Chapter 37

"What the hell is this nonsense?"

Tasha yelled, throwing the newspaper that had been published this morning onto the desk.

The front page was dominated by an article stating that excavation rights had suddenly been transferred to the academy.

It was like a bolt from the blue for her, who had been eagerly anticipating the start of the excavation.

If things continued like this, the Dragon's Book of Darkness might end up in the hands of blind fools.

"I just heard the news too..."

"How on earth are we supposed to deal with this?"

Hanabi had no choice but to bow her head.

Unlike Sean and Karl, who were close as friends, Tasha and Hanabi had a clear master-servant relationship. It was because of the atmosphere of the Nerester family.

In that sense, Tasha was a very demanding boss.

She rewards accomplishments and punishes mistakes. Her punishment is swift and harsh, and there's no holding back in both criticism and praise.

The problem was that she was already a natural genius and had a shrewd personality, so she was never noticed.

The reason her attendants change so frequently throughout the year is because of her.

"It's unacceptable."

"Unacceptable? Is that the end of it? You need to provide reasons and solutions!"

"The current attendants are working on a plan. And while we're still trying to figure out the reasons, there's something a bit odd."

"What's odd?"

Hanabi hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should answer.

But such an attitude would only further provoke Tasha's anger.

"What is it?"

Finally, Hanabi yelled with her eyes tightly shut.

"Well, it seems like there are traces suggesting that Young master Sean intentionally handed over the excavation rights...!"

"What?"

Hanabi felt a surge of pressure on her eyelids.

She was regretting inwardly.

'I should have just kept my mouth shut, even if it meant getting scolded!'

When she first heard that report, Hanabi had yelled at her subordinates not to talk nonsense.

Handing over excavation rights for no apparent reason?

It was unthinkable.

Among all the dragon nests ever excavated, this one boasted the largest scale. Even the partially revealed treasures were expected to hold astronomical value in academic circles.

Moreover, after Professor Berex confidently boasted about it, if the excavation failed, its value would increase even further.

Giving up on such a place was simply impossible unless one were truly insane.

There may have been a possibility that Sean had a backroom deal with his advisor, Professor Berex. But that would have completely eliminated his possibility of becoming the next head of the family, so he would never have done so if he had any intention of doing so.

So, Hanabi thought that Tasha's anger would come down on her again this time.

Perhaps not only herself but also the newly formed group of attendants, which had just started to take shape, might be disbanded again.

But...

"Hmm."

Instead of anger, a fresh, lively snort was heard.

Hanabi cautiously opened one eye, wondering if this was Tasha's new way of expressing anger. But she was surprised to find Tasha smiling as if she had never been angry.

"Look at these. They're quite impressive, aren't they?"

Was she reading something Hanabi didn't know?

Tasha seemed lost in thought for a moment before asking her.

"And my father? He's not the type to just let this go, is he?"

"Family head... hasn't shown any particular reaction to this either..."

"That means it's already been discussed. Anyway, wouldn't it be great if they'd consult me on these matters too? Are they discriminating just because I'm a girl?"

Discrimination?

Hanabi laughed bitterly.

'If something like that were to happen, I'll be struck down by lightning right away.'

The Nerester family was conservative and class-oriented, but at the same time, they were also meritocratic.

Wasn't it proof enough that someone like Hanabi herself, who had once been a mere slave, could rise to the position of attendant, recognized for her talents?

"Our dean was quite dirty in his dealings. He might have liked politics, but he had decent skills. Oh, by the way, do we have any business ties with the academy?"

"There were four cases related to technological partnerships, but they were temporarily halted in this dispute… ."

"Get those running again. No, let's even proceed with investment in the form of scholarships. Remember the fund my father handed over to me last time? Put it all in."

Hanabi's eyes widened slightly.

"What? But the elders might..."

"Hmph! Do you think those old fogies know anything besides poking their noses into other people's business? Just do as I say. Make sure to contact them right after the headmaster election ends. But change the direction."

"...Where to?"

"The Elemental Department."

"...!"

Professor Berex used to be the head of the Elemental Department.

And now investing in that department?

"Don't you get it yet? These excavation rights are neither ours nor the academy's."

Hanabi was so shocked that her mouth hung open. It was a series of shocks that she simply couldn't understand.

Normally, Tasha would have snapped at her for lack of courtesy, but Tasha didn't seem to notice at all, her eyes fixed on the interesting future ahead.

"After a storm passes, a colorful flower garden blooms in its wake. You need to be the first to offer your services to such a winner, whatever it may be. So, get ready….!"

Tasha stood up abruptly, shaking her head.

"No, I need to see the face of the one who prepared this cute little show myself. Let's head to the election."

Hanabi didn't quite understand Tasha's words, but she followed her quickly, realizing that she would be even busier in the days to come. 

As Tasha walked out the door, she looked mischievous like a cat that had found an interesting toy.

***

It was the day of the Academy's headmaster election.

The rules for the headmaster election were quite strict.

Under the auspices of the Election Management Committee, seven candidates were nominated, and the voting representatives conducted voting in two rounds, with the final selection being appointed by the board of directors.

The 55 election commissioners were specifically designated to be selected from various fields.

Ten were selected from the Faculty Council, Staff Union, Alumni Association, and student council, and the remaining 15 seats were filled by the imperial family and the Magic Tower, respectively.

The first round of voting lasted for half a day from noon, and if the leading candidate did not achieve a majority, only the top two would proceed to the second round of voting.

Furthermore, even if someone became the final winner, there were cases where a re-vote would be conducted from the beginning if the board of directors announced a vote of no confidence.

Of course, such cases were extremely rare.

Nevertheless, the reason for such thoroughness was the significance held by the prestigious Usdun Academy.

"It's so crowded."

Elric slightly pulled back the robe covering his head and looked at the academy campus he had visited for the first time in a long time with strange eyes.

It had been a bustling place for the past few years, but today, it looked completely different.

Was it because there were too many people?

There were journalists from various newspapers, as well as magicians, citizens, and even knights that seemed to be sent from the Lion Duchy.

There were even people holding banners saying "Dirty Professor Berex, step down!" It seemed they were the ones who invested in the exploration team and failed miserably.

"Well, you're the one who stirred up all that trouble, so no wonder, you asshole!"

Sean grumbled as he pressed Elric's robe with his hand, as if he didn't like Elric's attitude.

Even if Elric had changed his appearance slightly with magic, it would be a big problem if someone recognized him.

"Me?"

"Yeah! Normally, it would just cause a bit of a stir within the Academy. But what's been going on these past few months? Nest disturbances, the dean's mistakes... Ugh! Who among the citizens of the Empire wouldn't be interested in this?"

With the newspapers making so much noise over the past two months, it was inevitable that people would be interested.

"Hmm."

"Do you finally realize how big of a mess you've stirred up?"

Sean's stern expression softened slightly as Elric let out a long sigh.

Though you can't collect spilled water, perhaps it's time for some reflection on this whole situation...

"I like it."

"What?"

But for a moment, Sean was dumbfounded by the answer he received.

And it was cruelly distorted.

"The value of my name goes up that much, right? The more audiences, the better."

"This lunatic...! Ugh! I should just keep quiet."

Sean covered his face with his hands.

What's the point of continuing to nag? He didn't even listen in the first place.

"The election is beginning! Those who wish to observe, please gather at the central auditorium!"

At that moment, as the announcement from the election committee member controlled the crowd, people surged to the west.

"Let's go."

"Alright. Let's go. I don't know what's going to happen anymore."

Shaking his head nervously, Sean followed Elric into the central auditorium.

***

As they settled into their seats in the empty auditorium, the seven candidates took turns delivering their final speeches to the election representatives.

"Don't you want to sit over there?" Sean pointed with his chin to an empty seat among the reserved seats.

-Melvinger Seat.

Of the 15 seats originally assigned to the imperial family and magic tower, one seat belonged to the prestigious magic family.

Since it was given in honor of the first headmaster, it could originally be said to be Elric's seat.

However, due to controversy over his qualifications, Elric voluntarily maintained the vacant position, and the same is still true today.

"Is it necessary now?"

However, unlike his usual thirsty gaze, Elric seemed indifferent.

"There's no need to be thirsty anymore, right?"

"Well."

A tone suggesting he would sit down whenever necessary.

Sean chuckled at the thought of having asked about it all.

Elric had finally shed all the chains that had restrained his genius. Considering his confident and daring personality, it seemed odd to fuss over such trivial matters.

Somehow, Sean felt relieved and was able to watch the election with more peace of mind.

'Yeah. It's just a show, after all. I'll just watch and enjoy it. But still…'

Sean pushed aside his worries about Elric and quickly scanned the remaining seats with his eyes.

'Didn't they say my elder sister would be coming instead of my father? Where is... Oh? Well, I guess that explains it.'

It was not just the seat reserved for Melvinger that was empty. All the seats allocated to the Imperial family were also vacant.

This was because voting had not yet begun in earnest, but their status was the highest among the committee members. So it was inappropriate for them to take their seat early.

So while everyone seemed indifferent about the matter, the deliberate vacancy of one of the seats that should have been occupied early from the tower side evoked a subtle sense of discomfort.

Of course, it goes without saying that out of the seven seats from the Magic Tower, six were from the Hexagram. The empty seat belonged to the Nerester family.

Fortunately, Tasha Nerester, who was designated to participate as the acting head of the family, was coming up to the podium at the moment.

Despite the attention directed towards her, Tasha remained completely indifferent. 

Instead, she casually strolled across the podium, humming a tune, and only gave a curt nod to the councilors she met eye-to-eye before taking her seat with crossed legs, displaying a graceful posture as her skirt split, revealing sleek and elegant legs.

"Hmph!"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Most of the elderly councilors, instead of glaring at Tasha, quickly averted their gazes and pretended to cough awkwardly.

A few even blatantly stared at her.

"Is the esteemed lady of the Nerester family unaware of the significance of this place?"

It was a thinly veiled reproach.

"I'm well aware. In fact, perhaps even more so than anyone else occupying these seats."

Tasha responded confidently, raising her chin and turning her head to the side.

"I'm sure you know it well, right?"

Her gaze landed on Sean and Elric.