Episode 107
"What should we do? Should we really get a sponsor?"
"Don't say crazy things. If we do that, we'll have to sleep with those pot-bellied nobles?"
At a cafe near the Academy, all the commoner students of Class A were huddled together, sharing their concerns.
"Hey. Even if the Royal Family is out, the Church also selected people, so surely..."
"Idiot, the people the Church picks are even worse. From the start, a place that forgives all sins if you just pay money... ah, Saintess. We weren't talking about you, Saintess."
One student who had been discussing sponsors smiled gently as Perloche made a frightened expression upon hearing about the Church.
"I, I see!"
Perloche, who had been shrinking back, straightened her posture with a relieved expression.
"Then... what do we do now?"
"Exactly. At this rate, getting expelled from the Academy is all that's left for us."
The commoners, who had been treating Perloche like a mascot, petting her gently, soon sighed and began worrying about their future.
"Should we just rob a bank? We'll split the money 1/n..."
"Don't say crazy things."
One student attempted a joke, but when another student who had been feeling depressed cut off the joke with a cold voice, the atmosphere became even more frigid.
"How about asking the Princess for help?"
"She doesn't have much money to spare either. She already gave us compensation during the Starlight mansion attack incident. Though most of us have already spent all of that."
"Then, what about Professor Isollet..."
"She'd want to help too, but that's not an amount a teacher's salary can cover."
"Then, perhaps the Saintess..."
"...Hwit."
When all the children's attention focused on her, Perloche lowered her head and cried out.
"I'm sorry! I don't have money!"
"....Ah."
"B, but if it's for everyone's sake, even if it means fighting the Church, I can somehow get the money!"
Perloche said with a determined expression, but the commoners just shook their heads.
Not only was it uncertain whether the gentle and innocent Perloche could extract money from the Church, but even if she did, it was obvious they would be marked by the Church.
"Irina, how about reaching out to your old master..."
"That senile old man, he hasn't even replied to my letters since I visited him once last time."
Even Ariane, who had asked Irina with a bit of hope, lowered her head with a disappointed expression, and the atmosphere gradually became solemn.
"...There is one way."
When Kania spoke in a quiet voice amidst that atmosphere, everyone's eyes began to sparkle.
It was because these were the words of Kania, who had surely endured terrible torture during the break as punishment for making Frey suffer on their behalf, and even now had red handprints visible on her cheek and neck.
"Please... take a look at this."
"What is this?"
"This is the contract Frey proposed."
But as soon as 'Frey' came out of Kania's mouth, all the students froze.
"If you sign this contract, your sponsor will be Frey."
"Are you telling us to become Frey's slaves?"
"It's better content than any conditions you've been offered so far."
She continued with a trembling voice.
"You must be loyal to him. You must not resist. And... have a 'meeting' once a month."
"...So your young master is trying to buy the right to hold us once a month, right?"
When one of the students listening to Kania asked with a trembling voice, Kania quietly opened her mouth.
"Among all those who have made offers so far, Frey has proposed the fewest meetings. Everyone else attached the condition of 'whenever they want'."
"Disgusting."
"The best solution I can offer you is only this. I'm truly sorry."
When even Kania, whom they had trusted, said this and lowered her head, the female students began to fall into despair one by one.
"Either sign a contract with Frey, or leave the Academy. You're telling us to choose one of these two?"
"T, there must be some way..."
"In other words, if we don't want to become beggars on the street, we have to sell our bodies to Frey."
When one student smiled self-deprecatingly and reached for the contract, the other students all began to look at her.
"When I received the contract fee from Frey, I bought meat for the first time in my life and went home."
Soon, the girl holding the contract began to speak with a trembling voice.
"Do you know what my only sibling, my younger brother, said while eating it?"
"........."
"Well, he said his sister is the best in the world."
The girl, grinding her teeth, continued.
"I promised him. To that brother, I swore I'd succeed and become truly the best."
Among the solemn children, she picked up a pen and concluded.
"...For family, what wouldn't I do."
The girl, squeezing her eyes shut as she said this, tried to write her name on the contract with a magic circle drawn on it with her trembling hand, but.
"Great speech, well said."
"Huh?"
When someone suddenly appeared from behind and snatched her contract, she turned around with a surprised expression.
"Wh, who are you? You're... hmm?"
Soon, looking at the blurry figure before her with wary eyes, she saw Alice standing quietly beside them and began to tilt her head in confusion.
"Everyone, this person says they want to present a contract to you."
Looking at her and the children sitting at the desks, Alice spoke, and the female students all began to frown.
They thought that since this person would surely demand something anyway, what difference would it make?
"The one thing I want from you is simple."
To those students, the unidentified figure in a robe rubbed their hands together and spoke.
"Every week at this time, gather here and report your recent news to me."
"Excuse me?"
"People who are bothering you, sick friends or family, complaints about poor meals, things like that."
But the words the person brought up were quite absurd.
"And report on the recent rumors circulating in the Academy, and the inconveniences of being a commoner."
"Ex, excuse me..."
"Ah, of course I need to show some results too... let's guarantee a one-on-one meal request right. Of course, I won't make any physical contact."
When the unidentified figure finished speaking and sat down, someone from among the blank-faced students stood up and said.
"Y, you think we'll believe that? We know well that contracts aren't on the commoners' side. You're being kind and making a contract now, only to later threaten us with money, right?"
"We can set the contract terms in a magic circle."
"Something like that can be manipulated easily. I've been tricked that way a few times in the past too."
Then other students began to look at the person in the black robe with suspicious eyes.
"Very well, then I'll give you the contract fee in advance."
".........!!!"
However, when he smiled and began to place a massive amount of gold coin pouches on the desk, all the students began to be shocked.
"I'll show you the gold coins I'll pay according to your future performance using a scroll when you accept the contract, but how about it? Do you feel like making a contract with me?"
".........."
"For reference, I've already completed contracts with the male students."
When the person in the black robe asked in a quiet voice, the female students began to nod their heads unconsciously as if possessed by a ghost.
Even Perloche, who had already been promised sponsorship from the Church, nodded her head.
"Then..."
Looking around at the female students with dazed expressions, the unidentified person smiled brightly and asked.
"...Would anyone like to have a meal with me?"
.
"So anyway, in conclusion... I think Isollet would be better suited as the vice-captain of the Royal Knights rather than an Academy professor."
"I told you I won't join that damned Royal Knights."
"How about coming as an instructor for the Holy Knights? Our Holy Knights' pride, the 'youngest Holy Knight,' truly admires you, professor."
"That's a joy, but I don't want to join a corrupt group that forgives sins with money."
Isollet, who had been called away while talking with Frey, was receiving love calls from both the Royal Family and the Church simultaneously.
"Are you going to keep raising your price like that? Just be satisfied with the vice-captain position."
"Our Church can offer you the position of honorary captain. It seems you have no choice."
"I've been saying this for a while, I'm satisfied as an Academy professor."
But when Isollet continued to refuse, the royal servant and priest began to frown and threaten her.
"It was a proposal until now, but if you keep acting like this, we can't accommodate you."
"Dismissing you from your teaching position is as easy as eating cold porridge. If you had the protection of the Bywalk family it might be different, but aren't you currently estranged from your family?"
"Haah..."
Exhausted by the continued conversation, Isollet messed up her hair and buried her head in the desk.
"Marquis, there is urgent news."
The Marquis dispatched from the Royal Family, who had been looking down at Isollet with raised lips, frowned when his subordinate urgently entered the room and spoke.
He firmly believed that since he had almost completely worn down her spirit, just a little more work would bring her to his side.
"We've lost all the Class A students."
"What!?"
But when he heard his subordinate's following words, he shouted in rage and rose from his seat.
"You see? Our Church's work is the will of the Sun. Therefore, the Sunrise Imperial Family should also follow our will..."
"Priest, we failed to secure the Class A students."
"What did you just say?"
And the same was true for the priest who had been offering advice with a dignified expression beside the Marquis.
"Then, the students chose a third party, neither the Royal Family nor the Church?"
"No, why on earth?"
When they, wearing expressions of utter defeat, raised their voices to question their subordinate.
"The reason is simple."
Someone entered the room and spoke.
"Because I crushed them with money."
The Marquis and priest, who were carefully observing the figure in the black robe, simultaneously opened their mouths.
"Are you challenging the Royal Family's authority?"
"Are you not afraid of the Sun God?"
At those words, the robed figure who sneered spoke to Isollet, who was staring blankly at him.
"Professor, please step out for a moment."
"W, who are you..."
"Please. I have matters to discuss with them."
Normally she would have refused with a sharp expression, but Isollet quietly nodded and left the room at his words.
This was partly because she was mentally exhausted from hours of persuasion and threats, and also because she somehow felt a familiar feeling from the robed figure.
"Hyaawn..."
When Isollet left, the robed figure sat crookedly in the seat in front of them, put his feet on the desk, and began to yawn.
"Do you think you'll be safe after doing this?"
When the Marquis frowned and asked, he burst into laughter and replied.
"The one who won't be safe isn't me, it's you two."
"What?"
"Someone of no ordinary status, dispatching even a Marquis and priest to secure talents, only to have them stolen by someone whose identity you don't even know... won't the Royal Family and Church be so pleased to hear this?"
Hearing this, the Marquis scoffed.
"Do you think we can't track you? I guarantee you, your trail will be discovered within a few days. Let's see if you can remain that composed when that happens..."
"The Emperor of the Back Alleys, Count Yustiniano, raised both hands and surrendered the market alley to me, yet you lot?"
But when the robed figure answered in a composed voice, cracks began to appear on their faces.
"You're saying the mastermind behind the news that shook the Empire this morning is you?"
"Yes, will this make it certain?"
When he took out a proof plaque signed by Count Yustiniano from his chest and waved it, their expressions began to rot even further.
"Oh right, you've been continuously using identification and discernment magic since earlier..."
- Bzzzzzt...
"It's all futile. Even if the Magic Tower Master comes, or the Pope comes, they can never uncover my identity."
When the robed figure took out a highest-grade discernment scroll from his chest and activated it, their faces turned from rotting to pale blue.
"In short, you two are finished right now."
Mocking them and driving in the wedge, the robed figure began to speak in a quiet voice to the two who were breaking out in cold sweat.
"Because if you return like this, you two are done for."
"T, that's not true. I..."
"Stop making excuses. Do you think someone of my caliber wouldn't know your personal details? You two planned and executed this entire operation. So you'll bear the responsibility for its failure too."
With his words leaving no room for argument, the two finally bowed their heads deeply.
"Therefore, from now on..."
Looking at them with a triumphant smile, Frey, who was covered in a black robe.
"...it's a competition to see who can impress me more, isn't it?"
""What?""
He lowered his feet from the desk, rested his chin on his hand, and whispered.
"It's simple. There's someone right in front of you who owns all the Class A student coins, isn't there?"
"T, that means..."
"Yes, whichever of you succeeds in winning me over survives."
Frey, who said this, rubbed his hands together and concluded.
"Hmm, I wonder if there's no kind person who would donate to my 'charity foundation'...?"
Looking at him, the two men intuitively realized.
That they had stepped in shit, and stepped in it properly.
.
"Hoo..."
Today was truly a satisfying day.
The commoner students who, encountering unexpected fortune, finally believed that heaven was rewarding them for their hard work and teared up.
Isollet, who expressed her gratitude with a bright smile she used to show me occasionally in the past.
And the Marquis and priest who, trying desperately to impress me, promised large donations to the charity foundation.
Of course, I'll continue to squeeze those two and use them as material for negotiations with the Royal Family and Church.
After all, I need to squeeze the Royal Family and Church too going forward.
Also, I ordered those two to hand over information on all the sponsors, including that trash guy who was going around touching the female students' hands earlier.
Highly valuing their warm hearts, I plan to meet them in Frey's identity and plant succubi as gifts.
"Frey!"
"...Hmm?"
Walking through the academy corridor with such thoughts, I turned my head in confusion at the sound calling me from behind.
"What is it, it's Perloche."
Soon discovering Perloche walking over with her characteristic blank expression, I tilted my head and asked.
"What's going on?"
"I have something to tell you!"
Then she crossed her arms and opened her mouth with a stern expression.
"Starting today, you and I are partners!"
"Right, I see. Understo... what?"
Expecting her to say something nonsensical again, I was about to answer that I understood, but then doubted my ears and asked again.
"For the second semester, you and I are partners!"
Hearing her answer again, I fell into thought while listening to Perloche's words with a blank expression.
"You're well aware of the rights partners hold, right!"
'...This can't be.'
'Partner' is a unique system in Blacktail Fantasy 2, where upon selection, various interactions occur during the second semester.
The important thing is.
According to the prophecy, Perloche and I cannot become partners due to the game structure.
...A bug?