Chapter 22: At the Perezford Academy
"Theodore-sama, this way."
Grace, sitting on a long bench, lightly taps around her thigh with a delighted smile on her face.
"Ah... yeah."
I lie down quietly. It's like receiving a knee pillow from Grace.
Grace begins to clean my ears with a cotton swab she held in her hand. I have to enter a state of mindlessness.
"If it hurts, please let me know."
"Yeah, it feels just right."
It seems Grace was quite starved for physical contact. Ever since we returned from the labyrinth, or rather, after we were released from our bonds, events like this have increased a bit.
...But there's still no... relationship.
Considering our age and the fact that Grace doesn't seem to have much worldly experience, she probably doesn't have that kind of knowledge.
...Not that I intend to be unnecessarily gentlemanly and say that premarital intimacy is forbidden. The main reason is that once we cross that line, it becomes difficult to stop, and I can't help but think about the future. It would only turn into a scandal. And if we were to have a child, well, it would ruin all our carefully planned life designs.
To think that I have to worry about such things at the age of ten... Hmm. The memories and common sense from my past life are both a blessing and a curse...
Considering the physical growth of my body, I'm fine for now... but I wonder what will happen when I grow a bit more. ...I'll do my best to prepare myself before that happens.
"By the way, Theodore-sama, you're going to the academy tomorrow, right?"
Perhaps recalling the contents of the materials received from the Perezford Academy, Grace asks.
"Oh, the lecture on practical magic?"
"Yes."
Or rather, it's more of a training than a lecture.
The lecture on practical magic is held throughout the year, but since they rotate through the entire curriculum, it feels like I have to wait until one cycle is completed to start from the beginning of the lectures.
And so, the next day comes. I arrived at the academy.
The room I'm currently in resembles a university lecture hall. The seating arrangement for the students is arranged radially along the stairs, overlooking the lectern... It has a similar structure to that... It's not a particularly spacious room, more like a cozy one.
Even for nobles, accompanying servants and attendants to lectures is not allowed. I tried to convey to Grace that if there was something she wanted to learn, she should attend the school, but she declined.
She couldn't find anything she wanted to learn enough to pay high tuition fees, and while practical magic was convenient, she argued that the tuition would be wasted unless she confirmed whether she could use it even if I taught her.
Well, certainly... Dampira's magical aptitude is different from that of ordinary humans, so even if she has a high amount of magical power, it's a delicate line whether she can learn regular magic. It would be troublesome if she paid tuition fees and couldn't use practical magic, so I think it's not wrong for her to be cautious in that way.
So now, Grace should be in the adjoining waiting room of this lecture room, doing embroidery. It's a facility unique to Peresford, which also provides noble education.
Peresford does not allow servants, attendants, or guards to accompany lectures, but they have made arrangements to accommodate the whims of the nobles to some extent. Well... Currently, the infamous shadow mercury is lurking behind her, so the bodyguard is fully prepared. It's within immediate reach to rush to her.
- I look around and observe the attendees lined up. For nobles, you can generally tell by their appearance, manners, and way of speaking... The attendance ratio is 3 nobles, 5 commoners, and 2 unknown... That's the situation. In other words, the ratio of nobles per head is high.
It may be thought that practical magic is mainly used by common people for its purpose, but in reality, there is a demand from lower-ranking nobles to upper-ranking nobles. The result is reflected in the breakdown of attendees in this lecture.
There is no scientific basis or concept such as heredity... but there is a background where magicians want to incorporate influential people such as nobles and wealthy merchants as their relatives, and many nobles have a relatively high talent for magic.
So naturally, the number of aristocratic children who want to learn magic increases. Among them, there are several reasons for wanting to learn practical magic...
For example, the motivations of those who are not financially comfortable, such as knight barons and viscounts, are quite reasonable.
They definitely manage to come up with the tuition fees in order to establish themselves or gain titles... but in many cases, their households lack manpower. Some of them try to learn practical magic themselves to improve the convenience of their lives.
The children of wealthy noble families have different reasons. Some may think about when they have to leave home because they are not the heirs, but practical magic is highly valued as a means to intuitively learn control of magical power and various attribute conversion methods, beyond its intended purpose.
In my case, it's just that it's convenient to learn household magic... That's all. It allows me to carry fewer things when delving into the labyrinth.
Although I've been mainly focused on learning attack magic and magic useful for labyrinth exploration, so the order of acquisition is completely reversed, I shouldn't worry about it.
"They said it was an important lecture on magic, but it's just household magic?! Why does someone like me have to learn such a boring magic now?! This is something that commoners should learn!"
"T-Talcott-sama, everyone is well aware of your talent! However, this is at Lord Maurice's request!"
"Ah, enough already! Always bringing up my father's name!"
A corner of the classroom became noisy... Well, it seems there are noble children who don't understand the significance.
A servant or attendant desperately tried to calm down the noble child who was angrily blushing. They seemed to be around 14 or 15 years old, a noble.
Maurice and Talcott, huh? Were they from the Earl of Cardiff's family... or something like that?
Maurice is a central official who also has territories in the provinces... It seems he leaves the management there to his vassals. His son Talcott is remarkably talented in magic but quite a rough person, or so they say. And it seems his parents are laissez-faire about it. I've heard various rumors like that, but... well, it's an irrelevant story.
Noble society is made up of a fraction of gossip. Even if it's between the central and provincial regions, rumors flow abundantly even to the ears of illegitimate children. Scandals, in particular.
Anyway, the Cardiff family doesn't have a good reputation, neither the parents nor the children. It's quite notable how other people look at their disgraceful behavior with relatively cold eyes.
Sigh... This behavior reminds me of those two idiots back home. It's a bit frustrating to think that we belong to the same noble family... I dislike various things about it.
While the others are sneering, I have my own thoughts, and it's not funny at all. Anyway, it seems like the discussion has concluded in the direction of somehow increasing the number of other magic lectures.
Ashley entered the classroom after the commotion had settled down, a little while later. The timing is quite convenient. I wish I didn't have to witness such an unsightly scene.
"Oh, Lord Theodore. Good morning."
"Good morning, Lady Ashley."
When Ashley noticed me while scanning the classroom, she approached, relaxed her posture, and sat next to me.
"Was today your first lecture, Lord Theodore?"
"I only plan to take Life Magic."
If someone like Rosetta were teaching combat techniques, I wouldn't mind attending that lecture. Unfortunately, she specializes in recovery magic, so it seems Ashley will be under Rosetta's care, more or less.
"By the way, how did your recovery magic training go?"
"You mean the notes you gave me, Lord Theodore? I've already mastered the basics. Instructor Rosetta praised me for having good technique."
"That's good to hear."
"No, it's all thanks to you, Lord Theodore."
Although Ashley says that, being able to use basic healing magic so quickly with just those notes and a brief lecture... it must be talent after all.
I knew she had potential for learning healing magic, but Ashley surpasses expectations as an adept healer.
"I'm thinking that if I learn and train in Life Magic, I might eventually be able to cast spells without incantations."
"Ah, that might be possible."
As long as you don't become Rosetta's favorite and end up learning forbidden magic as her top disciple... even if you don't have any combat skills.
"Oh, the teacher has arrived."
Ashley alerted me, and as I looked ahead, an elderly instructor entered the classroom.
Well then, Life Magic. I wonder what kind of class it will be.