༺ Essence Of Negotiation ༻
After asking for a moment to discuss, Caren and the Dean went outside of the room.
As the heavy door closed, Darius and Deia, who had been standing on both sides like folding screens, immediately turned their bodies and cried at Deus,
“You don’t plan on leaving?”
“Are you really not going?”
Watching their reactions, I felt a weight off my shoulders.
It was like a harmonious chorus; as in, they blended quite well together.
“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 Norseweden.
“The demands are too great. A private business trip can be accommodated, but research expedition justifications and access to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum of the Millenium Library….”
Darius also showed a displeased expression since he thought the conditions were unreasonable. It seemed he wanted to send me away quickly, probably thinking that my presence here could be a threat to his position.
“They have no choice but to comply.”
However, their reaction was like this because they didn’t know that the academy didn’t have time right now.
As far as I could 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.
“Are you going to return to work?”
“Yes, I intend to.”
When I sighed and answered Deia’s anxiety-filled question, Darius, who was beside me, crossed his arms and stroked his chin.
“I never imagined that you would receive such remarkable treatment. If it was 200 million, it would even far exceed my personal assets.”
“You have personal assets? Weren’t all our finances 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 conversation separately.
“It seems like you both have a lot of things to hide, huh?”
I shrugged my shoulders at Deia, who glared at me.
“I have nothing to hide.”
“You better not! Besides, you learned something dangerous like Necromancy! Just this alone is 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. You both can leave already! I’ll become the head of the family and take responsibility!”
Cough! Cough!
Darius averted his gaze, pretending not to hear; I also gently closed my eyes, 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 at the sound of a knock from outside.
Darius also forced a look of discomfort on his face.
This show of reluctance to send me to the academy had been agreed upon from the beginning.
When I replied, “Come in,” the Dean and Caren returned to the table.
The Dean, who had just been pale and sweating profusely, seemed to have cooled his head a bit, seeing as his expression had become noticeably calm.
I thought Caren would speak, but it was the Dean who acted right away with a nod.
“I will accept these conditions. If you want something other than a simple professorship, I can offer that as well. So, please reconsider your reinstatement.”
It was indeed the right decision.
If he had continued the negotiation, I would have added even more conditions.
Perhaps Caren advised him to accept it quickly, guessing I would have added more conditions. Doing this would at least reduce the bleeding.
“Our academy needs you. Not me, but 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 put the students first 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 torturous.
After dragging out as much time as I could, I finally said what he wanted to hear,
“All right.”
“Ah!”
The dean laughed brightly, as genuine happiness radiated from his face.
“However, I have one more condition I want added. I don’t need another position, just being a professor is fine. I want to be able to teach the first-year students.”
“That… that is not difficult at all!”
The dean nodded vigorously, saying that this condition was actually the easiest. Although numerous professors coveted the opportunity to teach first-year students, acquiring this position somewhat rested on the Dean’s discretion.
I stood up from my seat and reached out my hand for a handshake, and the Dean quickly rushed over and shook my hand.
“Please sign the contract.”
“Oh!”
After that, things were settled quickly.
Anyway, the simple 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.
Caren, on the other hand, stepped forward and spoke,
“Can we depart right away? The current state of the academy is not good.”
“Ah, that’s right. Even now, the academy’s students are suffering.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t give the answer they desperately wanted to hear.
“I’m sorry, but that’s difficult. I still have things to do in Norseweden.”
I hadn’t held Emily’s funeral yet. I couldn’t leave without accompanying her on her final journey.
“That’s…”
“You two should go ahead. It shouldn’t take that long, I should be able to depart in two days.”
Upon hearing those words, the Dean closed his mouth tightly, and Caren, 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 should have already arrived at the academy, and is preparing for a temporary resolution in advance.”
“She… already arrived?”
Caren made a perplexed expression.
“What are you talking about? There’s quite a distance between Norseweden and Loberne Academy; she couldn’t have arrived already.”
“Wait, um. Is it possible that you can use teleportation magic?!”
The Dean interrupted Caren’s words. However, upon hearing that, her eyes widened with surprise as she looked at Darius.
Her expression showed her inner thoughts clearly,
‘Could it be that the Verdi Household has a mage capable of using teleportation magic at a practical level?’
However, Darius and Deia subtly turned their bodies and avoided eye contact, as if answering these expectations were burdensome.
Almost like I was feeling embarrassed about an awkward secret being exposed, I casually responded without any concern,
“No, I already had her depart in advance.”
“What?”
Both of them hung their mouths open, dumbfounded.
Well, everything that needed to be revealed had already been revealed. Both sides’ hands had been laid bare and the game was over. Revealing this now 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 screamed at them to ‘die’.
But since I achieved satisfactory results, I decided to let the two of them know the true essence of today’s negotiation.
“A few days before you two arrived in Norseweden, I sent my maid off. It’s to stabilize the academy’s situation.”
The Dean still wore an expression as if he didn’t fully understand what was happening, but Caren was different.
She let out a disappointed laugh, scratched her cheek, and awkwardly said,
“So you already had plans to return to the academy from the beginning?”
Without explicitly revealing myself, I 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 location where I could naturally assist in their growth.
The professorship had significant merits for me.
I intended to return to the academy no matter what.
“Haha… Hahaha…”
Caren had a completely defeated expression.
They initially thought I had an overwhelming advantage, but now they realized that the situation was doable.
A sense of disappointment seeped through their faces.
* * *
“Ah, it must be the city air. Sniff. Sniff. It oddly reminds me of the Republic… Blargh! So dirty.”
Findenai, a white-haired maid, got off the carriage and smelled the surroundings, looking around.
It hadn’t been that long since she first started living in Norseweden, 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 Findenai, he then flicked the reins to start driving the horses.
As the carriage departed, Findenai, who had finished arranging her luggage, smirked while looking at Loberne, known as the best academy in the Griffin Kingdom.
“Heh, look at this place. If I study here, it’d be so much fun, hehe…”
With her revealing maid attire, she stood out to the people around. However, Findenai had already become accustomed to such gazes. She confidently walked towards the main entrance of the academy with a smirk on her beautiful face.
