“Teacher! Please, don’t worry about us!”
“Leave us alone!”
Melia and Bern, fearing retribution from the Marquess family, stood in front of me, desperately trying to stop me.
I turned toward them and gently patted their heads.
“I’m truly sorry for not noticing sooner. You’ve endured so much pain and yet held on. I promise, from now on, I won’t let anyone harm not just you two, but your families as well.”
“W-what!?”
“Mr. Geek even cares about our families…?”
“Yes. I know everything—the pain you both endured to protect your siblings and parents’ livelihoods. I was too foolish to see it sooner, but leave the rest to me.”
I truly am still inexperienced as a teacher.
In this world, even children wield immense power through magic. Worse, some use petty authority to shield their malicious crimes, and I failed to notice it.
“Die!”
“Wind Burst!”
“Fire Lance!”
“…! Teacher!”
Snap, snap.
“Ha! Fool, you let your guard down! How dare you mar the face of someone as noble as I!”
“You’re doomed for opposing the Marquess Marceno family! The penalty is death!”
“This is what happens when a mere commoner defies nobility!”
“The fact that your magic targeted Bern and Melia makes this an attempted murder charge as well.”
“What?! Why are you still alive!?”
Amidst the wreckage of destroyed equipment and floating dust, the translucent wall of my defensive magic emerged.
Of course, their attack spells didn’t leave a single scratch.
“Gariel, using chantless ice magic? Not only is ice magic challenging, but your casting speed is impressive. The other two also show excellent magical output for their age. It’s truly a shame—you’ve wasted your talents by abusing magic for selfish ends. Therefore, I expel you!”
Their magical talents are undeniable, but they’ve misused them to harm others.
Magic in this world is meant to enrich lives, much like science in my original world. Using it for crimes is a grave offense.
Even more unforgivable is the theft of Bern and Melia’s precious time and interference with their promising paths as magicians!
Snap!
“Ahhhh!”
Nearly a hundred shards of ice, like scattershot, materialized in an instant and pierced the three. Blood flowed from their bodies, but I had avoided any vital areas.
Their screams echoed, but I had already set up a soundproofing spell, so no one in the classrooms could hear.
Snap!
“Huh? The injuries and pain… they’re gone?”
Snap!
“Ahhhh!”
After healing them with recovery magic, I followed with lightning magic, which scorched their bodies black as they convulsed.
“Eek…”
“Ah, sorry. That might’ve been too much for you two.”
Bern and Melia were visibly shaken by my magic.
“Sorry, but could you step outside for a bit? These three will be expelled and handed over to the guards. But first, I need to etch just a fraction of what they did to you into their own bodies. Oh, and the two who kept watch deserve the same treatment.”
The two guards, Roph and Louis, had been subdued with sleep magic after I read their involvement in tormenting Bern and Melia.
For weeks, these individuals summoned the two commoner scholarship students to this room, threatening their families and inflicting violence or using them as magical targets.
Fortunately, Melia had been spared physical assault due to her childlike appearance, which didn’t suit their twisted tastes. Had they crossed that line, I’d have ensured they’d never use “that” again.
Their abuses had been concealed, harming only unseen areas, and even when others noticed, teachers dismissed the issues, fearing the Marquess’s influence.
I would deal with those cowardly teachers later. But for now, I would make these culprits feel the pain they inflicted. People who can’t understand others’ suffering need to experience it themselves to learn.
“Mr. Geek, I’m fine now!”
“Me too. And if you keep this up, you’ll be…”
“You two are kind. But I won’t forgive them. If I let this go, they’ll undoubtedly hurt others again. Don’t worry about me—just wait outside for about 15 minutes.”
Practically forcing Bern and Melia out of the room, I then brought the two accomplices inside and gently shut the door.
“Now then, sorry to keep you waiting. Time to take these culprits to the headmaster.”
“……”
Opening the door, I used wind magic to levitate the five restrained students and carried them out.
“We’re sorry… we’re so sorry…”
“Please forgive us… forgive me…”
“Muttering… mumbling…”
Bern and Melia seemed slightly unnerved.
I had only made them feel a fraction of the pain they inflicted, condensed into a short time. Their bodies and clothes were fully restored.
“Y-you…! You won’t get away with this…!”
“Hm, to still speak coherently in this state, your mental strength is commendable. If you’d pursued magic earnestly instead of misusing it, you might’ve been a great magician.”
While the others were too shaken to form coherent thoughts, Gariel remained conscious and defiant. Whether fueled by pride or anger, something kept him going.
“You and those commoners will all pay dearly!”
“Your boldness is admirable, Gariel. Let me give you one final warning: accept your guilt alongside your accomplices. Do so, and I’ll leave you be. But if you dare harm these two or their families again, you’ll live to regret it.”
“Tch, go to hell!”
“…I warned you.”
