Chapter 21: Scholarships P2
~21.2~
*****
"Either start explaining your issues or start explaining your lesson. If you stay quiet," she started channeling white aether to prepare teleportation magic, "the two of us will go have a chat with the principal."
Hansen's brow furrowed, and his tone did nothing to hide his frustration. "How dare a student pretend to be an instructor and lie to this degree?! You are the daughter-in-law of the Empress? An ignorant child like you? Laughable."
Kye raised an eyebrow, sighed, and glanced at her retainers. "Don't."
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you, young lady!"
"Or what?" Her eyes were locked with Alethea's. She didn't as much as glance back at the instructor.
"You will be reported to the Academy Principle for your insubordination!"
"Pfft." Kye chuckled as Alethea stood up and walked to the front.
"I don't quite understand how you don't realize how in the wrong you are, Hansen," Alethea said, trying to hold back her own laughter. "You clearly need to return to the University and retake the Instructor Etiquette course. Do you not see the color of our uniforms?"
"What of it?" He said.
"Black skirts? Which rank wears all black?"
"What are you suggesting?" Before Alethea could answer, the instructor continued, "Nevermind. It doesn't matter. Both of you are interrupting my class, so both of you will be reported."
Alethea sighed. "I can't believe how stupid you are." She held her hand out and summoned Astarte in weapon form, who quickly took her human form. "Astarte, you heard everything, right?"
"Indeed."
"Astarte? As in one of the Imperial Princesses? This child? Hardly." Hansen couldn't help but dig the hole deeper. "You not only summoned a living weapon in class, but now this living weapon is also interr-"
A loud slap silenced him. "I'm done with your absurdity," Alethea said, her body glowing with white aether. "You will be silent."
With the surge of aether Alethea released, Allison soon appeared in the room. She looked around to quickly gauge the situation, but there was no actual threat. "What is going on here?"
Kye quickly explained the basics, then casted memory magic to show Allison her own point-of-view, thoughts included.
"Is that right?" Allison eyed the teacher.
"Dumb, isn't it?" Kye shrugged.
Allison was fed up long before Kye finished the memory magic. "Instructor Hansen, I'm not known for my patience. I have no interest in your excuses, only in your job performance. Your conduct is unacceptable. Your classes for today are now canceled. I'll assign a substitute to handle your class starting tomorrow. I'm sending you back to the university. You are hereby stripped of your instructor status until you pass the Instructor Etiquette course again. You'll also attend a general etiquette course in the city and relearn how to interact with a royal since you've clearly forgotten that all students are equals in the academy... and if all students are equals, what does that make them? The obvious answer is to treat them as royals. You will not step foot in the academy again until those tasks are complete. Leave now."
"Principle? Just like that? You appeared out of nowhere!" He was genuinely confused, which only annoyed Allison. "And you're taking the side of these children based on that illusion?"
"These children are imperials. Alethea is the Crown Princess of Atlantis, Kye is the Crown Princess of Nippon Sekai. They are married. They are also instructors here. Because you are neither a combat, mana, or magic instructor, you didn't take one of Kye's courses in the University, so I will allow you that ignorance. But to not even recognize the face of the Goddess of Light is beyond allowance. Do you not recall the battles four years ago? One here in Arslade, one on Einstadt, and one on Atlas? Kye here is responsible for defeating the S-Rank demon beast on each occasion. Everyone in all three locations owes their lives to her. Yet, here you are treating her like a misbehaving child. Yes, I trust the "illusion" she showed me. She has earned that trust, and the rest of the class unanimously confirmed it. You will return to the university and learn things. Be silent, and leave, or I shall allow her retainers to do what they wish." She glanced at Liliana and Aliana, who were both aiming immense bloodlust at Hansen. "You can't stop them, and nobody here will get in their way. Go."
*****
That afternoon, Kye was teaching her own classes. She was in the middle of teaching her classmates when Luma showed up. "Oh, my apologies, I came too early."
"Huh? Yeah, sorry, is it important?"
"Not time sensitive. I can wait until you're done with class."
"Sure."
Kye turned back to her class and began her lesson plan, but the students started asking about Luma.
Kye sighed and just made the best of it. "Alright, you know what? Luma, you're my aide for this afternoon."
"Huh? I mean, sure. What do you need me to do?"
"Channel a bunch of mana. I'm gonna have them try to measure your output."
Luma nodded and did so. "This okay?" She went a little over the top, to the point that most of the class was forced to their knees.
Kye gave her a blank look. "Maybe a little less."
"Ah, okay. I'll cut it down."
With it much more manageable, Kye nodded. "Okay, so I had planned to do this myself, but this will be easier. "You will measure her and simultaneously try to identify the type of mana I am channeling in my hand behind my back. Everyone in this class has progressed to the point of 95% accuracy up to a billion output, so we're gonna add on an additional challenge. And remember, my grading rubric is not linear. My class is much more difficult than most." She added that last part to help the nervous students manage their anxiety. "Any volunteers to go first?"
*****
"You're serious?"
Kye had just finished explaining to Luma the situation that occurred during her morning class with the instructor. "Yeeep."
"That man has no business working here," Liliana said. She had been ready to pounce Instructor Hansen and likely would have if not for Kye's order.
"It's fine, Lily, I'm thicker skinned than that." Kye gave her a warm smiled. "But I appreciate the thought. You and Ally are so good to me, I question whether I deserve it."
""Of course, you deserve it!"" both said instantly.
"I agree!" Alethea added. Kye had hoped to solve the problem before Alethea got involved, but Hansen kept piling on. "I have half a mind to perma-fire that man."
Astarte appeared. She was in weapon form, specifically an armband, resting on Alethea's left wrist. "You shall not do that, Alethea. Atalante will-"
"Whoa, whoa, hold on you two. Really, it's okay!" Kye didn't want to ruin an idiot's life just for being an idiot. "There's no reason to talk about it to begin with. I don't want to do that. It's the people like that who need help the most. I really don't know how he passed his instructor course, but I do know he's a newbie. He started this year. He's probably just too hotheaded, thinking he's all that. He's fresh out of the university, so he's not even thirty yet."
"But how could he not even know who we were?"
Kye could only sigh.
Alethea shrugged. "Seriously! He even insulted Astarte!"
"I genuinely didn't know how to react to being called a child," Astarte said with a shrug.
*****
Revision: 2024-7-31