Eliza gazed directly at me with her bright red eyes.
“Now then, could you explain in detail why defensive magic is unnecessary, Eliza?”
“You insolent wretch! How dare you address Her Highness, the Third Princess of this kingdom, without proper formality!”
The girl standing beside Eliza slammed her hands on the desk and rose abruptly.
…Wait a second, why is she wearing a maid uniform in the academy?
“Uh, first of all, could I ask for your name?”
“…Sophia. I’m Her Highness’s guard and maid.”
Sophia Creda. If I remember correctly, she’s the daughter of a baron.
Initially, I thought she wasn’t a student here because of her black-and-white maid uniform, but it seems she is. That said, even guards are prohibited from entering the academy. The security here is far stricter than at a regular school, ensuring no intruders slip in.
“I see, Sophia. My apologies, but within the academy, all students are addressed by name. I understand if this offends you, but I ask for your understanding.”
“Absolutely not! How can you equate Her Highness, the Third Princess, with ordinary students?!”
“I must agree as well. It is an insult for me, the next head of a marquess family, to be addressed so informally by a mere temporary teacher.”
Ah, this tall, well-groomed young man with flowing golden hair must be Gariel Marceno. The sole member of a marquess family in the first year.
In terms of family rank, Eliza, the royal princess, and Gariel, the marquess heir, are the most prominent in this year’s cohort. They’re not just prestigious by lineage, but also academically accomplished, which is why they’re in this elite S-class.
“Exactly! Do you mock us noble students by addressing us without honorifics?!”
“Indeed! At the very least, we should be distinguished from the commoners!”
…Ah, how tiresome. Nobles really are insufferable.
The other classes were like zoos, but here, the elitist mindset and noble supremacy are equally annoying. Nobles—why do their children grow so conceited just because their parents hold power?
“I don’t particularly mind being addressed without honorifics.”
“……”
In the tense atmosphere, Eliza—the one with the highest status—was the first to permit the informal address.
“Such trivialities as how I’m addressed don’t concern me. As long as it’s not a disparaging name, you may call me whatever you like, Professor Geek.”
This was unexpected. I honestly didn’t think she’d say that.
Frankly, I was bracing for an avalanche of complaints again. Not that I’d care even if they came.
“Her Highness is truly magnanimous! Showing kindness even to the common folk—truly a leader among leaders! Very well, temporary teacher, as a special exception, I too shall permit you to address me informally, following Her Highness’s noble example.”
“Indeed, Princess Eliza is truly exemplary! I must strive to learn from her conduct. Fine, commoner, just for today, I will allow you to address me by name.”
“…”
Once Eliza permitted it, Sophia and Gariel followed suit. It became clear that Eliza holds the decisive voice in this class.
Still, Sophia and Gariel’s smug attitudes are infuriating.
“Thank you. I appreciate your understanding. Now, back to the main topic—why is defensive magic unnecessary?”
“How dare you sound so ungrateful!”
…Sophia really is annoyingly nitpicky.
“It’s fine, Sophia. Professor Geek, the reason I said defensive magic isn’t necessary is because the upper-class nobles in this class will have no opportunities for combat against monsters or people, as you mentioned earlier.”
“Hmm… While such opportunities may indeed be rare, it’s precisely because royalty and high-ranking nobles are likely targets for assassination that learning defensive magic could be valuable for self-defense.”
“Ha! That’s laughable! Such matters are the responsibility of our guards. Besides, our futures are already secured—managing territories or holding administrative roles in the Ministry of Magic or similar organizations, far removed from combat. We have no need for defensive magic.”
“…True, many here, like Gariel, may not directly encounter combat in the future. However, others, like Sophia, who are actively involved in protection, may still benefit from learning defensive magic.”
For nobles like marquesses and royalty, personal guards often handle protection, so they might rarely use defensive magic. However, for others, defending themselves or their territories against threats like monsters could be a real concern.
“Ridiculous! Learning such skills from a temporary teacher like you is far less effective than training with our families’ experts!”
“Precisely! I have excellent guards myself, so defensive magic is unnecessary for me as well.”
“I don’t need it either. I’d rather ask my family’s guards than waste time here.”
“…”
The sentiment that defensive magic lessons are unnecessary began to spread. Most of the S-class students come from wealthy noble families and have personal guards.
“While theoretical knowledge may offer some value, the practical lessons are entirely unnecessary. If possible, we’d prefer to use that time for self-study. There are plenty of other things we need to learn.”
“…By the way, what kind of lessons did my predecessor teach in defensive magic?”
“All of the previous teacher’s classes were self-study.”
…My predecessor truly was useless.
