In the end, I was unwilling to move, so I enjoyed my lunch while under the jealous and angry stares of the female students.
Eliza was trembling, but Cote found my situation amusing. By the way, the conversation about magic was brief, and the rest of the conversation was mainly Cote's casual chatter and questions.
"I heard the afternoon class is earth magic," I said after finishing my meal and standing up.
Eliza puffed out her chest and looked at me. "I heard it earlier! It's my class! I'm so happy!"
She raised both hands excitedly.
While I watched her with a smile, Cote sighed regretfully. "… I have a different class this afternoon. What a pity. I hope I see you in my next class. Goodbye."
Cote left. It looked like a scene from a ball, but we were in a school.
"He's a strange kid," I said with a laugh.
Eliza shook her head wearily.
"I've never seen anyone have such an impression of Cote-kun." Eliza laughed in astonishment.
When we entered the classroom together, we saw a familiar face.
It was a cute girl with white hair and a white tail. When Shenley noticed me, her ears perked up, and her eyes sparkled. She looked at me silently, her tail wagging energetically.
"Good afternoon! Now, let's take attendance!" Eliza smiled at the students and checked their names one by one.
Shenley responded loudly.
When the class began, Eliza started with simple earth magic, gradually moved to more complex spells, and ended with an intermediate spell.
"As you can see, as you progress from beginner to intermediate magic, earth magic becomes more diverse. What was just shaping can now change size, hardness, and other properties."
Eliza looked at Shenley. "Shenley-san, what happens when you create a wall with earth magic?"
"Yes! With beginner magic, the wall reaches about waist height and is about as thick as a fist. With intermediate magic, it can be taller than a person. I've heard that with advanced magic, the wall can be over three meters tall," Shenley answered promptly despite being flustered from being suddenly called upon.
Eliza smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's correct. The height and thickness vary depending on the mana and skill level. If you just want to make it hard, beginner and intermediate magic won't differ much, but advanced and special-grade magic are entirely different. A special-grade magician can create a wall as strong as a castle wall."
The students murmured in awe.
"Earth magic may seem plain, but it is highly versatile. Let's work on improving our skills from beginner to intermediate and beyond."
Eliza's encouragement received enthusiastic responses.
As Shenley watched happily, a voice came from behind her. A male student with a sullen look was talking to a large blonde boy next to him. Their voices were so loud that it was disrupting the class, and Shenley's expression darkened.
Deciding the noise was too disruptive, Eliza asked gently, "Rox-kun, Felter-kun, could you please be a bit quieter?"
The expressions of the surrounding students changed.
The two students, however, didn't seem to care.
"Could you keep it down a bit?" Eliza asked again.
Finally, the two looked her way.
"Are you talking to me?" The red-haired boy pointed at himself.
The large boy beside him snorted. "Who else?"
The red-haired boy scratched his head and stood up. "This isn't the junior section. Starting with the basics is a waste of time. So it's fine to chat during this time, right?"
He looked serious despite his nonsensical logic.
Eliza looked troubled and tried to reason with him with a smile. "Rox-kun, you might already be proficient in intermediate earth magic, but not everyone is. Some are attending their first intermediate class, so please don't disrupt the lesson."
Rox clicked his tongue and slammed his desk. The loud sound startled several students.
"In that case, separate the students. I don't know if she's new or not, but there are two teachers here, right? Handle the beginner stuff, woman." Rox looked down at me.
Apparently, he was dissatisfied with the way the class was taught. But that didn’t mean he could mock the teachers.
I met his half-smiling eyes. "I am Aoi Konominato. It’s true I’m a new teacher, but the academy recognizes me as a teacher, and I’m standing here as a teacher. Do you understand?"
Rox's eyes widened for a moment before he frowned and glared at me. "Are you mocking me? I'm sure you know my position when talking to me, right? Tell me, who am I?"
I nodded. "A student with a bad attitude, swinging childish logic. Your name is Rox. Am I wrong?”.
Rox jumped onto his desk, kicked off, and charged at me. "I'll kill you, woman!"
I sidestepped and activated a spell. "[Action Seal, Freeze]"
When I turned around, I saw Rox frozen in mid-air, falling to the floor like a stiff board.
"What?!"
The sight of Rox rolling on the floor with an inaudible scream caused the classroom to erupt into chaos, and even the large student known as Felter looked shocked.
"Now, it's a classic, but students who are too naughty will be punished." I lifted Rox by his belt and carried him out of the classroom like a piece of luggage.
I propped him against the wall outside. It looked like a poor figurehead, but it was okay. "You'll stay like this until the class ends."
When I returned to the classroom, everyone looked bewildered, and Shenley had a worried expression.
"… It might seem harsh, but if things continue like this, Rox-kun will become a delinquent. Strict punishment is necessary. Understand?" I said.
Eliza responded with a tearful face and voice. "... You're drawing too much attention… way too much…."