Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

A day earlier

In the royal palace's throne room, Emperor Saucon held a meeting with Tanaka, Martin, Xavior, the headmasters, and his ministers to discuss the academy's new rules.

Seated on the throne, the emperor outlined the agenda. He introduced several changes:

First, the academy would now accept 20 new students instead of the usual three.

Secondly, those who reached the final round but didn't make the top 20 would also be accepted as students, though they would be placed in a lower class. Headmasters were required to assign adequate manpower to support these students, treating them as substitutes for the top 20.

Thirdly, the top 20 students would be grouped into a new class called the 'Heaven Class.' The secondary classes would be named 'Sky Class' and 'Common Class,' with the Common Class being the lowest tier.

Finally, students across these three classes would compete to either maintain or advance to a higher class. The emperor and instructors would periodically grade their performance. Each class would have its own ranking system, comparing the strength of every student. Those at the bottom of the Heaven and Sky Classes would be demoted to a lower class, while high performers would be promoted.

However, students who remained at the bottom of the Common Class three times would face expulsion from the academy.

However, there was a problem. As Emperor Saucon began to conclude his agenda, the finance minister, Leek, stepped forward and interrupted the speech.

"Your Majesty, we cannot enforce this mandate."

Leek, an elderly man with a thin frame and plain clothes, stood in stark contrast to the other nobles who donned bright, fancy suits. He was one of Saucon's most trusted aides, known for his integrity and lifelong dedication to avoiding any misuse of government funds.

Saucon, taken aback by the objection from his loyal advisor, was genuinely curious about the issue. He questioned the minister, "What's wrong with my new rules?"

Leek boldly pointed out the flaws. "We simply don't have the budget to support that many students, let alone even ten. We've only allocated enough funds to nurture exactly nine students, including three sophomores and three seniors. Adding even one more will strain our treasury."

The minister didn't stop there. He gestured to his assistant, a mage from Garudeer's tower, who brought forth an orb artifact. The orb projected a hologram displaying a detailed account of the kingdom's annual budget.

The table showed that the Royal Magi Academy consumed 35% of the kingdom's budget. But as Leek delved deeper into the details, showing the specific expenses of the school. The instructors of the royal academy gulped and lowered their heads in fear.

55% of the budget was allocated to staff salaries.

21% went to equipment expenses.

21% was spent on miscellaneous expenses for the professors, such as travel fares, food, slave maintenance, and external manpower.

2% was allocated for student scholarships.

The remaining 1% was for public relations, events, and advertisements.

And a shocking 0% was allocated to research and development.

Leek glanced pointedly at the group of professors, particularly Xavior Faunir, who was in charge of the academy. Without directly accusing anyone, the minister laid out the facts.

"It has been seven years since the school allocated any budget to research and the development of new magic. Yet, the annual salary of the staff has increased by 50% compared to last year, especially the dean, whose salary has reached a staggering 4 million mana stones per year. Your Majesty, I'm afraid you may need to personally oversee the academy's management."

Garudeer, observing from the sidelines, nodded in approval of this revelation. He, too, had long desired a restructuring of the royal magi academy and its personnel. He wondered if Leek's bold statement would be enough to dethrone Xavior.

Emperor Saucon stared at the figures, mentally calculating the implications. His gaze then shifted to Xavior, his father's trusted right-hand man. The emperor, wary of this renowned Alchemy Saint, posed a direct question.

"Saint Xavior, can you explain why your salary has increased while the academy's research budget has hit zero? If I remember correctly, my father always emphasized the importance of investing in the young. We've allocated a third of our annual budget to your academy. So tell me, why is the scholarship fund so low while your salary is so staggeringly high?"

Xavior turned to the emperor and began his explanation, "Due to the wars of the past decades, many of our professors and staff sacrificed their lives to protect the empire's greatness and maintain peace. More than half of our mages and knights returned crippled, unable to perform their duties as they once did.

Yet, the previous emperor, in his kindness, allowed them to continue their professions at this academy. However, those who survived the war now suffer from severe complications and traumas, making it difficult for them to fulfill their roles effectively."

"And what does that have to do with your salary?" the emperor snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Please, allow me to finish," Xavior replied calmly.

"Fine. Speak!" Saucon demanded.

Xavior smirked and cleared his throat, his eyes subtly reflecting disdain as he looked at the young emperor. Yet, his tone remained measured.

"When these veterans returned home, their low morale spread to those who stayed behind. To uplift the spirits of all professors and mages within the academy, we have periodically increased their wages, rewarding them for their service.

We've also made these salaries public to inspire both commoners and noble children alike, showing them that serving the empire brings great rewards—even if their lives are put to the test."

"So, in short, you raise your salaries to boost morale?!" the emperor retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No," Xavior responded with a cold, steady voice. "I've set a goal and an example of what a top magus of our empire can achieve. This serves to attract more people to enlist in the army or join our academy. Moreover, it enhances the lives of our finest instructors, whom we've recruited from across the world. Without such competitive compensation, who would want to work for us?"

The emperor fell silent, his thoughts racing. Xavior's answer held some logic, but to Saucon, they felt more like convenient excuses. Deep down, the emperor wished he could seize Xavior's wealth on the spot to better the empire's finances. Yet, he knew that he still needed the Alchemy Saint's power and influence to maintain his grip on the throne.

So, for now, he bit back his frustration and kept his plans to himself.

"But that doesn't mean we can keep operating like we did in the past. I want more budget allocated to the students. Leek, what would you do if you were the dean?"

Leek nodded and shot a glance at Xavior. "First, we should reduce the 'convenience' fund allocated to the professors. The miscellaneous budget seems unnecessary, considering the professors should be wealthy enough to cover their own expenses for food and other minor needs."

Xavior didn't outwardly react, but inwardly, he smirked, anticipating Leek's next move. Before losing the initiative, Xavior swiftly countered to maintain the upper hand. "I agree with cutting the miscellaneous budget. However, directly reallocating the funds isn't the best approach. Instead, I propose we increase the scholarship budget by threefold."

Leek raised an eyebrow and retorted, "That would only support 36 students."

"No. We won't be giving 36 students the usual scholarship fund."

"Hmm?" The emperor's interest was piqued, and he leaned forward slightly. "Explain."

Xavior, sensing his victory in this court debate, smiled confidently and began to elaborate.

.

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Present

Martin sighed deeply as he contemplated the new budget allocations. The top three students would claim 40% of the budget pool, while 30% would be divided among the Heaven Class. The Sky Class would receive 25%, leaving the Common Class with a meager 5%.

On paper, the disparity was meant to inspire students to compete for better positions in class. But Martin could already foresee the grim consequences.

It wouldn't just lead to bullying—it would escalate into a bloodbath. Murder, assassination, abduction, extortion, and underhanded tricks would inevitably follow.

Martin prayed that such scenarios wouldn't happen as vile children were already eliminated.

.

.

Two hours had passed, and Hammer was the first to finish the grueling 200-question exam. His efforts earned him an impressive 196 points, and remarkably, he didn't break his pencil even once—a testament to his steady hand and focus.

Following closely behind, Rosaline and Valley secured the second and third positions. Rosaline, the priestess, achieved a near-perfect score of 199 points, while Valley surprised everyone by clutching 197 points, narrowly surpassing Hammer to take second place by a single point.

Thirty minutes later, more of the priestesses completed their exams. However, none of them managed to surpass the 190-point mark. All eyes remained fixed on Hammer, Rosaline, and Valley, as the crowd anticipated that these three would undoubtedly be the top candidates for the academy.

Whether or not the emperor's earlier mandate was genuine, there was little doubt that these three would be among the most sought-after students.

Just as the anticipation began to settle, a commotion erupted among Veetee and Gall's group. Knights and mages gasped in shock, unable to believe what they were witnessing.

The last question of the exam had demanded that the examinees write an essay expressing their views on the government system and what changes they would implement if they were emperor. While most examinees took the safe route, praising the current regime or rehashing ideas that had already been tried.

However, one examinee took a bold and unexpected approach.

A certain candidate was scribbling furiously, producing a five-page essay that left the spectators in stunned silence. The opening sentence alone sent shockwaves through the crowd:

"To improve the government system, first, you must dethrone the emperor and dismantle the centralized government system."