How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 201: End of a Semester 2

”So, did anything noteworthy happen?” I asked, keeping my tone casual but my mind focused on the details.

Kagami scratched the back of his head as he thought about it. ”Well, not much aside from our busy schedule this past week.

Regulating, managing, and preparing for the Grand Festival has taken up most of our time. But other than that, nothing major has happened.”

”I see...”

It was pretty much what I expected.

With Act 2 now behind us, the flow of events should have settled down for a while. But there was always a lingering unease, especially with how Dorothyʼs storyline had shifted earlier than anticipated.

Her unexpected actions had already created ripples, and I knew from experience that things rarely went as planned in this world.

There were bound to be unforeseen complications brewing just beneath the surface.

The reason I had Kagami keep an eye on things and inform me was simple: I needed to stay ahead of any potential changes.

The world wasnʼt static, after all, and even the smallest deviation could lead to a cascade of unexpected events.

It was better to be prepared, even if that meant looking out for seemingly minor details.

Kagami, oblivious to my inner thoughts, continued. ”Oh, but there is something worth mentioning. Princess Snow has been regularly attending meetings with the upper heads of the academy. Just the other day, and even this morning, she was called out to their office. From what I can tell, sheʼs probably helping the staff deal with the fallout from the recent incident with former President Dorothy.”

I already knew about Snowʼs involvement in the academyʼs affairs, so it wasnʼt anything new to me, but it was still useful to keep track of.

She and I hadnʼt seen much of each other for the past few weeks.

Occasionally, sheʼd drop by or call me out for a brief moment, but we never really talked about anything complicated. It seemed like she just wanted to relax and enjoy some downtime whenever we met.

”I heard that Senior Celine asked for a seat on the council,” I mentioned, watching for Kagamiʼs reaction.

He raised a brow before sighing slightly. ”News sure does travel fast. Youʼre right, Senior Celine did ask for a position. But the princess delayed her response on the matter since Celineʼs gunning for my spot as head of the disciplinary committee.”

”Youʼve got it rough, huh?” I said, half-joking, though I knew Senior Celine wasnʼt the kind of person you could casually dismiss. It wouldnʼt surprise me if Snow was weighing her options carefully, deciding who would be more valuable to keep in the long run-Kagami or Celine.

”In truth, as much as I think student council work is a hassle, Iʼve come to like my current position,” Kagami admitted. ”Despite the heavy workload, it comes with a few perks- financial freedom for one, and the prestige doesnʼt hurt either. My familyʼs been sending letters nonstop, telling me how proud they are of my achievements, both with my martial arts and my rank at the academy. I canʼt afford to disappoint them now.”

I could see a mix of pride and burden in his expression. Kagami had always been a practical guy, the type to find a silver lining in even the most demanding of circumstances. And while he played it off as no big deal, I knew that carrying the expectations of his family—and now the academy-was no small feat.

”Sounds like youʼre stuck between a rock and a hard place,” I said. ”Dealing with both the academy politics and your familyʼs expectations.”

”Yeah, well, Iʼm managing,” Kagami said, taking a sip of water. ”Though I have to admit, the thought of going up against Celine isnʼt exactly appealing. Sheʼs tough, and sheʼs got connections. But if it comes down to it, Iʼll have to hold my ground.”

”Well, donʼt get too down about it. Sure, Senior Celine has more experience than you when it comes to groundwork, but I donʼt think thatʼs enough reason for Snow to just casually throw you out,” I said, trying to reassure him. ”Even if things get tough, worst-case scenario, youʼd probably be reassigned to general management.”

Kagami grimaced at the thought. ”I donʼt know if thatʼs any better...”

We both chuckled at the idea of him being stuck in an even more bureaucratic role, knowing how much he hated the tedium that came with council work.

After a moment, he shook his head and shifted the conversation back.

”Anyway, thatʼs all the important details Iʼve got for now,” he continued. ”Though I could tell you about the crazy things Claraʼs been doing to the poor merchants down by the bridge, but I doubt thatʼll be an interesting topic.”

”So, sheʼs still squeezing those merchants for everything theyʼve got, huh?” I asked, already knowing the answer but curious to hear more.

”You tell me,” Kagami said, shaking his head. ”I knew she was obsessed with money, but not to this extent. The merchants are even calling her a ʼmoney demonʼ now. The office has been flooded with complaints-letters piling up from people begging to get her out of power. Some of them donʼt even bother complaining anymore; they just want her gone.”

It seemed like Clara had taken things even further than Iʼd imagined.

Subtly abusing her position as the head of finances? No, this was more than that.

She was openly exploiting her role as the treasurer of the student council, making a profit at the expense of the academyʼs merchants.

I hadnʼt spoken to her recently, and it was becoming clear that the early warnings Iʼd given her hadnʼt been enough.

I had told her to keep her greedy tendencies in check, but I guess you really canʼt stop a merchant from wanting to make more money.

”I wonder what kind of rules sheʼs put in place to make the merchants feel even more deprived,” I mused out loud. It wasnʼt just her love for money that was driving this-it was the clever ways she manipulated the system to get what she wanted.

That kind of ambition could be both a strength and a weakness, depending on how far she was

willing to push.

Kagami shrugged. ”Whatever sheʼs doing, itʼs enough to make most of the merchants desperate. Sheʼs probably found some loopholes, set new fees or taxes on their goods, or made some shady deals under the table. Itʼs gotten so bad that some merchants are thinking of taking their business elsewhere.”

”Thatʼs not good,” I said, more to myself than to Kagami. ”If the academy loses too many merchants, itʼll cause problems in the long run.”

”Exactly,” Kagami agreed. ”Snowʼs been trying to keep things under control, but Claraʼs position as the treasurer makes it hard for her to act directly without causing a bigger mess.”

ʼShould I go and have a talk with Clara?ʼ

I mulled over the thought as I leaned back, trying to piece together the situation.

Clara was nothing if not clever, and I was sure she had some intricate plan in mind.

The way she was slowly draining every coin from the merchants-while keeping them just whole enough to not revolt-was masterful, in a ruthless way.

But it wasnʼt just about greed.

The real reason why Snow couldnʼt intervene directly was likely because Claraʼs schemes were propping up the academyʼs financial stability.

It all made sense now.

The academy treasury was overflowing with coins, even after the recent incident that should

have put a massive dent in their funds.

But the bridge tax alone couldnʼt account for that much revenue.

ʼWas most of it borrowed or donated from Clara?ʼ I thought, the realization settling in.

”That snake like woman....ʼ

Was she using the merchants to keep the academy afloat? all while slowly tightening her grip

on the institutionʼs purse strings.

If this kept up, the entire academy would eventually be indebted to her.

Sheʼd practically own the place.

ʼWas this her plan from the start?ʼ

I couldnʼt help but wonder if sheʼd seen the long game that far ahead.

I had warned her once, months ago, about how the merchants might try to evade her harsh

taxes in the future.

I thought sheʼd adjust her methods-maybe maintain some semblance of a healthy relationship with the merchants.

After all, it was in her best interest to not burn out her cash cows too quickly.

But here she was, milking them dry.

This was basically heading toward destruction for both sides, and the academy was getting

caught up in the middle.

Trust canʼt be built easily, especially with Clara draining the merchants dry like this. If she kept it up, the whole academyʼs economy would collapse.

The balance was already fragile, and one wrong move could shatter everything.

ʼI wonder what her endgame for all of this is...ʼ I mused, trying to unravel Claraʼs motives. Was she really planning for the long term, or was this just a short-sighted grab for power?