Reviving a Bankrupt Academy: My Financial Battle

There's a phenomenon commonly referred to as the five stages of grief, or the five stages of acceptance.

When someone receives a terminal diagnosis or is suddenly left alone on a deserted island for an exam, they go through five stages.

The first is denial.

"No way, right? You must be joking."

"We have to survive for a week with just this? There are only some useless-looking tools and water inside?"

"There must be some mistake. The ship is coming back, right? Even for a survival test, this is absurd."

The second is anger.

"This is ridiculous! Send us back right now!"

"How can we spend a week in this place! There's no dormitory or cafeteria!"

"Is it okay to do this kind of bullshit in the name of an exam?!"

The third is bargaining.

"I'll take a low score, just let us take the original exam!"

"We can't survive with just this! Give us something more!"

"Do you know who my parents are!? Do you?!"

"Are they more impressive than the Headmistress? Are you royalty by any chance?"

"...…."

The fourth is depression.

"Hey, stop being angry! What if the Headmistress or the Exam Supervisor hears you?!"

"What, is this for real…? For real? We really have to survive on a deserted island?"

"Wh-what should we do…?"

And the last is.

"Ah, fuck it, I don't care. Hey, let's move."

"What? You're serious?"

"We've been screaming and crying here for an hour. If they're not coming back after this, it's obvious. And isn't this an opportunity?"

"An… opportunity?"

"Can you easily give up on the midterm exam? It's one of the most important exams of the entire year. Those who can't do this will become stepping stones for us."

"…That's true."

"I'm also from a noble family, so it's a bit annoying, but if it were the usual exam, I would have been at the bottom for sure. I have to use this opportunity to get a good grade."

"Y-yeah! Let's go!"

"Let's do something!"

Acceptance, simply accepting it.

Though they cried out in frustration at the absurd situation, the students admitted to Grandis Academy were considerably talented. Most of them, realizing the reality, cursed the academy or sought opportunities, scattering in all directions.

Those who had applied as teams wore the badges that were distributed beforehand, while those moving individually formed alliances on the spot or simply entered the jungle alone.

The Luftragina Archipelago had a considerably hot climate, and the sandy beach where the students disembarked had nothing but a vast stretch of coastline and a dense jungle.

Except for a very small number of students who simply gave up in this extreme situation, all the students started moving in their own ways.

And only then did the students realize why they were instructed to form teams with one member each from the martial arts, magic, and administration departments.

"L-let's enter the jungle first."

"Milia? Is there a reason?"

"Mr. Ruth might be fine, but Princess Beatrice and I won't last long under this scorching sun. If we sweat too much…"

"Aha, I see."

Usually, only those from wealthy families, nobles, or those with exceptional talent learned martial arts, Aura, or magic.

As such, the proportion of nobles was very high among the martial arts and magic department students, and conversely, the administration department was overwhelmingly composed of commoners.

And commoners generally had more survival knowledge than nobles.

Of course, no commoner had perfect knowledge of surviving on a deserted island, but it was still much better than having a team of only nobles.

Ruth also added, as if he knew something,

"…We have to be careful of dehydration. There's water in the survival kit, but we have to drink it sparingly to make it last for a week."

"It seems like the academy has shown some consideration. Since there are many children from noble families like me, they must have decided to provide water."

"…It might be a little different."

"Ruth?"

"It might not be for our consideration, but because it's very difficult to find water on this island, or the amount is limited."

"Th-that's true, Mr. Ruth. Maybe the water source is small, so it's difficult to provide enough drinking water for over 200 people for a week? The well in our village often dried up, so we had to conserve water…"

"Okay. Then let's keep that in mind and enter the jungle to avoid the sunlight. It's been quite harsh since earlier. But before that…"

"Y-yes?"

"Hmm?"

"Shouldn't we look at the rules first? They said they would display them in the sky, right?"

Indeed, it might be difficult to read all the rules in the sky once they entered the dense jungle.

Agreeing with Beatrice, Ruth and Milia also read the rules in the sky.

[Midterm Exam: Deserted Island Survival Rules]

[1. First, rely on the encyclopedia in the survival kit. Not all plants and animals on the deserted island are edible.]

[2. The use of force between students, including looting and eliminating competitors, is prohibited. We are purely evaluating survival skills and hunting abilities.]

[3. Exam Supervisors and professors are basically outside or on the outskirts of the island, and the jungle is monitored by autonomous familiars.]

[4. If you can't endure any longer, go to the beach and write SOS or shout loudly for help. You will be immediately disqualified and transported to the nearest port city.]

[5. Items helpful for survival are hidden throughout the island. Please make good use of them.]

[6. Look closely at the sky. There might be something other than the rules.]

"…I understand everything else, but what's the third one? Why only autonomous familiars in the jungle…?"

"Mr. R-Ruth. I… think I know."

"Milia? What is it?"

"There are… baths and toilets… and autonomous familiars have no intelligence and only follow the orders they're given…"

"Ah."

"Ah."

Beatrice then realized that this survival test wouldn't be as easy as she thought.

It seemed like there would be quite a few people who would give up due to human dignity, as if survival wasn't possible with just motivation and passion.

Naturally, Beatrice and Milia's eyes turned to the only male member of their team.

"…Ruth? Your eyes seem to be shaking."

"Ah, it's nothing."

"Mr. Ruth, you're not really going to peek…"

"That will never happen. Yes! Since we're of different genders, we'll have to bathe separately, right?"

"Of course. What were you thinking…?"

At Ruth's words, as if he was greatly flustered but then found a solution.

The two women gave him cold stares.

Beatrice's evaluation of Ruth, in particular, dropped another level.

'By the way, surviving for a week…'

It would probably be a very difficult week for her, who had lived as a princess. Just thinking about the bathroom and washing situation made her feel overwhelmed.

However.

'Adam must still be working hard.'

Come to think of it, wouldn't the Finance Director's work be reduced by conducting the midterm exam in this way?

It was unlikely that Adam suggested conducting the exam in this way, and even more unlikely that it would be immediately accepted, so this survival test itself must have been planned long ago.

Even if it meant suffering greatly for a week.

'I'll definitely do it.'

As a princess, she couldn't work, so after disguising herself with transformation magic and working part-time, she realized.

How unrealistic her words about earning money through work to buy artifacts were. Adam must have known that and advised her to just buy artifacts with the jewels she brought.

She had taken for granted the wealth she naturally enjoyed thanks to her status as a princess. The money she earned by sweating was so little.

Nevertheless, those few coins she earned through hard work felt heavier than the box of jewels.

Beatrice was aiming for a scholarship in addition to her part-time job salary.

'He must have put the bribe I gave him to good use, right?'

If she could make Adam even happier in that way, if she could help him who wasn't being treated properly.

She could rescue Adam from the clutches of that wicked Headmistress who was exploiting him!

'I must take Adam with me when I return to my home country.'

Even excluding the fact that he was her benefactor who solved her chronic illness, Adam's abilities were exceptional. No matter how hard he studied, he was managing the finances of such a huge academy in just one year. If he helped her properly, he would be a great help after returning to her home country.

Of course, she would let him live in a luxurious room, give him a generous salary, and not force him to work while consuming military stimulants.

In Beatrice's mind, the Headmistress was a stingy and greedy person despite being the wealthiest in the kingdom, and Adam was a pitiful victim who was being exploited and mistreated under such a wicked person.

She had already forgotten that the source of the method to cure her chronic illness, as Adam had said, was the Headmistress.

People tend to trust those who directly help them and provide solutions, rather than someone they haven't even met properly. In fact, if they were to be precise about the truth, it was indeed Adam who told her, not the Headmistress.

Anyway, for Beatrice, who planned to win a scholarship with excellent grades and give it to Adam to increase his affection.

"Then, let's go!"

"Yes!"

"…Okay."

No matter how difficult and challenging the exam was, she had enough motivation to do her best.

One week of survival on a deserted island.

Day 1, start.

***

Three days after the exam started. In other words, three days of rest.

This is so damn comfortable.

"Headmistress, how do you like the coconuts?"

"They're quite good, aren't they? The holes are a bit rough, but they're sweet and delicious."

"Indeed. I wonder who made those rough holes out of frustration."

While casually stroking the rough holes that seemed to have been made for no reason.

The Headmistress and I were enjoying the coconuts that Circe had brought us, forcing the biggest smiles we could muster.

Of course, these weren't the coconuts I had requested (?) on the first day. After trying them, I found them delicious and asked her to prepare them every morning.

The Headmistress, who seemed a bit sulky, also tried the coconuts after seeing me enjoying them and started eating them diligently.

The house that was prepared was honestly a bit cramped to stay in all day. So, after lying on the hammock for a long time, the sunlight became a bit strong, but…

"Headmistress, could you do me another favor?"

"Leave it to me!"

Woong.

The Headmistress created and spread her Aura like a parasol, and the problem was solved. Wasn't this all-purpose?

Although my cheeks were a bit damp every morning after sleeping since the first day, it seemed like it was because I drooled in my sleep.

After sleeping soundly and waking up comfortably for the first time in a while, eating sweet coconuts while lying down like this… how should I put it?

"This is it."

"What?"

"This is the kind of life I work to enjoy for the rest of my life."

Once the bankruptcy crisis passed, I would be able to live like this, wouldn't I? I would hire a lot of Finance Department staff and pass all the work to them. I would travel and rest to my heart's content.

It was an impure thought for a social worker, but honestly, considering the current workload and the problems I had to solve, wasn't it a natural reward?

I looked at the Headmistress lying next to me for agreement, and she chuckled.

"Of course. You'll be able to enjoy this comfortably for the rest of your life."

"As expected, you're the best boss."

"Hehe, even though I know it's flattery, I can't help but smile when the Finance Director says it. I'm the worst boss for you, aren't I?"

"Well, that's…"

"It's okay. I feel relieved after getting it all off my chest on the rooftop. To be honest, I'm not that smart."

"...…."

"I'm confident in using my limbs, and although it's a bit much, I'm also confident in killing people… but since I lived like that all my life, I didn't use my head much. Even now, I think my past self was quite ignorant. For someone like that to establish an academy, well, it's reaping what I sowed."

"Headmistress."

"Still, I have a grateful Finance Director who follows me despite my shortcomings. I'll work harder to become the best from the worst."

…It's fortunate that she has good self-awareness and realized it herself. Even I would find it difficult to say that to her face.

Anyway, enough with this talk, let's just enjoy ourselves now.

The coconuts were almost gone, and I was wondering if I should call Circe again when…

──Thud.

"Huh?"

"What was that tremor…?"

Although this island was also part of the Luftragina Archipelago, it was quite a distance from the island where the students were taking the exam.

Nevertheless, at the faint tremor, the Headmistress and I sat up from the hammock.

Buzz! Buzz!

"Oh? The communication magic tool…"

──F-Finance Director! This is Exam Supervisor Dalcoon! You said to contact you immediately if there was an unexpected situation, so I'm contacting you!

"This is Finance Director Adam Keynes. Exam Supervisor Dalcoon, what happened?"

──There's a problem on Island 4!

Island 4? That's where Circe is.

Did she do something again?

"Report in detail, Exam Supervisor Dalcoon."

──It just happened, so I'm rushing to assess the situation, but from what I've witnessed…!

"You've witnessed…?"

──Trees are being uprooted in the middle of the island with a huge shockwave!

"…What?"

──It's not a natural phenomenon, but presumed to be a battle between students! And judging by the scale of the mana and Aura, it seems like students of at least Rank 5 clashed!

Fighting between students was prohibited by the rules. But the problem now wasn't the rules.

Exam Supervisor Dalcoon assessed it as a battle between students of at least Rank 5.

And there were only three students assigned to Island 4 who were Rank 5 or higher.

'Beatrice, who can't even be considered a proper Rank 5.'

The youngest knight, who was barely at the beginning of Rank 5, and…

"Ruth Spero…"

"Finance Director, shall we move?"

"…It seems we have to."

If it were an ordinary matter, the professors and Exam Supervisors could handle it, but if Ruth was involved, it was a different story.

Even with restrictions, he was a Rank 6, stronger than most Exam Supervisors, and he had even blatantly violated those restrictions at the entrance ceremony.

Anyway, since I had added the clause that I would interview him if he violated the restrictions and caused financial damage, I had to check the situation first.

'It might be the youngest knight or Beatrice, not Ruth.'

The weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings of Finance Destruction, who broke several expensive practice swords every day, and the Building Destroyer, who seemed to have reformed a bit, but had a colorful past.

Honestly, it would be understandable no matter who caused the trouble.

"Please transport us, Headmistress."

"Leave it to me!"

Crack!!

In the arms of the Headmistress, who jumped with tremendous leg strength while holding me.

I let out a sigh.

'It's hard to even rest comfortably.'

Still, it was fortunate that I was able to fully rest for a few days. Let's resolve this quickly and come back to rest again.

By the way, there are no practice swords, walls, or buildings here, so what could it be…?