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Chapter 14 –
“…Let’s go with the magic class.”
“Very well. You’ll have time for a cup of tea before the class begins. Let me escort you to the headmaster’s office. Piace, will you hold Grandpa’s hand? I’m afraid you might trip.”
I gave a slight nod to the child looking up at me, silently granting permission.
Only then did Piace blush and tightly grasp Oswald’s fingers.
At that moment, Undine, hidden in the air, sent me a telepathic message.
[Lian, that old human is using magic. He seems to be scanning Piace.]
So, he’s checking whether she has magical power.
[Doesn’t seem like he’s trying to attack. Should I leave him be?]
Pretending to look elsewhere, I gave a small nod.
There was no reason to stop Oswald. Piace didn’t have any magical power anyway.
“You’re such a good girl. Shall we go inside with Grandpa, Piace?”
“O-Okay…”
The interior of the building was both beautiful and comfortable.
Gothic architecture often sacrifices practicality for aesthetics, but the academy was an exception.
For one thing, the temperature was perfect.
“Is it regulated by magic?”
There was no trace of the summer heat outside.
The grand inner walls and stained-glass windows were spotless, not a single fingerprint in sight.
Even the mural filling the high ceiling was perfectly preserved.
Everything showed signs of meticulous maintenance.
“No wonder Grandpa is proud of this place.”
I was marveling to myself, gazing intently at the ceiling mural, when Undine grumbled telepathically.
[Lian, why are all those little humans staring only at you?]
“…Huh?”
Lowering my gaze, I noticed that more than half the children on the first floor were staring at me.
All with their mouths agape.
Even the ones who hadn’t initially noticed me were starting to stare now.
“Wow. So dazzling!”
“Who is that?”
“A new professor, maybe?”
“Gasp! I heard that’s the Duke!”
“That’s Duke Ybrante!”
“The new professor is Duke Ybrante!”
“Aaahh!”
My identity spread like wildfire among the students. The first floor fell silent.
[Hmph! At least they know what beauty is. Humans… always the same.]
“Look at that one crying. That’s definitely not about my looks.”
…Not that I could say it out loud. Unlike Undine, I didn’t have telepathy, so I just kept it in my head.
The kids weren’t staring because I was pretty.
At first, they were probably just caught off guard by something flashy walking in.
Fair enough—my dress might’ve been more extravagant than the building itself.
Then, realizing who I was, they got scared.
“But why are even children scared of me? None of them know me.”
Maybe their parents talked badly about me at home?
These kids were all nobles, so it was entirely possible.
Sensing the frozen atmosphere, Oswald let out a strained chuckle.
“Some of the students must still remember your guest lecture, Your Grace. Hohoho.”
Adrian gave a guest lecture? What did he do to traumatize them like that?
“Ahem. Let’s go up now. Piace, let’s head to Grandpa’s room for a snack, then we can take a tour afterward.”
“Okay…”
Even as she climbed the stairs, Piace couldn’t stop looking around.
Her blue eyes sparkled with wonder and curiosity.
She was bound to trip at this rate.
“Piace, watch where you’re going.”
“Ah! Yes!”
Once we entered the headmaster’s office on the fifth floor, Oswald personally brewed the tea.
The room quickly filled with a pleasant aroma.
“Please, have some.”
I drank the tea with impeccable poise.
Arrogantly, but elegantly—as if saying, “This is just barely good enough for me.”
Meanwhile, Oswald was enthusiastically wooing Piace.
“Did you see earlier, Piace? The first floor has the cafeteria and convenience facilities. Classrooms are on the second to fourth floors.”
“Yes…”
“The headmaster’s office and professors’ research rooms are on the fifth floor. This is Grandpa’s room, so if you ever miss me while studying, you’re welcome to stop by anytime.”
“Oh…”
“The sword training ground and the magic practice yard are located behind the main building. It’s dangerous to go alone, so let’s visit together next time, alright?”
“…G-Grandpa, can I come again?”
“Of course! In fact, I wish Piace came every day, not just once. What do you think, Piace? Would you like to attend the academy?”
“I…”
Even though she was clearly enchanted by the academy, Piace didn’t answer right away.
She believed she needed my permission first.
Oswald, understanding her dilemma instantly, feigned surprise.
“Didn’t you know? The Duke said you can do whatever you want. Really!”
“R-Really?”
The child turned to me quickly, her eyes wide and full of questions.
“Really? Can I go to the academy like Grandpa said?”
“She’s completely hooked.”
Oswald wasn’t trying to win Piace over—he was using Piace to win me over.
Once she enrolled, the academy would gain the powerful backing of House Ybrante.
But trying to appeal to me directly would’ve been futile, so he targeted Piace instead.
Of course, he probably genuinely liked her too.
“I did wonder why an Expert-level mage would choose to be a headmaster…”
But now I could see he was more than qualified.
Oswald was surprisingly sharp.
Unlike most mages, who are famously bad at communication, he was articulate and persuasive.
Even though his intentions were crystal clear, it didn’t bother me.
Probably because he wasn’t doing it for selfish gain.
“I like this old man. I can trust him with Piace.”
I’d already expected Piace would eventually attend the academy.
My only concern was whether the place would be good enough for her.
“Seems like I don’t have to worry anymore. That’s a relief.”
[Step 2: (With a sigh) You really don’t know why I brought you to the academy? Of course you’re going to attend!]
I looked down at Piace with a cool gaze.
“Do you really not understand why I brought you here? It’s to give you a choice.”
“Ah…”
After thinking seriously for a moment, Piace asked carefully,
“I-I really… want to come here every day. D-Duke, is that okay?”
“You may.”
She had been sitting there frozen, but now she jumped up.
“…Wha! R-Really?!”
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
“N-No! That’s not it! Um… Th-Thank you, Duke! Really!”
I calmly lifted my teacup to hide my face.
Her cheeks were so red I almost burst out laughing.
Oswald, looking completely satisfied, smiled warmly.
He unwrapped a candy and fed it to Piace himself.
“It’s time for class to start. Piace, let’s go together with Grandpa.”
“Yes!”
As we headed down to the third floor where the magic basics class was held, Oswald began boasting.
“Recently, our magic basics class has become incredibly popular—even students with no magical aptitude attend.”
“Is the professor really that good? Doesn’t seem likely.”
Mages usually make terrible teachers.
Born geniuses, they can’t comprehend that most people don’t grasp things instantly.
“At least, the one mage I know is like that. Are there actually normal ones out there?”
“Is the professor just really good at teaching?”
“Not quite… We recently hired a new professor. A Master.”
“…Ah.”
There are only three Master-level mages in the entire Philio Empire.
And I’ve only ever seen one.
Even if a Master teaches terribly, just being their student is prestigious enough.
“Of course the class is full.”
Magic basics was easy enough for even non-mages, and it was the perfect chance to connect with a Master-level mage.
“You’ll recognize the name, Your Grace. He’s quite famous.”
“Of course he is. He’s a Master.”
“Well, that too… but he’s also one of the three heroes who defeated the Demon King alongside Adela Helsing.”
I stopped in my tracks.
My voice trembled slightly.
“…Don’t tell me—it’s Ruthpell?”
