The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 80

Amon was meditating with his eyes closed.

‘Yeah, it’s not like I spent my own money on the flyers anyway. It was made using the academy’s operating funds. Sure, we paid extra to have the printing shop drop all other orders and even covered the penalties for canceling their other jobs…but yeah, it wasn’t my money, right?’

A desperate attempt at mental consolation!

However, as always, there were cracks in such self-consolation.

‘But since the promotional flyers turned into trash, we can’t even distribute them. That means it’s impossible to revive the academy, and even if the dragon and my sister enroll, there won’t be much merit. My dream is dead, huh?’

A single clear tear rolled down Amon’s cheek as reality set in.

“Ugh…sniff…”

Only after eating a piece of the chocolate Sloth had brought him did Amon regain his composure and stand up.

‘Alright, let’s just accept it. This is just how my life is.’

Today was the first day of the new semester.

Of course, with only three students, it wasn’t an event grand enough for a major ceremony, but it was still the beginning of a new term.

Amon headed to the auditorium for the opening ceremony.

Inside the auditorium where the ceremony was held, Amon stood on the stage and scanned his colleagues.

Marion, as usual, was swaying drunkenly, and Sloth—her pristine appearance from the previous day seemingly an illusion—was yawning incessantly with a disheveled look.

Brestle, still uncomfortable in the civilized attire, kept fidgeting with her clothes uneasily.

‘Ha, truly a group to be embarrassed about wherever you go.’

Kai, as always, stood at attention with an insane, relaxed grin.

‘And that guy I just don’t like.’

As Amon took in his comrades with a smile of resignation, a question suddenly arose in his mind.

Among the otherwise stellar faculty members, one unexpected figure stood on stage.

“Huh? Sir Reinbelt?”

“What.”

His brusque response betrayed lingering resentment from the mentor selection trials.

Amon ignored it and continued.

“You’re the front gate guard, so why are you on stage?”

It wasn’t Amon’s lack of manners that made him ask such a thing.

It wasn’t that he didn’t consider the gate guard a real person, but this ceremony was supposed to be exclusively for the teaching staff.

To his question, Reinbelt snorted and replied.

“Got promoted.”

“Promoted?”

“Because of the recent spy incident, it seems the principal has been thinking a lot. So now I’m the head of security as well as the front gate guard.”

“What about the other guards?”

“There aren’t any.”

A title that brought only more responsibilities with no real support!

In any case, it meant that as a ‘head,’ Reinbelt was now allowed to stand with the teaching staff on stage.

“My salary increased too.”

“How much?”

“Three silver.”

“I see.”

As Amon sighed deeply, Sloth let out a drawn-out yawn and licked her lips.

“By the way, where’s the principal? The students are all here, and it feels like we’ve been standing here for an hour.”

“She just arrived, senior.”

“Why am I so tired?”

“Is there ever a time when you’re not?”

“Hmm.”

Despite Sloth’s complaint, everyone had indeed gathered, yet Anar’el was nowhere in sight.

By the time Marion, who was wobbling from his drunkenness, collapsed onto the floor, the auditorium door suddenly opened, and a group of people poured in.

‘Huh? What’s that…?’

Amon’s eyes widened at the sight.

Each of them was holding a musical instrument—lutes, trumpets, even a wheeled organ!

The group of musicians, larger than the combined number of students and teachers, left everyone in shock. Both faculty and students murmured in confusion.

“Who are they?”

“Aren’t they the traveling band staying in Amur these past few days?”

Exactly!

Their identity was a nomadic orchestra traveling from city to city, performing music.

As the band members, carrying their instruments, took their places, their faces betrayed surprise at the nearly empty auditorium.

“What the…only three students?”

“There aren’t even many teachers…are we in the right place?”

Both the academy members and the musicians were equally stunned.

Click-clack-click-clack—

With the sound of heels striking the floor, Anar’el appeared and crossed the auditorium, heading toward the stage.

The orchestra scrambled to start playing.

Ba-ba-da-ba-baam!

Anar’el’s grand and dignified entrance!

Watching the scene, everyone in the academy had the same thought.

‘Did she seriously hire a full band for the opening ceremony? For three students?’

It was a spectacle one might expect for hundreds of students!

Amon’s cheek twitched uncontrollably.

‘That idiotic elf has lost her mind.’

While the expressions of the faculty members on stage were grim, Anar’el, maintaining her composure as principal, ascended the stage.

Once the students’ dazed gazes focused on her, she spoke solemnly.

“Let us begin the opening ceremony.”

The orchestra’s soft music swelled to a crescendo.

After the ceremony, Anar’el was sniffling in her office.

A large bump adorned her head, and Amon stood with a clenched fist, suggesting the preceding events were not hard to imagine.

“Principal.”

“Yes…sniff.”

“Did you really have to bring in an orchestra? There were only three students in that huge auditorium.”

Amon’s frustration was palpable, and Anar’el defended herself indignantly.

“Whenever there was an event before, we always hired an orchestra!”

“…”

“This time, I even considered the academy’s situation and hired a traveling band.”

The thought of that decision being the result of consideration nearly brought tears to Amon’s eyes.

“I see. So traveling bands are cheaper?”

“Of course. They charge about half as much as regular bands stationed in one place, even if their skills aren’t as polished.”

There was so much Amon wanted to say, but he chose to speak calmly.

“I see. So how much did it cost?”

“Thirty gold!”

A new, shiny bump sprouted on Anar’el’s head.

As Amon chewed raw chamomile leaves for mental stability, he spoke.

“Principal, please, I beg you. It’s been only a few days since you threw all the promotional flyers into the trash. And now you’ve wasted money like this again?”

“Sniff…it hurts.”

“‘We always hired orchestras for events’? That was when there were plenty of students! But now, there aren’t! Even the musicians looked shocked. It was embarrassing!”

“But…”

“Silence!”

“Eek!”

After scolding Anar’el for her foolishness, Amon sighed and continued.

“Anyway, what’s important now is what I mentioned before—about the new students.”

“Sniff. Yes, the child of your acquaintance and your sister, right?”

“Yes, but they were supposed to arrive in time for the opening ceremony…”

Amon clicked his tongue.

“There’s been no word, even after the ceremony ended.”

Attending the ceremony would allow them to start classes the next day without issue.

While arriving a bit late wouldn’t cause major problems, it would disrupt the flow.

‘And if they’re paying tuition, it’s better to get the most out of it.’

The money wasted on the flyers and the orchestra was painful but ultimately part of the academy’s operating costs—not his own money.

But tuition was a different matter.

‘That’s my money.’

Amon glared toward the direction where his domain likely lay.

‘My little sister, Ami, you promised you’d make it to the opening ceremony.’

But what could he do if they hadn’t arrived?

With a sigh, Amon turned to leave.

“Anyway, I just wanted to inform you that they should be here soon. I’ll take my leave.”

Just as he said that—

Bam!

The door slammed open, and Reinbelt entered with a pale face, shouting.

“Principal! A dragon has come to the academy!”

Anar’el jumped in place.

“A d-dragon!? Reinbelt, what kind of joke is this?”

“It’s no joke! A dragon has come…to enroll.”

“Enroll!?”

Reinbelt nodded and turned to Amon.

“And they claim to be your acquaintance…”

The words had barely left his mouth when silence fell.

Anar’el, frozen like a statue, slowly turned her head to Amon.

“…Mr. Amon?”

“Yes!”

“The ‘acquaintance’s child’ you mentioned…”

“Yes! That’s right! It’s a dragon!”

Having withheld the truth just to see Anar’el’s shocked reaction, Amon smirked triumphantly.

Recalling the time Anar’el insisted elves were related to goats, Amon grinned, even as her headbutt to his chin left him writhing on the floor.

“Reinbelt.”

As Reinbelt poked Amon’s twitching body, Anar’el turned to him with a trembling voice.

“Please escort them to the principal’s office.”

“Yes, understood.”

After Reinbelt left, Anar’el rummaged through her pocket and took out a handful of the ‘chamomile leaves that help calm the mind’ she always carried with her.

“Sniff!”

She chewed and swallowed the chamomile leaves along with her tears.

Anar’el was flustered.

Even a young dragon was still a dragon.

She had assumed that a dragon seeking admission would be unbearably arrogant, but the dragon before her was the complete opposite—polite and courteous.

“Hm, I see. Understood.”

‘Huh?’

“However, I heard that the admission fee was to be covered by this person named Amon.”

‘Oh my!’

Shock, astonishment, and deep emotion.

Overwhelmed, Anar’el covered her mouth and nodded her head vigorously.

“Y-yes. Mr. Amon said he would cover it.”

“I thought so. I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, I look forward to working with you too! By the way, your name is…?”

The dragon smiled faintly.

The dragon, with an androgynous appearance that made it hard to tell if they were a boy or girl, had strikingly bright golden hair.

“Oh, my apologies for the late introduction. I am Rustianel of the Gold Dragon lineage, a descendant of the Amaranth bloodline. Elder Caselag is a distant relative of our bloodline, and my interest in the human world led me to enroll here through Mr. Amon.”

“I see. I see!”

Moved by the dragon’s polite demeanor, Anar’el’s eyes glistened with tears.

‘It’s all about connections!’

Smiling brightly, Anar’el glanced downward.

Amon, who had been knocked out by her headbutt, had fallen fast asleep. Nudging him with her foot, Anar’el spoke.

“Mr. Amon.”

“Ugh…”

“Mr. Amon, wake up. The dragon is here.”

“The dragon… ah!”

Startled, Amon sprang up and looked at Rustianel.

“Ah, I’m Amon Drake. Pleased to meet you.”

“I am Rustianel. By the way, I heard you agreed to cover the admission fee.”

“Ah!”

Nodding, Amon hurriedly pulled out his pocket.

Inside was a hefty collection of gold coins, converted from the gold bar he had received.

“Of course, if a dragon is enrolling, it’s only natural that I handle it!”

Amon handed a handful of gold coins to Anar’el.

“Here, Principal! This is Rustianel’s admission fee!”

“Confirmed and received!”

Thus, the dragon’s enrollment was finalized!

Anar’el beamed with satisfaction.

‘Hehe, a dragon enrolling in our academy… the academy’s revival is just around the corner!’

Amon also grinned.

‘I get to look good in front of a dragon and keep the leftover money for myself!’

As both Anar’el and Amon smiled for entirely different reasons, Rustianel interjected.

“By the way, Mr. Amon.”

“Yes, Rustianel?”

“Aren’t these gold coins what Elder Caselag gave me for my admission fee?”

Amon flinched at Rustianel’s question.

“Well, yes, that’s true.”

“Then aren’t they mine?”

“Well…”

Amon had hoped to pocket the remaining gold, but things were taking an unexpected turn.

‘A dragon trying to reclaim such a measly amount of gold…’

Annoyed and disappointed, Amon hurriedly said:

“Well, there are many expenses to consider during your time at the academy.”

“Expenses?”

“Yes. Textbooks, meals, clothing…”

Anar’el interrupted.

“Textbook fees are included in the admission fee!”

‘This damned elf!’

Grinding his teeth, Amon forced a smile.

“Ah, anyway, I’ll also take care of meals and clothing. So how about I hold on to this gold for you?”

“Meals and clothing?”

Rustianel furrowed their delicate brows.

“I don’t need meals as a dragon. And I can create clothing with magic.”

“…”

“So hand it over. It’s mine anyway, isn’t it?”

Ultimately, Amon had no choice but to hand over the pouch of gold coins, defeated in logic. He hesitantly asked:

“What are you planning to use the gold for…?”

Before he could finish speaking—

Crunch, munch!

Rustianel began chewing on the gold coins.

Stunned by the shocking sight, Amon froze mid-sentence with his mouth agape. Rustianel, having finished munching on the coins, licked their lips and remarked:

“The purity of this gold is low.”

“…”

“Is there more? Elder Caselag mentioned giving two gold bars.”

“…”

Amon trembled, barely managing to speak.

“Y-you… you just said…”

“Yes?”

“You just said you don’t need food…”

Rustianel tilted their head innocently.

“I don’t need it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t eat.”

“What…?”

“Especially gold. It’s delicious.”

Oblivious to Amon’s distress, Anar’el chimed in.

“Is gold tasty?”

“Yes. It’s sweet and nutty.”

“Oh my! I must try it someday!”

“No, no. Gold only suits the taste of Gold Dragons. I’ve heard other dragons collect gold but don’t eat it.”

“I see!”

Anyway, muttering to themselves, Rustianel turned their gaze back to Amon.

“Mr. Amon.”

“…”

The gold-eating dragon held out their hand.

“Hand over the rest of the gold.”

At those words, Amon collapsed to the ground, as if all strength had left him.