Ch. 31 - Witch's Class Preparation

It had been a month since I arrived at the academy.

Having attended most of the classes and observed the teaching methods of various teachers, I was asked if I would like to try teaching on my own now.

"Should it be something practical? Or should I focus on the concepts and knowledge of magic?"

When I voiced my thoughts, Glenn seemed conflicted. He made a face like he was tasting a pickled plum for the first time before finally responding. "… Please focus on the concepts and knowledge of magic!"

"… Why do you sound like you're vomiting blood?"

Although I didn't quite understand, Glenn's request led me to decide on teaching a class that deepened the students' understanding of magic.

At this academy, students would learn the basic knowledge of magic in the elementary section. They would take tests for each type of magic to ensure they had gained enough knowledge. Once they passed the tests and could use beginner magic proficiently, they would move up to the junior section.

From there, they would learn how to perform and apply various types of magic.

Therefore, while I wasn’t sure how much demand there would be, I would conduct a magic theory class targeting the junior and senior section students.

At this academy, classes were scheduled based on the availability of the teachers. In other words, the teachers set the dates and times for their classes, and students attended according to their schedules.

The schedules were posted on the wall right inside the school building. The elementary section was on the left side, the junior section was in the center, and the senior section was on the right. The schedule was filled out by inserting copper plates with class names written on them into wooden boards divided into grids.

By the way, there were two class sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon, but sometimes two different classes were held simultaneously.

For instance, there might be fire magic and water magic in the first morning session, and students could choose either one. The second morning session might have only wind magic. The first afternoon session might offer earth magic or non-attribute magic, and the second afternoon session might have only healing magic.

This system continued from Monday through Sunday and allowed students to choose their days off. Typically, they focused on studying the types of magic they were most suited for, so their weekly schedule naturally formed.

I wasn’t sure how many students would attend my classes, but I would give it my best.

At the very least, I believed Shenley would attend.

I think Shenley mentioned she was good at water magic.

With those thoughts in mind, I headed to the entrance of the school building to check the weekly class schedule.

The copper plates had been prepared for me yesterday. The class names were "Introduction to Basic Magic" and "Introduction to Applied Magic."

The junior section had many classes, with most slots filled. In contrast, the senior section had only two or three classes a day.

"It's probably best to choose time slots without overlapping."

I scheduled my classes for the junior section on the first morning session on Tuesday. And for the senior section, they were on the second afternoon session on Wednesday and the first and second afternoon sessions on Thursday.

Although there were only four classes a week, these were the only slots available without overlapping the junior and senior sections’ schedules.

However, the number of classes was not the main issue. The contents of the classes were.

"If I'm going to teach the basics of magic, I should start with the relationship between mana and inanimate objects… No, that might be covered in the elementary section classes. In that case, maybe the methods of developing new spells would be good…"

While contemplating various ideas, I turned around. Since I had no plans today, I thought about looking for Eliza. But when I raised my head, I saw people gathered around.

Both students and teachers were watching from a distance.

Just as I was wondering what was going on, a group of three female students timidly approached me.

"U-um, is this Introduction to Basic Magic class taught by you, Aoi-sensei?"

"Eh? Oh, yes. That's right. Are you interested?"

The three female students nodded enthusiastically.

"W-we want to be like you, Aoi-sensei!"

"We'll definitely attend your class!"

"That’s right!"

Relieved by their enthusiasm, I responded, "Okay. Then, I'll see you on Tuesday. I'll do my best to make it a good class, so please do your best in your studies."

"Yes!"

Their energetic responses made me feel assured.

At least four students were confirmed to attend.

With that, I left to look for Eliza.

Since I had some free time, I decided to learn about the basic knowledge of magic taught in the elementary section. This way, I could better understand what to teach.

I went back to the dormitory to look for Eliza, but I couldn't find her. Since she didn’t have classes, she probably wasn't in the school building either.

Maybe she was at a restaurant in town?

I wandered to the fancy restaurant I had visited before, but she wasn't there. I decided to enjoy a luxurious lunch by myself.

I returned to the academy, asked where Eliza's laboratory was, and headed there, but she wasn't there either.

All that was there was piles of ore.

I could only ask a passing teacher. "Ah, Speyside-sensei."

"Uh… Konominato-sensei, huh?"

We both made somewhat awkward faces. If it were Strass, I could have asked more casually.

"… Do you need something?" Speyside said with a sulky face.

Feeling uncomfortable, I asked, "Do you know where Eliza-san is?"

Speyside blinked and answered with a slightly surprised expression, "She's in the back courtyard. Don’t you know?"

Frowning, I thanked Speyside and headed to the back courtyard.

There, I saw two figures.

Strass and Eliza.

The two of them were looking down at the ground, talking about something.

"So, Aoi's method was…"

"No, if I did it the way Aoi-san suggested, I would have definitely won…"

It seemed they were analyzing Eliza's battle with Felter.

A simple diagram had been drawn on the ground.

"It was a good choice for Felter to strengthen his power at the start, but what if he had attacked with enhanced leg strength from the beginning?"

"Um, if it was enhanced leg strength, I would have created a sandstorm, then set up walls and pitfalls."

"Hmm… that would be a tough tactic too. If it were me, I would surround myself with a tornado and chant a powerful advanced spell."

Hearing their discussion, I nodded. "That's also correct."

The two of them turned around in surprise.

"Aoi-san…" Eliza called my name, tears welling up in her eyes.

Wondering what was wrong, I saw her lips trembling as she looked down.

"I'm sorry. Even though you went to the trouble of devising a tactic for me to win…" Eliza murmured sadly.

I smiled and shook my head.

On the day of the defeat, she seemed to have moved on when we enjoyed dinner together, but it seemed she was still affected.

I had seen many people, regardless of seniority, experience setbacks. Some could use setbacks as a springboard, while others could move on without dwelling on it. However, there were also those who, upon facing setbacks, realized the height of the wall and couldn't recover.

I believed Eliza could use this setback as a springboard, but if not, that was fine too.

I would fully support her and help her recover.

"… Eliza-san, you are a researcher and teacher of magic. It was clear you were at a disadvantage against Felter-kun, who specializes in practical combat magic. However, your magic can be more than a match, depending on the tactic."

"It really was my fault…" Eliza continued to sink into despair.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and raised her face. "Just because you’ve learned swordsmanship, can you immediately win against a knight? Experience is crucial in everything. You've become much stronger since your battle with Felter-kun. If you want to become a strong magician, I'll show you a place in the Demon Forest where you can gain valuable experience. In three months, you'll be able to defeat Felter-kun easily."

Eliza forced a strained smile. "… Eh, I'll pass on that."

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