The atmosphere changed considerably once Headmistress Calliope arrived.
The forest, which had been overflowing with anger and commotion until moments ago, instantly turned into the site of a public hearing, and Headmistress Calliope stood before everyone with a smile.
“Please, be at ease. I’m not here to discuss anything officially or gravely.”
Of course, no one sat at ease.
Even Mina and Erika were being quiet, silently looking at the headmistress.
In the midst of that, as if some tacit agreement had passed between the students, they glanced at one another before Noel, who received everyone’s gaze last, looked at me once, then soon nodded and opened her mouth.
“I will speak on behalf of the students of the Department of Magic, the Department of Alchemy, and the Department of Knighthood. Former Chief Court Mage, Marchioness Calliope Wiznia. We are prepared to hear what you have to say.”
“Miss Nexia, you are always so courteous. As I said, I only came to show my face.”
…It felt like there had been some rather frightening words attached to the front.
Court mage was a profession that received quite a bit of respect in this country, and the fact that “chief” was attached to it meant she had held the highest position even among those court mages.
And on top of that, her title was marchioness.
Even with the rank of count or above, if you traced the genealogy back, there was a high chance of some connection to the royal family, and a marquis was a title just below a duke.
In other words, it wouldn’t be much of a problem to regard her as someone tentatively belonging to the royal family.
While I was mentally retorting that, even if it had become so in name only, the academy shouldn’t go around calling itself extraterritorial, Headmistress Calliope looked at everyone and said,
“Titles and whatever position I held before are not important. Right now, I am simply your headmistress, Calliope. Though the station one is born into and the achievements one has accomplished thus far may be words that point to a person, that does not mean they completely define that person. Let us cultivate an attitude of looking not to the past, but to the present, and pioneering the future, Miss Nexia.”
“I will devote myself to that.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
At Noel’s words, Headmistress Calliope nodded.
Then Headmistress Calliope soon looked this way.
“The reason I came here is because Professor Reina told me that a very lively commotion had broken out across the academy, so I stepped out for a bit of fresh air. And as it happened, there was someone here I wanted to meet and speak with at least once. The weather is lovely, and this will broaden everyone’s horizons, so I hope you will all be comfortable.”
“If there is someone you wish to speak with…”
Noel quietly stepped back.
And Headmistress Calliope nodded as she looked at me.
“Baron Arclight. I wanted to speak with you.”
Since I had been singled out, I had to talk to her, but for a moment, I wondered what I should do.
Should I speak while sitting, or should I stand up?
After a brief moment of thought, I immediately came up with a solution.
“Then I’ll make some seats for a moment.”
I used magic as I was and made rocks rise up.
As stone chairs prepared on the spot were created for the number of people present, Headmistress Calliope began to clap with a smile.
“Indeed. That is a talent worthy of attracting attention from all sides.”
“It isn’t anything particularly difficult…”
It was only a slight application of golem magic, and it wasn’t as if I had made it complicated.
Headmistress Calliope soon sat down first and said,
“Since Baron Arclight has prepared seats for everyone, let us sit and talk.”
With the headmistress’s permission given, perhaps everyone had been inwardly reluctant to keep sitting on the dirt floor, because they quickly began perching on the rocks.
As I watched Noel, Erika, and Mina swiftly claim the widest and most comfortable-looking rock, I sat on a suitable rock nearest to me and said,
“What you wish to discuss with me is, as expected…”
“If you were to say golems, I would be lying if I said I had no interest. But that is not the subject right now. In truth, I heard a rumor through the court mages.”
If it wasn’t golems, was there anything she needed to talk to me about in particular?
Honestly, though it was a strange thing to say myself, the reason I had become somewhat known in the kingdom was because of golems, so I had been certain it would be about that.
Had the headmistress heard about something else?
“I heard that the baron had thought up an interesting educational system in his territory. A person called your representative informed an official from the royal palace, who had briefly visited to investigate, of its contents, and so the rumor reached my ears.”
“Ah, that.”
It was the thing I had done because Daniel had told me to learn how to take initiative in work, whatever it might be.
It wasn’t as if a tremendous number of territory residents had gathered yet, and I had planned to proceed gradually while putting infrastructure and systems in place, but had that reached the ears of the royal palace?
“It’s closer to a plan than a system, and since there is much I don’t know, it’s a very lacking plan.”
“But it seems the royal palace considered it quite worth attempting. Of course, the opposition was far stronger.”
It seemed a debate had broken out over that.
If it reached the headmistress’s ears, perhaps the scale of it had been quite large?
“I’ll say this in advance, but as for me, I honestly think it is a bill worth introducing slowly on a trial basis.”
“Is that so?”
“The core of that education ultimately focuses on raising technicians and pilots who handle piloted golems, but if it were adjusted somewhat, it could be effective in other fields as well. Well, if things proceed according to that plan, the number of people who handle golem technology will rapidly increase, and the technology will develop as well. I thought it was certainly worth attempting in the baron’s territory as a test case.”
At the headmistress’s words, I felt slightly unsure what to do with myself.
From my perspective, it was an embarrassing result I had barely squeezed out, almost by copying.
Even as that happened, the headmistress continued speaking.
“As you know, Professor Reina has moved faster than anyone, even to the point of creating a textbook, and Professor Rodellini is cooperating in the development of the technology. Surely, before long, demand for skilled technicians and trained pilots will explode. Baron Arclight’s educational plan is a policy worth attempting in order to prepare for that, and I believe piloted golems, if they can overcome a few hurdles, will certainly spread widely enough for that to happen.”
At the headmistress’s words, I began to hear faint murmurs from behind.
It was only natural, since it was a statement with quite a large ripple effect.
“…The weapons of House Avatus are still very much intact, though?”
“I don’t know enough about that side to make any firm assertions, so I am only speaking about golems.”
The headmistress spoke with a smile, but there was something barbed in her words.
The headmistress didn’t know enough, huh.
‘…That must mean Avatus is hiding their technology that thoroughly.’
If they wanted to monopolize the technology, it wasn’t a response I couldn’t understand.
I was also hearing plenty of advice that if I kept spreading my technology, its rarity would fall and my own value would drop.
But just as I was thinking that, from the perspective of intellectuals, they might prefer someone who disclosed what he could over someone who kept hiding everything, the headmistress continued speaking.
“Of course, the academy is not a facility that researches the future of military weapons, so we maintain the position that, in such matters, we must step back and observe, Baron. But at the same time, I found myself thinking even more that those preparing for the future so they can be used in many different ways and in many different places are the people on the baron’s side.”
“I am honored that you see it that way.”
“For that reason, this pilgrimage will be conducted on a fairly large scale even for the academy.”
“A large scale?”
While I wondered for a moment what she meant, the headmistress smiled quietly and said,
“With the exception of those about to graduate, the professors who will manage them, and the vice-headmistress, we are scheduled to go to the Kingdom of Gandharva.”
In other words, almost the entire academy would be moving.
Amid that, the headmistress slowly opened her mouth again and said,
“Prince Rial made an enormous donation, but at the same time, I heard he had created a rather interesting stage for competition, so I made the decision. Originally, I intended to proceed with it as a way for everyone to broaden their horizons, but…”
The headmistress smiled playfully once and said,
“As it happened, I heard the baron had once again made a big affair of things and was attempting to drag in all the students of the Department of Alchemy for technological development. So I thought this opportunity might be the most necessary one for the academy’s students.”
“May I ask a question, Headmistress?”
“Go ahead, Miss Phoenix.”
Erika quietly stood up and, unusually, asked her question with a somewhat calm expression.
“Headmistress, are you perhaps thinking of telling the students to choose which side they support between Eisen and Cardio and help them?”
“If the parties involved accept it or request it, I was thinking of positively considering it and encouraging participation.”
The headmistress nodded as she answered.
“In any case, it is a matter everyone will soon come to know. Whether they work in step with others, or work while taking orders… or whether they try to seize an opportunity. As the headmistress of the academy, I thought this opportunity would be helpful for the students. In any case, two students of the academy are holding a grand competition in a foreign country, aren’t they? And it is a competition for the future of the Kingdom of Vespia. There’s nothing bad about that, is there?”
The headmistress’s gentle words rang out.
Then Noel, as if she had noticed something, raised her hand and said,
“Then, Headmistress, are you going to make this competition an official academy event…”
“That’s right.”
By this point, I was able to realize it as well.
To elevate the competition Prince Rial had brought into an official academy-level competition meant…
“…The academy intends to step forward and protect everyone.”
“When the academy’s precious students are involved, naturally, the professors must also step forward, or support someone, and at the same time work for their safety so that no one crosses the line. Not that I imagine anyone would be plotting any dreadful schemes, of course.”
I could see Professor Reina naturally taking some headache medicine and sharing it with Professor Iserina and Professor Rodellini.
Well, the three of them must have felt the stress first, since their work had suddenly increased dramatically.
But to put it another way.
It also meant that the academy’s professors would step forward and block any strange schemes from interfering as much as possible, so that only pure competition could take place.
‘Someone’s intent is at work here.’
It was fair, but in truth, this situation was extremely disadvantageous to one side.
Since Avatus exerted influence in various places, including noble houses, they could use far more diverse methods than we could, and the academy was essentially saying it would block most of them.
Naturally, there was no reason for our side not to accept.
“I will do my best so that it can be a good experience for everyone.”
“Please do. However, if you do something like stay up all night for two weeks in a row, as headmistress, I will order them to force you to sleep. Ensuring your health is part of the purpose as well.”
A demerit had appeared on my side too.
While I grumbled inwardly, Mina raised her hand and calmly held it out as she said,
“Success fee.”
“Lady Mina, you mustn’t!”
Noel was horrified and tried to stop Mina, but Mina wore her characteristic shameless expression.
And the headmistress seemed to find that even more amusing, smiling all the brighter.
“Why would you demand that from the headmistress, Saintess Mina? I am merely watching over things and giving the students a chance to move freely, not saying that they should take Baron Arclight’s side and knock Avatus down a peg.”
“Team leaders get very tired. Prize needed.”
“…Well, I suppose if you look at it as assigning Baron Arclight or the Avatus side the task of becoming the leader of a team and taking charge of everyone, a prize would be necessary. Still, there is the matter of the budget, so what would be good…”
The headmistress thought for a moment, then smiled softly.
“I’ll speak with the Avatus side… and for Baron Arclight, I will promise to actively cooperate in the parts of your territory’s educational plan that connect with the academy. It seems there will be children who will be the first to study with Professor Reina’s textbook.”
“Headmistress, I’m still embarrassed about that…”
While Professor Reina was at a loss, the headmistress clapped once.
The witch, rising from her seat as she was, soon smiled at everyone and said,
“I have taken up quite a lot of everyone’s time. But I thought it would be good for the many students present to reflect carefully on the conversation that took place here.”
To the alchemy rioters, the Department of Knighthood students, and the Department of Magic students sitting in clusters, the headmistress quietly said,
“It will be announced by the academy soon anyway, but for those of you who caused and then calmed such a lively disturbance, this much should be sufficient compensation. Think deeply on your own, and choose what you will do. It is fine to take the initiative and step forward. It is fine to merely watch as well. However, I hope that your attention, at least, will be focused on that competition. Now, let us disperse.”
“Everyone, stand! Return to your respective positions!”
“Since the Department of Magic is already out here, let’s have class like this~!”
“Alchemy Department, let’s go check the harvest!”
The professors’ instructions rang out, and the surroundings grew noisy.
And just as Mina, Noel, and Erika came to my side and there was a brief opening to speak, the headmistress approached.
“Headmistress.”
“Baron Arclight, are you confident you can win?”
The headmistress asked me with eyes that seemed to want to confirm something.
Naturally, my answer was already decided.
“Yes.”
If I hadn’t been confident in the first place, I wouldn’t have started something like this.