Ch. 163 - Meeting Solare

The academy buildings were spacious, and including research rooms, there were many structures on campus. Several courtyards existed within the school grounds, each one built to be expansive. With the inclusion of plazas and facilities used as testing grounds, it was common to find students who had attended the academy for years yet had never been to many of its locations.

Within this academy, Glenn lived on the upper floors of a school building. Since the buildings housed cafeterias and shops for the students, it was possible to live without ever leaving the academy grounds unless one had specific business outside.

The same was true for Solare. Having lost his parents in childhood, Solare had a private room within the academy building where Glenn looked after him, and he had lived there ever since.

Solare's room was located on the third floor of the north side of the building—an area containing the library, magical tool storage, and some research laboratories.

"...Before he entered the middle school division, he lived with me, but I gave Solare the living quarters near the library and research labs to make studying magic easier. Originally, it was for the live-in manager of the library and magical tools, but a big reason it was free was because the manager got married and started commuting daily from Winter Valley."

I thanked Glenn for the information and bowed slightly.

"Thank you. I'll head over right away."

"W-Wait a moment! I-I'm coming too!"

Although I now knew the location and didn't need a guide, Glenn, clearly worried about his grandson, stood up in a flurry.

"Alright. Let's go together."

When I agreed, Glenn furrowed his brows slightly and gave a faint nod.

The north side of the building was an area with fewer students. While the library itself was spacious, few people went out of their way to use the north entrance, and the storage rooms further inside saw only teachers coming and going.

Incidentally, since most teachers kept the tools they needed for research in their own labs, the number of people who used the magical tool storage was also limited.

Given these circumstances, it seemed Solare had lived his life almost entirely unseen by others.

"...Is this it?"

"Yes."

It was a small wooden door. Looking at this single-panel door, Glenn wore a worried expression. I could sense a faint presence from the other side—just the slightest hint, as if someone was sitting in a chair, perhaps dozing off.

"Excuse me."

Saying this to Glenn, I knocked on the door with one hand. A light sound echoed.

I didn't feel any sign of the door being opened.

I tried knocking once more, but got the same response. However, I thought the presence beyond the door felt slightly stronger now.

"...Headmaster Glenn?"

I looked at him, asking with my eyes if I should force it open. Headmaster Glenn then hurriedly stepped forward.

"S-Solare... would you open the door?"

Glenn called his name and knocked once more. This elicited a slight reaction, but there was still no reply.

"I'm going to open it."

"W-Wait a moment...!"

Although Glenn told me to wait, I chose to ignore it. While not my direct student, I had heard stories from colleagues during my time as a teacher on Earth about home visits to students who had shut themselves in. They spoke of visiting repeatedly with patience, only for the student to eventually transfer to a correspondence high school. My colleague had expressed regret, saying that if they had acted sooner, things might have been different.

In other words, speed must be crucial when dealing with a student who has withdrawn. I had no personal experience in such matters, but based on my colleague's account, passion, speed, and above all, the teacher's actions were vital.

"Unlock Open."

Channeling magic at my fingertips, I let it spread outward in a fine, delicate stream. I touched the door and whispered the spell name. A type of earth magic, it could alter shape like clay to grasp the form of the lock and open it.

Perhaps sensing the lock had been undone, a sign of movement came from the other side of the door.

"Excuse me. I am Aoi Konominato, a teacher at Fiddiq Academy."

Saying this, I knocked once more. This time, the door opened from the other side. It was just a narrow gap, but Solare had undoubtedly opened it.

Feeling inwardly relieved, I looked at the face of the small-statured boy peering through the crack. Indeed, he had quite refined features but lacked any elvish characteristics. He had dark red hair, black eyes, and his skin lacked a translucent clarity. The boy looked frightened, his brows furrowed as he made himself small, hiding behind the door. I had heard he was sixteen, but his small stature made him look like a middle school student. So this boy was Solare.

"...Huh? A-Aoi, sensei... You're...?"

For some reason, Solare looked surprised. Tilting my head slightly at his reaction, I bowed in greeting.

"It's nice to meet you. I am Aoi Konominato. Do you know me?"

When I asked this, Solare's face grew even more anxious, and he seemed to shrink further into himself.

"...I came because I'd like to talk with you for a bit. May I come in?"

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