There was no particular reason why he couldn't.
Gerhard had already directly examined the water dragon's carcass as an assistant professor.
The teeth and bones were exceptionally hard, suitable for making weapons; the blood and eyes were rich in mana, good for reagents; and the scales could be made into armor or other defensive gear.
For a spirit creature with no wasted parts, it didn't matter much whether he bought all or part of it.
But there was no reason to give the impression of being dragged along.
"Let's not play games when we both know what's what. What do you want?"
"What does any merchant want? To get better goods at a cheaper price."
"Though limited to within the Academy, this is strictly speaking a kind of auction. I can't give it to you cheaper at my discretion."
Gerhard understood this as well. And he had anticipated this would happen once the water dragon's carcass was handed over to the Academy.
After all, the water dragon's carcass was coveted by magicians as magical material and by knights as material for weapons and armor.
He never intended to haggle from the start. He knew that if he tried to lower the price, he wouldn't be able to acquire it.
"But you can give something else, can't you?"
But there was no reason not to use this opportunity. While he couldn't save money, he could get something additional in return.
"...What do you want?"
"Exclusive rights."
"Exclusive rights?"
"If the Academy decides to purchase ships, I want an exclusive contract stating that they will only buy ships from the Golden Turtle Company."
"Ships, suddenly?"
It was sudden indeed. But for Gerhard, who had read the future, it wasn't sudden at all.
Monster attacks and a sunken yacht, with noble children adrift at sea.
After that incident, the Academy would realize that land battles weren't everything and would establish a naval combat course.
And naturally, that course would need ships.
'And it's not just a one-time sale.'
It would be a course focused on naval combat, seeking out monsters and engaging in battles.
Naturally, the ships would sustain continuous damage, leading to substantial repair costs.
If they were completely destroyed, new ships would need to be purchased... In other words, this was a long-term business with enormous interests at stake.
"...How many ships would the Academy buy anyway?"
The Academy itself didn't use that many ships. At most, just regular liners traveling across the continent.
But those ships traveled under the escort of the Imperial Navy, so there wasn't much need to frequently replace them.
"I'll handle that. Just sign the contract. Then I'll buy the water dragon's carcass at a suitably high price. And perhaps a money pouch might fall in your mansion."
It was a flow that couldn't possibly make sense, but Grad's eyes changed with greed.
"...I don't have the authority, but I'll suggest it to the Chancellor."
"Yes, thank you."
'Grad alone won't be enough; I'll need to use other connections to add pressure.'
Gerhard bowed his head.
***
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence hung in the air. Gerhard waited quietly until she spoke.
"It was an utterly incomprehensible action."
"Utterly?"
"Isn't it obvious? Skipping all classes to be a temporary assistant professor? There's no greater case of losing the big for the small."
Gerhard couldn't agree with Luina's words.
It wasn't losing the big for the small; it was gaining the big for the small. If he hadn't stepped forward, he wouldn't have obtained so much mithril and adamant.
'Ah, would I have obtained the mithril even if I hadn't gone?'
Perhaps even if things had flowed according to the original future, Aint might have sold the mithril to him due to the butterfly effect of the Saint Bird.
But whatever that future might have been, it was undeniable that the current result was much better.
"It was a necessary action. I needed to push myself to keep up with your grades."
"Don't try to gloss over it like that. Is it right to skip other classes to keep up with grades? What if there had been practicals or exams during that week?"
Gerhard and Luina were a pair.
From his perspective, it was natural for them to attend classes together: "Magical Survival Techniques," "Combat, War, and Magic," and "Exploration of Magical Beasts and Monsters." From her perspective, they should attend "Field Survival Techniques," "War and Practical Combat Techniques," and "Exploration of Magical Beasts and Monsters" together.
But with Gerhard disappearing for a week, Luina had lost her partner.
"It's fortunate there were no practicals, but what if there had been?"
"I considered all that before I went."
"Is that what matters?"
"...I apologize for not consulting with you in advance."
It was the truth, but Gerhard couldn't push back strongly. The reason was the same as with Aint.
Aint Armian was the hero who would save the world and the one who would cause his downfall, so he had to tread carefully, and Luina was the catalyst for that, so it was the same with her.
"Since no major problem occurred, I'll accept it. However, I hope there won't be such incidents in the future."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Fortunately, Luina easily accepted his apology.
"By the way, was there anything special while I was serving as a temporary assistant professor?"
"Nothing much. During the past week, most classes focused on theory."
When practicals took place for one year, it was common for professors and assistant professors from other years to step in and help.
Therefore, most second-year classes remained theoretical.
"Ah, there was one interesting thing."
"Interesting thing?"
"In the third-year duels, the top students from the Knight Department and Magic Department faced off."
"That must have caused a stir."
The Academy basically emphasized harmony and cooperation, but humans are inherently beings with a sense of belonging.
In a broader sense, they were all Academy students, but with different fields and departments, there was a certain competitive spirit between the Knight Department and Magic Department.
Even beyond the Academy, the competition between knights and magicians had a deep history.
"Yes. And the third-year Magic Department top student, senior Riana, defeated Barog, the top student from the Knight Department."
"Barog must have been labeled a traitor."
"Half-jokingly, he's also accused of match-fixing."
"Match-fixing? Was money wagered on the outcome?"
Gerhard tilted his head at the unexpected statement. Was there room for such things in a simple duel between the Knight Department and Magic Department?
'Betting pools were often set up for duels...'
He had facilitated gambling among students, but in a pride battle between the top students of the Magic and Knight Departments, there was no room for match-fixing.
At least, that's what he knew.
"...Your train of thought naturally goes in that direction?"
Gerhard didn't shy away from Luina's subtle gaze.
"Money is truth. Any means to earn it is right."
"I'm not particularly interested in your values. And it's not about gambling anyway."
"Then why mention match-fixing?"
"Apparently, the top students of the Knight Department and Magic Department are lovers. So questions are circulating about whether he deliberately lost."
"...Now that's an interesting issue."
Since there had been no update in his information network about lovers, it must have been recent.
'The Hermim family is quite wealthy, and Barog Hermim tends to be a spendthrift.'
If actively recommended jewelry or expensive artifacts, he would likely buy several without much difficulty.
'I should try suggesting it.'
There was nothing as lucrative as selling to nobles.
"And now for the main point."
"Speak."
This meeting was the first arranged by Luina herself.
She had called Gerhard saying she had something to discuss, and he didn't think the main purpose was to blame him for disappearing for a week as an assistant professor without notice.
"I believe I've found traces of a demon."
"...What did you say?"
While he hadn't anticipated such a matter in his wildest dreams.