An Old Man from the Countryside Becomes a Swords Saint: I Was Just a Rural Sword Teacher, But My Successful Students Won’t Leave Me Alone! - CH 120

“Well then, you can be on your way,” Lucy said.

“Mm,” I said. “See you soon.”

It was after agreeing to sign the Academy’s contract and enjoying the tea that Lucy brewed for me.

With those goodbyes, I left the dean’s office.

The time is exactly noon.

Due to Alexia’s consideration, when I was teaching at the Academy of Magic, I could take a day off from instructing the Knight Order. More precisely, it was time to rest. In other words, from now on, I can head to the Knights’ HQ or I can just wander around the city and then go home.

“Goodness, I’ve gone up pretty high on the social ladder…” I muttered.

Ka-clink, I closed the dean’s office door behind me.

I don’t think it’s a big deal that this world is beginning to know my name, but even so, the recent events are unbearable.

Until recently, I was just relaxing with my disciples at a dojo in the countryside.

Before I knew it, I was appointed by the leader of the Knights of Revelio, reunited with my disciples in Baltrain for the first time in a while, subjugated a Named monster with Selena, and then got a new sword that you could say was a big deal of a weapon, started taking care of a child for certain reasons, and at the end of all that, got a position as a temporary lecturer at the Magician’s Academy.

Of course, I have no intention of just sitting on my ass now.

To put it bluntly, I’ve been lucky so far.

No, I doubt it was luck that Alexia suddenly presented me with an appointment letter from the King and pulled me out of my life in a way that almost seemed like kidnapping.

But, well, while I’m living my fortunate new life in the capital city of Baltrain, I rarely think that I shouldn’t have come after all.

This is in large part because the people around me were good and amazing, but including that, I guess I was lucky.

At the same time, the techniques, experiences, and training that I have cultivated up until now have borne fruit differently from being a swordsmanship dojo master in the countryside.

There is a sense of fulfillment. There is also satisfaction.

Until now, the life I had lived in Bidden Village wasn’t so bad, but this was a feeling I couldn’t get there.

“What should I do today, then?” I asked.

I was walking along the hallways of the Magician’s Academy, thinking about my immediate future.

Even if I will eat dinner with Miu at night, I have a lot of time left over until then. For the time being, I think I’ll go have some lunch.

As a result of my living environment, breadth, and standards rising and widening like this, I began to think further than just today and tomorrow.

In other words, what should I aim for in my current life?

When I was teaching swordsmanship in Bidden Village, that was enough.

I was satisfied with my skills and position, and I had no reason to have high hopes.

But now I have a new title. A high position must have been made for me. I don’t know how it happened, but even the royal family remembered my face and name.

I think it’s something that people are generally proud of. As a special instructor for the Knights of Revelio, which is renowned as the strongest in the kingdom, you’d want to be remembered by the royal family.

However, if you asked me if this is what I wanted, there is a bit of a question.

Although the current situation is not perfect, I would be lying if I said that I was not perplexed by the sudden rain of good fortune.

It’s good for the time being.

There is also my duty as an instructor, there are also the students of the Magician Academy, even though there are only five of them, and most of all, there is Miu.

Until she has successfully graduated from the Academy and become independent. Well, at least it will take more than a few years, but the problems still lie ahead.

I didn’t have much greed, to begin with, so I ended up thinking about what I’ll do after then.

Ultimately, I think I will return to my parents’ house and take over the dojo. Even so, my father told me to find a wife as soon as possible, so I guess I have to do that as well.

“A bride… a lover… hmmm,” I can’t help but mutter as I walk.

I’m not saying that there are no suitable encounters in my current life.

Alexia, Selena, Kuruni, and Thyssel are all fine adults now, unlike when they were studying at the dojo. I know that I should treat them as women rather than as my disciples.

Above all, they were all beautiful and had pleasant personalities.

In that case, the problem would be my personality, my nature, my feelings, and so on.

However, no matter what I do, I can’t seem to have that kind of feeling or way of looking at the disciples I taught swordsmanship to. It may change if there is some chance happening but the possibility seems pretty slim at the moment.

“Oh my, Mr. Beryl. Good afternoon.”

“Woah!?” I yelled. “Umm… Ms. Quinella. Good afternoon.”

Busy walking and talking along the halls, I was terrified by a voice that suddenly called out to me. I sounded a bit pathetic just now.

And that was Quinella Fine, a professor here at the Magician’s Academy. She was an adult woman, clad in the usual robes of a mage.

“I heard from the Headmistress,” Quinella said. “You’re going to be teaching here, huh?”

“Uhh, well… I’ll try not to cause any trouble,” I said.

“I can’t believe you’d ever be a nuisance,” Quinella said playfully. “She said she’s counting on you, you know.”

“Hahaha…” I chuckled.

My first meeting was when I brought Miu to the Academy for the first time, but from that time on, she had the same calmness as now, and yet she wasn’t gloomy either. Her fluffy, wavy hair makes the impression even stronger.

I wonder how old she is. She must be younger than me, but I don’t know by how much. I think it’s probably a little older than Alexia.

Well, I wouldn’t bother to ask her here. I’ve heard that it’s pretty rude to ask a woman’s age unceremoniously, even if you’re not that close.

But, I still have to wonder.

This is just a hypothetical story, but if I were to get a wife, I would like a gentle woman with patience like this. Whether such a person would show me that sort of emotion, or whether she would respond to my feelings, let’s put aside such problems for the time being.

“Are you thinking about something?” Quinella asked.

“Eh, ah, no… well, yes. Something like that,” I asked.

She was prodding, but I couldn’t say I was thinking about my future wife and preferences for her. Regardless of the content of my words, I was thinking about something, so I answered like that.

According to Lucy, Ms. Quinella is also an excellent magician and seems to be particularly good at Defense Magic. I don’t know what that is like, so it’s hard to imagine. I wonder if she could show me if she had the chance.

“Speaking of which, how’s Miu?” I asked.

It would be troublesome for me to dig deeper into what I’m thinking, so I’ll try to provide a topic for the time being.

I asked because I needed a quick distraction, but I am genuinely quite curious.

Miu doesn’t talk much about such things at home.

Of course, if there were any serious problems, Lucy and Thyssel would probably tell me, but I didn’t know the details of what kind of daily life she was leading.

“There are still some problems like how she doesn’t know how to interact with people, but she’s a good and obedient child,” Quinella said.

“Really? That’s good,” I said.

She is probably like a stray cat that’s been taken in by someone.

From my point of view, there is not much surprise in the reputation that she is an obedient and good girl. She’s only had to develop a tough personality due to the environment she spent in, inside, she’s a pretty good girl.

My concern, however, is whether or not Miu will be able to get used to life at the Academy, but it will take a certain amount of time. Even if it was me or Lucy, Miu needed more than a short amount of time to get her bearings.

However, judging from the limited amount of information shared at home and the state of the lectures at the Sword Magic Department, it didn’t seem like there was much to worry about. Although there are few of them, it seems that she’s blessed with schoolmates.

“Fufu, as a parent, you can’t help but worry?” Quinella said, smiling softly.

“Well, that’s about it,” I said. “It’s embarrassing, but…”

I found I had no choice but to reply with an ambiguous, but positive responses.

As a guardian, and as a father.

Of course, I’m worried about the present, but I’m still worried about whether I’ll be able to leave everything to her in the future. The problem is that even my talented disciples can’t be relied on when it comes to Miu.

Come to think of it, I don’t think anyone around me is working hard as a parent. Everyone is single. Among my disciples, Landrid is the only one who’s different.

Around my circles, the most reliable person is probably my Old Man, but it’s hard to bring up this kind of consultation in the middle of the day. It’s too much trouble to explain this messy process from scratch.

“However, I can see that she is determined to do her best to improve,” Quinella said. “I can see that’s because of your help, Mr. Beryl.”

“I, see,” I said. “Thank you.”

I haven’t told Ms. Quinella in detail about the circumstances surrounding Miu. For the time being, I told her that I was her guardian on paper.

Maybe there was an explanation from Lucy, but I’m grateful that she’s still considerate of me and Miu like this. More and more, I seem to be blessed with connections.

“Are you finished for today?” Quinella asked.

“Yeah, I finished my sword magic class this morning,” I said. “I’m planning to have a leisurely lunch.”

I look around in the meanwhile, seeing quite a few students and teachers passing each other. In terms of time, it would be right around lunch break.

“I see. Come to think of it, Mr. Beryl, do you often come around this area?” Quinella said.

We moved from the front of the Headmistress’s office to the school building’s exit. It’s a natural question that comes up while I walked with Ms. Quinella.

“Well, the North District is still new to me,” I said. “I don’t know any noteworthy places other than the Academy and the royal palace.”

As I said, the geography of the North District is still new to me. I usually ride in a horse-drawn carriage or walk when I have time, but I haven’t been around other than the road to the Academy.

If there is something I want, I go to the West District, and in terms of restaurants, the Central District is sufficient. There was no reason to go to North District and do something there. There is also a feeling that it was too late to go sightseeing alone now.

“Then, in that case, how about having lunch together?” Quinella asked. “There’s a place that’s cheap and delicious.”

“Huh?” I asked.

I freeze at the unexpected words.

I never thought I would accept an invitation to lunch from a woman other than my disciples. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but even so, I can’t think of the words to respond to the unexpected offer.

“…Did I bother you?” Quinella asked, her eyebrows slightly lowering.

“Ah, no, no, no! That’s not the case!” I said.

It seems she took my reaction negatively.

Oh, no, I’m feeling really nervous. Well, it’s lunchtime now, and if you think about it calmly, there shouldn’t be anything strange about having a light meal with a new colleague.

“I’m sorry, I’m not used to such invitations… if you don’t mind, I’d love to,’ I said.

“I see, thank you,” Quinella said.

“No, that’s not right, I’m the one who’s… supposed to say, thank you…” I muttered.

“Fufufu, you don’t have to be so nervous,” Quinella said.

Even with my faltering response, her smile never drops.

How can I say it? I can see the difference in the experience of being an adult. In terms of age, I’m probably older than her, but I’ve been stuck in my local dojo all this time.

In rural villages, people only see the same familiar faces, so it’s hard to say that this kind of socialization skill has been cultivated. Though, that’s just an excuse.

“We’ve become colleagues, and I’d like to take this chance to get to know you a bit better,” Quinella said.

“I see… well, then, I’ll take your word for it,” I said.

If you say it’s to warm up to a friendship, I can’t just ignore it. In the first place, there is no particular reason to decline the invitation.

However, although we may have become teachers of the same Academy on paper, it’s really far-fetched for me to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the famous people who work at the Magician’s Academy. Although I don’t receive the kind of blatant questioning gazes and protests that Vice-Headmaster Brown does, I can sense the subtle unease of being a person who can’t use magic after all.

In that sense, I am grateful to have been invited. I was acquainted with Ms. Quinella since I first came to the Academy with Miu, and she is also someone who knows more than a little about the circumstances surrounding us.

Besides, if we deepen our friendship like this, it will be easier for me to speak up when something happens. I just hope that something doesn’t happen.

“Then let’s go, shall we?” Quinella asked. “It’s just a short walk from the Academy.”

“Sure,” I said. “I’ll be happy to join you.”

“My, my, you don’t have to be so timid,” Quinella said.

And with that, we pass through the main gate of the Magician’s Academy.

When I turned my eyes to the bright sun high in the sky and beaming down on me, I saw the spires of the royal palace standing out against the clear sky.