Chapter 42 - Prologue: Retiring as a Magic Teacher
Thank you for waiting, this is the start of Chapter Two.
The adventurer party 'Black Silver' belonged to the Adventurer Guild of the Kingdom of Abalonia.
Its party members were Aldred, a swordsman boasting fierce attack power; Keel, a versatile warrior who supported the party with his proficiency in bows, swords, axes, spears, negotiations, and various knowledge; and Elliot, a heavy knight who faithfully drew the enemy's attention with his shield without ever uttering a complaint.
And the only woman in the party, a beautiful mage who mastered a variety of magic—me, Kurune.
The four of us defeated heinous monsters, sometimes found treasures in ruins, searched for ingredients called delicacies, and escorted famous nobles, completing numerous requests without losing a single person, and came to be called one of the kingdom's leading A-rank adventurer parties.
To an ordinary person, that alone would be a great success. We had already obtained enough money to live in leisure for the rest of our lives, but our party didn't stop at being just an A-rank adventurer party.
To our surprise, after a fierce battle, we accomplished the subjugation of a dragon, a powerful monster that threatened the very existence of the country, and obtained the title of Dragon Slayer.
The subjugation of a dragon, called the strongest species among living creatures.
We achieved a feat like the heroic tales passed down in books.
When I was a child, I read creative stories of knights who defeated dragons to take back kidnapped princesses and thought, 'Ah, how amazing. I want to be born as such a noble princess and become the bride of a strong, kind, and wonderful knight.' Or, 'I want to try an exciting adventure like this too.'
I had thought those things, but I never imagined that I would turn out to be on the knight's side of the story and subjugate a dragon.
After subjugating the dragon and obtaining the title of Dragon Slayer, in the blink of an eye, the royalty and nobility organized parades and speeches in the kingdom, and the A-rank adventurers 'Black Silver' became known to everyone in the kingdom.
We had become powerful enough to no longer be just adventurers.
We could live in any way we wanted other than being adventurers, but I didn't think everyone would retire from adventuring just like this.
Aldo and Keel were five years older than me, twenty-seven years old.
I had heard that as one approaches thirty, the condition of one's body drops all at once, but I couldn't imagine that Aldred, who allowed no one to follow him in swordsmanship and never compromised on strength, and Keel, whose motto was having fun and who moved as nimbly as a monkey, would retire due to age.
We would continue our adventurer business until our late thirties while completing quests and training our juniors.
When their bodies could no longer keep up, Aldred and the others would take up duties related to the Adventurer Guild.
I thought the irresponsible Keel would definitely not work since he had money.
The serious Elliot had been eyed by the knight order for a while, so he might become a captain or an instructor in the knight order.
I would become a teacher at the Magic Academy, which had been my dream since long ago, and teach magic to children.
Surrounded by my beloved children, I would use magic together with everyone, conduct research, and lead a fulfilling life.
And eventually, my second dream, becoming the bride of a strong, kind, and wonderful man...
Even after retiring, although our professions would be different, we could interact with our companions just as before.
I thought we could stay with these members for another ten years and do fun things.
However, such carefree thoughts of mine were cut short early on.
Aldred, the leader of the party and more greedy for strength than anyone, lost his goal by defeating the dragon called the strongest species.
Aldred, who had been overflowing with motivation and a desire for improvement, became visibly weak.
It was as if the strength had suddenly left his body; he didn't train and didn't take any quests at all.
'He's just a bit tired from defeating the dragon. He'll surely take up his sword again after a little time.' That's what we thought, but Aldred's feelings didn't recover.
He basically shut himself in the inn and stared blankly without doing anything. We tried taking him outside to make him find some new goal, but he was somewhat absent-minded. Of course, he wouldn't accompany us on subjugation quests either.
...He didn't look like a swordsman who had accomplished a Dragon Slayer feat at all.
Keel, Elliot, and I encouraged Aldred many times and sometimes stayed by his side, but his condition didn't change.
This might be something that couldn't be helped unless Aldred himself found a new goal.
Thinking that and giving him time, a contact for a summons suddenly came from Aldred.
Aldred's appearance, which I saw for the first time in a while, didn't have the sharp atmosphere of before, but he looked relatively lively.
This might mean he had found a new goal. Thinking that, I headed to the inn, the meeting place, with my heart dancing.
And in the place where all the party members were gathered, Aldred announced:
—The disbandment of the party.
It was unbelievable, but perhaps because I had thought so somewhere in my heart, I was able to accept it smoothly.
Truthfully, I wanted to scream that I wanted to go on adventures with everyone more, but everyone already had their own paths.
Elliot would marry into a noble family and join the knight order.
Keel retired using age as an excuse and said he wanted to play around the world, but I think he just didn't want to see the party in a form that wasn't these four people.
I also gave a pretext like becoming a teacher at the Magic Academy, but I think the reason I accepted the disbandment smoothly was just that I couldn't stand to look at Aldred, who had lost his ambition.
Precisely because I had seen his strong and reliable figure by my side, that feeling might have been strong.
Even so, he said he had found a new goal.
It was a small country beyond the neighboring Vespania Empire.
He would apparently live peacefully in Nordende, a village far to the west of the Kingdom of Sylphide.
It was something far removed from the Aldred who had placed himself in battles until now, but his appearance as he talked about the flower fields and the state of that village, and what he wanted to try there, was very lively.
That sharp atmosphere was a false one, and that might be the true figure of Aldred.
Feeling happy that I could see a new side of Aldred and blessing him for finding a new path, we decided to retire as adventurers.
And so, with the fame of being a Dragon Slayer powerhouse, the personal connections I had gained through it, and my certain abilities, I took up the profession of a Magic Academy teacher, which had been my dream. Much earlier than the life plan I had been considering.
◆
Perhaps because spring has passed and summer is approaching, the air is pregnant with a humid heat.
Having finished my classes, I slowly lower my hips into a chair in the staff room of the Magic Academy.
Truthfully, I want to drop my hips heavily and groan listlessly, "Ah—," but in this workplace where only nobles gather, I cannot be so ill-mannered.
A teacher who teaches noble magic must show that exemplary attitude to the students and be able to gather respect, or so they say.
My superior, who always picks on me and is talkative, was saying such things.
Why do I have to care that much just to teach magic?
Certainly, as a teacher and an adult, I don't mind behaving accordingly, but I can't stand having my manners checked all the time like in some royal castle. Why do I have to imitate nobles? I want to be allowed to relax at least inside the staff room.
I let out a sigh secretly so as not to be seen by the staff in the room.
At that moment, as if having aimed for it, my superior's voice falls upon me.
"Kurune-san."
"Y-Yes!"
Perhaps because I've been scolded by her, my superior, for about four months, my body moves reflexively.
"...You don't have to use such a loud voice for just a reply."
"I-I'm sorry."
Then please don't approach me while intentionally erasing your presence!
While hiding such thoughts, I apologize profusely.
"It seems someone from the Kingdom is here today as well."
When I turn my gaze in the direction my superior points, there is the figure of a kingdom knight who has visited here many times in these past few months. The man with refined features, blonde hair, and blue eyes is Count Clark Raymond.
As soon as our eyes meet, his expression softens and he lightly bows his head.
...Again?
Enduring the feeling that my expression was about to distort even more than before, I also bow.
"Thank you. Well then, excuse me."
I say my thanks to my superior for now and head toward Clark.
"...Kurune-san."
"Y-Yes?"
Then, for some reason, my superior calls out to stop me. What is it? I want to quickly send Clark away and secure my break time.
"Why don't you just tell Count Clark about Aldred-san's whereabouts already? You know it anyway, don't you? At this rate, you're just causing trouble for Count Clark. Just because you're his fiancée doesn't mean you can be spoiled like that."
Hah, these words again.
How many times have I been told these words since coming to this workplace?
"...Hah, I really don't know Aldred's whereabouts. And I am not Clark-san's fiancée."
After answering my superior flatly, I turn my back and start walking.
In noble society, it's important to state one's intentions clearly. If I let it slide without denying it, the people around me will recognize it as such and I'll be made into a fiancée in no time.
The reason Clark came here is to fish out Aldo's whereabouts from me.
And to deepen his relationship with me even a little and form an engagement. He's probably trying to join the ranks of influential nobles using my wealth and fame as a Dragon Slayer mage.
His ulterior motives are transparent, and that refreshing smile and words are suspicious.
An engagement is impossible.
I headed toward him while thinking in my head how to quickly send Clark away.
◆
"...Ah, I'm already so tired..."
At a table in the staff room at night when no one was around, I slumped down while letting out a groan.
In the end, my break time for that day was significantly reduced by the useless conversation with Clark.
When I finally returned, I was lectured by my superior who was waiting in the staff room, my time and mental strength were reduced, and without any time to rest properly, it was the next class.
When class starts, the noble students look down on me for being a commoner.
Some students respect me and listen to the class, but they are a tiny minority. If they show such an attitude toward me, the nobles who don't think well of me will put pressure on that child.
Where did the philosophy that everyone learns magic equally regardless of status go? Bloodline and everything else shouldn't matter for teaching magic.
I can't help but be appalled by the students who put more effort into socializing than magic.
The boys and girls I met when stopping by villages, and the junior adventurers, were far more sincere toward magic.
At night, I'm invited to parties and recommended marriage proposals by nobles, and I have no free time.
Was this the profession of teaching magic that was my dream?
What I wanted should have been for everyone to be more sincere toward magic and to have an interest in magic.
Whether entering a magic research facility, becoming a military mage, or becoming a wandering mage. I wanted them to live fruitfully by utilizing magic.
If it's like this, wouldn't it have been better to teach magic in the villages I stopped at during my adventurer days?
There is also the path of joining the magic unit of the Kingdom Army, but I don't think I can meet anyone I can trust more than those three.
I have no loyalty to the Kingdom at all, and it's out of the question to fight with my life on the line now.
"...Hah, Aldo. I resent you..."
Such words unintentionally leak out.
Keel disappeared as soon as he finished reporting the disbandment, and Elliot is not being caught in the crossfire thanks to the Count's family he married into being his backer and ally.
In the midst of that, it's natural that I, who am just a commoner and have no backer, am being interrogated.
Perhaps because I'm being pressed by the nobles, including Clark and my superior who come every day, my heart was terribly worn down.
I told the royalty and influential nobles that I don't know Aldo's whereabouts, but they probably doubt me.
...Well, frankly, I do know.
I want to tell them he's in Nordende, a village far to the west of the Kingdom of Sylphide.
But I don't want them to do something like bringing back Aldo, who has finally found a new goal.
I remember Aldo's face, which was strangely lively after finding a new goal.
"If I recall, the village Aldo is living in was a small village in the countryside, right..."
I feel like it wouldn't be bad to live slowly while teaching magic to the people living there.
Even commoners have many children with an aptitude for magic. It's just that they can't learn due to the means or opportunities to learn magic, or financial reasons.
Besides, I have more money than I can spend, so there's no need to take money.
Commoner people would probably learn magic greedily to make it useful for their own lives, without being bound by petty human relationships.
I imagine myself teaching magic to them.
Curious and innocent children, and young people who come to learn seriously for their own future...
Just imagining it made my heart soften greatly.
So as not to be a burden on their lives, I'll teach from children to adults using my spare time.
"...It might be good."
I, who had been slumped over, raised my upper body and muttered.
Now, that seems considerably more attractive.
No, it's definitely better than being here!
I wondered if I was being desperate because I was tired, but I didn't think so.
This is similar to when I first saw Aldo at the Adventurer Guild and decided to apply to accompany him on a quest. My intuition told me that this idea would be a good one for me.
I wonder if Aldo, who has only done sword work and knows nothing else, is doing well?
No, he's clumsy, so he's surely struggling.
He can hunt, but it's impossible for him to plow a field and grow vegetables.
His age is twenty-seven, which is outside the marriageable age, and he probably doesn't have a wife yet anyway.
Aldo wasn't interested in women unlike Keel, so I don't think he can get a lover immediately.
He's probably living lonely by himself, and if he asks me no matter what, I might not mind becoming Aldo's bride for him...
With that, I quickly finished my remaining work and began preparations to head to Nordende.
Now, what will happen when Kurune-san comes to Nordende?
I would be happy if you could watch over what kind of development it will be until the end.
From next time, it's Aldo and Flora.