Chapter 28: The Essence of Negotiation

After asking for a moment to discuss, Keren and the dean went outside.

As the heavy door closed, Darius and Deia, who had been standing on both sides like folding screens, immediately turned their bodies and shouted.

"You don't plan on leaving?"

"What? Are you really not going?"

Watching their reactions, I inexplicably felt a weight off my shoulders.

It was a harmonious ensemble.

"Aren't those conditions too excessive? And didn't we agree to settle for 150 million?"

Deia asked with a worried tone. It seemed like she was more concerned about the possibility of me not being reinstated rather than the threat of staying in North Whedon.

"The demands are too great. A private business trip can be accommodated, but research expedition justifications and access to the Millenium Library Restricted Section...."

Darius also showed a displeased expression, as he thought the conditions were unreasonable. It seemed he wanted to send me away quickly, thinking that my presence here could be a threat to his position.

"They have no choice but to comply."

However, their reaction was as such because they didn't know that the Academy didn't have time right now.

As far as I can tell, no one must have died since the necromancer was summoned, but there must still be quite a few people suffering.

Well, they provoked the spirits quite well, so there was no other way but to suffer a little.

“So, are you going to return to work?”

"Yes, I intend to."

When I sighed and answered Deia's anxious question, Darius, who was beside me, crossed his arms and stroked his chin.

"I honestly never imagined that you would receive such remarkable treatment. If it was 200 million, it would far exceed my personal assets."

"You have personal assets? Wasn't all the money tied to the family?"

"Ahem."

Deia immediately glared at her eldest brother. It seemed like after the negotiation was over, the two of them would engage in another negotiation separately.

"You both have a lot of things to hide, huh?"

I shrugged my shoulders at Deia, who glared at me, lightly brushing it off.

"I have nothing to hide."

"You better not! Besides that, you learned dangerous things like necromancy! It's a danger to the family."

Since I had nothing to say about that, I sealed my lips, and Deia snorted in frustration.

"Anyway, it seems like I'm the only one thinking about the family. Both of you, leave quickly! I'll become the head of the family and take responsibility!"

-Cough cough!

Darius averted his gaze, pretending not to hear, and I also gently closed my eyes, naturally ignoring my younger sister's grumbling.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind: Is this what family is like? 

My lips twitched slightly, but I quickly regained my composure.

Deia, who had been criticizing Darius, immediately straightened herself up at the sound of a knock from outside.

Darius also forced a look of discomfort on his face.

Showing a reluctance to send me to the Academy had been agreed upon from the beginning.

When I replied, “Come in,” the dean and Karen returned to the negotiation table.

The dean, who had just been pale and sweating profusely, seemed to have cooled his head a bit, as his expression had become noticeably calm.

I thought Karen would speak, but it was the dean who said right away with a nod.

"I will accept the conditions. If you want something other than a simple professor position, I can offer that as well. So, please reconsider reinstatement."

It was indeed the right decision.

If he had continued the negotiation, I would have added one condition after another.

Perhaps Keren advised him to just accept it quickly, as it would reduce the bleeding, guessing that I would have added more conditions.

"Our academy needs you. Not me, but for the students. That is the truth. Young students in their bright and tender ages need your help."

"......."

"Please protect the place where young children can grow."

The dean pleaded with a voice mixed with tears. There were undoubtedly various political reasons behind it, but in the end, he chose the students after being cornered like this.

Pretending to ponder for a moment, I tapped my chin with my index finger. For the dean, this moment must be truly torturous.

After dragging out the time as much as I could, I finally said what he wanted to hear.

"All right."

"Ah!"

The dean laughed brightly, lifting his head. Genuine happiness radiated from his face.

"However, I have one more condition to add. I don’t need another position; I’m a professor. And I want to teach the first-year students this time."

"That, that is not difficult at all!"

The dean nodded vigorously, saying that this condition was actually the easiest. Numerous professors coveted the opportunity to teach first-year students, and acquiring this position rested somewhat on the dean's discretion, making it easily attainable.

I stood up from my seat and reached out my hand for a handshake, and the dean rushed over and shook my hand.

"Please sign the contract."

"Oh!"

After that, things were settled quickly.

Anyway, contract terms could be easily modified, and the detailed provisions had already been checked.

The dean, who was trembling while looking at the contract, was filled with a sense of accomplishment for having done something significant.

Keren, who had been keeping her mouth shut, stepped forward and spoke.

"Can we depart right away? The current state of the academy is not good."

"Well, yes. Even now, the students of the academy are suffering."

Unfortunately, I couldn't give the answer they desperately wanted to hear with their earnest voices.

"I'm sorry, but that's difficult. I still have things to do in North Whedon."

I hadn't even held Emily's funeral yet. I couldn't leave without accompanying her on her final journey.

"That, that's..."

"You two should go ahead. No matter how long it takes, I should be able to depart in two days."

Upon hearing those words, the dean closed his mouth tightly, and Keren, thinking that she couldn't demand anything more, wore an anxious expression.

The situation at the academy must be serious enough for them to want to take me away as soon as possible.

That's why I reassured the two of them with my words.

"You don't need to worry. My personal maid has already arrived at the academy and is preparing for the resolution in advance."

"She... has arrived?"

Keren made a perplexed expression.

"What are you talking about? It's quite a distance between North Whedon and Robern Academy, so she can't arrive immediately like this."

"Uh, um, is it possible that you can use teleportation magic?!"

The dean interrupted Keren's words. However, upon hearing that, Keren's eyes widened with surprise as she looked at Darius.

Her expression showed her inner thoughts clearly:

Could it be that the Verdi family has a mage capable of using teleportation magic at a practical level?

But Darius and Deia subtly turned their bodies and avoided eye contact, as if such expectations were burdensome.

As if feeling embarrassed about a somewhat awkward secret being exposed, I casually replied without any concern.

"No, I already had her depart in advance."

"What?"

Both of them opened their mouths dumbfounded. 

Well, everything that needed to be revealed had already been revealed; The hands of both sides had been laid bare; The game was over. So, revealing it wouldn't make any difference.

Though a magician didn't need to explain their tricks, and a gambler didn't need to show their hand to the opponent who shouted ‘die’.

But today, since I achieved satisfactory results, I decided to let the two of them know the essence of this negotiation table.

"Since a few days before you two arrived, I had already sent my maid off. It's for the stabilization of the academy."

The dean still had an expression of not fully understanding, but Keren was different.

She let out a disappointed laugh, tapped her forehead, and awkwardly said, "So you already had plans to return to the academy from the beginning?"

Without explicitly revealing my plans, I simply nodded gently.

The academy was a place of great importance to me as well.

It was the time when the protagonist and their companions would enroll, and it was a place where I could naturally assist in their growth.

Especially the position of a professor had significant merits for me.

If possible, I intended to return to the academy without fail.

"Haha, hahaha."

Keren had a completely defeated expression. 

They thought I had an overwhelming advantage, but now they realized that the situation was quite doable from the start.

A sense of disappointment was seeping through their faces.

* * *

"Ah, it must be the city air. Sniff sniff. It oddly reminds me of the Republic… Blargh! So dirty."

Finden Ai, a white-haired maid, got off the carriage and sniffed her nose, looking around.

It hadn't been that long since she first started living in North Whedon, yet she had already come so close to the heart of the kingdom.

It was quite a new experience for her.

Clack clack!

"Thank you for your hard work. Come back safely."

The coachman waved his hand and said farewell to Finden Ai, then flicked the reins to start driving the horses.

As the carriage departed, Finden Ai, who had finished arranging her luggage, smirked while looking at Robern, known as the best academy in the Griffin Kingdom.

"Heh, look at this place. If I study here, it’ll be so much fun, hehe… Alas…"

With her revealing maid attire, she stood out in the eyes of the people around, but Finden Ai, who had become accustomed to such gazes, confidently walked towards the main entrance of the academy with a smirk on her beautiful face.

--- End of The Chapter --

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