I proceeded down a corridor with the look and feel of a Western castle and headed towards the top floor.
Thick carpets, artistically carved stone walls and ceilings, and countless magic stone lamps illuminated the route. Considering the academy's vast size, it was extremely luxurious.
Both the corridors and the staircases were unnecessarily wide. If the classrooms were equally spacious, I could understand the reason for the academy's immense size. There might be gymnasiums, martial arts halls, practical training buildings, and various other facilities beneath the numerous towers.
Anyway, this was my first time at school in about twenty years. It was quite a nostalgic experience. However, the school’s buildings, students, and teachers were vastly different from the schools I knew.
"We’re here."
As I was touring the academy, Strass, who was walking ahead, stopped.
Apparently, we arrived while I was in a sightseeing mood.
A massive double door loomed behind Strass, who had stopped and turned to face me. The door appeared huge, possibly due to the high ceiling.
The door was made of black metal with silver embellishments. Although it looked very heavy, when Strass knocked on it, it opened automatically from the inside.
Beyond the surprisingly lightly opening door was a spacious room with a calm atmosphere. The high ceiling, big bookshelves filled with books, and large windows gracing the walls provided the area with a peaceful atmosphere. The room smelled like wood and books, similar to a library, in stark contrast to the stone and leather aromas that had been prevalent up to this point.
At the far end of the room was a large desk about three meters wide, behind which sat an elderly man with a white beard.
The elderly man looked up at me and smiled with open arms. "Oh, you must be the one who sent the letter. What a beautiful young lady. I am Glenn Molt, the principal."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Aoi Konominato. Thank you for seeing me at such short notice."
Principal Glenn nodded with one hand raised. "Not at all. So, how is Owen Millers doing? I haven't seen him for decades."
Seeing Glenn’s happy expression, I smiled. "He’s as lively as ever."
Glenn laughed joyfully and nodded repeatedly. "I see. Unlike me, a half-elf, he is a pure-blooded elf. He must still look young and have vibrant mana."
Laughing heartily, Glenn took the letter and held it up to his face. A small pair of glasses had appeared on his face unnoticed, which he adjusted with his fingers. "So, the letter says to hire you as a teacher at the academy. Is this a mistake? Shouldn't it be to enroll you as a student?"
"No, I’m afraid not. Even at this academy, I have been told there’s nothing more for me to learn. Moreover, considering my age, being a student would be difficult."
"Oh? May I appraise you for a moment?"
"Yes, I don't mind."
As soon as I answered, Glenn used appraisal magic. The strange feeling during the appraisal made me feel itchy.
It was a faint discomfort, but those with strong mana could sense it. Incidentally, if there was too much difference in the mana amount, the appraisal would be repelled.
The fact that the appraisal succeeded indicated that Glenn was a formidable magician.
After all, only my master, Owen Millers, and Glenn had been able to appraise me.
Glenn squinted his eyes at me as if he were reading a book and then finally looked astonished. "This is surprising. Not only does your mana exceed mine, but there are even parts I can't understand… It’s just like the Six Heroes."
Strass, who had been silent until now, looked shocked and blurted out, "The Six Heroes…? This girl…?"
Glenn sighed. " This is astounding, yet it appears that Aoi is twenty years old. She is roughly the same age as you."
He said something quite rude.
"It’s hard to believe."
Then Strass said something even ruder. On my way to this academy, many had treated me like a child.
Naturally, my eyebrows rose in irritation. "Is there a problem with my age?"
They both flinched and gasped.
"N-no, nothing, nothing at all."
"S-sorry, I didn't mean anything rude."
The two quickly made excuses and apologies. I glared at them for a while, but since I understood they meant no harm, I decided to forgive them.
"So, will you hire me as a teacher?"
Despite his twitching face, Glenn nodded. "Y-yes, but knowing how to use magic is not the same as teaching it. First, can you teach me a spell you’re good at? Even if you cannot teach magic, there are teachers for arithmetic, languages, geography, history, culture, and magical tools."
"Then, is water magic okay?"
"Oh, it’s fine. Water magicians are as numerous as fire and earth ones. If you can teach intermediate magic or above, we can hire you as a teacher."
Glenn smiled and looked at me with eyes full of expectation. Amused by Glenn's childlike excitement, I pondered what to teach.
A spell that was easy to teach in theory would be ideal.
"Then, how about [Water Bullet, Aqua Ball]?"
"Hmm, an intermediate spell…"
Nodding at Glenn's words, I raised my palm upward and floated a water ball in the air.
For a moment, their expressions changed, but I continued with the explanation. "When handling water magic, first understand the properties of water. The quantity, shape, and flow speed… The basics are these three. By increasing the quantity, shaping it according to the purpose, and maintaining a certain flow speed, it becomes versatile magic that can be used in a variety of situations."
"Hm-hm."
As Glenn and Strass nodded, I changed the shape of the floating water ball.
I extended a water pipe out from the bottom of the floating water ball and gradually narrowed it. "If you can adjust the shape and maintain it while increasing the flow rate, this spell can become as powerful as advanced magic. Moreover, by adding powdered abrasives, it can become the special-grade spell [High-Pressure Water Jet, Abrasive Cutter], which is capable of slicing through orichalcum shields and armor—"
"Wait, wait a minute!" Glenn interrupted just as I believed I was describing the spell properly.
"Is there something wrong?" I inquired, furrowing my brow.
Glenn exclaimed with wide eyes, "No, no, no, it's just… You casually explained an incredible spell. I have never heard of a spell called High-Pressure Water Jet. Who thought of adding abrasives to manifested magic…?"
"I created it. It's my original spell."
"You created it?!"
"It’s an original spell?!"
Both were again surprised. Owen, my master, had said that a first-rate magician would develop at least one or two original spells.
"Well then, for now, I’ll teach you how to create a water ball, which is the basis for the intermediate spell Water Bullet."
"W-wait a minute! W-why are you explaining intermediate magic as if nothing happened?! Please, teach me the original spell!" Glenn, greatly agitated, stood up and pleaded. It seemed the principal of a magic academy had a passion for new spells.
"But this is an exam to become a teacher, correct? First, I need to explain intermediate magic in an easy-to-understand manner to the students…"
"Good! You’ve passed! Now, hurry up, teach me the original spell!" Glenn exclaimed with bloodshot eyes.
Thus, my exam to become a teacher ended abruptly with my passing.