Aoi’s single word changed the atmosphere of the room. Glenn and the others paled and they gasped, while Spire deepened his smile as if celebrating victory.
It was clear how they had interpreted her words.
But as Aoi continued speaking, their expressions shifted again.
“This matter stems from my own conviction. I believe that any student who has ever enrolled in Fiddiq Academy, even if I didn’t directly teach them, is still my student. So, this wasn’t Headmaster Glenn’s decision—I chose to make this home visit on my own authority.”
At those words, Spire’s face lost all expression. This development had clearly not gone according to his plan. Narrowing his already thin eyes further, he tilted his head slightly.
“You may have knowledge and skill as a mage, but you seem quite ignorant of political matters. Well, fine. So you, Aoi-sensei, without considering that you might cause trouble for Fiddiq Academy, came all the way to the elf country on your own judgment. Setting aside whether that action was right or wrong, I now understand your way of thinking very well. Now, continuing from our earlier discussion, please tell me about the problems Brest caused at the academy.”
Spire spoke with confidence, and Aoi turned her gaze to Glenn. He sighed once and opened his mouth, his expression heavy with difficulty.
“Brest-kun apparently looked down on half-elves and humans. He frequently used excessive verbal abuse and made many discriminatory remarks. Also, while he didn’t attend the same lectures, I recall incidents of violence within the academy and dangerous actions using magic.”
Glenn lowered his eyes sadly. Spire remained silent for a while, then furrowed his brows.
“And what else happened? Surely that’s not all, is it?”
Glenn nodded, his brow furrowed. “That’s not all. He also used magic to slice clothing. He threw stones and ice, injuring others. You could certainly call it behavior that goes far beyond what you’d consider a simple fight.”
Spire tilted his head, displeased. “So your grandson suffered injuries that even healing magic couldn’t treat? Then we’ll treat him in our country. I often hear about the healing magic of the Maple Leaf Holy Kingdom, but elven ancient magic also has excellent healing spells. Even if Fiddiq Academy couldn’t heal him, our country certainly can.”
Glenn exhaled shortly. “Fortunately, he didn’t suffer any major injuries like that. However, he has been deeply hurt emotionally. I was hoping that Brest-kun would be careful not to do such things in the future.”
Spire froze with exasperation. Behind him, Pier and Brest chuckled scornfully, staring at Glenn’s face.
That attitude irritated Aoi. Glenn looked ready to speak, but she interjected.
“Spire-san. Bullying is a serious problem. Depending on the case, Brest-kun’s actions could ruin the future of the child he bullied. What if the situation were reversed? For example, if Shenley here bullied Brest-kun, and Brest-kun became unable to leave his house because of it…”
Before she finished, Brest burst out laughing.
“Pfft! Hahahaha! As if someone like a beastman could ever beat me with magic!”
Brest laughed, clutching his stomach, and Pier joined in with amusement. Shenley, suddenly thrust into the spotlight, lowered her head in undeserved shame and stiffened.
Aoi realized her mistake. By saying something unnecessary, she had hurt Shenley. Feeling guilty, she tried to make up for it.
“No, it’s not just elves and humans—beastmen and dwarves are not fundamentally different. Any race has the potential to become a first-rate mage. They simply haven’t had the opportunity for proper and efficient magical study.”
Spire snorted, lifting the corner of his mouth. “I see. I understand the part about ‘first-rate mage by human standards.’ But saying there’s no major difference is quite a stretch.”
He shrugged and glanced sideways at Glenn. “If my memory serves me correctly, I heard that Marquis Glenn left this country when he was a child. That means Marquis Glenn went out into the world without mastering much of elven magic. Given that, the fact that he could become the head of Fiddiq Magic Academy, said to be the world’s finest in the human countries, suggests that his elven blood played a major role. Even if only half of it flows through his veins.”
Glenn fell silent, unable to respond. Anger showed on Strass’s face, but he held back. Eliza, a dwarf—the race said to be most magically inferior—looked down in shame.
But Aoi challenged Spire’s common sense. “Isn’t that terribly insular? Spire-san may never have left the elf country, but outside there are many excellent mages, and not all of them are elves.”
Spire’s face twisted with irritation. He leaned forward, glaring at her. “Such rudeness is almost refreshing. Considering that no one besides you has disputed my words, it should be obvious which of us holds the common-sense view.”
“Are you saying you’ve traveled to various countries around the world? For instance, which countries have you visited? Surely you’re not claiming that elves are the best at magic without ever having set foot outside this country.”
Spire fell silent, unable to answer, and glared at her. The already cold atmosphere of the hall dropped another degree.
Aoi realized she had let her emotions get the better of her and resorted to nitpicking. Reflecting internally, she calmed herself, straightened her posture, and turned back to Spire.
“I’m sorry. I knew that elves generally don’t leave their country, yet I still pointed that out.”
Her brief apology softened the atmosphere slightly. But the conversation was far from over. In fact, they had not yet reached the main issue.
Aoi shifted her mindset. She needed to think about what it would take for Spire to accept not looking down on other races. More importantly, she had to focus on the core issue: how to provide educational guidance for Brest.
Now, this was the real test.