#019 Check
In a certain classroom at the academy.
Regardless of whether the professor was lecturing from the podium or not, two students were chatting away.
"Hey, next period's Practical Magic, right?"
"Yeah. But you gonna succeed this time? Last time you only nailed it once the whole class. Heh heh."
"Fuck off. Don't worry. I hired a tutor and practiced my ass off."
Then, one by one, others chimed in from around them, and before they knew it, the class had turned into a noisy racket.
The exasperated professor cleared his throat to call for quiet...
But it only calmed them for a moment before the kids started yapping again. Aria, the alchemy professor in charge, let out a sigh.
This calls for some intervention.
* * *
Ever since the demo and hands-on practice, the enthusiasm for Practical Magic among the students had only grown hotter with each passing day.
And the rumors spread like wildfire, drawing interest even from other years. Was that why?
Before long, students started showing up to audit the class.
Most were fourth- and fifth-years.
Sure, some from other years came just for the hype, but the main reason was probably that upperclassmen had more chances to head out for external training starting in fourth year.
There's a real problem here, though.
Considering the subject's purpose, it should be scheduled for after fourth year.
And as a long-term course, not a short one.
But shoving it into just six months—the very first class of first year, no less—was meaningless. It had to be because Aslan was a commoner mage.
The professors' pressure will start mounting soon.
She was royalty, after all, so nothing major had happened yet. But the one running this academy was the Second Prince's faction.
And the rest of the staff were all in someone else's pocket.
They'd definitely start scheming some dirty tricks.
—Just side with the other faction. Why suffer for nothing?
As I said before, siding with the Second Prince just makes you cannon fodder. You'll roll in the mud and get discarded. And switching sides? Even riskier. His goons won't sit idle.
—Oh ho. So you're playing neutral under the princess instead of picking a side?
Exactly. As a teaching assistant, no one's gonna suspect me. Plus, those princess tits are addictive, right?
—You perv. Be real. The first part's just an excuse—the tits are the truth.
Who knows. Heh heh.
I handled the kids (or whatever) while glancing at Princess Reina.
Blissfully enjoying her professor gig, oblivious to whatever power plays might be brewing.
Sometimes I envy that personality.
—She's got no worries at all?
Yeah.
In that sense, Princess Reina didn't fit the royal mold at all.
She'd have lived a happier life born a noble lady.
Right then, an auditor asked her a question.
It must've been a tough one, because she took a swig from her canteen.
Our prearranged signal: help me out.
"Princess!"
"What is it?"
"I think this mana stone's defective! It's suddenly overheating!"
Spot on. She rushed over.
I'd tampered with plenty of mana stones by now, and under my instructions, she'd defused them multiple times. She smoothly suppressed the explosion.
Whew... She wiped the sweat from her brow.
No matter how practiced, it was still dangerous.
A mana stone blast had a radius five times that of a standard fireball.
By now, the students around me had fled to a safe distance, so I could whisper to her.
"What was the question?"
"How to handle it if lightning magic comes flying the moment you spot the enemy."
"No real counter unless you've got a text spell queued up. For a mage, shield is the go-to. But for follow-ups, there's a way."
Lightning magic was fast.
Too fast to even react.
And it came with paralysis on hit—a nasty status effect.
But the real issue was what came next.
Your body stiffens up, making it impossible to dodge follow-ups.
"Deploy your shield, then immediately form a water barrier between you and the enemy. If the terrain's earth, raise a wall."
She nodded and headed back to the podium.
She explained, and the auditor seemed to get it, nodding along.
But...
—Am I imagining things? She's getting a lot of tricky questions today.
Not your imagination. They're deliberately throwing curveballs.
Here they come.
The professors' check.
"Well done, Princess."
"Thank you. Why so many tough questions today..."
I handed her a handkerchief.
She dabbed at the sweat beading on her forehead.
"Princess."
"Yes?"
"Looks like we need to start special training today."
"Special training? Aren't we already doing magic drills every day?"
True.
Since revamping Practical Magic, I'd been drilling her mercilessly.
Nothing more embarrassing than the teacher fumbling during class.
Luckily, she had talent.
By the time the kids mastered one thing, she'd barely prep the next.
But the auditors were the problem.
"Seems the other professors aren't thrilled about your class's popularity."
I explained my thinking, and her eyes flashed as she replied.
"Such petty tactics... Fine. Kael, train me hard from today."
"That's the spirit, Princess."
And so, I began passing on the battlefield knowledge I'd honed over thirty years of risking my life, bit by bit.
—She never once suspected while learning all that... Impressive, milkbags.
Tell me about it.
You'd think she'd question how a kid younger than her knew so much, but no sign of it.
Had to admit it.
Beres's theory that her brain nutrients went to her chest...
—She's basically your disciple now. You got any official ones?
No.
—What'd you do instead? You should've bred heirs or something.
I tried. They all died in the war.
I remember every one.
Names, faces.
After meeting my master on the battlefield and learning magic unconditionally, I taught it freely to anyone who wanted it—to repay that grace.
That was my way.
But the battlefield claimed seven or eight out of ten.
My students couldn't escape it either.
—So she's your one and only, huh?
Something like that.
—Teach her well. She might surpass that prick Carlo's toenail, even if you can't.
True enough.
I looked up.
A woman drenched in sweat, laser-focused on me.
"One more round?"
"Do it!"
'Firewall.'
* * *
"Her popularity's skyrocketing by the day..."
A man muttered, and a woman nearby nodded in concern.
"At this rate, we'll lose our standing and talent pool here. Chancellor, we need a plan."
At the murmurs, Academy Chancellor Pellermil raised a hand.
He scanned the room and spoke.
"For now, let it be."
"You're just gonna sit on it?"
"Hm... Actually, on second thought, better to fan the flames."
They looked baffled.
The academy's eldest and strongest clicked his tongue.
"You idiots... Anyway, spread the rumors more. Say the princess's skills and her class are top-notch."
"Until when?"
"Until it reaches the ears of the highest in the palace."
* * *
Her popularity soared daily.
Word was, it even came up at adult social gatherings.
Some female students even approached her to express admiration.
Great that the princess is thriving, but something feels off.
—Old man's intuition?
Aren't you twenty times my age?
—Fuck. Hit me where it hurts for a joke.
I ignored Beres's grumbling and moved my left hand.
A soft, squishy sensation filled my palm.
"Eut. Hnngh. D-during meals, shouldn't one focus solely on the food...?"
"You hate me sticking close?"
"N-not at all..."
I popped a grape into her mouth.
Then pressed it to her lips.
"I-I can eat it myself."
But instead of answering, I slipped the grape between her lips.
Her cheeks flushed as she parted them.
*Smack.* Our lips met naturally, and the grape rolled from my mouth to hers.
"Good?"
"Y-yes."
She's gotten honest.
After I threatened to keep going till she admitted it.
"Anyway, the academy's founding anniversary is coming up."
"Indeed. Hopefully it passes without incident..."
"Will His Majesty attend?"
"Likely. The academy's the empire's core."
The Imperial Academy's founding anniversary.
Exactly a thousand years since Carlos le Fernir established it.
Events spanned five days around it, and anyone could enter freely, no conditions.
—What happens those five days?
Think festival.
—Ah, like those human birthdays where everyone gets drunk and fucks like rabbits?
...Kinda.
I glanced at the princess.
A faint worry clouded her face.
"Something bothering you?"
"No. 'Tis nothing."
If you're gonna lie, at least hide your face.
She'd learned some expression control as royalty, but to me, she still had a long way to go.
"Princess."
"Yes?"
"I see right through you. You know you can't fool someone you love, right?"
"Such embarrassing words so easily..."
She set down her spoon with a long sigh.
What worry could make her react like this?
"I just... hope to show Father a good side this time. I've only disappointed him before."
"Don't worry. It'll be fine."
I ruffled her hair wildly.
She smiled shyly.
"Thank you."
Meal resumed.
As I kneaded her breasts, I pondered.
Founding anniversary... Yeah, they'll do that too.
Selecting the top three popular departments to showcase publicly.
If she made it and shone, her value would skyrocket dozens of times.
Time to show what I can do.