“Ah, there you are.”
With those words, my brain recognized this tall man as an enemy. As I looked up at him silently with hostility, the man removed his hood to reveal his face.
He was a man with noticeable pale green hair and glasses. His features were more refined than I expected, but there was an air of abnormality about him. He didn’t seem to be carrying any noticeable weapons, but he couldn’t hide the aura peculiar to magicians.
“…black-haired female teacher of the academy…”
The man stared at me intensely, as if trying to bore a hole through my head, and muttered something under his breath. Then, he curled up the corners of his mouth.
“…Could you possibly be the magician Aoi Konominato?”
Before I could answer the man’s question, the other robed figures standing around us spoke up.
“…No way, this young girl?”
“You must be joking.”
“When I heard ‘witch,’ I was expecting either a terrifying old hag or a bewitchingly attractive mature woman…”
Hearing these remarks, I glared at the man who had likely uttered the last comment.
Do I really have to guide these rude people?
Though the question popped into my head, these people were still official envoys from another country. I couldn’t just kick them out, no matter how irritated I felt.
Quickly suppressing my inner conflict, I raised my face.
“…Headmaster Glen is waiting. Please, follow me.”
As I turned to lead them into the academy, the man with light green hair called out to me.
“Wait a moment! I’m Crown Windsor! You’re Aoi Konominato, right? Please! Show us your power as a magician! That’s why I came here!”
“…Couldn’t that wait for later?”
I turned back to check, but Crown didn’t back down. He took a step closer to me and held up one hand in front of his face.
“Look at this. It’s a medium I created to manifest my original magic.”
On Crown’s hand was a strange glove. It appeared to be made of white leather, with a wide silver ring on the middle finger and silver patterns tracing lines across the back of the hand.
“…It’s for magic circulation and directional control, isn’t it? Water attribute, I presume. It’s well-made.”
I offered my opinion. Crown’s eyes widened slightly as he nodded.
“Y-yes, that’s right! I didn’t expect you to understand it at a glance. Well, I suppose it makes sense if you’re researching from the same perspective! You must be doing similar research, right? I’ll show you my specialty magic. So, please demonstrate two or three spells for me as well!”
Saying this, Crown began channeling magical power without waiting for my response.
As he started his incantation, the people around us finally noticed the magical activity, and the atmosphere suddenly became chaotic.
But there was no time for evacuation or countermeasures. Crown’s spell required only two short verses of incantation. The content seemed to be of advanced level. He might even be on par with Glen.
However, using magic in the middle of town was extremely dangerous.
I quietly concentrated my magical power.
“Freeze, Ice Berg of the Frozen Cliff!”
The moment Crown uttered these words, an ice mountain-like structure began to form between us. The spectators around us showed expressions of shock as they sensed the activation of magic.
Glancing at them from the corner of my eye, I activated my own spell.
“Frost Column!”
As I murmured this, a huge crack appeared in the growing ice mountain. In the next instant, the mass of ice Crown was trying to create shattered into pieces.
In its place appeared the ice tower I had created. I had actually intended it to be an ice pillar, but it was so enormous that it looked more like a building.
Crown’s magic had completely disappeared, and while the onlookers were all staring in amazement with their eyes wide open, Crown himself was different.
“O-oh…!? This is…!”
His voice trembled as he broke into a manic grin. Furrowing my brow at his reaction, I spoke.
“…Now then, everyone. This time, please follow me quietly. Also, using magic without permission is not allowed. Next time, I will punish you at my own discretion. Is that clear?”
As I said this in a slightly lowered voice, the white-robed figures nodded their heads rapidly. Even Crown himself nodded with a meaningful smile.
Behind them, an exceptionally large man who had been silent until now opened his mouth.
“…Hmm, this won’t be so simple, will it?”
His words, contrary to their content, sounded strangely cheerful.
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“W-well, it seems something happened, but anyway, thank you for coming.”
Glen greeted them with a complex expression that seemed to forcibly suppress various emotions like bewilderment and anxiety.
In response, the two white-robed figures seated on the sofa nodded with smiles.
“No, the pleasure is ours. To meet the great magician Glen himself, I’m overwhelmed! I am Alabaster Domek! I serve as the Vice-Commander of the Holy Empire of Maple Leaf’s Royal Guard! It’s an honor to make your acquaintance!”
The beastman named Alabaster bowed his head, his booming voice matching his giant frame. His face looked like some kind of copper statue used to ward off evil spirits, but his ears and tail were fluffy and looked very pleasant to touch. I felt the urge to pet them, but restrained myself, thinking it would be inappropriate for a first meeting.
After Alabaster finished his greeting, the man with bright light green hair sitting next to him, Crown, spoke up.
“I am Crown Windsor of the Maple Leaf Holy Empire’s Court Magician Corps. Apart from my official duties, I would like to thoroughly tour the world-renowned Fidic Academy. Also, I’d love to discuss magic with you, Master Glen.”
Crown greeted them with gleaming—or rather, glaring—eyes. Glen responded with a slightly uncomfortable smile.
“Ha, ha, ha… No, no, I don’t have much magic worth showing to a court magician from the magical superpower, the Holy Empire of Maple Leaf. Rather, I’d love to see the rumored magic of Sir Crown…”
Glen tried to politely decline while praising his counterpart. Given Crown’s personality, such a roundabout expression might not get through easily, but what about Alabaster?
As I stood watching the three of them huddled together, Alabaster glanced at me.
“Don’t be so modest, Sir Glen. I’ve heard that our country’s pride, the magician Foar Perno Roses, was defeated in a magic duel by your Aoi Konominato. Foar is known as a top-class magician in our country, on par with the head court magician. Our country’s magicians are in an uproar about it.”
Though he was laughing, there was a hint of probing in his manner. It was both about Foar’s future, having lost to a young newcomer, and an inquiry into my abilities for having defeated Foar.
Sensing this, Glen laughed awkwardly.
“Ha ha ha… No, no, there was no official match or anything. It’s just that Foar had firm skills and pride as a senior instructor, and he simply questioned the abilities of Aoi, who was suddenly invited as a senior instructor. However, as he actually observed and listened to Aoi’s lectures, Foar naturally came to recognize Aoi’s abilities. It’s a wonderful thing, I think.”
“I see. So, Lady Aoi has abilities equal to or surpassing Foar’s. This makes me want to witness those abilities even more.”
Alabaster nodded, seeming to accept Glen’s words. Though his tone was soft, there was an undeniable pressure that suggested he wouldn’t back down.
Glen seemed to sense this too, as he nodded with an exaggerated reaction and gestured towards me with his palm up.
“Well, I understand how you feel. However, Aoi is still a newcomer, you see. It would be nerve-wracking for her to demonstrate magic in front of important figures from another country like Sir Alabaster and Sir Crown. For now, how about we share a meal together…”
As Glen started making various excuses, Alabaster raised one eyebrow and tilted his head.
“Hmm? Is that so? When we met earlier, she seemed quite imposing and dignified. When Crown tried to show off his ice magic in the middle of town, which could have caused trouble, she brilliantly demonstrated her own ice magic and shattered it.”
“I-ice magic…!? Aoi’s ice magic…you say?”
At Alabaster’s words, even Glen’s attention suddenly turned to me. Sighing at Glen’s gleaming eyes, I reluctantly opened my mouth.
“…I don’t mind demonstrating my magic. However, I’d like Sir Crown to show his magic as well. Also, please teach me about the latest magic and ongoing research in the Holy Empire of Maple Leaf.”
Hearing my response, Alabaster furrowed his brow.
“…We must ask you to wait on that. What you just mentioned includes parts of our country’s crucial secrets. To easily talk about such things…”
“Is that really okay!? Of course it’s fine! I’ll answer any questions you have!”
Crown’s voice enthusiastically cut off Alabaster’s attempt at a negative response. Alabaster frowned deeply at this.
“W-wait a moment, Crown! We can’t decide such important matters so easily…!”
“Now, where should I demonstrate? There was a good spot earlier, but is there one inside the academy too? If possible, I’d like to see Master Glen’s magic as well…!”
“W-wait! Both of you, please forget what was just said…! L-let us discuss this between ourselves first…!”
Crown leaned forward, looking back and forth between Glen and me, while Alabaster stood up, looking extremely flustered.
Observing this scene, I understood why Crown was called a magic fanatic.
However, his behavior closely resembled that of Owen and Glen when they saw new magic, so I couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity as I watched Crown.
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