Chapter 2: Beginning of Lesson
The ceremony was over without incident, and Keith, now officially a court mage, was immediately summoned by Mashua to stand before him.
On the throne sits a handsome elf with a crown resembling an ivy on his head.
He appeared to be in his late twenties but was already over three hundred years old from what he heard.
"Keith. I hope you will continue to serve our country and our people well."
In the distance, a solemn voice like a moonlit ocean rumbling, all he can do is say, "Yes" and keep on bowing.
To such Keith, Mashua continued.
"By the way, I have a favor to ask of you, even though you just got appointed."
"Anything I can do to help."
"Umu, come Naia."
At Mashua's voice, an elf came from the back.
A woman, her face still young enough to be a girl's.
Dressed in a pure white dress, her face bore a striking resemblance to that of Queen Mia, who sat next to Mashua.
Her platinum hair was long, and her thin limbs made her slightly swelling breasts stand out.
"Father."
Saying so, Naia looked at Keith with a smile as she came to her father's side.
"She is my daughter, Naia. She was at your appointment ceremony."
Keith was unaware of it. But...
"Yes, I will never forget how beautiful she is."
Naia's face fell in embarrassment at Keith's words.
"Actually, the favor I'm asking is for this girl......"
"The Princess's..."
"Umu..."
After looking at Naia to confirm what he had said, Mashua continued.
"As you know, we elves are very good at magic. Especially when it comes to spirit magic, we are proud to say that we are a cut above the other races."
"Yes."
"But my daughter Naia doesn't seem to have the same...... magic background......"
Mashua looks at her daughter.
Keith has no idea how embarrassing it is for an elf to say that they are not good at magic.
However, it was apparent from the way Naia's face is looking down and fidgeting with her hands.
"Well, if you don't mind. I'd like you to be Naia's magic teacher."
At this point, everything made sense to Keith.
It was with this intention that he was hired.
For the elves, the use of magic was as natural as a bird soaring in the sky or a fish swimming in the water.
That is why they are not good at teaching others.
Therefore, when they need to "learn" magic, they have to ask a human to teach them.
He was just in the right place at the right time......
Of course, this was Keith's imagination, but once he believed it to be true, he could no longer help but feel a sense of self-mockery.
"What do you think? Would you mind?"
"Eh? Ah, of course. I will do my best."
"Really!?"
The first thing that replied to Keith's words was Naia's voice.
When Keith looked up, he saw Naia running up to him from his father's side.
Naia crouched down and took Keith's hand in hers.
"Thank God! I was afraid you would refuse! I'm so glad! I'm so glad I asked father!"
"H-haa."
"Will I be able to use magic? What do you think, Mage-sama??"
Naia asked innocently, but Keith's heart sulked at her words.
(Oh, I'm this child's plaything huh...)
The only thought that came to Keith's mind was that.
"Naia! That's not very nice."
"……Sorry."
"Hahaha, it can't be helped."
Such a cheerful scene made Keith's heart even more disturbed.
...
The magic lessons for Naia began immediately the next day.
From his room in the court, he was taken by a knight to Naia's room.
When he arrived in the room, Naia, who was having her hair combed by a maid, stopped after seeing Keith and came running up to him, looking delighted.
"Mage-sama! I've been waiting for you!!"
Naia, with a smile like a sunflower on her face, took Keith's hand in hers.
"Insolent fellow!!"
He cowered in shock when he heard such a voice.
It was not a word that was intended for Naia.
"A filthy mage touching Nia-sama's hands."
No, it was this girl who touched me...
With that in mind, he looked in the direction of the voice and saw a brown-skinned elf standing there.
(Desert Elf?)
They are a tribe of elves who live in the desert in the east.
They are characterized by their brown skin and silver hair, and because of their unique religious beliefs, they were once called dark elves and persecuted, but this has not been the case recently.
However, it is very rare to find them in this region.
"Aisha..."
Naia, with a "mu ~ ~ ~", turned to the desert elf--- Aisha.
"Such a way of speaking is rude! Apologize to Mage-sama!"
Aisha looked troubled at those words.
"B-but!"
"Apologize!"
Aisha looked at Keith with eyes that were clearly not apologetic.
"I'm sorry."
Is she really apologizing?
He can't help but think so. But since it's no use worrying about such things in this country, so.
"No, don't worry about it."
"...Are you offended?"
"Not at all."
"Thank god!"
Aisha keeps staring at Keith with a bitter look on her face.
"That's right. I haven't introduced her yet. Mage-sama, this is Aisha, my escort knight. Aisha, this is the Mage Keith-sama."
He bowed "Hello" as he was introduced, but Aisha only replied "Hmph!".
He didn't know how old she really is, but he's a little annoyed to be looked down on by her young appearance.
"Aisha!"
The conversation wasn't going anywhere, and frankly, he wanted to get it over with.
"It's okay. Let's get started."
"Y-yes!"
Nervous, she let out a gasp. Naia was getting herself worked up as she let out a breath through her nose.
After opening a simple grimoire and some other things, the maid excused herself and left the room, but Aisha stayed behind.
"...Is Aisha-sama going to be here all the time?"
"Of course I am! I don't know what kind of disrespect you will do to Naia-sama!!"
To be honest, it's a pain in the ass.
When teaching something, one may have to reprimand or even be a little rude, but that is what teaching and learning are all about.
It is not nice to be watched and get complaints about every time one does something.
"What, do you have something to complain about?"
"No...... I'm not complaining."
Keith thought about it, but he felt that if he even cared about the knight, he would just get worn out, so he decided to stop caring.
However, it is only for Aisha.
"Would you please leave? You're in my way."
"What! What did you say!!!!"
"You're distracting me. I would not be able to teach her well."
"Y-you bastard!!"
Aisha put her hand on the rapier at her waist.
However, after being chased around by 10 Knights of the Church with claymores and halberds, Keith was not afraid of a single little girl.
"You can kill me, but then you would have to teach magic to the princess."
"You!"
"Stop it!!"
Aisha's movement stopped at Naia's words.
"Na... Naia-sama."
"It's as Mage-sama says. Get out, Aisha."
"B-but!"
"Get out!"
She is like a dog.
Aisha turned and looked back at Naia again and again like an abandoned puppy, and with a fading voice, she said, "Excuse me," and left the room.
Fuuーー. Keith took a sigh.
"Well, let's get started."
With that said, Keith began, imitating a tutor.
...
What he learned from teaching her was that Naia did not have even the most basic knowledge of magic.
Is it because they perceived it sensitively?
He didn't know if this is the case with all people who call themselves elves, but this is tricky.
Keith is, after all, a former student.
In academic terms, he is equivalent to a university student.
It was like giving a math lesson to a kindergartener and to be honest, he had no idea where to start.
Perhaps sensing Keith's distress, Naia replied
"I guess... It's impossible for me..."
She seemed to be disappointed because she had been expecting so much, and she was depressed to the point of being very sad.
"No, um..."
Keith thought desperately.
Then he thought about the results of an experiment in which a study by some magic society had forced lowly monkeys to learn magic through repetitive learning.
A monkey can do it. There was no reason why elves couldn't do it.
In any case, start from the fundamentals with great care. This is the basic principle. This is what he thought of.
"It's all right. Let's take it slow."
Yes, let's take it slow.
After all, they are elves. They have a long lifespan.
And the more time it takes, the more time he will have to work in the court.
He smiled at the thought of it.
"...I'm glad that Mage-sama is kind."
Keith was a little shocked when she smiled.
Deceiving her like that.
"For the time being, let's just use mana to bring things to the surface today. I'll assist you, anyone can do it as long as they have mana."
"Y-yes!"
Keith placed a piece of cut-out paper in the shape of a butterfly in Nia's hand and placed his own hand underneath.
Slowly draw out her mana and try to bring it to the surface.
In this way, he is trying to get her body to gradually learn the act of drawing out her mana.
“…………”
It's not floating.
It's not even twitching.
“…………”
This is ridiculous.
Yes, if it were just an ordinary person, but there's no reason why an elf wouldn't even make it float.
After all, they are a fairy species. A walking mass of mana.
It's strange... When he thought so, Naia finally burst into tears when she was told that anyone could do it, but she couldn't.
"I-I knew itt...... I, couldn't do it....... uuu."
"Please don't cry!"
Keith, who had no way of knowing how to treat a crying little girl, got up and stared at Naia, trying to find the cause.
She's an elf, no matter how one looked at her.
A true elf. Not a cosplaying human.
Wondering why.
"Excuse me, can I touch your head?"
"Ye... yes. Sob*... it's fine."
He got permission and put his hand on the top of her head.
Closing his eyes, he began to check her body. It is like a CT scan but using magic.
However, it is not the internal organs that are being checked, but the arrangement and flow of the mana channels in the body.
"Oh……"
He finally figured out the cause.
...
"Abnormal formation of mana channels...?"
Keith nodded.
"What is... that."
"Every living thing has channels that allow mana to circulate within their bodies. It is through this channel that mana flows and is kneaded so that one could use magic...... Princess, those channels are not well-formed in your body."
"N-no way."
"It's something you're born with, and it doesn't affect your daily life. But when it comes to using magic......"
"So... I can't use magic for the rest of my life......"
The reality of the situation suddenly hit Naia, and her white skin turned even paler in despair.
But then Keith told her.
"No, don't worry."
He answered in a matter-of-fact manner.
"Eh?"
"If it's made abnormally, all you have to do is to fix it correctly."
"Y-you can do that?"
"Yes, in fact, that's my specialty."
In fact, Keith majored in mana amplification inside the body and the application of magic therapy.
He was even said to be the worst offensive mage in history, but when it comes to using subtle magic, there is no one better.
He, who was called "Keith the little guy".
"I... I-I'm... I'm a lucky person... meeting someone like mage-sama... I..."
He didn't think a really lucky person would be born an elf and not able to see the abnormal formation of their mana channel.
Keith thought so but doesn't say it.
"Then treat it immediately!"
"No, it will take time and preparation, so I'll tell you about it tomorrow."
"Y-yes."
"Then, that's all for today..."
Keith then packed his things and was about to leave the room when he heard a voice behind him.
"Mage-sama!"
"Yes?"
"Um... may I call you Keith-sama?"
"Eh?... Yeah. I don't mind..."
Naia smiled broadly at Keith's words.
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Keith-sama!"
As he was walking out of the room watching her, Aisha came out from the shadow of the pillar.
"Whoa!!"
Aisha stops in surprise and looks at him like she's about to shoot him dead.
"Don't get carried away, you lowly human......"
"Haa..."
"After taking advantage of Naia-sama's kindness, if you did something insolent...... I'll skin you raw and make a rug out of you."
And so, as he watched Aisha's back heading toward Naia's room.
"Scaryーーーーーーー."
He got goosebumps all over his body and hurried back to his room.
In his room, Lou was curled up on his bed with its fur shining for some reason.
"...Oh, Master, welcome back nyaa."
"......Nice fur you got there, you worthless cat."
"A maid brushed my fur all day, nyaa...... heaven, nyaa, this place is."
"While your master is being threatened to be skinned alive, you, the familiar, are being groomed...... hahaha, I'll make you a stringed instrument someday."
With a firm resolve, Keith lay down on his bed.
Thanks for the chapter ~
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