Aura had never truly understood the concept of money.
Among the demons, magic was the only real currency. As one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, standing at the pinnacle of demons, Aura could use mana to take whatever she wanted. On top of that, her loyal demon retainers would gladly obtain anything she wanted.
During her confinement in Kribi, she hadn't needed to spend money either. Meals were provided in Zanze's household, her lodgings as well, and if she saw something she liked while strolling the city, she only had to invoke the name of the Continental Magic Association to take it.
Well—she had spent money on one thing. When she worked in the library, she secretly smuggled in her own magical theory books and shelved them without telling Serie. For that, she needed blank volumes, and in those cases she couldn't claim them under the Association's name.
So yes, she had paid before.
But back then it was only for books! Small sums, nothing serious. She could scrape it together from the meager, oft-docked wages Serie gave her as a frequently absent librarian, or even by fishing stray coins out of corners in her room.
Now, however, Aura finally understood what it felt like to lack money.
She opened her baggage, took out the shriveled purse and rummaged through it, then turned it over and shook it up and down a few times before a deformed silver coin rolled out.
She has no money left.
The reason? Recently, Aura had been recruiting impoverished mage apprentices from all over. More often than not, she paid for their tuition and meals out of her own pocket.
Why not put it on the Association branch's accounts?
Because the branch was broke too.
True, they had received donations from Graf Byron and a sizable sum raised among Association members, but most of that had already gone into constructing the Magic Academy. What remained had to cover apprentices' material subsidies, stipends for outstanding students, and damages from the occasional magical explosion in experiments.
In short, the branch's finances were barely balanced.
Whether she wanted to expand enrollment or improve the appalling rural education in Hohenburg, the branch couldn't fund her ideas anymore.
With no money, Aura could do nothing. So she wandered to the branch office, plopped herself at her desk, wide-eyed and drooling slightly, lost in thought.
For once, after all her recent busyness, she actually had free time.
All the duties of a branch director? Aura had already delegated them. Departmental affairs? Passed to Sheila, the secretary-general. Only matters Sheila couldn't resolve landed on Aura's desk—and those Aura handled with the blunt brilliance of demonic wisdom.
To any onlooker, Director Aura's problem-solving efficiency would seem… remarkable.
Suddenly—
The door opened with a loud bang.
Sheila entered, arms piled high with papers, spectacles perched low on her nose, dark circles beneath her eyes. Without sparing the director a glance, she muttered to herself while rummaging through the mess:
"Kribi's recommendation slots… Kribi's recommendation slots… I remember it was here… yes, right here…"
"Sheila. Next time, knock before you enter."
"Huh? Miss, you're actually here? Haven't seen you at this desk in so long, I nearly forgot it was yours."
"Although I don't come here often...but that's no reason for you to pile my seat with papers."
Aura gestured at the mountain of papers she'd shoved aside earlier, and said, "How come the office wasn't so crowded the last time I came here? But this time, there's no place to stand. There are piles of documents and discarded manuscripts everywhere."
"You can't just move those around, miss! That stack has been in place for half a year! It's been here longer than you have!"
"..."
"Oh! Found it! Thanks to you knocking it over. It was at the bottom all along. Let me see… last month's recommendation slot to Kribi."
"What about it?"
"Andro dropped out of the headquarters academy in Kribi. According to regulations, we can recommend another student."
"Why did he drop out of school?!"
Aura remembered Andro well. He was the first human in Hohenburg she had seen with the talent to become a First-Class Mage. Of course, talent didn't guarantee success. Only one in ten who pursued the path ever truly discovered the magic resonant with their soul.
One in ten might sound slim.
But in Aura's opinion, for the sake of reaching the pinnacle of magic, even if it is only one percent, let alone one tenth, it is worth risking a lifetime to explore!
And now—someone had given it up?!
"The Großherzog of the Principality of Ateto took notice of him. Offered him the position of Royal Court Mage, provided he immediately leave for their palace."
AN: Großherzog = Grand Duke
"Many royal houses have been doing this in recent years. They fear the rise of independent Mages within their lands, yet depend on them to fend off demons. So they go to Kribi, recruit the brightest talents, let them learn only general combat magic, then carry them off. As Court Mages, they serve to keep unruly local Mages in check."
"Though Principality of Ateto is not a grand kingdom, nor an ancient realm with deep traditions, it can still promise Andro wealth and luxury. For most Mages, to gain the recognition of a royal house and secure riches, even at the cost of leaving Kribi and abandoning the pursuit of higher magic—it's the best deal they could hope for."
"We in the branch heard the news first. Soon others will too. Andro himself wrote back—before leaving, he plans to visit the academy, and he'll donate a huge sum to help expand Hohenburg's Magic Academy."
"This is a tremendous honor, a great blessing for us, Miss Aura!"
"…Miss Aura?"
"Miss, why do you… look so displeased?"
Sheila was excited to announce the good news to the entire association, but as she spoke more and more, Sheila discovered that Director Aura's expression did not improve, but became increasingly gloomy.
'But why?'
'Hadn't Miss Aura been worried about the branch's lack of funds?'
'Shouldn't the rise of a former student to Royal Court Mage, with fame, glory, and a generous donation, be cause for celebration?'
'Yet Miss Aura looked… almost angry.'
'Had I said something wrong?'