Today was the official founding day of the Upperhills Foundation. The VIP seats at the event venue were filled with influential figures of the Empire. The guard captain, who had expanded the interpretation of the relevant laws to patrol the vicinity of the foundation.

The president of the central bank, who managed our foundation's funds. The Head of the Noble Council, who had helped with the recent legislation for the paper business. And my greatest ally, Her Highness the Princess.

I felt reassured. Just then, the princess sitting next to me whispered, just loud enough for those nearby to hear.

"If we just invited a duke and a corps commander here, it would look similar to a succession ceremony."

What does that mean. At that moment, Giuseppe, in the seat next to me, coughed repeatedly.

Cough, cough.

Laura, too, had her eyes wide in surprise, a rare sight.

I realized.

'That was a rather domineering remark.' The princess spoke with a smile.

"I'm joking."

"..."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Should I laugh or not? The princess continued.

"You're quite strange."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You worry excessively over trivial matters, yet you show little reaction to such drastic words."

"..."

That's because I'm someone who lived in a democratic society for nearly thirty years. But I couldn't just say that out loud.

"... Actually, I was quite surprised."

"Liar."

The princess smiled mischievously and continued.

"Sometimes, I find that side of you better. Just stay as you are."

"I understand."

A short while later, the founding ceremony began. There was no ribbon-cutting ceremony, but there were many other minor ceremonial events. I think I just stared straight ahead, half out of my mind.

Because the real protagonists were there. The faculty and staff who would work for the foundation, the laborers who had sweated to raise the buildings, and... Hundreds of children.

Orphans gathered from all over the Empire, no, my younger siblings, were looking up at the stage with sparkling eyes. Soon, the princess's congratulatory speech began. The children's gazes were fixed on Princess Isolde.

Perhaps considering the average age of the audience, the princess's speech was much more lighthearted than usual. While her medal speech had felt so formal it could make your mustache grow just by listening, this was closer to a somewhat formal stand-up comedy routine. Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Amidst thunderous applause, the princess stepped down. Now it was my turn. My heart was pounding.

I think I was even more nervous than when I flew through the sky with the Emperor. Back then, I was fine because I mostly said what the princess had scripted for me, but this time was different. Of course, most of my speech was plagiarized from a famous speech from Earth, but still...

Just then, the princess, who was coming down from the stage, approached me and whispered.

"There's no need to be nervous."

"Is that so?"

It wasn't as easy as she made it sound, but I smiled anyway. The princess continued.

"I saw your speech in advance, and it was far more brilliant than mine."

"!"

"So clear your mind and speak comfortably."

Having the endorsement of the Empire's finest demagogue put me a little at ease.

"Yes. Thank you for your support."

I took a deep breath and walked toward the podium.

"Next, we will have a congratulatory speech from Chairman Isaac Upperhills!"

Waaaaah-!

As I appeared in sync with the announcer's words, a cheer erupted, loud enough to shake the grounds. 'It was pretty loud for the princess, too...' But this was on a whole other level.

If my relationship with the princess had been poor, this would have been enough to earn her displeasure.

Upperhills! Upperhills-!

Faculty, laborers, and my siblings alike, everyone shouted our surname at the top of their lungs. For a moment, I couldn't say anything.

"..."

Anything I said in this situation wouldn't be heard properly anyway. So I just stared blankly for a while. It took a long time for the commotion to die down.

I confirmed that the sound amplification magic was active and stood at the lectern.

"..."

The gazes were intense. ... Before it gets any more awkward, I should get to the point.

"I have a dream."

Isaac's voice echoed across the grounds. Johannes lifted his head and looked up at the podium. Isaac Upperhills was really standing there.

His cheerful demeanor from the workshop was nowhere to be seen. Now, he faced hundreds of pairs of eyes with a resolute expression.

"Though we may face hardships yesterday and today, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in our very name."

The younger students were just listening with sparkling eyes because the statue man was talking. The slightly older children were concentrating, knowing that the person before them was the Hero of the Capital. But Johannes, the other older students, and the faculty were different.

They saw through to the meaning embedded in Isaac's words.

"It is a dream that one day, the surname Upperhills will truly be given to the sons and daughters of the Empire."

At those words, a lump formed in Johannes's throat. Normally he would have cleared his throat, but he couldn't do that in the middle of a speech. He hadn't known until he became an orphan.

He never imagined he would become one of 'those kids' his parents had warned him not to play with. The hero before him must have had a time just like Johannes's. Isaac's figure, standing on the podium after overcoming all those hardships, could only be described as radiant.

"I have a dream that one day, my brothers and sisters and I will no longer shiver in the cold northern winds, and will receive hospitality instead of contempt from the fur traders."

Sniffling sounds could be heard here and there. Memories of being treated like animals and having to sell hides for a pittance, of shivering in the cold while begging, flashed through their minds. Isaac continued, his gaze unwavering.

"I have a dream that just as my sister Anna did, my other siblings will walk shoulder to shoulder with the children of nobles, striding through the campus of the Magic Academy and laughing together."

Sob...

Johannes's friend couldn't hold back and started to cry. The teachers, who would normally have told him to be quiet, now just stared silently at the podium.

"This is our hope. This is the creed that I have established with you as I founded this foundation."

Power entered Isaac's voice.

"And one day, to defeat the magical beasts that burned our homes and to make the Empire an even greater nation, our hope must be realized!"

Johannes clenched his fists.

That's right.

He couldn't stop at just being relieved that he wasn't being insulted by others.

"And so, let us be proud. Let us not bow our heads when we reveal our origins."

He had to be proud.

"In the name of His Almighty Majesty, let us stand tall!"

Waaaaaaah-!

A deafening roar erupted.

"Waaaaaaah-!"

And Johannes was a part of that roar.

Late at night, after the fervor of the founding ceremony had subsided and even the after-party had ended.

[... In the name of His Almighty Majesty, let us stand tall.]

Sonia looked down at the paper she had typed herself. The faculty office was empty, but when she read the last sentence, it was as if she could hear the cheers from that moment once again.

"He's such a good speaker..."

The Chairman, Isaac Upperhills, was a truly puzzling person. At one time, there were rumors that he was a muscular giant, and at another, that he was a timid, bespectacled man. But no rumor ever mentioned that he possessed outstanding literary talent.

Sonia tilted her head.

"... Am I moved because I've become too attached to the foundation?"

"I don't think so."

Startled by the unfamiliar voice that suddenly came from behind her, Sonia jumped.

"Eek?! Di-Director Laura?"

If Isaac was the owner of the foundation, Laura was the one who ran it. Sonia was flustered by the sudden appearance of her superior.

Laura spoke.

"You're still awake?"

"Well... I couldn't sleep."

Sonia smiled awkwardly as she organized the speech papers. Laura approached and glanced at the paper in her hand.

"This... is the Chairman's speech."

"Yes. It was so good... I felt it was a waste to just leave it."

Sonia asked cautiously.

"What if we make copies of this at the workshop tomorrow and hand them out to the children?"

Sonia was certain. Everyone would love this. Someone like Johannes would probably paper his room with it.

"Hmm."

Laura rested her chin on her hand and was lost in thought for a moment. Soon, the corners of her mouth pulled up ever so slightly.

"That's an excellent idea. However, miss."

"Yes?"

"Must we only give it to the children?"

Sonia blinked.

What did she mean?

Laura continued.

"There are many people outside the foundation who admire the Chairman. How about we copy this and sell it in the market?"

"S-Sell it?"

"Yes. If all proceeds go towards the foundation's operating costs, it won't be against the rules."

And so, 'Isaac Upperhills's Speech' became the first mass-produced newspaper.

Several days had passed since the founding ceremony. I was sitting at my desk in the lab, but my head still felt fuzzy. 'The kids are probably studying right about now, right?'

I looked at the clock; it was morning class time. The older students would be in Introduction to Law, and the younger ones... would be learning 'Righteous Living'. Of course, the official subject name was [Imperial Citizen Ethics], but it never quite rolled off my tongue, so I just called it Righteous Living.

Anyway, I need to get back to my daily routine.

"Wow... Waaah....!"

I couldn't focus. It was Doloren's fault, who was lying on the cot, exclaiming in admiration. She was looking at something that resembled a thesis paper.

I asked Doloren.

"What on earth are you looking at? Is it a thesis?"

At that, Doloren shot her head up.

"You brat...! If it had such a meaning, you should have told me!"

Her eyes were slightly red.

"!"

She didn't answer my question and went off on a tangent. It was a classic trait of professors, but... I couldn't back down this time.

I wanted to see just what she was reading. I said to her.

"Let me see. What is that, anyway."

"No. I'm never giving it to you."

"..."

Just then, Giuseppe spoke.

"Come on, Junior. Just let her be. It's a speech she didn't even get to hear in person, so let her enjoy it like that."

"... You, Giuseppe!"

"Hahaha."

The usual WWE match broke out in the lab... but that wasn't what was important right now.

Speech?

I focused my detection spell on the paper in Doloren's hand.

[I have a dream. Isaac Upperhills] "?"

What the.

Why is that making the rounds?