Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

Chapter 99 - 99: Radical Florida Man Threatens Local Monarch to Switch Government System to Democracy

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 re

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."