Chapter 24

Rocks' flame spear froze, turning the surroundings into an icy world, and the two of them stared in amazement, forgetting their initial purpose, at Aoi's figure.

Then, Aoi continued the screening without a care.

In the video projected on the wall of the reception room, Rocks was shouting at Aoi, calling her a "monster."

"In this way, Rocks-kun made remarks that do not befit a teacher..."

As Aoi began to say, Glen raised his hand enthusiastically and called out.

"Yes! Aoi-kun! What is that!?"

Glen, with the momentum to pounce, bombarded Aoi with questions, and Aoi instinctively braced himself. With his hands outstretched in front of him, Aoi, in a posture resembling a feline, frowned and opened his mouth.

"...This is an original magic that combines water and fire elemental magic. The drawback is that I can only transfer the image from my perspective, but I have a plan to improve it."

"Oh..."

Aoi's matter-of-fact tone made Glen clutch his head and lean back in his chair.

"Again, you've created something, and you say you can improve it... Really, what is this girl... Could she be the Devil King or something?"

"What?"

"It's nothing."

As the two were exchanging words, Middleton, who had finally regained his composure, cleared his throat and pointed at the video, opening his mouth.

"...Let's set aside this terrifying magic for now. Do you know what kind of fire magic Rocks used?"

Asked with a serious face, Aoi sighed lightly and shook his head.

"I don't know. However, I can make a guess. When Rocks-kun used that magic, he infused his dagger with magic power and cast the spell without incantation. This suggests that the dagger is a tool that can activate magic when infused with magic power."

Upon hearing this, Glen's eyes lit up and he raised his face.

"What! Could it be a lost relic?"

Shocked, Glen asked, and Middleton nodded slightly.

"That's right. Just one of those relics can turn the tide of a war. It is one of the four relics in our country."

Middleton said this, and Aoi nodded several times in response.

"...A relic."

As Aoi murmured, Middleton looked at him.

"The threat of relics lies in the fact that anyone with sufficient magic power can cast mid-level or higher magic. Moreover, without incantation. This can be used for assassinations of important figures if the time and place are chosen right. A country with many relics is invariably strong in war."

As Middleton spoke, Glen narrowed his eyes.

"...Information about relics is kept secret by the royal families of each country. Even if it is known that a relic exists, the threat diminishes if the type of magic it can cast is unknown. However, Aoi-kun effortlessly dealt with the sudden appearance of the fire magic. And with a water magic of advanced level or higher. This..."

"That's a story for another time."

Aoi cut off Glen's long-winded speech, straightened his back, and turned off the video.

"Right now, we are discussing Rocks-kun's usual words and actions, and his violent behavior. Talk about war tools is irrelevant."

Aoi firmly stated this, and Glen and Middleton widened their eyes.

In the quiet room, Aoi's words echoed.

"Rocks-kun's words and actions are rooted in an excessive pride of royalty. The royal family considers themselves superior to all others and looks down on everyone else. Is this due to your education?"

Asked this, Middleton and Rea were at a loss for words.

They exchanged glances with complex expressions, and Rea looked at Aoi with a wry smile.

"...Aoi-san? To be kind, I must tell you that rudeness to the royal family is punishable by death. You should refrain from such strong statements..."

Rea said this with a somewhat testing look, but Aoi glared back and responded.

"That is what is fueling Rocks-kun's misconceptions. Royalty are just human. Insulting those who are not nobles, and if they retaliate, they might easily lose their lives. Not only as a student, but also in this academy where nobles from other countries are present, creating enemies in this way is not fitting for a royal."

As Aoi spoke, Rea's expression turned cold.

"Ice Twin Blades"

As the words were whispered, a large amount of magic power gathered around Aoi's neck.

Three layers of magic circles floated in the air, and massive ice blades appeared on either side of the sofa where Rea and Middleton were sitting. The blades, thin and curved, were so intimidating that they made the onlookers shudder. The tips of the two curved blades were pointed at Aoi's face.

Without blinking, Aoi stared at them and whispered.

"Scorching Circle Sky"

As soon as Aoi spoke, several red trajectories appeared in the air. The red lines of light flew around Aoi in a circular pattern, and the massive ice blades that touched them instantly melted and shattered.

"What...!?"

Aoi's glare stopped Glen, who was about to stand up in excitement.

"Don't move. Consider that touching this red light will kill you. I can't dispel it for at least ten seconds."

Hearing this, Glen, sweating coldly, slowly sat back down.

In the silent space, Aoi looked at Middleton and the others, who were speechless.

"...Please allow me to be frank. Just now, you were on the brink of death. King Middleton, Queen Rea. Your status as royalty did not protect my life as a commoner. Of course, if I had done such a thing, I would have had to leave this country and go to another. I might even go to a country that opposes the Varted Kingdom and join the war."

By the time Aoi finished speaking, his magic had ended, and the light had disappeared.

For a few seconds, silence dominated the room.

Finally, Middleton spoke.

"...We lost. But, even if you were angry, remember that Rea was trying to help you."

"Yes, I understand."

In response, Rea took out a necklace from her chest.

"The secret treasure of our royal family had no effect on you, noble lady. It's frustrating, but being defeated so thoroughly is refreshing."

"I will apologize. And I will leave Rocks to you. Lord Aoi, your words were bitter, but I agree with many of them. Looking back, I entrusted the education of our royal family to those with strong loyalty. If surrounded by those who worship oneself, one might feel like a god... Unfortunately, if I punish Rocks directly, it could lead to unnecessary rumors and conflicts. It will be a hassle, but only you, Lord Aoi, can speak sternly to Rocks."

Seeing the two of them, Aoi blinked.

"...From the beginning? What about Headmaster Glen?"

Glen, who was directed, put on a forced smile and averted his gaze.

Actually, Glen had already reported to us, though the content was much softer than what Aoi said.

"Yes. It was a bit excessive... I didn't expect such harsh words."

Laughing together, Aoi pouted.

"...I was quite nervous."

Middleton laughed slyly at Aoi's complaint.

"Let it be. To entrust Rocks to someone, I needed someone I could trust. Through our conversation, I learned that you, Lord Aoi, are a genuine teacher who simply wants to correct the behavior of students."

Aoi sighed deeply at Middleton's cheerful laugh and Rea's smile, which she covered with her hand.

If you found this even a little "interesting" or "want to know what happens next," please press the ☆ at the bottom of the page to rate it! It will be a great encouragement to the author!