ALL NOVEL C8
Chapter 8
The special class was canceled.
‘You say I’m unconventional. I can’t admit it.’
No, I shouldn’t admit it.
Wasn’t I the last conscience and the only common sense in the place?
But given that Boris and Chloe were horrified by the remark.
‘Isn’t……?’
Born and raised on the estate, he’d hardly known life outside of it.
At most, a few days in the nearest city to the manor to watch and learn?
Even then, when I saw people hauling firewood, carrying sacks of grain, and hobbling around, I thought, ‘What’s wrong with them, they’re out of shape,’ but…… is that normal?
Sloth’s point is, don’t judge others based on your own fitness.
If you keep doing that, she said, you’ll never be able to teach.
‘Marion told me to re-learn the basics of magic.’
Apparently, the “basics of magic” my father taught me were quite advanced in the world.
The reason I hadn’t realized it before now was that wizards themselves were advanced, and I had never met a wizard other than my father.
‘……Was our estate something strange?’
Yes, the inhabitants of the estate settled in the harsh Arma Mountains.
It’s only natural to think that I’ve lived among such people.
So, while I partially accepted Sloth and Marion’s point, I was also suspicious of the two rogue teachers.
‘So you’re saying that my father and our estate is a great place?’
If it was that great, there was no way a powerful noble would leave it alone.
They would have tried to take advantage of it somehow.
‘Even though my father is quite timid, if he has the ability, shouldn’t they try hard to take him?’
Reasonable suspicion soars!
‘Aren’t these people just trying to get in my way?’
I quickly calmed down.
“……No way.”
At least Chloe and Boris didn’t look like they were being mean.
‘Anyway, what about the contest? At this rate, I don’t think we’ll even have a chance to make a good impression, let alone get a good grade.’
I’m stumped.
-Boom!
A knock on the door made me jump up.
“Who is it?”
“……Can I have a moment?”
It was the principal’s voice.
‘But why is her voice so weak?’
I quickly straightened my clothes and walked outside to see the principal’s ears drooping.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s someone who wants to see Mr. Amon…….”
“Me?”
Well, that’s one thing.
But the principal who came to call me?
Even if she’s a low-level headmaster, isn’t she at least officially the pinnacle of this academy?
“I think you have a very rude idea.”
“……You’re mistaken.”
“Whatever, come with me.”
We arrived at the principal’s office.
Anar’el walks into the principal’s office, which is unlit and completely dark.
“Come in, please.”
“Yes. But why is it so dark?”
I said.
“Are you Amon Drake, the new teacher?”
The husky feminine voice made me turn around quickly.
I could see red eyes flickering in the darkness.
“……Who are you?”
“I am Brestle, the vice principal of this academy.”
Well, a normal academy would have a vice-principal.
Not that this academy is normal.
I greeted her quickly anyway.
“Nice to meet you, Vice Principal.”
“Yes. I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“……?”
“I can’t say I’m pleased to see you because the Academy is failing, can I?”
The Vice Headmaster’s voice is full of irritation, except I wasn’t the target of his irritation.
“I don’t see what all the fuss is about with these damn elves.”
The headmaster made an odd ‘hic’ sound at that.
The vice principal spoke next.
“Anyway, I only called you in to see what you’re like as a newcomer, so you can leave now.”
The red eyes, which had been glaring at Amon, turned downward, and he said in a panicked voice
“I’m not leaving without seeing the vice principal’s face.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you left the lights off, didn’t you?”
“……Ah, I see, humans can’t see in the dark.”
There was a click and a snap of fingers, and the room brightened up.
And what I witnessed was the principal standing with his hands raised and kneeling as punishment, and a woman with bronze skin sitting at her desk looking over documents.
The only problem was that her ears were as long as Anar’el’s.
‘……Dark Elf!’
A type of elf rumored to be a ‘fallen elf’.
‘They are said to be fierce and violent…….’
Vice Headmaster Brestle frowned at me as I turned around.
“What is it?”
“……I’m sorry. I’ve never seen a dark elf before.”
“I don’t think it’s just a reaction to never having seen one before… Well, dark elves are ferocious and unruly……I’m guessing that’s what you’re thinking.”
Brestle said, seeing right through Amon.
“That’s prejudice and discrimination.”
It would have been a valid point, except for the fact that she kicked Anar’el’s ass.
“Be careful in the future.”
“Oh, I see. What is the headmaster doing there, anyway?”
The deputy headmaster said, flipping through papers.
“She brought the academy in ruins while I was on vacation, so how can I leave it like this?”
“……You’re right, but you were on vacation?”
“Yes. I was running the academy, blocking whatever this idiot was trying to do, and when I went away for a while, she left it in this mess.”
My eyes widened at that.
‘So the academy, which should have long since faded into history, was still running because of the vice principal?’
The question was finally answered!
‘In other words, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the vice principal was running the academy in place of the principal.’
She’s the real power in the academy!
Moreover, if she was running this place, which was originally huge, her abilities must be great!
Amon immediately pledged his loyalty to the Vice Headmaster.
“From now on, I will only trust and follow you, Vice Headmaster!”
Whether the headmaster realized the extra tilt of power in those words or not, she began to sob and cry, but that’s none of my business.
The vice principal glared at me with an oath and said.
“We’ll see, but…….”
The Vice Headmaster, who was checking the papers, raised an eyebrow.
“Temporary income of five thousand gold?”
The Deputy Headmaster glared at Anar’el.
“What is this?”
“That, that’s…….”
“Say it right.”
“It’s, uh, the prize money for winning the racing snail…….”
The headmaster’s shoulders slumped as the vice-principal glared.
“It’s good that you have some temporary income, but what if it went wrong? Don’t you realize you’re the head of the school?”
“Sorry…….”
Amon, the one who had instigated the snail race, kept his mouth shut.
“Phew, that’s ridiculous……huh?”
The vice principal flipping through the papers narrowed her eyes.
“Investing in the King of Mango business?”
At this point, Amon swallowed hard.
‘This is a big deal.’
The Snail Race may have been the principal’s mistress, but it was his own decision to invest so much money in the orchard.
‘It paid off in the end, but I’m sure she’ll say I’m a fool for investing in such a crazy business…….’
The vice principal stared at the papers in silence.
“Headmaster, what is this?”
“It’s…….”
Anareel glared at me, tears streaming down her face.
‘That sneaky elf is going to sell me out!’
Well, they say it’s better to get hit first. Better to hit the player than to be snitched on.
“It’s an investment I proposed.”
“……You mean you?”
“Yes. I thought it could be successful on its own, so I invested in it with some temporary income I had earned earlier, and luckily I was right.”
I’m lying.
The investment was made with the intention of killing the academy.
“But I did use the money for operating expenses, so if you want to punish me, I’ll comply.”
“……Hmm.”
She stared at the paperwork, then spoke up.
“It was a risky investment, to be sure, but as long as it paid off, I don’t see any reason to hold you accountable.”
“……!”
“Well done, you’ve done a great job, and we won’t have to worry about the Academy’s finances for a while.”
Amon immediately bowed at the voice of the proud Vice Headmaster!
“I’m honored, Vice Headmaster.”
“Hmm, is that King of Mangoes…….?”
“What?”
“……No.”
I said, with an odd resonance.
“Vice Principal.”
“What is it?”
I swallowed hard.
The deputy headmaster would be someone who was strict but also concerned about the academy’s revitalization.
Then…….
“Do you happen to know that there’s an imperial youth competition sponsored by His Majesty the Emperor coming up?”
“Of course I know.”
“If a student from the Academy performs well in that competition, isn’t it possible that the Emperor’s recommendation to suspend operations will be rescinded?”
“I suppose there is a possibility.”
She nodded in affirmation.
“Then perhaps we should endeavor to educate the two remaining students at the Academy to improve their chances.”
“That’s certainly a good idea.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
So the deputy headmaster was right after all.
“But Sloth and Marion. Those two stopped you……Huh, the lazy teacher and the drunkard teacher?”
“Yes!”
“Well, let me tell them both, no matter how young a student is, sometimes you have to be stern with them, especially when our academy is in trouble like it is now.”
“That’s a very fair point!”
A lousy headmaster.
The slacker swordsmanship teacher.
The backstabbing drunkard.
‘Isn’t this the savior who came along and outwitted them all?’
I was on the verge of tears with excitement.
‘Now I only have to trust the vice principal!’
I wiped the tears from my eyes.
“Headmaster.”
“……?”
“Just in case…….”
The vice principal said in a stern voice.
“King of Mangoes, do you have any left?”
“Only one left.”
Anar’el quickly pulled out the King of Mangoes from her stash.
She smiles broadly.
“This is so good.”
“…….”
There’s an awkward silence, and I feel a strange sense of unease.
‘What the hell? Why is she looking at the King of Mango like she’s dripping with honey?’
I swallowed hard with anxiety.
At the same time, the vice principal, who also swallowed hard, said.
“I guess we’ll have to invest more in the King of Mango Farm once we get a return on our investment.”
Amon’s mouth dropped open at that.
“Vice Headmaster, what the……!”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, what additional investment in what farm!”
The Vice Headmaster said with a stern face.
“Considering the content of the letter, isn’t it a profitable investment? It would be the right choice to make an additional investment for the academy’s finances, right?”
“Well, that’s…….”
She was right.
“I take it, you agree.”
“…….”
The deputy headmaster said, flicking through the papers.
“Besides, the Academy’s cafeteria cuts are devastating.”
“……?”
“Headmaster, sign the cafeteria staffing paperwork.”
I slapped her hand away as she quickly pulled out a pen.
“We have three teachers and only two students, and you’re filling the cafeteria!”
“Ouch! My hand!”
“Vice Principal, what the hell is that supposed to mean!”
The vice principal said with a stern face.
“Poor quality meals won’t keep the morale of those who remain, isn’t it right to improve the quality of the meals to boost morale?”
“No, that’s…….”
“I won’t take no for an answer.”
Is that right?
‘No, that can’t be right! What kind of bullshit is that?’
I leaned in close to Anar’el and whispered in her ear.
“Principal.”
“Hee hee, that tickles my ear!”
“Sorry! More than that, what’s wrong with her?”
Anar’el said, glaring at the Vice Headmaster.
“Dark Elves, you see, are often obsessed with a single desire.”
“What? You don’t mean…….”
“Yes. The vice principal is a case of obsession with food. But did she go on vacation and come back hungry? She’s gotten worse than before.”
“I don’t think so…….”
“And to think that she’s going to use it without any reason, even though it’s not royal support……I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Amon rolled his eyes at Anar’el’s tongue-in-cheek remark.
Meanwhile, the deputy headmaster continued to ramble on about some strange nonsense.
“Our meat supplier sucks. We need to find a new one.”
“…….”
“Hmm, yeah, we should bring that chef back to the academy…….”
“Deputy Headmaster.”
Brestle narrowed her eyes at Amon.
He held up the King of Mangoes, the only one left.
“……What is it?”
Amon didn’t answer Brestle’s question.
He simply continued to peel the King of Mangoes in silence.
“……What are you doing?”
Amon still didn’t answer.
He just stared at Brestle’s long ears, which were growing in exasperation.
“Hey, hey, hey, stop…….”
Amon still didn’t answer.
He just opened his mouth and greedily devoured the King of Mangoes.
The shocking sight caused Brestle to shriek and recoil in horror.
“Aaaahhhh! My King of Mangoes!”
Brestle’s ears drooped and tears streamed down her face as she watched the only remaining King of Mangoes disappear in a spray of juice.
“Ugh!”
Amon was also dripping with juice and tears as he watched Brestle freak out.
The vice principal whom he had sworn allegiance to was not the savior who would save him and the academy.