The Academy's Idol
The Delphiana Academy was enormous, but it didn't have everything. To get her hands on something that could only be found outside its walls, Altair had left the academy for the first time in a while.
'It's been ages since I stepped out of the academy.'
Since she was outside the academy's boundaries, she needed to behave even more carefully than usual. 'Think pure thoughts. Happy thoughts.' Thanks to this self-hypnosis, the ominous aura radiating from her was considerably weaker now. Weak enough that ordinary people could tolerate it without too much trouble.
The place she arrived at was a café. One that sold extremely expensive tea. Given that the nearby Delphiana Academy was attended by many children from prestigious families, there was naturally demand for such a high-end establishment.
“Welcome… to our… café…”
The café owner barely managed to force a smile, thanks to her aura. He had already heard the rumors about Altair. Even though she gave off that unsettling presence, he knew she was an instructor at the prestigious academy.
“Do you have any Francdeamiz?”
Altair mentioned the name of the tea Ditrua had given her as a gift.
“Y-yes, we do. Will you be drinking it here?”
“If I stay, customers won’t come. I’ll just buy the tea leaves. How much?”
“Please wait a moment.”
A short while later, he returned carrying a small glass box filled with tea leaves.
“That will be fifty silver.”
Altair’s face twisted. It was better than she’d expected—after all, she’d thought a single cup would cost as much as a week’s wages—but it was still a hefty sum for an average worker. Of course, she had money saved up from her time in the hero’s party, but still…
“…But I’ll give you a special discount. Forty-five silver.”
The owner hastily added the offer as her aura suddenly grew stronger.
“Oh.”
The discount seemed to work; her ominous aura began to fade again.
'Phew.'
The owner let out a tiny sigh of relief. As expected, no one turned down a discount.
“I’ll take two, so how about eighty-five silver total?”
Altair started haggling out of habit. The words Our shop has a fixed-price policy rose to the owner’s throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them. Having already offered a discount, that claim would have no credibility now.
“Of course… Hahaha!”
“Ah, and sorry, but I’ve changed my mind. Could you brew me a cup of the same? I’m curious how a professional makes it.”
Altair gave him an apologetic look.
“I’ll drink it quickly and leave.”
Francdeamiz - 50 silver per cup
(Premium black tea with a deep, floral aroma. Limited stock.)
She had said she would drink it quickly and leave, but having become completely intoxicated by the tea, Altair had already forgotten those words.
'As expected, a professional brew really is on another level.'
She closed her eyes, savoring the tea’s fragrance.
'To think I only discovered this flavor at this age. I’ve wasted half my life!'
But as Altair’s happiness level rose, someone else was becoming increasingly miserable in real time. None other than the café owner.
The moment Altair occupied a seat, the number of customers dropped sharply.
'She said she’d drink it quickly and leave…'
Fortunately, the owner’s long face didn’t last long. After a little time passed, an inexplicable phenomenon occurred—the café became packed with customers.
'They look like students? Why on earth…?'
The newcomers, judging by their age and conversation topics, all seemed to be academy students.
'No matter how much she’s a professor at the same academy, with that kind of atmosphere… If it were me, I wouldn’t go anywhere near her?'
She was beautiful, sure, but there had to be a limit, right? No matter how starved the boys her age were for female company… And it wasn’t just the boys—there were quite a few girls among them too.
'Why?'
In reality, the students’ interest and popularity toward Altair far exceeded the owner’s imagination.
“Instructor Altair is at the café!”
“Which café?”
“Café Azure!”
Students passionate about swordsmanship, as well as those who simply wanted to catch a glimpse of a celebrity, all flocked to the café. Normally, when she had no classes, Altair stayed holed up in her quarters. She did so because she was afraid her curse might harm others. As a result, students rarely had the chance to see her in person. For those who didn’t take her class, meeting her was as difficult as plucking a star from the sky.
But today, she was at a café. This was an incredibly rare opportunity.
“Let’s go!”
The rumor spread quickly, and students rushed to approach her. However, once they actually arrived, none of them could bring themselves to speak to her.
'…It’s not easy.'
That ominous aura aside, her cold demeanor made it hard to strike up a conversation. On top of that, she looked extremely satisfied while drinking her tea. They were terrified of what kind of retaliation might follow if they carelessly broke her concentration.
Altair, lost in her tea-induced bliss, had no idea that these students had come to the café because of her.
'The kids like tea too, huh.'
They knew good things from a young age.
'You lot are lucky.'
Having tuned out the students, she focused entirely on drinking her tea. Then someone approached her.
“U-um, hello, Instructor!”
Altair lifted her head and looked at him. A face she didn’t recognize. Since he called her “Instructor,” he was probably an academy student, but…
“Uh… who were you again? You don’t seem to be in my class?”
Altair scratched her head as she spoke. Just as the rumors said. Despite her cold aura, her speech and attitude were surprisingly casual. That sight gave the student who had spoken to her a bit more courage.
“I-I’m Joseph Rafino. I’m an academy student, but I don’t take your classes.”
“Then why?”
“Well… I’m sorry to bother you while you’re resting, but I was wondering if you could take a look at my sword form…”
Joseph fidgeted nervously. Not only Joseph himself, but every student watching the scene stared at Altair with bated breath.
“Hmm… I’m on break. And you’re not even one of my students…”
She gave a light smile. Joseph’s face turned deathly pale.
'It’s over.'
'You were brave, Joseph.'
'So this is how it ends.'
“I’m sor—”
“Ah, whatever. I’ve had enough tea. Go ahead and take your stance.”
“Thank you!”
“Not here. Outside.”
Honestly, Altair wasn’t entirely comfortable with the situation.
'Only ten students per semester? That’s ridiculous.'
She still felt a little guilty toward the students she had turned away back then.
'They all came to me because they wanted to learn.'
Because of her sense of responsibility, she had no choice but to send away students she wasn’t confident she could teach properly. But if it wasn’t an official class, she didn’t need to feel any particular obligation toward them. In that case, sparing some of her free time to teach a few students was something she could easily do.
“F-follow her!”
In the blink of an eye, the café was empty. A few cups still had tea left in them. The café owner gazed at their now-vacant seats with satisfaction.
That instructor named Altair… Next time she comes, I should give her some service.
The weekend was over. Altair was on her way to teach her first class of the week when a crowd blocked her path.
'Why are there so many people?'
As she approached, the crowd parted like the Red Sea at the command of a prophet.
'Is there some incredibly popular lecture happening?'
Even so, could this many students really all be attending the same one?
'How strange.'
Thinking that, Altair left the area. The students had gathered there either to see her or at least to make an impression. She had no idea.
Altair Auvergne. The undisputed idol of the swordsmanship department. She had already been a hot topic, but the small lesson she gave a few days ago in the open lot near the café had greatly boosted her fame.
It had been her day off, and she had no obligation whatsoever to teach students who weren’t even in her class. Yet she had taken the time to teach those who came looking for her. It was something to be grateful for. Besides, the ominous aura she gave off was said to be the result of a demon king’s curse, so in a way, it was like a badge of honor.
Above all, the quality of her instruction was exceptional.
“It felt like learning from someone who’s actually rolled around in real combat!”
It was completely different from the teachings they had received until now.
“It was like receiving instruction from someone who came from the hero’s party!”
“She couldn’t actually be from the hero’s party, could she?”
“No way. If she were, there’s no chance she’d be stuck as a mere instructor.”
A former member of the hero’s party. In the current era of truce, these individuals—along with knights—were desperately sought after by every academy. The name value alone was impressive, but no one would turn down instruction from people who had faced countless monsters in actual battle.
However, most of them weren’t particularly fond of taking professor positions. They had already gained plenty. A significant number preferred to spend their remaining years comfortably using the wealth they had accumulated. Of course, there were many who disliked idleness and wanted to train the next generation. But even they usually preferred taking personal disciples over becoming professors. After all, being a professor came with a mountain of stress—managing students, administering exams, evaluating performance, and dealing with endless headaches. No matter how good the conditions, it was still a job. It wasn’t a position where one could devote themselves entirely to nurturing students.
That was why there were so few former hero’s party members serving as academy instructors. Why would they choose such a life when they had no need to?
The same went for knights. Even with the truce in place, the knight orders hadn’t disappeared. There was no reason for them to leave their orders to become academy professors. No matter how good the treatment promised, knights were beings who lived for honor. To them, the title of knight was irreplaceable by anything else.
Even the prestigious Delphiana Academy had its limits in persuading such people. As a result, the number of instructors from the hero’s party or knight orders at Delphiana was extremely small despite its reputation.
And then Altair had appeared. Her lessons, forged through the brutal experiences of someone who had been with the hero’s party, couldn’t help but stand out. Moreover, whose disciple was she? She was the disciple of Vega, known as the strongest hero in history. Having received her teachings, it was only natural that she could teach children well.
'I’m definitely signing up for her class next semester.'
The first-years who had missed their chance made up their minds.
'I hope she takes upper-year classes too.'
The classes she taught were only available to first-years. Upperclassmen who hadn’t even had the chance hoped things would change next semester.
Of course, there was the issue of the aura that flowed from her. But the general consensus was that her teachings were more than worth enduring it. The students already sensed that registering for her classes next semester would be no easy feat.
Oblivious to all that fervor, Altair arrived at the lecture hall in a leisurely mood.
“I’ll now take attendance.”