City ​​of Witches 1101

Chapter 1101 – #262_The Graduate Student King

#1095

1.
The opening of the Hessed Academy’s pilot semester was fundamentally a measure to overcome its poor financial state.

While the partnership with minor academies, which was the initial goal, was more or less established, the astronomical costs were truly staggering: the enormous annual salaries to hire witches as professors, the initial investment costs to bring expensive experimental equipment into the laboratories, and other operating expenses.

However, the number of witches who registered to try out Hessed Academy fell short of expectations.
This meant they were running out of money.

Shiwoo, to the point of collapsing from overwork, hastily opened the pilot semester.
As the head of the basic department, he personally gave lectures, hoping word-of-mouth would spread.

In Gehenna, where the witch community is far denser than an apartment cafe, there was no better way to promote than word-of-mouth like, “Oh my, that place is really good.”

So, now that Lydia had swallowed about 100 billion won in slush funds stashed in the Gehenna vault, there was no reason to push the pilot semester for financial reasons.

Although the academy’s operation was sucking up astronomical funds, 80 million dollars was by no means a small amount.
It was enough to prepare for the regular semester in a relaxed and solid manner for about six months.

“This is exactly when we should row harder.”

However, Shiwoo did not relax.

Rather, he violently pushed for the expansion of the academy, to the point where it looked precarious from the outside.

Shiwoo’s influence and reputation were hitting new highs every day, and they peaked when he received the title of Count.

The sealing of the Hexennacht Gate, the dismantling of the Lehar Group, the hunting of Lydia Magnus, and the awarding of the title of Count were powerful momentum that guaranteed Shiwoo’s evaluation would continue to trend upward, but there was no guarantee that it would last forever.

The time when he was receiving momentum was the only time for the latecomer Hessed Academy to reach a scale comparable to other large academies in a short period.

This was evidenced by the numerous love calls flying towards Hessed Academy.

Sola Achelare, the head of the ‘Wine Pub’ academy, who hadn’t even glanced at Shiwoo when he tried to make numerous contacts to establish partnerships, was one of the owners of these love calls.

It was because Amelia could no longer serve as the head of the Department of Magical Dynamics due to personal reasons, and she was the person to fill that void.

-Knock knock

“I’ll come in.”

With a knock, the door opened, and Baroness Sola Achelare, a beautiful Latina witch with geranium-red hair, vermilion eyes, and healthy tanned skin, appeared.

“Thank you for coming all this way. Please, have a seat. Would you prefer tea or coffee?”
“…Ah.”

For reference, the culture of high-ranking witches in Gehenna is close to that of the aristocracy.
What that means is that in face-to-face negotiations like this, Shiwoo’s story and the soft power of his reputation are enormous.

Just like this.

2.
Sola Achelare, the Sun Witch, 22nd Circle.

She leads a small-to-medium-sized academy with the strangely light name of ‘Wine Pub,’ and she is an expert in magical dynamics recognized by the academy.

Although the number of academy members is only about ten, the research results that are updated every year are comparable to the magical dynamics department of the Truth and True Name Academic Conference.

There were dozens of witches who were desperate to seek Sola’s advice, and she herself had a firm pride in her skills, which soon led to a qualified arrogance.

[Chef Sola’s reputation has been well known for a long time, and if you would come to our newly opened Hessed Buffet and cook a delicious magical dynamics stew, it would be an honor to our family]

‘No, thank you.’

[♚♚Baron Shin Shiwoo’s Hessed Magic☆Academy ♚♚ When you join, you get a$$super high annual salary☜☜5% guaranteed annual increase※ ♜Current world private jet gift♜Periwinkle Hotel VVIP membership gift￥ Free laboratory rental §§Partnership agreement3§§★Joint research★Remodeled Tiferet Mansion academic building♜Various academy communities♜Rewarding research￥Opportunity to acquire@@@]

‘What is this? I’m Sola Achelare.’

Her rejection of Hessed Academy’s desperate written request, which once caused a stir in Gehenna, was also due to this arrogance.

Because she had been doing well without it.
Because she could do well without it.
Because the attitude of coming out in a humble manner to get some crumbs was not fresh.

Sola had shoved Shiwoo’s long letter into a corner of her desk drawer and never looked at it again, but recently, there had been a change of heart.

No, in this case, it would be more appropriate to say that there was a change in the surroundings rather than a change of heart.

‘Baroness! Shin Shiwoo, you know.’
‘Head of the academy! Did you hear about that?’
‘Sola, sis! What are you going to do about that letter you got from Hessed Academy before?’
‘Now that you seem to be on good terms with Castle, is there any need to keep your distance?’

Wine Pub was a small academy with a strong social orientation.
In fact, they spent more time going out for wine than doing research.

‘Stop! I get it! I get it! I’ll go! Are you happy now?’
‘Get an autograph when you come back!’

The academy members, who treated the head of the academy like a close older sister, were so insistent that she went out with the thought of ‘Okay, let’s just see his face once.’

Of course, there was also a very, very small amount of curiosity to see what kind of person Shin Shiwoo, who was the talk of the town, was.

She had only seen him from afar at the last ceremony for the awarding of the title of Count.

“The academy building is flashy.”

A building that was aesthetically pleasing and artistic at a glance.
The classic interior that respected Gehenna’s traditions was topped with a freshness that seemed to have cost a lot of money.

The energy of the witches walking through the hallways also seemed more vibrant than in other academies.

Indeed, when would different academies have gathered in one place like this to conduct research?

Joint research, which had been conducted only in temporary and limited fields, was now being carried out in such a free atmosphere, so it was natural that they would be a little excited.

“I’ll come in.”

Guided to the head of the academy’s office, Sola entered with the feeling of ‘Okay, let’s see how flashy of a proposal he has.’

As the door opened, a very sophisticated head of the academy’s office came into view.

A wide-open view of the green garden from the window. Deep red velvet curtains that drew a beautiful curve like a cloth covering a masterpiece.

The eye-catching walnut bookcase and shelves were filled with thick books without an inch of space.

It was a great office created by the authority and neatness that any witch would dream of, but the moment she saw one person, her focus blurred and it turned into just another background.

That person was, of course, Shin Shiwoo.

“Thank you for coming all this way. Please, have a seat. Would you prefer tea or coffee?”
“Ah….”

A pleasantly resounding, deep voice and a smooth smile.
A dandy yet slightly loose Italian suit and lightly swept-back hair.
Especially, unlike when she saw him from afar, the volume of his muscles was clearly felt.

“I’ll have coffee, please.”
“Please wait a moment.”

He ground the coffee beans himself and began to brew drip coffee by pouring hot water into the funnel.

Sola’s eyes could not take themselves off his profile for even a moment.

That was it.

The second son of a famous duke.

He always smiles without a care, but he challenges those who have tarnished his honor to a duel without fear, and he is the kind of character who has killed several people in those duels without a trace of a smile.

It was vague, but that kind of charismatic impression kept popping up.

No, it wasn’t vague.
He had actually turned half the world into his enemy for his lover, and he had made his enemies pay the price in their own blood.

That man, who was calmly making coffee, was the one who had truly sent the terrifying Lydia Magnus to eternal rest.

“……”

Until now, witches had treated Shiwoo as a half-baked person who had not been fully proven, despite his achievements.
The reason why Shiwoo had tried so hard to supplement his lack of experience with a charisma project was the same.

However, it was difficult to see this as a matter of intelligence.

The collective unconscious shared by the times and groups, the mentalité.
As you can tell from the word unconscious, the flow of this mentalité is subtle and powerful.

Since witches are also human in nature, they cannot be free from the mentalité.

Just as people in medieval Europe could not imagine a ‘world without God,’ witches could not imagine a ‘witch who was not a woman.’

He was clearly a witch, had achieved witch-like accomplishments, and had proven it several times, but as long as he was trapped in this unconscious framework, it was difficult to make a fair assessment.

Sola, too, had been unconsciously thinking that way until just before she stepped into this office.

But that framework of thought was shattered.
His achievements, which Sola had tried to take lightly, had already deeply penetrated Sola’s unconscious.

The achievements Shiwoo had made, the story he had created, naturally gave Shiwoo a kind of soft power.

“Here you go.”
“T-thank you.”

Beyond simple external charm, the immaturity of a young witch was not even visible to the Shin Shiwoo that Sola was seeing now.

Just like when she faced the head of the Erelim Academy or the head of the Caliostro Academy, her spine naturally straightened.
Contrary to that cold tension, her heart was pounding hot.

She had scorned him as a Casanova, but the reason why playboys are scorned is because they recklessly increase the number of relationships they cannot take responsibility for.

But he had definitely taken responsibility.

Such a handsome face with a bad-ass personality.
Isn’t that cheating?

Even Sola, who was strong in her pride, self-esteem, and independence, felt a strong urge to rely on him.

“I was disappointed that I didn’t receive a reply last time. I don’t know what to do with myself now that you’ve come all this way.”
“……”

Shiwoo brought over the documents he had organized using telekinesis.

They were filled with clauses regarding the establishment of a partnership between Hessed Academy and Wine Pub.

“Now, please check the documents…”
“…I will.”
“Excuse me?”

Sola didn’t even check the documents.
But without realizing it, she answered immediately with a slightly lisping voice.

“I want to partner with you, Count…”

3.
Sola returned to Wine Pub’s academy building.
The academy members gathered around Sola, who was still half-dazed.

“How was it? How was it?”
“Wow… to have a conversation alone with such a successful person… it really pays to be capable.”
“I heard he’s a huge playboy, did he try to hit on you?”
“…I’m tired. We’ve signed a partnership.”

Sola, avoiding the noisy academy members, staggered into her room like a zombie.

“What is it?”
“What happened?”

What the witches who were peeking into Sola’s room through the keyhole saw was.

“Haa… Ugh, ugh… Head of the academy… if you do this…”

It was a sight of Sola that should not have been seen.