124.2. Children Grow Fast, Isn’t It?

Myrna holds her head in confusion, but it’s impossible to ask a genius like her to explain.

I approach their group.

“Ed, Saika, maybe you should ask Jabil-sensei?”

“No! We’re doing it here! I’m going to make sure I can use it!”

“Sensei can teach you the trick, though.”

“No way! That would feel like losing!”

What are you fighting against…?

“Well, if that’s what you want, then Kai should teach you.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. You understand magic the best.”

“…Okay! Hehe.”

Kai, a bit shy, opens his notebook, but Ed ignores him and turns to Wamika.

“Damn it! Wamika, you teach me!”

“Why me?! Just ask Kai!”

Ignored, Kai turns to Myrna in tears.

“Myrna, do something about Ed!”

“Huh? Okay!”

Myrna snorts, and taps Kai on the shoulder.

“What?”

“Hmm.”

Myrna points at Kai and the notebook alternately.

“Hmm!”

“Ugh… Fine. Teach me, Kai.”

“Sure!”

Seeing Ed reluctantly peeking into Kai’s notebook as Kai starts teaching, Myrna snorts with satisfaction. She looks quite proud.

What surprises me is that despite Ed yelling at her, Myrna didn’t show any sign of fear.

I had an image of her trembling with teary eyes, but it seemed she was stronger than I thought.

Or maybe it’s because they’ve become close friends?

Either way, it’s a huge plus for Myrna. I can’t help but feel happy too.

“…Craft. That grin on your face is creepy.”

“Persia. You should look in the mirror.”

Persia is grinning in a way that’s oddly skillful while resting her hand on her sword.

Yeah. Don’t draw that, okay?

“But really,”

Suddenly, Jabil-sensei speaks up from beside me.

It seems he’s free now, so he came over while keeping an eye on the students.

“They don’t seem to understand how amazing it is that they can use magic now.”

“Probably not.”

I nod, and Persia furrows her brow.

“To be honest, I didn’t think commoners could use magic without a crest.”

“It’s common sense that even without a crest, you can use sword skills or magic, right? Well, it’s harder, and the power is reduced, though.”

“Yeah. That’s why those without a crest usually don’t bother learning. Only kids from knight or sorcerer families get taught by their parents.”

“True.”

“That’s why it’s surprising that so many commoner children here can now use magic.”

Jabil-sensei nods slightly.

“Yes. It shows how important education is. Even beastfolk, who are said to be bad at magic, are mastering it like that.”

“There seem to be races that aren’t well-suited for it, though.”

“That’s the same for humans. Some are good at it, some aren’t. There’s probably racial compatibility too.”

“Indeed. It would be great if this could reduce prejudice against beastfolk even a little.”

“Don’t worry. As Kyle-sama’s academy method spreads, prejudice in the Kingdom of Maugaria will rapidly decrease.”

“Yes. Kyle really is amazing.”

“He doesn’t seem to realize that he’s generating the money that supports his territory…”

The hard work is done by the residents and the guild, not by me.

Of course, I do take pride in being part of that.

“It’s thanks to everyone’s hard work.”

“Yes. That’s good enough for you.”

As we share this warm moment, the class ends, and it’s time for lunch.

The menu is designed for kids, considering nutritional balance and volume, and the growing students are very satisfied.

“I’m starving!”

“Today’s curry soup!”

“Yay!”

A chef who recently moved to Golden Dawn, known for his unique curry soup, occasionally caters the lunch, and it’s the most popular menu item among the kids.

Of course, it’s my favorite too.

It requires a lot of spices, which would normally make it expensive, but since Golden Dawn is becoming an agricultural powerhouse, spices are cheap, making it affordable for commoners.

The shop is always bustling, so it’s hard to go, but I’m lucky to have it for lunch.

Perks of being a Sensei!

As we eat together, Ed talks to me.

“Hey, Craft-niichan.”

“Sensei.”

“Oh, Craft-sensei, by the way, when is the Coming-of-Age Ceremony festival?”

“Come to think of it, it’s about that time. I’ll ask Kyle about it.”

“Yeah! There are lots of festivals in this town, but the Coming-of-Age one is the best!”

“True.”

Hearing about the festival, the kids get even more excited.

Usually, a festival refers to the one held annually with the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

For commoners outside of Golden Dawn, this festival is the highlight of the year.

By the way, how are the preparations for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony going?

Since the production guild will be busy too, I should check with Kyle tomorrow.

“…Craft. Don’t cause trouble at the festival, okay?”

“What kind of trouble do you think I’ll cause?”

“Hmm. I have a bad feeling about it.”

You’re overthinking it, Sensei!