(Chpt. 51) Proving my worth (3)

Alice.

I looked towards the old man; he had a crumpled expression as he looked throughout the room. Seeing all the kids fainted made his face somewhat pale. He mumbled something to himself as he was still scanning around until he locked gazes with me. He had a difficult expression but it quickly brightened as he saw me. He walked down the stairs somewhat hurriedly and came over to me. 

“Aizen, what happened here?” He asked as he looked around the room once again. However, I just tilted my head. 

“How do you know my name? I don’t remember telling you…” I did not particularly care about what happened, nor really want to talk about the elf, seeing he got in my nerves and all of that. The old man slammed the desk. 

“This isn’t time for that. Look around you! The students are suffering, yet you care about something so trivial?” He tightened his fist. 

“Well, there is not much you can do anyway right? Dispelling the elf’s spell would just make them remember everything that went through in their minds. Wouldn’t it simply be better to let it pass?” Even though it was still technically 'gone'.

“T-That is…” 

“So, about my name?” He sighed. 

“I researched it, is that what you wanted?” I nodded in satisfaction. “I did not think you would be like this…” He sighed again. 

“Well, I am surprised you aren’t being so obnoxious anymore.” I bluntly informed him. 

“Students come before the joy of magic!" He paused. "Tell me what the elf did this time…” 

I lifted my brow. “Well, someone asked to learn magic and he decided to make the lesson about dispelling while also using a Darkness spell on everyone in the room. I assume it’s not the first time he has done something to students?”  

“... What a problem; yes you are right. He has a history of being rather volatile, but to think he’d do that this time… What a problem indeed… Are you alright? Despite his personality he is a rather respectable magician. Seeing you can recall everything normally I assume something happened?” he tilted his head waiting for my question. I puffed my chest. 

“Don’t worry, he lost his hand as a price for trying to k⁠—” I paused before I went to far. 

“W-Wait… Kill you?” I slipped... “No, nevermind. I don’t know what you did, or what he did. But I am glad you are safe.” He gently smiled and patted me. “I know you are amazing, but there is no need to brag about it like that. I am just glad you are safe, as for the other students they should eventually wake up as you said.” I removed his hand as he was messing my hair. “Sorry… Well, thanks for letting me know. I will look for the elf to punish him. I will be leaving, take care. A teacher should be arriving soon. You are a strong girl.” He patted me again, making me frown, meanwhile, he just laughed at my expression and left... What a pain...

“What was all of that about.” I murmured with confusion. 

“I wonder the same…” Ari added as she stopped hugging me. “I wonder why he didn’t notice me?” 

“Probably because you were clinging to me so tightly… Not like I mind it though…” 

“Hmm… You are probably right, i shouldn’t cling to you as much.” Eh? “Maybe he will notice me next time…” Forget about that! “Just kidding!” She hugged me again. “Aizen, your heart is bumping really fast. Did something happen?” 

“N-nothing…” There was no need for that joke Ari… As I was awkwardly scratching my cheek Cecil woke up and looked around with some confusion. Everyone else was still asleep and there was no staff around. She wiped the saliva that was coming from her mouth. 

“... Aizen what happened?” Hmm… Should I say I melted the elf’s hand? Well, for now. 

“Nothing, the elf ran away, that’s all.” I casually informed her, she somewhat stiffened hearing my statement. 

“Is it, the elf from earlier today? The one that shouts at people for no reason?” I nodded. Ari also nodded as she affectionately rubbed  her cheek against mine. What are you a cat?! It still felt nice. Seeing Ari was the closest to me she was the first one to notice something. She discreetly inspected my hand, her eyes widened seeing my slightly bloody hand, but she did not say anything. 

Ari noticed that Cecil was thinking about the elf and approached my ear. “Aizen, how did you get injured?” She asked with worry. I shrugged, assuming it was obvious who did it. Ari thought for a second. “The elf?” I nodded. “I see… I am glad you are safe then…” She hugged me again. 

“Ari, don’t worry about me… I am a tough dragon after-all, an elf won’t be able to do much to me…” 

“... You may be right, but I was still worried for a second…” Hearing her I smiled for some reason, someone worrying about me is still a foreign feeling… Well, I guess we won’t be seeing the elf for a while. I noticed Cecil had finished thinking and looked at us. 

“I don’t know what’s happening, but can I also join?” I shrugged, Ari nodded. Cecil quickly jumped over to us and started hugging the both of us. I did not really know what to make of it so I just sighed. 

“... What happened?” People started waking up; voices of confusion, one after another. All basically asking a variation of what happened or just mumbling to themselves about how they could’ve stayed asleep. Luckily they were too concerned to worry about anything else; it basically meant, I could relax myself. 

“Ehem…” It was the kid from earlier. “I see you all are cuddly and stuff, but seeing you were all awake before anyone else. Mind telling me what happened?” I sighed. 

“Nothing happened.” I gave him an icy-cold-glare after that. He did not really flinch and lifted his brow in suspicion. 

“Hmm… sounds… unconvincing! Don’t lie to me!” He slammed the desk in annoyance. The attention was gathered on us. “Unfortunately for you I can tell when someone is lying to me, it’s a skill I pride myself in!” 

How annoying. “Sigh… Listen kid, the elf is gone. He used an eerie useless darkness spell on everyone.” I paused. “Besides, knowing this. What are you gonna do now? Go to the director and complain about an elf that’s abusing kids? Don’t make me laugh. In the end; it’s pointless.” He flinched slightly. 

“Youu… Who do you think you are to talk to me like that! I have never heard about you; never seen you before. You just show up randomly one day and then you reign supreme? You are just a lowly commoner! How did you even enroll in this school?! You fil⁠—” The door slammed. 

“Yes, yes. That’s enough now. Everyone take a seat.” I have heard that voice before. Everyone looked at the door and started murmuring to themselves. The kid in front of me also looked towards the door. It was Dan. He sighed. “The old man told me to take care of some kids, but I just walk into a noble getting mad at someone.” He looked at the kid once again as he walked towards me. Dan paused when we made eye contact. Dan sighed once again. 

“Hey kid.” 

“Y-Yes?” 

“You were asking how girly over here enrolled in this school right?” Dan seemed oddly mad. 

“... Y-yes…” The kid was pretty quiet now, with no shadow of his former self. 

“Well, you see kid. I gave her a recommendation letter, so you are technically insulting me by making such lousy statements.” The kid turned pale and fled without even uttering a single word. 

Kids started gossiping to each other again. “She is?” 

“The guildmaster’s…” 

“She got a letter from…” 

What I picked up on was that Dan was someone pretty important. I looked at him. “Long time no see… So, why are you here?” Dan scratched his cheek. 

“Well, you see… The old man asked me to take care of the kids as a substitute teacher, seeing he found me not doing anything I couldn’t really refuse…”

“Is that so? But, I am pretty sure you aren’t a mage. So… How are you going to manage.”

“Good question. I don’t know at all…” Dan thought to himself with trouble. Meanwhile Cecil seemed really confused. 

“Wait… Aizen… You knew Dan?” I just nodded, making her gulp. “When did you meet him?” 

“Well… When we met Dan he was just a random scout provided by the guild. And we went into a horned-dragon-lizard-thing subjugation. So, yeah.” I explained it as briefly as possible. Cecil was frozen. I tilted my head somewhat. I mean, I get that Dan is the Guildmaster. but meeting the Guildmaster shouldn’t that hard right? Now thinking about it… 

“Dan…” He snapped and looked back at me with confusion. “You see… Your vice-guildmaster caused a lot of trouble for us.” 

“I-Is that so? What did he do?” 

“You see… He was very insistent on the fact that we were some suspicious people instead of giving us our promotions that we did not even ask for. Anyway. Dan, I want some compensation.” Everyone in the room froze and silence downed on the place. Dan went to thinking. 

“Well, if you say so. Then I guess there is nothing I can do about it. You girls are suspicious after-all.” He sighed in defeat. “What would you like?” 

“Nothing, now you owe me one.” I stated with a gentle smile. Dan gulped. 

“I-I don’t know how to feel about that one…” 

“Too bad.” It was better to have someone like him indebted to me, I simply get more things out of it. Besides, judging by how everyone has their mouth wide-open I assume Dan must be someone really important person. I wonder how Kuro is doing with the smith she was supposed to meet? Dan sighed and came close to me as I was thinking. 

“Very well, I think you will need me anyway. Seeing Yami is apparently meeting with the Guildmaster of the other guild. Just, visit the guild if you need anything okay?” I guess that solved the question of who the smith was. I nodded at Dan. He smiled and went back to the desk, which was now his desk. He just sat down and started to sleep. 

“Um… Excuse me…” Another kid called for Dan. He lifted his face from the desk and looked at him. “Aren’t you going to give us class?” Dan scratched his head. 

“Well, I am no mage. So I don’t really know magic things. We could make a magic battle exercise if you people want.” Hearing this almost the entire room desperately shook their heads. “Tch, you guys are boring… Okay we will be going outside.” Dan took us outside through the teacher’s door, which seemed to have a teleportation magic circle that was full of rune carvings and a lot of sub-spaces as well as divisions, I didn't really understand it, more stuff for research. 

Once we were outside on the now desolate plaza of the school. He stood at the center of it and placed his hand inside his pocket. Bringing out target dummy out of nowhere. The dummy looked cheap and was made out of hay, barely retaining its shape inside the bags it was made with. However, I saw slight magic emanating from it, I assumed it was some sort of item. 

“An item-bag?” Ari said in surprise. Dan didn’t really care about the shock and pointed at the dummy. 

“I will allow absolutely anyone to attack this dummy. Whoever destroys it wins. How does that sound? Besides, I assume some of you know a bit of magic already, and if you don’t then you can just watch the wonders of magic I guess… Although I think I know who is going to destroy it successfully…” He looked at me with slight resentment. No one really noticed it though, which made me sigh in relief. 

Eventually one kid came out of the crowd and stood before the target dummy. He had a wide smirk for some reason. “Just watch! I, Jugrius Rotwood will destroy it.” He gave me a deadly glare. “I don’t know who are you, but I suppose I should teach you your place.” He nonchalantly said that to me and turned to the dummy.  

Alice.