I CHOSE to be a VILLAIN, not a THIRD-RATE EXTRA!!-Chapter 100: The Agreement

The Academy's origins were steeped in noble ideals and visionary foresight. From its inception, it was intricately tied to the Imperial Family, which ensured its financial sustenance by including it in the Empire's budget.

This funding arrangement was born out of the Academy's vital role in shaping the future—nurturing brilliant minds and fostering talents that would one day become the pillars of the Empire.

Supporting the Academy was not seen as mere generosity but as the Empire's solemn duty, ensuring its continued legacy and strength.

The establishment of the Academy was the brainchild of its First Dean, a legendary Hero renowned for his wisdom. As a trusted comrade of the Emperor of that era, he envisioned a neutral institution that would stand apart from political machinations and noble influence.

With the Emperor's support, the Academy was founded as a beacon of impartiality, dedicated solely to education and the empowerment of gifted individuals. To solidify its independence, the Emperor issued a decree that the Academy would remain neutral for all time, free from the control of any noble house.

However, as the sands of time shifted, so too did the dynamics that had once safeguarded the Academy's mission. Humanity's relentless march of progress brought forth new advancements in magic, and infrastructure.

To maintain its reputation as the pinnacle of education, the Academy had to embrace these developments, expanding its facilities, curriculum, and resources to provide students with the very best. The pursuit of excellence became increasingly demanding, and with it came a growing need for financial resources.

This newfound challenge collided with the ambitions of the current Emperor, a stark contrast to his illustrious predecessors. Unlike them, he viewed the Academy not as a cherished ally but as a potential rival for influence and power.

The Emperor sought to undermine the Academy's autonomy, using financial constraints as a means to assert control. By refusing to increase its budget to match its escalating demands, he created a calculated strain on the institution, forcing it to grapple with the limits of its funding.

The Emperor's maneuvering regarding the Academy's funding was a calculated act of subtlety and strategy. While his ultimate goal was to undermine the Academy's autonomy and influence, he knew that outright halting financial support would be too drastic—a move that could be interpreted by the public as tyranny.

Such an action would tarnish the Imperial Family's carefully cultivated image, diminishing its prestige and authority in the eyes of the Empire's citizens.

To avoid this, the Emperor employed a more covert approach, increasing the Academy's funds only in minimal increments—just enough to maintain appearances without meeting its ever-growing demands.

The Emperor hoped that by restricting the Academy's resources, it would gradually falter in maintaining its prestige and dominance as the pinnacle of education.

His vision was simple yet effective: once the Academy was unable to keep up with its reputation, students—especially those with significant talent—might begin flocking to other institutions, such as the Magic Tower or the Guilds.

Eventually by time, the Academy will be weakened and by losing his prestige the neutral stance compromised, the Emperor's plan would come full circle. The Imperial Family would step in to take control, claiming authority over the once-independent institution.

This subtle power grab would cement the Emperor's dominance, bringing even the prestigious Academy under the Empire's direct jurisdiction. It was a long-term play—one that required patience and strategic restraint.

Yet, despite the Emperor's cunning, there was an unforeseen obstacle that disrupted his carefully laid plans: the Southern Duke.

At that time, the Southern Duke was quietly reshaping the balance of power within the Empire—a move that caught everyone off guard. Traditionally, a Duchy was defined by its strength, rooted in powerful lineage and a firm grip over its geographical domain.

Nobles of such stature were expected to focus on consolidating military power, ascending to greater ranks, or fortifying alliances. Yet, the new Southern Duke broke away from these conventions with his unconventional approach.

Instead of pursuing personal power, the Duke turned his focus toward trading and commerce—a choice that baffled his peers. Since he was not an Ascended, many in the Empire dismissed him as unremarkable, failing to recognize the shrewdness behind his seemingly inconspicuous strategy.

This lack of attention gave the Southern Duke the perfect opening to execute his ambitions, allowing him to methodically take control over the Merchant Guilds across the Empire, and eventually beyond.

The Merchant Guilds, often overlooked by those obsessed with military and political power, became a cornerstone of the Duke's success. By establishing dominance within the Guilds, he secured not only vast financial resources but also access to an invaluable network of information.

It was through this web of information that the Southern Duke uncovered the Imperial Family's intentions toward the Academy.

Faced with the Academy's precarious situation, the Southern Duke seized the opportunity to craft an agreement that would serve his interests while ensuring the Academy's survival.

His proposal was both pragmatic and calculated: he would provide all the resources required by the Academy at a quarter of the market price—a deal so favorable that the Academy couldn't afford to refuse. In return, the Duke secured a crucial stipulation—he would have the first opportunity to recruit graduates when students completed their education.

This arrangement, while lifesaving for the Academy, was fundamentally at odds with its founding principles. The institution was established on the ideal of neutrality, free from the influence of any noble house or external power.

However, under the dire financial circumstances brought about by the Emperor's calculated strategy to stifle its resources, the Academy had little choice but to accept the agreement. The Dean's decision, though pragmatic, was a reluctant concession to the realities of the time.

The Duke, ever the mastermind, had foreseen the potential backlash of directly associating his Duchy with the Academy. To preserve the Academy's image of impartiality, he devised a clever workaround.

Instead of supplying resources himself, he utilized the extensive network of Merchant Guilds under his control as intermediaries. These Guilds acted as the Academy's official suppliers, ensuring that the Southern Duchy's involvement remained obscured from public scrutiny.

This layered system allowed the Duke to indirectly support the Academy while maintaining plausible deniability.

Even in matters of recruitment, the Duke's strategy was meticulous. The leaders of the Merchant Guilds, rather than the Duke himself, would do the hiring process for Academy graduates, further distancing his direct involvement.

However, the recruitment contracts contained a subtle but significant detail: the Duke's name was listed as an overseer. This ensured that his influence remained intact and visible to those within the Academy, reinforcing his authority without overtly undermining the institution's neutrality.

The Southern Duke's brilliance lay in the flawless execution of his plan. Every detail was so meticulously orchestrated that even the Emperor, despite his suspicions, found himself unable to intervene.

The same held true for the noble houses, many of whom would have leapt at the chance to exploit such an arrangement. Yet, no one could find the evidence they needed to challenge him.

The Emperor, though cognizant of the Duke's involvement in sustaining the Academy, faced an insurmountable challenge in proving it.

To take action, he or the nobles would have had to trace the resources flowing to the Academy across countless Merchant Guilds spread throughout the Empire. The complexity of such a task was staggering.

The Duke's foresight ensured that his grip on the Merchant Guilds was not only thorough but absolute. Even spies, often used to infiltrate such networks, were rendered useless.

The Southern Duke's unyielding control over the Guilds made betrayal an unthinkable option for their members. Loyalty and fear ensured that no cracks appeared in the intricate web he had woven.

With no proof to act upon, the Emperor's plan to reduce the Academy's power and influence faltered. The institution, instead of crumbling under financial strain, continued to thrive, delivering world-class education and upholding its prestigious reputation.

The sheer audacity of the situation left the Dean grappling for understanding. The agreement that had been the lifeline of the Academy for over two decades—a carefully balanced accord with roots so deep in secrecy—was now on the verge of collapse.

And all because of a single student. The implications of the Southern Duke's insistence were baffling to her.

If not for the mention in Adlet's admission form that he had taken self-exile from the Cindergarde family, the Dean might have assumed that Adlet was somehow an illegitimate child of the Duke. Yet even that assumption would struggle to justify the lengths the Duke was going to.

While the Dean wrestled with her disbelief, the Vice Dean, always the practical one, knew he had to act. The tension of the moment left no room for hesitation.

Clearing his throat nervously, he interrupted with as much composure as he could muster. "Sir Duke, please give us some moments to decide about that student," he pleaded, his voice laced with both respect and urgency.

But the Southern Duke's response was unyielding, his voice carrying the sharp edge of command. "There is no time," he declared. "The student must be reaching the portal anytime soon, and by the time he reaches the Warp Portal, the gates of the Academy should be opened for him. Or else you can forget about the agreement."

The Dean, grasping for a diplomatic approach to address the Southern Duke's ultimatum, replied carefully, "Duke, the agreement benefits both of us." Her voice carried a tone of measured reasoning, an attempt to remind the Duke of the mutual advantages embedded in their long-standing arrangement.

The Southern Duke, however, remained unyielding, his response calm yet pointed. "That's what I thought when I made the agreement, but now I don't think the same," he remarked, his tone underscoring his dissatisfaction.

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"The graduates from noble houses don't tend to work for me. Even among the commoners, the majority I recruit are Alchemists. Mages flock to the Mage Tower, while fighters prefer Dungeon Hunting. As for the Alchemists I've recruited over the years—not a single one has achieved Grade Five." said the Duke with a slight laugh.

His words, though delivered in a roundabout manner, carried a clear implication: I can break this contract because I don't find it profitable.