“Sophia, stop it!”
“Y-yes, Your Highness!”
Just as Sophia was glaring at me, seemingly ready to pounce, Eliza intervened and put a stop to it.
“Professor Geek, I deeply apologize for Sophia’s rudeness. Thank you for answering our question.”
“Y-Your Highness?!”
Eliza, instead of Sophia, bowed her head in apology.
I couldn’t help but feel that it was problematic for Eliza to be more composed than her attendant, Sophia.
“You don’t need to apologize, and I don’t mind. Now, shall we start the lesson?”
“Yes, of course.”
“…Tch!”
Sophia still glared at me with all the murderous intent she could muster, but it seemed she wouldn’t make any further moves. Honestly, she’s quite a failure as an attendant.
Well, even if she had tried attacking me, I would’ve just thrown a piece of chalk at her like I did with the rowdy students from other classes.
…By the way, there was another girl glaring at me. She was supposedly dating Roph, one of the lackeys of Gariel, who had been expelled.
It seemed she resented me because her boyfriend was expelled. I couldn’t tell how many students were on Gariel’s side, but there’s a possibility of resentment lingering among them too.
For what it’s worth, Eliza had never been involved in the whole Bern and Melia incident.
If someone claimed that Eliza was the mastermind behind their bullying, it would have been a hassle, so I felt slightly relieved. Of course, if she were the mastermind, even as the Third Princess, I would’ve made her take full responsibility.
“Now then, regarding this lesson: some students might need practical exercises involving defensive magic, so we’ll proceed as planned. However, participation in these exercises will be optional. We’ll alternate between practical lessons at the training grounds and classroom lectures. Students who don’t need practice can use this time for self-study here.”
This was a suggestion Eliza had made before. It made sense—students with exceptional bodyguards or those who didn’t require mock battles and practical exercises didn’t necessarily need to participate.
While the pain felt during practice was reduced to one-tenth, using actual magic involved some risk, and forcing unwilling students seemed unnecessary.
It might seem a bit lenient, but it’s true that some students aim for research positions and don’t need practical training.
Given that, introducing an elective system like the one in my original world, where students can choose the subjects they need, might be a good idea. I should consult Anon about this later.
“Students who opt for self-study won’t be marked absent. However, the end-of-term exams will include tests involving defensive magic as planned. Your performance in these tests will not distinguish between those who participated in the exercises and those who didn’t, so keep that in mind.”
This academy divides the year into two terms, with exams covering all subjects at the end of each term. The defensive magic test includes both theoretical and practical components, favoring students who attended the practical lessons.
Skipping this class and dedicating half the time to self-study is each student’s choice. However, poor test results will be met with the lowest grades, even for the Third Princess.
Well, considering Eliza topped the entrance exams, I doubt that’ll happen.
“The practical lessons will focus on self-defense techniques rather than just combat with monsters, so I believe they hold value for everyone. Those interested in participating can head to the training grounds now. It’s fine to join partway through the lesson as well.”
As expected, Eliza opted for self-study instead of participating in the exercises.
Predictably, the rest of the students followed Eliza’s lead and stayed in the classroom.
“…Hmm, so no one’s coming after all.”
By the end of the lesson, no students from Class S showed up at the training grounds.
Class S mostly consisted of those aligned with either the Third Princess, Eliza, or the Marquis’s son, Gariel. With Gariel and his five lackeys expelled, the remaining students seemed to mimic Eliza’s behavior.
At first, I thought Eliza might join out of curiosity, but apparently, it wasn’t going to be that simple.
Perhaps she’s observing my actions. She didn’t seem particularly close to Gariel, so it likely wasn’t retaliation on his behalf.
“I would’ve liked at least one participation, but it can’t be helped.”
Naturally, I intend to treat the other classes the same as Class S. There will be no special treatment.
That said, other classes are unlikely to have zero participants. For example, the fifth son of a baron might aspire to be a knight or adventurer instead of inheriting the family estate.
The response from students during the first practical lesson wasn’t bad, so I expect at least half of them to participate. But we’ll see during tomorrow’s class.
After School
Today, I was assigned a small research room for my personal use. It’s a compact space, fitting about ten people at most, but it’s more than enough for me. I’ll bring in my preferred research equipment later.
“Cyril, I truly appreciate your help with the matter from the other day. Thank you so much.”
After class, Cyril visited my research room, saying she had questions. I also wanted to thank her for her help regarding Bern and Melia.
“Please allow me to thank you as well. I never imagined Professor Geek would actually expel a marquis’s son to save Miss Melia.”
In response to my gratitude, Cyril bowed her head.
It seemed she had been aware of the bullying and wanted to put an end to it.
