Chapter 1: Why Aren’t the Number of Students Increasing?
From the beginning, I was welcomed as a senior instructor, but I felt that both students and fellow teachers looked at me with strange eyes. However, as I earnestly gave lectures on magic and exchanged opinions, their view of me began to change.
Yet, there was not only the issue with me but also a deep-rooted problem of discrimination due to noble consciousness within the academy. I personally couldn’t tolerate this, so I moved somewhat forcefully to resolve the discrimination issue. Also, I gained recognition for my magical abilities from Foar, a senior instructor, and my magic theory classes became a topic of conversation among students and teachers. With this, I was sure that the number of students in my lectures would finally increase.
I felt relieved thinking this, but the number of students didn’t increase as much as I had expected.
In the first class of the two magic theory courses – basic and advanced – there was one new student, followed by two in the next class, and then one more in the class after that. In total, only four new people came to the classes. The breakdown was two middle school students and two high school students. Although the strange looks decreased due to Foar’s softened attitude, perhaps people were still wary of me.
“…Why is that?”
Eliza shook her head vigorously from side to side.
“I-I don’t know…! But recently, the number of students has been decreasing in all classes…!”
Agreeing with her words, Strauss finished chewing the bread in his mouth and nodded.
“Indeed. My classes have also decreased by a few people compared to usual.”
Turning to Strauss, who agreed, Eliza exclaimed:
“See! It’s the same for everyone! In fact, it’s amazing that you’ve managed to increase your numbers even slightly in this situation!?”
“…Is that so?”
Hmm… I feel like I’ve been carried away. Well, it’s fine.
“But why would something cause the number of students to decrease?”
When I asked, both of them crossed their arms and tilted their heads.
“Don’t know.”
“I wonder why?”
As the two were giving such responses, a deep sigh was heard from the left side.
When I turned my face, I saw Speyside walking towards us. He was a picturesque man. Strangely, I felt like the eyes of everyone in the dining hall turned towards him.
Speyside distorted his well-proportioned face and sighed once more.
“I wish you would take an interest in the students’ movements. I don’t think teachers should only be thinking about magic,”
he said with a hint of sarcasm.
“…Says the one who blatantly favors royal and high-ranking noble students,” Eliza muttered quietly.
Speyside furrowed his brow and turned his gaze towards her. Eliza bared her teeth in intimidation, but I ignored it and asked again.
“Do you have any information?”
When asked, Speyside shrugged slightly and opened his mouth.
“For now, I’ve heard that some groups are roaming the streets for fun. In the past, there were students who conducted magical experiments late at night when teachers couldn’t keep an eye on them, so the academy has banned students from going out late at night. Despite this, there are students who don’t return until morning. Some teachers are dealing with this, but no good results have come out. Also, it seems that Rocks is investigating this matter on his own. However, I couldn’t get any information from him directly.”
“I’ll catch Rocks. Let’s get the information out of him,”
I decided immediately and stood up.
“Wait, wait, wait!”
“W-What!?”
The two stood up and raised their voices in protest.
“He hasn’t been determined to be the mastermind,”
“That’s right! It might be a false accusation!” added Eliza.
I frowned at their excessively noisy reaction.
“…I may have phrased it poorly, but I don’t intend to interrogate Rocks as a suspect…”
When I narrowed my eyes and looked at the two, they averted their faces with such force that it could have made a sound. They were displeased.
“…Well, fine. First, let’s track down Rocks’s whereabouts.”
With those parting words, I began my search.
Both Strauss and Eliza had classes after the lunch break, so I was the only one who could move. They both told me “not to do anything rash,” but I didn’t reply.
There were few people walking in the hallway.
Recently, it had become more common for students and teachers passing by to take a step to the side and bow slightly when they saw me. Although I thought something was odd, I returned their bows.
Amidst this, a person appeared who didn’t distance themselves from me. Not only did they not keep their distance, but upon spotting me, their eyes widened and they came running over with an excited look. It was a man with distinctively long orange hair.
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“Y-You! No, Master Aoi! I’d like to have a word with you!”
The man who suddenly appeared, Balvenie, dropped to one knee in front of me, assuming a position that looked like a half-kowtow, and pleaded.
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
Upon hearing this, Balvenie quickly looked around, took my hand, and pointed towards the end of the hallway.
“I-I can’t say it here! I’m sorry, but please come with me!”
This must be what they call ‘no questions asked.’
Before I could respond, I was dragged along by Balvenie to the courtyard. Given that I had hit his abdomen hard the last time, I thought it would be unkind to shake him off, so I obediently let myself be pulled along.
Then, once Balvenie judged that no one was around, he grabbed my shoulders with both hands and quickly brought his face close to mine.
Dangerous. Judging it so, I reflexively bent my elbow at a sharp angle and swung my palm upwards. It was an uppercut-like palm strike.
“Bufuh!”
Making a strange sound, Balvenie’s neck tilted thirty degrees and his posture crumbled.
After looking down at him as he fell and rolled half a turn on the ground, I opened my mouth.
“That was an unexpected surprise attack. However, you’re still naive. Your mistake was thinking I couldn’t engage in close combat…”
“W-What are you talking about!? I didn’t launch a surprise attack! R-Really!”
Balvenie tried to explain himself while blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, perhaps having cut his lip inside.
While looking at him suspiciously, seeing his desperate appearance, I lowered my guard.
“…I’m sorry for hitting you due to a misunderstanding. So, what is it?”
When I asked again, Balvenie’s face lit up in realization, and he dropped to one knee once more.
“…I heard that Teacher Aoi teaches magic that can manipulate weather. I wanted to confirm if that’s true…”
“Yes. The students who take my lectures can now create temporary rain clouds at the very least.”
“W-What…!?”
His eyes widened so much they looked like they might fall out, and his mouth opened and closed like a carp.
His pupils seemed to dilate slightly, but is he alright?
As I watched the flustered Balvenie, I remembered the time I had met him before.
Come to think of it, we had a similar conversation back then.
If I recall correctly, Balvenie was researching rain prayer magic…
Owen, whom I met again after a long time, was also concerned about this research.
“…I’m sorry. I’m in a bit of a hurry, so let’s talk next time.”
Saying just that in a rush, I turned on my heel and left the scene. Perhaps it’s cruel not to deal with him, but the situation with the students and Rocks’s whereabouts are more pressing matters.
Although I’m curious about Balvenie as well, the anomaly happening to the students is more important as a teacher right now.
As I was thinking about this while walking down the hallway, a male student appeared, accompanied by four female students. The group of five was walking towards me, laughing and enjoying themselves.
Then, the male student in the center noticed me. It was Hiram.
“Ah, Teacher Aoi! It feels like it’s been a while! Have you been well?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Really? You look kind of tired though? It’s a waste for such a beautiful person. After all, we want beautiful people to be smiling, right? If you’re okay with me, I can lend an ear to your troubles?”
His attitude and words were very casual. Well, this is probably Hiram’s normal demeanor.
Is it really okay for him to be like this, being the third prince of Maple Leaf?
There are many things I want to say, but for now, I decide to ask my question first to avoid being thrown off pace.
“I have something I’d like to ask.”
As I said this, Hiram smiled happily.
“What is it?”
“It’s about some students wandering around at night recently, and about Rocks’s actions.”
When I asked, Hiram narrowed his eyes for a moment, then smiled again.
“…You’re asking me? Well, I don’t want to lie to you, Teacher Aoi. Let’s just say that if I speak, it might put Rocks in a difficult position. Well, you’d better ask Rocks directly. I think Court probably knows various things too, but for the same reason as me, he probably can’t say anything.”
“…Rocks’ position?”
Hiram only shrugs with a wry smile when I ask him to repeat some words.
With no other choice, I continued searching for Rocks’ whereabouts.
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