LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 142.2
142.2. Sometimes, Sensible People Stick Out, Isn’t It?
Huh? Was that the case?
“Uh, I don’t think I heard that.”
“Oh, perhaps there was a miscommunication? It’s good to see you blending in with the class.
Please wait here for a moment. I’ll go call Craft-sensei and Jabil-sensei, who are looking for you.”
“Ah, okay.”
After giving me instructions, the teacher left the room, pressing his head down on both sides as he went.
“…Could that be a wig? He’s still so young.”
I muttered, and Ed grinned broadly.
“Oblio-sensei’s definitely wearing a toupee. We saw his hair thinning day by day. When someone suddenly shows up with a full head of hair, it’s obvious.”
“Ah, I see.”
For hair to thin that quickly, I wonder what happened.
Could educating commoners be that stressful? I wouldn’t be surprised.
As we were talking, the alchemist from before entered the classroom and waved lightly.
“Sorry, Feidar. Seems like the miscommunication was on our side.”
“No worries. They showed me to the classroom.”
“I see. Anyway, come to the front. I want to introduce you to everyone.”
“Alright.”
“Then, write your name on the blackboard.”
“Huh?”
He told me to write like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Wait a second? I thought you knew how to read and write. Don’t you remember?”
“I can write! Don’t underestimate me!”
I’m the grandson of a heraldist!
Snorting, I scrawled my name across the blackboard.
Read it if you can!
Ed looked over and casually commented, “Your handwriting’s a mess,” and Saika snapped back at him, “You’re not much better!”
Wait, can everyone here actually read?
Isn’t that weird? Usually, only families who need it for their jobs or can afford private tutors learn how to read and write, right?
Yet, as I looked around the class, nobody seemed confused or illiterate.
Some orphanages teach reading and writing, but most commoners don’t take it seriously, and even if they attend,
they rarely pick it up properly.
For everyone here to be able to read, that’s amazing, isn’t it?
Looking at my scrawled handwriting, I suddenly felt embarrassed.
“Uh, um, let me rewrite that…”
When I rewrote it neatly, the class let out a collective “Whoa!”
“That’s some nice handwriting. Everyone, use that as a model.”
“””Yessir!”””
I’d never studied in such a large group, so it made my back feel a bit itchy.
“Alright, everyone, make sure to get along with him. You’re all used to transfer students, right?”
“””Yessir!”””
The students responded in unison.
It seems like transfers are pretty common in this region, where a lot of people move in.
“Please take care of me.”
I bowed my head and sat down, and Ed slapped me on the back with a cheerful, “Welcome!”
“That’s too hard!”
“Ahaha! My bad, my bad!”
You don’t sound sorry at all! …But still, this school, huh?
At first, I wasn’t that interested, but I guess I’ll give it a try.
Saika-chan, Wamika-chan, Persia-san, Myrna-chan, Leafan-san… though she’s an outside contractor.
Meeting these people every day doesn’t sound too bad!
Maybe I’ll get closer to someone… heh, heh heh…
My thoughts paused.
(Wait, where’s the girl in the purple magician’s robe that caught my eye?)
I asked Ed in a low voice.
(Hey, is there another class for people our age?)
There’s no way I missed such a standout person in the classroom.
If that’s the case, there must be multiple classes.
“Feidar, no talking during homeroom.”
The alchemist noticed, and lightly bonked me on the head with a rolled-up textbook.
“Well, since we’re on the topic, let me explain. Ideally, we’d separate the students by age,
but since the academy was just founded, we’re grouping 12 to 15-year-olds together.”
The alchemist wrote the age groups on the board.
“But, 15-year-old students graduate when they become adults, right? So we split off the 15-year-olds for special lessons. It’s a bit rushed, so I feel bad for them.”
He added “ages 6–15” on the blackboard.
“There’s no way to cover 10 years of learning in a single year, but we can’t ignore the age of adulthood. That’s why students can stay at the academy past 16 if they want to. Think about whether you want to stay until adulthood.”
Suddenly, Ed jumped up.
“We’re staying until Wamika graduates!”
“Kendall’s group has already decided. The rest of you, give it serious thought. Whatever your decision, the academy will support you to the fullest.”
“””Yessir!”””
So, there is another class.
Ah, that girl must be in that one.
I slumped my shoulders, but just then, the classroom door swung open.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
What!? It was that girl!
So, she just went to the bathroom or something!
She walked briskly to the teacher’s desk, and the alchemist stepped aside without question.
Wait, what?
“Hmm. Let’s start the lesson, shall we?”
The girl opened a textbook.
In my mind, the words “The girl of my first love is my teacher” flashed across, and I realized that my first love had just ended.
I-it’s fine.
This isn’t over yet!
My battle has just begun!