, I owed to that foolish student council president.

***

Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and much had happened during that time.

The Academy had undergone significant changes.

First, the so-called “ghosts” of the magic university, the senior graduate students who had lingered for years, had graduated en masse.

Rumor had it they had received enormous scholarships from an unknown noble, and that their supervising professors had come into a great deal of money. So much that they were now looking into buying seaside villas.

But that was only a minor incident. The real event was something else entirely.

The entire executive board of the student council had been replaced.

Student council president Bernard had supposedly repented his mistakes and voluntarily stepped down, with every noble student in his faction resigning alongside him.

This came after Bernard and his friends’ misconduct had been splashed across the newspapers, causing a major public scandal.

People assumed the Academy had acted to prevent further damage to its reputation, and they saw it as the most natural and reasonable outcome.

Though in truth, it was nothing of the sort.

Jacqueline knew the truth no one else did.

And her heart raced with excitement.

Professor Winslet granted my request.

Otherwise, none of this could have happened.

When Daniel stepped forward, and when Christopher asked for help, not a single person at the Academy had been willing to act.

But once Professor Winslet declared he would support Jacqueline, the matter was wrapped up swiftly and without resistance.

And it wasn’t simply that Bernard stepped down as student council president.

Jacqueline recalled what had happened the night before, when Daniel came to see her.

Standing before her, he broke down in tears and said,

“Bernard came to my family in person and bowed his head. He promised to spare no effort until my younger sister recovers her health.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I think someone must have helped us from higher up, beyond even the reach of the Count’s son. Could you have…?”

“Of course not. I’m just an ordinary student with no power at all.”

“Then… do you at least know who it was that helped us?”

Jacqueline shook her head.

She knew that Winter Winslet, shy as he was, would never want his good deeds revealed to others.

It was a secret only Jacqueline knew.

“But yesterday, I noticed Bernard’s face was badly injured. The bruises were so dark they looked almost like black pudding. It seemed as though he’d been badly beaten… Jacqueline, could it be that you—”

“Wh-What kind of person do you take me for!”

Of course, there had been a moment when she could have attacked a drunken, staggering Bernard. But thanks to Professor Winslet, she had let it pass.

Looking back, she was glad she had.

She had almost lost her identity as a refined city lady.

“I didn’t do anything. All I did was pray.”

“Even so, I’m truly grateful. Telling you my situation back then was probably the best decision I ever made. It was the hardest moment of my life. But I guess the world doesn’t always abandon you. I never imagined things would turn out this way.”

Watching Daniel quietly shed tears, Jacqueline fell deep into thought.

Like a single ray of starlight descending from the still night sky, like the first drop of dew clinging to cold lashes at dawn, a realization formed within Jacqueline’s heart.

Ah, I understand now.

Professor Winslet had said in class:

– Why is it that you must become mages?

Find the answer and bring it back.

And in this moment, Jacqueline could answer.

The reason she wanted to become a mage—

It was so she could face injustice without hesitation, to stand tall in her convictions without fear.

And… I want to have the power to save others from misfortune, just like Professor Winslet.

To do that, Jacqueline would learn magic here at the academy, under Professor Winslet’s guidance.

Time turned, and it was once again a Tuesday in April.

The day of Professor Winslet’s lecture had come.

Jacqueline had prepared her assignment with pride.

She had prepared her presentation and even practiced speaking alone in the empty backyard.

But as soon as class began, Professor Winslet said,

“I won’t be checking the assignment I gave you last time. Just keep it engraved in your hearts always. Now, let’s begin.”

“What? Oh, that’s just disappointing.”

Jacqueline slumped in dismay.