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I knew Ruth had a lot of money. She didn't hesitate to offer 50 times the rent to sway my firm resolve.
It was an amount that the protagonist of
But unlike the game, Ruth was a Rank 6, and with my own problems to worry about, I didn't pay much attention to how she earned her money or its source.
'Is rock salt mine futures trading a major element in the game?'
The Headmistress, Julius, and even the protagonist had all done it.
It was possible that others had also engaged in futures trading without my knowledge. Of course, personal investment was a personal freedom. I had no right to say anything about it.
But I was incredibly envious.
'Why did only the Headmistress fail…?'
Investing in a rock salt mine was practically a guaranteed success. Most of the rock salt mines on the continent were located in the Empire, and for the kingdom, which had to import salt, a single rock salt mine was precious.
That was also why Count Anton set such excessive conditions. Salt was an essential commodity that the kingdom desperately needed.
However, just looking at it this way, there was no reason for Viscount David to give up the rock salt mine, and it would have made more sense for the royal family to buy it. But the reason they didn't was…
'The expected output was too low.'
It was just barely a mine.
But even that was something to be grateful for in the kingdom. However, the amount was indeed small, so considering the reconstruction cost and the cost of managing this mine located far from the capital, it was quite ambiguous.
If it weren't for that, the royal family would have already bought it, or someone much higher-ranking than Auditor Marcus, with all due respect, would have come.
From the royal family's perspective, it was better for another noble family to rebuild the mine than for them to do it themselves.
Anyway, even so, rock salt mines usually boasted high profitability and rarely failed.
That must have been why the Headmistress, Julius, and Ruth all invested.
'If the futures trading had been successful…'
If it had been successful, well…
We wouldn't have any money worries. The expected return was well over 30 times the investment. With a simple calculation, since the Headmistress invested two years' worth of the budget, it would have returned as 60 years' worth.
Then my job would have been much easier. I wouldn't need to use military stimulants, suffer from daily overtime and all-nighters, or return most of my salary.
The Headmistress wouldn't be so timid, and her dream wouldn't be on the verge of collapse.
…But…
"Student Ruth, may I ask one more question?"
"Sure."
"You invested in the rock salt mine, but why were you trapped inside with Auditor Marcus?"
"…It was the same back then. The mine shook violently, and as the tunnel collapsed due to the tremors, I was sucked in. Auditor Marcus was dragged in with me when he tried to grab my arm to save me."
"What do you mean?"
"The hole we fell into back then was quite large, so we barely managed to get out, but now…"
Contrary to Ruth's slightly grim expression, a question arose in my mind.
The same thing happened last time?
'That must be why the futures trading failed.'
The Headmistress's futures trading failed because the rock salt mine collapsed for some reason, and she couldn't receive the salt itself.
According to Ruth, she was 'sucked into' this rock salt mine. Just like what happened to me earlier.
The important point here was that even Ruth, a Rank 6, couldn't resist it, let alone me.
"Were you perhaps of lower rank back then?"
"No, I was Rank 6."
"And you couldn't resist being sucked in even then?"
"…It felt like it had nothing to do with rank. It felt like my very existence was being dragged in, regardless of my strength."
Was it the same for me? I was too weak to judge. But there was something I had to remember here.
The reason Auditor Marcus was dragged in before was to save Ruth, who was being sucked in. But this time was different, wasn't it?
Not only Ruth, but I was also sucked in from the start.
"Back then, the ones who were sucked in…"
"Were just me and Auditor Marcus. And it's just the two of us now as well."
"It seems like Student Ruth and I have something in common."
"Yes?"
"We're the only ones who experienced the phenomenon of the rock salt mine shaking and suddenly being sucked in. Especially for me, I was quite a distance away from the hole in the tunnel, and I was sucked in very unnaturally. There must be a reason for it."
The problem was that I had no idea what that reason was.
What did Ruth and I have in common? Our genders were different. Our ranks were vastly different. Our ages were different. Our personalities were quite different.
It seemed like…
"We need to have a long talk."
"A talk…?"
"First, let's go to that rock over there where we can sit."
Unlike before, where Ruth led the way, I walked ahead this time. As expected, there was a flat rock suitable for two people to sit on a short distance away.
I sat down first, and Ruth, with a hardened expression for some reason, followed and quietly sat down.
"Student Ruth, would it be alright if we talked?"
"What do you want to talk about?"
"It's to find any common ground between us. Past, present, and if possible, even a dreamlike future. If there's anything you don't want to reveal, please feel free to say so."
"...…"
Ruth lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.
But I didn't rush her. She was in a situation where she had to tell a staff member her entire past. I would have been hesitant as well.
But perhaps we could find out why we were sucked into this mine and why only Ruth and I experienced this strange phenomenon. It would be easier to claim compensation from the Count if we had the exact details.
How much time had passed? Ruth, who had been muttering something I couldn't hear as a Rank 1, finally said,
"…I'll… tell you."
"Thank you for making such a difficult decision. Then, since I'm the one who brought this up, I'll go first."
"…Yes."
Hmm, she seemed to have become quite serious. Was she that eager to hear about my past?
I was surprised by Ruth suddenly leaning closer, but I slowly began my story.
Naturally, I omitted the part about being transported into the game.
"I'm an orphan. I was living alone."
"…I know."
"Is that so? Anyway, I wandered around and found a cabin on a mountain. It was in good condition, and it seemed like no one owned it, so I stayed there for a long time."
When I entered
My hair was still black then. I was in my pajamas, and I was just sitting there dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the situation.
It was only after that that I opened the door and went down to a small village.
"As I lived there, a thought suddenly occurred to me. 'Am I going to live like this for the rest of my life?'"
"...…"
"So I left the cabin. I went to a nearby city and started earning money by doing manual labor."
This wasn't a lie. I learned that this was
I could end up spending my entire life in this game world, which was only a third of the real world. That's why I decided to follow the eternal truth.
Money is always right.
I sold my pajamas to a merchant who coveted them, secured minimal living expenses, and went to a nearby city to do manual labor for about a year.
Of course, it wasn't easy. There was extreme territorialism, I was pickpocketed several times, and there were many who tried to steal my daily wage.
It only took about a week for a modern person to get used to a medieval fantasy world.
"I diligently saved money until I had enough for the tuition, and then I applied to Grandis Academy."
"…Were you able to read and write?"
"I learned bit by bit while doing manual labor. Thinking about it now, it was a wild dream. An orphan doing manual labor applying to the most prestigious academy in the kingdom."
But it couldn't be helped. Prestigious or not, Grandis Academy was the only place I knew.
It was the right choice to go to the academy, where I had seen things in the game and roughly knew what would happen, rather than going to some unknown place.
Honestly, I underestimated it because it was a medieval world, but I almost failed the entrance exam. If I hadn't studied the common sense of this world while doing manual labor, I would have definitely failed.
It wasn't difficult to study while doing manual labor since I was used to studying for the civil service exam in a tiny room after my parents' divorce. I had also worked part-time while studying in reality.
After barely managing to enter the Administration Department,
"There's nothing special after that. I studied hard in the Administration Department, graduated with decent grades, and got a job at the academy."
"…And you became the Finance Director."
"It's thanks to the Headmistress's favorable opinion of me."
Actually, I studied like crazy. That's when I met Laura and that damn junior Cassandra.
It was incredibly difficult with them constantly suggesting going to the festival and having fun when I was already stressed out.
But thanks to my continuous dedication to studying, I graduated and got a job opportunity at the academy. Back then, I believed my life had turned around after getting a stable job at the academy.
Damn it, I believed that…
"Then what about your name?"
"Excuse me?"
"Adam Keynes… I mean."
"Ah, that?"
Well, about that…
"Adam is correct, but the surname is something I just added."
"What? You could be hanged for impersonating a noble…"
"I guess I was crazy when I first filled out the application form."
I knew better now, but back then, I went straight to the academy after doing manual labor, so I didn't know much about the kingdom's laws. So I borrowed the names of two economists I knew and wished for success.
If there really was a noble with the surname 'Keynes,' it would have been a disaster. Even now, I feel a chill thinking about it.
But thanks to that, I was sometimes mistaken for a fallen noble, so it wasn't bad. It was better than being a commoner.
"But to speak of it so casually…"
"It's because it's Student Ruth."
"…Oh."
"Are you planning to go around telling people?"
"No! Never!"
"Well then, isn't that enough? I trust Student Ruth the most."
"...…"
Among those around me, Ruth was the one who gave me the most money. And there was also the audit incident.
If it were anything else, it would be one thing, but when it came to 'trust,' I had to trust the protagonist of this world.
I chuckled at the thought, and then…
"…Why?"
"Student Ruth?"
"Always, always why…? Why do you trust me? I'm just weak, not strong, and I often despair. Why?"
"R-Ruth…?"
What's wrong with you all of a sudden?
I heard a sniffling sound, and tears were flowing from Ruth's eyes. Ruth, looking at me, was asking me while shedding tears.
And wasn't it a bit much to call herself weak and not strong in front of a Rank 1? If she hit me with that weak arm of hers, I would die instantly.
"Well, that's…"
"That's…?"
"Sigh, do you need a cooler answer than simply saying I trust you or offering comfort?"
"…Huh?"
"This is really embarrassing and awkward, so please don't laugh after hearing this."
I looked at Ruth, who had a dumbfounded expression for some reason, and…
…for the first time, I spoke honestly.
As a Rank 6, she would know that I was being sincere.
"In my eyes, Student Ruth, you are the protagonist."
"…Protagonist."
"The protagonist of this world. Please don't laugh. I'm just saying that's what I think…?"
Grab!
As I finished my embarrassing confession, Ruth suddenly lunged at me in the darkness. What? Was she doing this because I called her the protagonist?
I was pushed back without a chance to resist due to the difference in our ranks, but unlike my expectations, Ruth hugged me tightly. Her chest was soft, but it hurt like hell. She looked like an ordinary girl, but her strength was…
"Ugh, uh…"
"Student Ruth."
Ruth, hugging me, shed tears in my arms. It was getting wet.
I wanted to ask why, but I couldn't move my arms at all.
I gave up and just stayed still, and Ruth, after crying for a while, got up with a dazed expression. My arms weren't broken, were they? Why couldn't I feel them?
"Adam."
"Student Ruth? Why are you suddenly calling me by my name?"
"Adam… Keynes."
Should I warn her about casually calling a staff member by their name, or should I just stay quiet since I don't want my arms to actually break from being forcefully hugged again?
As a wise Finance Director, I chose the latter and remained silent, and Ruth laughed hollowly.
Why was she acting like this?
"You said it yourself. That I should call you by your name instead of your title. That there was only one person in the world who could call you by your title."
"Excuse me? There must be hundreds of people just within the academy."
"…Adam, don't you feel something strange?"
While I was wondering when I ever said that, Ruth continued with meaningful words.
Strange? There were many strange things that just happened.
"Earlier, when we walked to this rock."
"Was there something strange about that?"
"You led the way."
"I did."
"How did you know?"
"What?"
"In this darkness, how did you, a Rank 1, know that there was a suitable rock here? And its exact location and direction?"
"…Huh?"
Now that she mentioned it, that was true.
I was currently right next to Ruth, so I could barely see her, but the distance from the entrance of Tunnel 2 to this rock was considerable. Even if Ruth could see, there was no way I could.
And yet, I found this rock naturally in the darkness.
As if I had been here before.
"Wait, don't tell me."
"Adam, you were here…?"
──No, that's not right.
──It's not time yet?
"Ah."
What?
Suddenly, I'm sleepy…
So sleepy…
***
Thud.
Behind Adam, who suddenly closed his eyes and collapsed, Ruth glared into the pitch-black darkness.
And there…
"It's been a while, Vice President!"
…stood the self-proclaimed Great Prophet, smiling brightly with a blindfold on,
A Rank 6 like Ruth, the student council president, and someone who shouldn't be here.
The one who had revealed the secret of regression.