*
〈 Chapter 256: Wow! Double Nightmares! (2) 〉
The atmosphere is peculiar.
Holding the doorknob, Rania quickly assessed the current situation. Standing before her is Galahal. The person who has monopolized the interest of recently arrived students, a walking commotion.
And behind him, what do we have?
A crowd of students.
『What was that just now?』
『You asked if we had time, right?』
『What’s going on…!』
The whispers of female students covering their mouths bound together swirled around Rania’s ears. There were also occasional students nudging their way through the front ranks trying to peek in.
Not good.
Since the duel with Kelharlem, Rania had been receiving lukewarm glances from those around her. No matter how much her instincts tell her to be cautious, she doesn’t tend to repeat the same mistakes.
She needs to respond quickly.
Rania makes her decision.
“Come in for now.”
“Ah, thank you for giving me your time.”
However, that decision seemingly backfired.
The commotion only grew louder with her response.
『Using informal speech? Did you just drop the honorific…?』
『What’s the relationship between those two…?』
『Are they acquaintances?』
Rania clicked her tongue and closed the door to her office. She could still hear the whispers outside, but there was no brave student willing to peek through the crack of the door.
“So, what is it…?”
Taking a short breath, Rania leaned against the door and asked Galahal.
“What brings you here?”
“Um, it’s about that…”
Galahal, who was abruptly pulled into the professor’s office, blinked for a moment and scratched the back of his head. He seemed to be struggling to find his first words.
‘Is it about the rift?’
Rania recalled the rift she sensed from Galahal recently. Did he come here because he knows she noticed it, and is he going to reveal the truth?
It did feel a bit awkward to grab him by the collar and ask.
‘He willingly came to me, how unusual.’
That is worthy of a warm welcome.
With a gentle smile, Rania opened her mouth.
“Speak freely.”
“I came to ask something.”
Rania nodded encouragingly.
Galahal took a short breath and continued.
“Could you tell me about teaching?”
That was an entirely different question than what she expected.
Rania’s expression crumpled at once.
2.
“You want to know how to teach students?”
“Yes, since I’ll be in charge of a class.”
I glanced sideways at Galahal, who was sipping coffee on the couch. He looked so calm, mumbling about how good the coffee was.
‘Didn’t he catch on at all?’
I roughly sensed what he had been keeping hidden. There’s no way Galahal wouldn’t know that I caught on. At that moment, he was also looking at me with suspicion.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“…Forget it, never mind.”
It didn’t seem like he would respond, even if I asked.
It’s someone who would never speak of something he’s trying to hide until he feels completely comfortable.
“Galahal.”
I tapped my fingers on the table and opened my mouth.
“Your subject is basic martial arts, right?”
“Yes. Since I’m clueless about magic… I think Dean Aaron made special arrangements for me.”
“Then why don’t you just teach that?”
Basic martial arts isn’t that difficult.
I thought it was just a subject where you teach how to move your body and how to build muscles.
“You’ve trained on the battlefield, right?”
I pointed to Galahal’s palm.
“You swing your spear a thousand times each day to release your tension. You’ve been pushing yourself late into the night, haven’t you?”
“…How do you know that? I hardly showed my training to the knights…”
“…I heard it from Raniel, your older sister.”
‘Damn it.’
Every time the topic of the battlefield comes up, this guy’s mouth moves on its own. I broke out in a cold sweat, subtly turning my eyes away.
“……”
Coincidentally, my gaze wandered to where my master was sitting, and with narrowed eyes, she was looking at me in an unsettling way.
‘Mind your manners, Rania.’
She mouthed those words to me.
I nodded vigorously, putting on a brave face as I looked at Galahal.
“When you said you came to Apuria, I heard a lot of things. This was one of them.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
“It seems you have a good relationship with Raniel.”
I somewhat liked how he spoke that without any doubt.
“Anyway, you can teach the way you trained, right? What more do you need?”
“That’s possible, but I don’t want to settle for just that.”
Galahal placed down his cup.
“I heard that all the students in Apuria are talented.”
“…That’s true.”
They are students who were selected after thorough filtration.
“I don’t want to waste the time of students like that. Even if it’s something simple, I want it to be genuinely helpful.”
Galahal looked at me.
“I may not have much to teach, but… still, I want to do my best, within my limits.”
He had a very serious expression.
‘Well…’
Galahal has always been this way.
He takes everything seriously and puts a lot of effort into anything he does.
“That’s a fair point.”
Recalling that fact and letting out a smirk, I slightly leaned forward to look at Galahal.
“If that’s the case, I can teach you well.”
I slipped my hand into my robe.
What I grabbed was a notebook where I diligently recorded insights since taking on the professor role.
Shchh!
Flipping through the pages quickly, I found the section I had organized at the end of the first semester. There, three words circled in red appeared.
“Now, repeat after me.”
I raised one finger.
“First, experience.”
“Experience?”
“Yep. Experience.”
Teach what you have experienced.
The teachings that come from experience are truthful.
Because they are truthful, they are valuable.
As I explained, I raised my second finger.
“Second, leading by example.”
“Leading by example.”
Act first.
Show it first.
By showing it, you instill in your students the belief that ‘if I can do it, so can you.’ Giving them that faith is important.
“And lastly…”
I finished my statement and raised my third finger.
“Persuasion.”
“Persuasion… you mean?”
“Yep. It’s also expressed as ‘to lure,’ but that makes the word seem cheap.”
“To lure…?”
Galahal had a strange expression on his face.
Was that right? He looked like he was questioning it.
I offered a generous smile.
‘That could happen.’
The truth packed in insights is often hard to grasp. Accepting Galahal’s skeptical gaze, I continued speaking.
“When you talk about your experiences and demonstrate by leading, there are often times when students don’t believe. Questions like how can I do that, or why should I learn this arise?”
“That’s not a rational doubt…?”
“Oh ho.”
Don’t spout nonsense.
“Doubt is poison. It steals passion from the students. Therefore, it’s important to always add a plausible reason.”
Another way to put it is justification.
“If you learn this, what will happen. When you master this completely, what can you become. You present bait to the students like that.”
“Bait?”
“Yep, shaking the prey right in front of them… Argh!”
Thud!
Something struck the top of my head hard.
I quickly turned my head and glanced back to find my master standing there with a textbook in hand. It appeared she had hit my head with the corner of the book.
“What a wonderful thing you’re teaching, Rania.”
“No, this isn’t…”
“It must be right.”
Thud!
My master hit my head again, leaving the textbook resting on top.
“Is it Galahal I’m speaking to?”
“Ah, sorry for the late introduction, Lord Rosel.”
“You may call me professor casually. So, Galahal. What my student said isn’t entirely wrong.”
However, my master continued.
“Lastly, regarding persuasion or justification, it might be easier to think of it as motivation.”
“Motivation…?”
“Yes. Teaching is ultimately about providing direction. It’s about helping find the way. The students’ passion that walks that path is the most crucial.”
No matter how good the teachings are, they hold no meaning if the students do not follow.
This was the saying my master always kept close to her heart.
“So, you must motivate them. By showing the heights they can reach at the end of the journey, make them feel fascinated by learning, or use great figures as examples. In that regard, you have a great advantage.”
“Are you referring to me?”
“Correct. What are you known as?”
The Hero, the peak of all heroes.
Hero Galahal.
“You are a hero and an object of admiration for the students. You have achievements. There’s honor and skill. No one can doubt that.”
My master smiled at him.
“So, speak of your experiences. Talk about how you reached that position, about all the efforts you’ve made… That alone can serve as motivation.”
“Indeed…”
Galahal nodded vigorously.
He seemed deeply moved, with respect glimmering in his eyes as he looked at my master. It was a stark contrast to the skeptical gaze he had while I was explaining.
‘That’s disappointing… hmm.’
It’s not that I expressed it differently; after all, they were saying the same thing, weren’t they? Is this the difference due to the speaker’s identity?
“Those are wise words. I will engrave them in my heart.”
“I would appreciate that.”
After my master returned to her seat, Galahal thanked me as well.
“Thank you, Professor Rania, for your valuable teachings.”
“……”
“I sincerely mean it. It has been very helpful.”
“…I’m glad to hear that.”
Hope you enjoyed the coffee.
Saying that, Galahal stood up. As he walked towards the door, he suddenly turned around.
“Why? Do you have more to say?”
“…This is a personal question.”
Galahal asked me.
“Do you still keep in touch with Raniel?”
“I exchange letters with her.”
“I see. If so, it would be quicker to ask Raniel directly.”
Before I could ask what, Galahal raised his palm. The hand that had recently shaken mine. He gestured to his palm with a bitter smile.
“Because she would probably know.”
…She does know.
I experienced it myself.
“Even if I get the answer, I hope you’ll keep it a secret. It’s still a secret I don’t wish to share with anyone.”
“…I’ll do that.”
“Yes, thank you.”
With those last words, Galahal opened the professor’s office door and seamlessly navigated through the tumult of students, disappearing from view.
I watched his back for a while.
3.
Hero Galahal of the Sacred Spear.
He is now taking a class in Apuria. That news circulated rapidly throughout Apuria. The rumors didn’t remain confined to Apuria but spread outward through the words of the students.
A hero teaches a class.
A hero imparts teachings to future knights.
A storyline paints itself that can’t be missed. Requests for visits flooded in, but of course, there was no way permission would be granted. However, denying them wasn’t exactly an easy task either.
『It’s from the Harphear family. The very right arm of the kingdom! A handwritten letter from the head of the Lepeun family. Should one simply refuse this???』
It’s indeed right to decline.
That’s what principles dictate.
Yet, since such heavyweights were sending letters, Dean Aaron found himself in a world of trouble. Trying to convey a refusal in the most roundabout way brought back memories of his youthful days amidst the bloodshed of power struggles.
Dean Aaron’s remaining hair was thinning out at a rapid pace.
『I’ll consult with acquaintances.』
Seeing Aaron’s hair thinning further, Rania said that. While Aaron was doubtful about her words, the news that came the next day made his eyes bulge wide.
『Visitation to Apuria is prohibited.』
『Do not send letters. Do not gossip. Do not set foot in the cultivation ground for young sprouts. Are you trying to tread on the learning ground for children, even at your age?』
『Of course, learning is a valuable virtue. No matter how old one gets, one should not neglect education. However, it is strange that those who normally have no interest in magic are suddenly requesting to visit the Magic Academy.』
『As the sovereign, I find your attitude rather questionable. I can only harbor reasonable doubts. Please erase my suspicions, will you?』
『If you wish to learn that badly, come to the Ivory Tower instead. I will dedicate my valuable time to teach you myself.』
『Do not refuse. Especially Lord Harphear, do not leave without seeing me afterward. I have many things to say to you.』
The First Princess, Lruiel.
Currently the most likely candidate to be the next monarch prohibited visitors to Apuria. Dean Aaron looked at Rania with wide eyes, and she simply shrugged.
『This works out well.』
『What exactly are you, anyway…?』
One professor knowing the First Princess.
And moreover, being sufficiently close to exchange requests.
But somehow, it felt like the kind of story that girl could pull off… Aaron unconsciously nodded at that.
Thus, the incident wrapped up.
The morning of Galahal’s first class dawned. Even though basic martial arts is a subject somewhat distant from magic, students from not only the Battle Magic Department but many others gathered for the class.
Basic physical training is a must.
It’s a class for health.
Sitting for long hours poses a risk for back health.
…For these somewhat superficial reasons, many students from other departments showed up to attend.
『Wahhhhhhhh!』
The female students who came to see Galahal exploded with excitement at the sight of him standing on stage in light attire. As their cheers rang out, Galahal smiled and began to speak.
“First of all.”
He smiled warmly.
“Let’s start with some light warm-up exercises.”
The so-called ‘light’ warm-up went on for half an hour.
Just thirty minutes into the class, half the students had collapsed.
The remainder consisted of only Battle Magic students.
“Hah, huhhhh!”
“Catch, catch your breath a bit…!”
“Wait,wait a moment, huhhh…!”
They were not faring well either.
*
