Chapter 80

Terry has become accustomed to going to the main building for tea parties, and recently he has been watching Terry's magic practice more often.

"Ugh... Ha! No good, three is the limit. And they don't line up as neatly as Brother's."

"You've done well to line up three in such a short time, Terry."

Terry managed to float and align three sparks of elementary magic at head height. Although there was some variation in their height, he maintained the proper spacing, and all three activated their magic.

"Brother, they're crackling."

"They're sparkling too, Brother."

"But the precision is lower than the magic Brother did that time, and I don't feel like I can run in this state."

The twins clapped, but Terry seemed dissatisfied.

Comparing me, who uses Sefira, is a bit different, though.

"I'm three years older than Terry. If I were in this state now, Terry would be able to do much more impressive things at my age."

"More...? Yeah, I'll try harder."

I meant to comfort him, but it seems to have motivated him.

It's cute that he accepts it so readily, but I don't want him to push himself too hard.

"Let's finish for today. The princess is waiting, so let's go back."

The princess has already returned to the room and prepared for us to rest and refresh our throats.

Of course, this practice area is safe with guards and my magic teacher, Wearrel, present.

Wearrel, a former teacher, is better at explaining things than I am.

Just as I thought about taking the exhausted Terry inside, someone appeared.

This person, who wasn't stopped by the guards or the corridor sentries, looked like a nobleman.

"Mr. Hados, what's the matter?"

It seems Terry knows this person.

He is apparently Terry's tutor who has been watching his magic practice.

Since he is allowed to enter and leave here, no one stopped him.

However, while his mouth was smiling, his eyes were not, and he seemed to be sizing us up.

"I was wondering what you were doing, and it turns out to be such a waste."

He shook his head with a sigh, clearly showing disdain and mockery.

"Such elementary magic should be a given. Moreover, doing several of these elementary spells is absurd. I suggest you stop teaching such unnecessary things to Prince Terry."

I was unsure whether to respond, as he was a superior and an unknown person.

When I looked at Terry, he nodded and stepped forward.

"I have asked for his teachings. Besides, it's not Mr. Hados's class time now."

He shook his head with another sigh.

"I am saying this for Prince Terry's benefit. Can't you see? You are wasting his time with frivolous ideas and making him focus on ridiculous things. This is a despicable trap to make you look like a fool."

"I've heard that before. Despite that, I am impressed by Brother's techniques and am learning from him. Even Mr. Hados couldn't do it. Whether it's a waste or not is for me to decide."

Terry can clearly speak his mind to adults.

I remember that the second time we met, he was also assertive with me.

It might be a result of his imperial education, a reversal of his fear, but he has the courage to stand up for himself.

The question now is whether to leave this to Terry or to intervene.

From the reactions around me, Wearrel was signaling me, so I nodded in response.

"Excuse me, Prince Terry. Since I am teaching Asha, should I handle this?"

"Of course."

The sighing man shook his head again, but Wearrel's expression was cold.

"First, let's see if there is any intention to apologize for the unjustified insults to the First Prince."

"Are you shifting the blame because I hit a nerve? Besides, did you teach him? A once-praised genius of the academy has fallen so far."

Nine-tails? What's that?

I remember Wearrel has fluffy tails and pointed ears.

I never clearly heard it before, but is he a fox anthropomorph?

...A green fox, what a pity.

While I was thinking about this, the conversation had progressed.

"Calling something a waste because you can't do it is rather simplistic. I pity your limited thinking, which fails to recognize the harm in your own words."

"Preaching fraud. Making him do something impossible is shameful."

As the sighing man retorted, Wearrel extended his hand in a direction where no one was.

Then, three sparks of magic appeared in a straight line.

However, Wearrel is a wind attribute user and cannot use fire.

So, the sparks were a simple lightning spell, a very basic wind attribute magic.

He was using static electricity to create the sparks.

"Prince Terry, did you see more of Asha's magic?"

"Yeah, a lot more."

In response, Wearrel increased the number to three rows.

In reality, they were in a horizontal line, but Wearrel arranged them in a square, creating nine magic spells.

Of course, they all activated without canceling each other out, and the sparks spread beautifully.

"Beautiful! They're blue!"

"Sparkling! Crackling!"

The twins were delighted, and Terry's eyes sparkled as he spread his arms.

"Brother's were even wider!"

Wearrel then increased the square pattern.

In other words, he was controlling sixteen magic spells simultaneously.

(I didn't count, but how many did Sefira use that time?)

(She was in a daze and considered the safety of the spark range, so she used ten magic spells.)

Terry was delighted, but it was clearly more than Sefira.

Moreover, it was no longer elementary magic.

This was definitely something Terry and I couldn't replicate.

We need to practice more to achieve this level.

"Many, Wearrel. That time, I only lined up ten in a row."

"Oh, is that so? Then, having too many could be dangerous. Let's stop here."

Wearrel pretended it was nothing and dispelled the magic, but it was probably a significant effort.

The air, which had the unique smell of burnt ozone from the lightning, also dissipated, proving it wasn't a trick.

I thought the teacher, Hados, would sigh again, but he was frozen with his eyes and mouth wide open.

"Seeing this, if you still call it a waste, you lack the ability to see the essence of things. A small amount of magic, a simple spell, and precise control. With this, even young children can protect themselves adequately."

"Such things are unnecessary! Prince Terry is always protected!"

The air around us was filled with tension.

In fact, we were attacked, and this magic could have protected us.

"Then, should we teach destructive magic that he won't use? Flashy and powerful, but it could harm those nearby. Teaching such difficult spells is pointless. Without the basic operational skills and mental cultivation, they are useless."

Currently, powerful and flashy magic is preferred.

I learned this while researching the decline of alchemy and magic.

It seems that ease of use, speed of effect, and the power to defeat monsters are highly sought after.

Moreover, according to Wearrel, the more useless the magic, the more the noble students, who have no intention of using it, seek flashy and difficult spells.

"This is a trick! Magic can't do such things!"

"Mr. Hados, please stop. We are keeping the princess waiting."

When Hados became agitated, it was Terry's guard who intervened.

It was the same person from the cathedral, and the other guards, who had been observing, began to deal with the overly excited Hados.

I had a feeling they were softening, but it seems I wasn't mistaken.

The three guards I fought in the cathedral no longer glared at me unnecessarily and now follow Icto's instructions more readily.

"......I also want Brother's teacher to teach me. I heard that the nine-tails are the nine people who achieved the highest results and graduated from the Rukiusaria Academy."

"Is that so, Wearrel?"

I joined in, sensing the interesting conversation.

Wearrel's triangular ears twitched nervously.

"It's an old story, and it's exaggerated for the sake of interest. Most importantly, Prince Terry, the content you are learning is what will be necessary for your future. It's not easy to change the people around you. First, consult with His Majesty."

Wearrel declined politely and maturely.

Even if my father approaches him, he can refuse directly.

"I want to change everyone. When I talk about Brother, they just deny it and no one listens properly."

"Everyone has different opinions, so it's important to listen to different views. However, if you listen too much, it can be tiring. It's also a good idea to cut it off and think, 'This person is like that, and it's not related to me.'"

I advised him, and my lips curved into a smile.

I couldn't help but grin, knowing that he thinks about me even when I'm not around.

Regular Update

Next: Tea Party with the Younger Brothers 3