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.
"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, itll 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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