"An anonymous benefactor? Who exactly is sponsoring me?"
"Well, if I told you, they wouldn't be anonymous anymore, would they? If you decide not to accept the sponsorship, I could reveal their identity. But if you do accept, then you must prioritize the benefactor’s wish to remain unknown. So, what will it be, Yuri?"
"I... I..."

Yuri's lips quivered.
Anonymous benefactor. Full tuition support. Special admission.
Words she had never thought would be relevant to her life now overloaded her mind.

'There’s nowhere as comprehensive for learning magic as the Imperial Academy of Magic...'

Would such an opportunity ever come again?
Once in a lifetime? No, more like one in hundreds of thousands.

Regardless of the department, the magic courses alone would surpass anything else she could learn elsewhere.
Logically, she knew she had to accept the offer.
But her heart was desperate to uncover the benefactor’s identity.

Who could it be? And why?
More importantly, how did they even know about her?
How many people even knew she existed?
The orphanage director, the one-armed slave trader, and... no one else.

Was it the director? Or the slave trader?
Impossible.
Both despised her, and neither would have the means to cover four years of academy tuition...

'A sound?'

The gears in her mind halted.
Yuri's keen ears picked up faint footsteps in the distance.
Light but firm.
The steps of someone educated, not frivolous.
Yuri’s eyes sharpened.

"Dean, is this benefactor perhaps still in this building?"
"They left just a moment ago—"

Before the dean could finish, Yuri’s body vanished.
She had learned how to control mana on her own.
Channeling mana throughout her body, she accelerated, pursuing the footsteps.

'This is the first sound I've heard from the back corridor. If they just left, then those footsteps must be the benefactor’s!'

The dean’s slip gave her the opportunity.
She could find out!
Who, exactly, was so eager to sponsor her and why?!
She rushed forward, flinging open a door and letting light flood in.

"...!?"

What met her was a balcony.
Barely managing to catch the railing before falling over, she stopped.
She hadn’t realized this was the second floor; the main entrance was up a flight of stairs.

'That person!'

Below, she spotted a man in a black suit and hat heading towards a carriage.
That's him! She was certain.
Calculating quickly, she wondered if she could catch up by going down now.
No. It was impossible.
Gritting her teeth, she called out in a high voice.

"Benefactor!"
"..."

He flinched at the loud call but didn’t turn around.
Ah! What a mistake!
Had she called out something else, he might have turned back.
By the time she realized, he was already climbing into the carriage.
An unremarkable carriage, devoid of symbols or distinguishing marks.

"Whoever you are, thank you!"
"..."
"I needed to enter this academy to achieve my dream! Thanks to you, I can! Thank you so, so much!"
"..."

Only after she finished speaking did the carriage begin to move.
All Yuri could do was watch it disappear into the distance, helpless.
The dean, who had been leisurely following her, cleared his throat behind her.

"The anonymous benefactor is guaranteeing your identity and allowing your admission as a special case. There are three conditions. First, you must graduate. If you fail, all the tuition paid thus far will become a debt owed. Do you accept?"
"...I accept."
"Second, you must maintain at least a B grade in all subjects each semester. This will be assessed at graduation. Finally, you must not inquire about the benefactor’s identity."
"But...!"
"Will you accept?"
"Can't I contact them at all? If I want to express my gratitude..."
"You can give any messages to me, and I’ll pass them along. Ah, one more thing. If you really want to know who they are, you’ll have to wait for graduation. They said they would meet you then, should you wish."
"...!"

This was troubling.
She had planned to quit the academy after learning a few useful spells.
But if she didn’t graduate, she’d end up in debt, and she’d never discover who this benefactor was.
The terms were as clever as they were annoying.

"Do you accept?"
"I... I accept..."
"Congratulations. You are now a student at the Imperial Academy of Magic."
"..."

Her joy over gaining admission was brief.
Soon enough, curiosity about her mysterious benefactor filled her mind.
Who could know about her and her desire to attend this academy?
What did they see in her that made them willing to spend so much...?

'I’ll find out, no matter what it takes.'

Yuri clenched her fists.
She couldn’t repay this debt of gratitude.
Once she achieved her dreams...
Once she took revenge on the wretched Vermont family and saved Charlotte and Yulia, she would personally thank them.

"Hah... Hah... Hah..."

As the carriage cleared the back gate,
pent-up breaths burst forth, filling the carriage with unsteady sounds.
Damn. I nearly lost my mind.
The terror of hearing those footsteps getting closer...
It must be what prey feels like when hunted by a predator.

'So, Yuri was already using mana at this point.'

That speed was definitely not human.
Yulia and Charlotte hadn’t yet mastered mana control, but Yuri was unconsciously wielding it.
A true prodigy.
How quickly would she develop with proper training?

'Have I dug my own grave?'

I still wasn’t sure this was the right move.
Admitting the protagonist Yuri into the top university in the Empire as a special case.
Not only would she owe me a debt, but I’d also restrict her actions.
At least for a B average, she’d have to keep up her studies and stay out of trouble.

There was also the intention of keeping her from the dark path.
She must believe Charlotte and Yulia are being tortured at the Vermont estate.
To rescue them, she’d do anything.
Had she failed to gain admission, she might have resorted to unsavory means to grow stronger.

'It gives me chills to think I almost lost her to the underworld...'

What if such a talent fell into the hands of a villain?
If that power were used for murder?
The very thought sent shivers down my spine.

Now I was sure.
I’d made the right choice.
Better to suffer slowly under this arrangement than let her become a human weapon.
Indeed. That’s how it should be.

But what if she really does finish her studies and wants to meet me at graduation?
Or worse, causes a mess before then?
If I’ve vouched for her, then any trouble she causes would be my responsibility.

[The Evil God, Kali, looks at you with suspicion.]

Ah.

"Ha ha ha. I’ve finally tethered that runaway with reins. Now I can manipulate them as I wish using sponsorship as leverage. Ha ha ha."

[The Evil God, Kali, looks pleased.]

Oh, right. I almost forgot to play the villain part.
Constantly acting like a villain is starting to be a real headache.

"Sigh..."

Then there was the struggle with the dean to secure that special admission.
‘Special admission? Our academy values fairness above all. Such a system doesn’t exist here. You might want to look elsewhere.’
‘Hmm. How much was the Vermont donation to our academy's development fund? If it stops, how many research centers will have to close...’
‘Are you threatening me? Is that how I should take this?’
‘Threats? I merely hoped for a token of appreciation for all the investment.’
‘Investment? That was a donation, wasn’t it?’
‘A donation, you say? That’s news to me. It was always an investment. Seems there was a miscommunication.’
‘Fine. This will be the first and last time. I’ll grant the special admission, considering you’ve vouched for this student Yuri. But there are conditions.’
‘Go ahead.’
‘The annual magic society symposium will be held at our academy. It’d be wonderful if Lord Aslan could open the first presentation...’

What a fool I’d been to accept.
The symposium.
A global event where wizards present their findings, the highest honor in the magical field.

Presenting first could make or break my reputation.
A stellar impression would be fantastic,
but one mistake could ruin not just me, but my entire family.
It was an all-or-nothing gamble.

'If they find out, I’m in trouble.'

I’d gambled the family’s honor on this,
without even having suitable research prepared.
If the family finds out...

Thump, thump, thump!
The carriage door suddenly burst open.

"Aslan, what are you doing?"
"..."

It was none other than my sister, Irene Vermont,
and she looked furious.
The murderous intent on her face made me freeze on the spot.