“That was more than five years ago. The Great Sage Gill rarely makes public appearances, but there was one occasion when he visited the royal castle to receive the title of Great Sage.”
Indeed, it’s true that I only went to the royal castle once. I see, since Eliza is the Third Princess and Sophia was serving her at the time, they must have seen me during that visit.
“Back then, I was quite a mischievous child… Sophia and I would run around the castle together. During one of those times, I did something unthinkable—I bumped into the Great Sage Gill on his first visit to the castle. The adults around me were horrified, but the Great Sage didn’t scold me. Instead, he kindly patted my head and showed me a beautiful display of fire magic, creating flowers of flame.”
“………………”
Now that I think about it, that did happen.
I remember reluctantly going to the royal castle, dealing with bothersome nobles, when a little girl ran into me. Dealing with children was a hundred times better than dealing with nobles, so while waiting for my audience with the king, I showed the girl some fireworks created with magic.
I do recall there being another girl dressed in a maid uniform. So, that was Eliza and Sophia? They were elementary school-aged back then, but now they’re old enough to attend the Magic Academy.
Time flies so quickly… Is it just me, or do I sound like an old man?
“The magic that the Great Sage Gill showed me that day has stayed in my heart ever since. Sophia, on the other hand, was so smitten that she boldly declared she would marry him one day!”
“H-hime-sama!”
“………………”
Sophia’s face turns beet red as she flails in panic.
Why is it that this situation feels incredibly awkward for me?
“Sophia, it’s fine. As the Third Princess, I’m destined to marry someone who benefits the kingdom, but I think that moment may have been my first love. The Great Sage Gill was truly kind and a remarkable man.”
“………………I see.”
Finally, it all makes sense. That’s why Eliza mistook me for Gill’s apprentice rather than Gill himself.
There’s a reason why Eliza and Sophia didn’t recognize me despite having met me. When I visited the royal castle, I used magic to disguise myself.
There’s no advantage to letting annoying nobles remember my face. I did drop the disguise for my audience with the king, but at all other times, I altered my face and voice using magic. I was also dressed formally rather than in my usual white robe, so my current appearance is entirely different.
“That encounter and witnessing such beautiful magic is what inspired me to enroll in this Magic Academy instead of a regular one.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. When I first entered, I was thrilled to be attending the alma mater of the Great Sage Gill, but I quickly became disillusioned with the low quality of instruction. I must also formally apologize for not welcoming the temporary instructor, Professor Geek, with an open mind.”
“…That’s on the academy, so don’t worry about it.”
I get it. If you enter a school you idolized only to find subpar teachers, you’d be disappointed. Add to that, a few months after enrollment, your teacher resigns, and a temporary one replaces them. It’s only natural to assume the temporary teacher isn’t capable.
Cyril and Gale seemed to have similar sentiments.
“The magic you demonstrated the other day was truly incredible, Professor Geek. I look forward to learning from you.”
“I deeply regret speaking disrespectfully to you, Professor Geek! I wish to become stronger to protect the princess. Please teach me how to fight!”
Eliza and Sophia bow their heads to me. My answer is already decided.
“If you wish to learn magic, you’re more than welcome.”
I don’t hold Sophia’s earlier attitude against her. What matters is their genuine desire to learn magic.
Eliza and Sophia breathe a sigh of relief. Perhaps they had considered the possibility of me refusing.
“Thank you. I heard that you also provide lessons to students after school. May we join those as well?”
“Of course, but I must inform you that commoner scholarship students also participate. I don’t care about your status, so if you join, leave such concerns at the door.”
“Of course.”
“Understood!”
“And please, don’t bring too many S-Class students with you. While I welcome those genuinely eager to learn, most seem more interested in getting close to the Third Princess.”
“Understood. Thank you for your time this morning.”
They bow again, rise from their chairs, and prepare to leave my office.
“…If possible, should we achieve excellent results, I hope we might have the chance to meet the Great Sage Gill in person, even just once.”
Leaving that final remark, Eliza and Sophia exit the room.
“Hmm, what to do about that…”
Meeting him, huh? I’ve been sitting in front of them this entire time.
