How to Teach
The lecture ended, and Philia let out a frustrated groan. The room reeked of her fury. The academy students scattered like startled birds, hurrying away to avoid the angry senior nearby.
“Hehe~ Philia~”
A petite pink-haired girl hugged her from behind. The slight girl’s slender arms clung to Philia’s taller frame like a lifeline.
Philia’s brows were still furrowed, but she relaxed her face and turned to look at the girl who had hugged her. Unlike Zeroa, who was a complete stranger, noble students like her made friends with their peers through social circles, so she knew quite a few people on campus.
Among them, Cesset was her one and only true friend.
“Why are you so angry?”
“I’m not angry. Just annoyed.”
“That’s the same as angry.”
Philia smiled brightly at the pink-haired girl and stroked her head. Cesset laughed with a cheerful “Hehe~” and finally loosened her arms, walking side by side down the hallway with her.
“You really hate Instructor Rai?”
“I hate him with all my heart. He has no dignity, and his lectures are awful. The academy isn’t a place to train clowns.”
“True, Philia. You came here expecting greatness. You were jumping on your bed after getting the acceptance letter.”
Philia’s cheeks flushed as she clapped a hand over Cesset’s mouth.
“Anyone would be happy to be accepted into a prestigious academy!”
“Ahh~ Waaaa~”
“Of course! It’s not just me who’s weird about it.”
“Waaah~ Waaaaaaa~”
Cesset tapped her arm repeatedly, asking to be saved, and only then did Philia snap out of it, startled and quickly pulling her hand away.
“I’ve experienced death for the first time in a long time.”
“I’m really sorry.”
Cesset, finally freed, was breathing heavily, but Philia kept apologizing.
Cesset glanced down at her with a long, steady look. After years together, she knew Philia was an upright, honest girl. She could be a bit picky, but she always faced injustice head-on and took her surroundings into account—truly a good person.
She wasn’t the type to ignore or disrupt someone just because the lecture displeased her. Cesset herself didn’t approve of Rai’s lectures either. The claim that it was a safe method invented by a bard for stage performances was simply unbelievable.
Still, she didn’t dismiss them without giving it a try. The students who had learned under Rai had nothing but praise, and the academy wasn’t going to waste time on mediocre teaching. One had to experience things thoroughly to understand them. Philia probably already knew that too.
Except when she was excited, Philia’s sharp eyes saw things better than anyone. There was no way she would act rudely just because she didn’t like the lecture.
“Do you know anything about Instructor Rai?”
Philia thought back to the instructors gossiping about him, then shook her head.
“…I can’t say. It’s personal honor.”
“You already trampled on his honor, Philia. You called him incompetent right in front of him?”
“Aah— that’s… uh… I was wrong. I got flustered and spoke nonsense…”
Seeing Philia bow her head in defeat, Cesset laughed and bumped her shoulder. The gesture looked adorable, but her small shoulders pressed right into Philia’s armpit, making it sting more than she expected.
Philia stumbled sideways, clutching her side in shock, but Cesset recovered quickly and continued.
“So you should apologize, right?”
“Uhh… I will apologize. Even if I hate it. Since I was wrong… but we’re in the middle of a duel right now, so after it’s over, I’ll apologize no matter who wins.”
“You’re not just going to push it off because you don’t want to?”
Philia looked away. Cesset, still hugging her, shifted her tiny body until Philia’s gaze was forced back toward her. Philia quickly looked away again.
“Philiaaa~?”
“I will. But I really hate it. Look at that smug face. ‘I’ll do whatever I want with your body’—of course it’s impossible physiologically.”
“You didn’t say it that strongly.”
Cesset gave her a pitying look, and Philia finally snapped.
“Cesset, you like that guy? Do you really like him?”
“Eww, I don’t have a preference for any side. Well, since you acted rudely, maybe you should be on the instructor’s side instead. And he’s pretty handsome, right? Fun guy.”
“Eee— that’s your type?”
“My type is different, but I still think he’s good. Not arrogant, sociable… wait, thinking about it, he’d make a great husband? Young, and ‘academy instructor’ means he’s competent.”
Philia cut off her friend’s serious speculation, saying it was never happening.
---
“From the very first day, you caused trouble.”
“What do you want? I came all the way here for this? If you’re going to ramble, get lost.”
Leila looked down at Rai with cold eyes while he lounged on the grass in front of his house.
“Vice Principal Bright is looking for you. He seems angry.”
“Oh? Then I definitely shouldn’t go.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Even while grinning smugly about causing chaos, Rai noticed Leila shaking her head. She had plenty to say, but others were around and she couldn’t say it here.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Special training.”
“Ah… hello…”
Leila glanced at Zeroa lying beside Rai. It looked more like a nap than training. Zeroa, unable to move, offered an awkward smile and apologized.
From the outside, the two looked like they were peacefully sunbathing. Leila scanned them once, sighed softly, and left.
Long after she was gone, Rai finally turned to Zeroa and asked, “Did you finish?”
“Yes. It’s done.”
“Then show me.”
Zeroa closed his eyes to concentrate. A fist-sized clump of dirt burst out beside him. Seeing the half-formed clay doll that looked nothing like a human, Rai just blinked.
“You really can’t do it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Mana control isn’t something everyone can learn. The ones who can do it, do it. Two stages seemed too fast. Let’s start with one again. Just like the lecture.”
“Okay… shall I try?”
Rai watched Zeroa trying to sit up strangely.
“Why? Are you uncomfortable?”
“I-it’s… yes, it is. Training should be done from the proper posture, right? At least sitting like in the lecture…”
“Don’t force an uncomfortable posture just to make your waist hurt. Do you enjoy pain? Lie down.”
Zeroa had been trying to sit up but finally gave up and lay back down.
Actually, the posture was incredibly uncomfortable. Physically fine, but his mind was troubled. The last time Leila had come, he had been lying there staring at the sky—extremely embarrassing.
Zeroa, who had dared to greet an instructor while lying down, felt nervous that someone was watching him.
“Focus.”
Rai’s words made Zeroa stare at the flame and struggle to control his mana. The flickering flame sometimes shaped itself into a human form before scattering and returning to normal.
Rai slapped Zeroa’s forehead with his palm.
“Relax your face. You’ll get wrinkles if you age. Mana control has nothing to do with strength. Just do it comfortably.”
“Yes…”
Zeroa tried to relax his body and focus, but it was harder than he expected.
Rai was lying right next to him, staring intently. They were in an empty spot on the academy grounds, but students occasionally passed by.
When students recognized Rai and greeted him, he happily waved and chatted. One even joined him on the grass, saying it sounded fun.
Before long, a growing crowd of students lay on the lawn. A few alone on the grass might pass as laziness, but a group attracted attention.
Some students walking by would glance their way, shiver, and hurry away.
Zeroa’s flame kept scattering again because of the distraction. He glanced sideways. Rai’s serious expression made him worry he was in trouble, but Rai spoke again.
“When you think about my lecture, was it strange?”
“Uh… I only heard it once, so…”
“Listen. I taught three classes today. Everyone’s reaction was lukewarm.”
“I thought it was great.”
Zeroa’s answer made Rai nod, then turn back to him.
“I haven’t taught anyone like you before. Was there anything strange?”
“Well… I wonder what kind of people you usually teach.”
“Just warriors on the battlefield.”
Zeroa recalled today’s lecture. Rai’s words about military training didn’t sound heavy or oppressive. But the question wasn’t about that, so Zeroa thought more.
Listening to the past and thinking, Rai’s teaching felt like a coach’s—explaining nothing but methods, then immediately starting practice. He gave good answers to questions but always went straight to the main point.
Compared to the other lectures Zeroa had heard, it was clearly different.
“Uh… the initial explanation was a bit lacking.”
“You didn’t think the training method was explained well?”
“No, not that… Other instructors always gave background, practical uses, and various details before starting. Professor Audrey even told funny stories about golems.”
“Mm… If I had explained Solterian’s training method, would Philia have been angrier?”
“That’s true.”
Zeroa nodded in agreement, and Rai narrowed his eyes. When Zeroa quickly looked away, Rai spoke again.
“When I first heard your lecture, there were so many questions. What’s the benefit of mana control? Why hasn’t anyone trained it until now? All that stuff.”
“Hm…”
Rai nodded, then spoke.
“People your age who learn proper mana control are almost nonexistent. Why? Because except for pure mages, it doesn’t help you at all right now. Maybe even after graduation.”
As he explained, Rai lifted the flame high into the air, using it like a blackboard to draw and write. The vibrant display drew every student’s gaze.
“Mana control is essential for advanced spells, but if you’re just a sword user, how much does it matter? Those who master it first build enormous power, then find ways to use it.”
Rai drew a robed figure and a swordsman, then a tiny one that slowly drifted apart.
“Once you get strong, it becomes necessary, but why learn it now? Because it’s dangerous. Remember when you first sensed mana? It felt like something was stuck inside you. It doesn’t obey you, so it’s frustrating. If I told a three-year-old to hold a kitchen knife and do whatever they want, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
As the explanation continued, the flames the students had drawn one by one began to fade, and everyone focused on Rai’s words.
“So you release mana. Let it flow outside your body. Then reinforce it. Concentrate only on the three concepts: release, external flow, and reinforcement. Even if you make mistakes, your durability and natural control grow. Mana control training is designed around errors—only push it when durability is strong.”
The tiny figure Rai had drawn exploded, then reformed into a muscular, proud body.
“Many training methods exist, but Solterian’s isn’t a method at all. He never thought of it as training. He was just performing. Still, it’s incredibly safe. Most train internally, but Solterian uses external mana. If it explodes, no big deal. The effect is weaker, but it’s so easy that mana consumption is almost zero. Once you master it, you can even do it while sleeping.”
Two new figures appeared, and students drew numbers above their heads—some climbing ten at once, others only one. The slow climbers kept rising steadily, while the fast ones had longer plateaus.
“You can train while breathing in daily life. It’s not some lofty philosophy that steady practice wins all. It’s just a stepping stone to higher methods. But for beginners, this is the only safe, consistent training method. That’s the explanation. Does this make sense?”
“… …”
Rai stared at Zeroa, but Zeroa simply gazed at the flames floating in the sky.
**Clap clap clap**
The students around them began applauding one by one.
“It’s a much better training method than I expected.”
“Why didn’t they explain it like this sooner?”
“Right. They turned a good method into something sloppy. This instructor’s fault.”
“The explanation was long, but it was interesting.”
The students piled on praise for Rai’s poor lecture, and Zeroa clapped too, laughing.
“It was the best lecture I’ve heard today.”
“Huh? It’s a pain to explain, and it took too long. Wouldn’t it be better to practice a little more?”
“Shouldn’t you give it at least once? But the explanation just now wasn’t prepared, right?”
“I don’t prepare. I just say what I know.”
The students turned to Rai with sparkling eyes.
The academy’s high educational standard came from the instructors’ hard work. Teaching isn’t just about being knowledgeable—it requires understanding the students’ backgrounds and environments. Instructors delve into many fields and work hard to make lessons easy to understand.
Yet Rai had delivered a flawless lecture without preparation. Even in an actual class, no one could fault him. He had shown his mana-control skill directly, drawn interest, and explained brilliantly. Being able to explain at this level without preparation meant his accumulated knowledge was extraordinary.
The students who had lain beside him listening gradually trusted Rai more.
“Ah, I have something urgent. I’ll leave you guys.”
Rai suddenly stood up and dashed off. The students who had been dazed stared in surprise as Vice Principal Bright approached with a serious expression. They couldn’t help laughing.