Chapter 14

Suddenly, a tornado swept through, apparently caused by a spell cast by the new senior teacher.

Unaware of the rumors spreading, I was delighted that my first day went better than expected.

"Aoi, you look happy."

"I'm praising myself, but I think I did well on my first day."

With a smile, I spoke, and Eliza laughed in response.

"Yes, Strass also said you did a great job. Fire, wind, and now water and earth... Maybe you'll come to my class tomorrow."

Eliza said this with a happy look, and I nodded, eating the pasta with minced meat. Despite its brown, heavy appearance, it was surprisingly light and delicious. The salad and bread were also quite good.

I enjoyed the dormitory meal while chatting with Eliza.

The morning sun streamed through the window, and I rolled over in the soft bed, gradually becoming aware of my surroundings. The room's interior resembled that of a luxury hotel, and from the window, I could see a row of castles and spires that looked like a World Heritage site.

Looking at this somewhat surreal scene, I sat up.

I must have been more nervous than I realized yesterday, as I slept soundly.

I drank a glass of water in my pajamas, washed my face, and changed into my uniform. The soft undergarments and crisp uniform made me feel more focused.

When I went to the dining hall, Eliza was already waiting.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning."

We exchanged greetings and had breakfast together. The menu included bread, vegetable soup, and, for some reason, a meat pie, which was delicious even for breakfast.

As we walked to the academy, Faimus was waiting at the entrance.

"...Good morning. I have a message from the principal. Konominato will observe S. Oud's intermediate water magic class in the morning and Eliza's earth magic class in the afternoon. That's all."

With that, Faimus left.

"I didn't know where the classroom was."

Is this harassment?

Thinking this, I whispered, and Eliza, standing next to me, pointed to the back.

"The intermediate water magic class is at the end of the corridor on the right side. Oh, let's have lunch in the school cafeteria. I'll wait for you! See you later!"

Eliza added this and ran off.

I was suddenly alone. I had no way to check the time, but I might be just about to be late.

Looking around, no one was in the corridor.

"...Right side of the corridor, at the end."

I repeated what Eliza said and hurried to the destination.

However, the school was too large. It was quite far, even just to the end of the corridor.

As a result, I opened the classroom door just as the low bell signaling the start of class rang.

"I'm sorry for being late."

As I apologized and entered, the students and teachers turned their eyes to me.

Standing at the lectern was the blue-haired young man I met on the first day of the academy.

"...It's you. I'm Speyside Oud, the teacher for this class."

After saying this, he paused, frowned, and continued.

"...The tornado that suddenly appeared behind the school yesterday. It was probably the 'Spear of the Storm,' a top-level magic spell. Was it your magic?"

When Speyside said this, the students murmured.

I shook my head from side to side, denying it.

"That was an original magic spell I modified from an intermediate spell. It's not a top-level spell."

When I answered, Speyside's eyes widened slightly, and the students looked at each other.

Then, one of the students spoke.

"I'm Cort Hedge Butler, a third-year student in the advanced department. Just the fact that you have an original magic spell suggests a high level of skill, but raising an intermediate spell to a top-level equivalent is hard to believe. Could you please explain?"

The student said this with a gentle demeanor, but everyone fell silent and listened.

He was a boy with hair that was almost pink, about sixteen or seventeen years old. He was not tall and had a slim build, but he did not seem weak.

Nodding at Cort's words, I held my palm up.

"It's a water magic class now. So, let me show you a water magic spell..."

I demonstrated the original magic spell I had shown Glen and the others.

When I did, the classroom was in an uproar, and Speyside looked at me sternly.

On the other hand, Cort nodded with interest.

"...Impressive."

Cort's words sounded particularly good to me.

After that, Speyside restarted the class, and it finally began.

It was a good class, simple yet hitting the key points. Although there were some roundabout parts, everyone should be able to understand.

I observed the class until the end, and Speyside finished without any issues.

I see, this is how everyone teaches.

Thinking this, I was about to leave the classroom when the student named Cort walked beside me.

"Teacher Aoi, are you going to have lunch now?"

"Yes, I plan to eat with Eliza in the cafeteria."

When I answered, Cort nodded with a gentle smile.

"May I join you? I would like to learn more about magic."

I couldn't refuse, so I agreed.

"Really! Cort!?"

At Eliza's first words in the cafeteria, Cort laughed awkwardly.

"W-What's wrong? Did Aoi do something again...?"

"I didn't do anything."

I answered, feeling wronged, and Cort chuckled.

"Still, for a new teacher to show a top-level equivalent original magic spell and then say they didn't do anything is hard to believe."

While laughing, Eliza put her hand on her head.

"...Aoi, you've become a topic of conversation. Creating an original magic spell usually takes years of research to complete just one. What a way to stand out..."

"I didn't think it would stand out."

"It's bound to stand out... Well, since it's done, let's try not to stand out any more, okay?"

"I understand."

When I answered, Eliza sighed in relief and nodded.

"I'm glad. Let's eat then."

Relieved, Eliza said this with a smile.

The meal began, and I enjoyed the dishes in front of me. This time, it was cutlets, salad, onion soup, and bread.

I was very happy because the academy always served delicious food.

While thinking this, Eliza looked at me with an indescribable expression.

"...Aoi, don't you feel the gazes of others? I feel like I want to run away right now."

While saying this, Eliza continued to eat her bread. I looked around.

The cafeteria, with its high ceiling and several skylights, felt open, but the current situation was more oppressive.

This was because I had been receiving gazes from others since I sat down. Most of these gazes were from women.

"I notice them, but I don't mind."

I answered and looked at the person I thought was the cause. When my gaze met his, Cort laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry, I usually eat in a private room, so I guess I'm being stared at."

When Cort said this with a joke, Eliza's cheeks twitched.

"I think it's because Cort is very popular with the female students..."

Eliza whispered this with a dry laugh.

Later, I learned that Cort Hedge Butler was the heir of a noble family from one of the six major countries, the Cort Highland Federation. He was also top in both academics and sports and was known for being the most approachable among the noble children.

Therefore, in this academy, which has many noble children, he is known as the best catch.

So, the sight of Cort eating in the cafeteria with someone else was extremely rare and became a major event among the female students.