“How were we, Instructor? I was nervous thinking of you watching us, but thanks to Luke and everyone, I managed to move like normal! And we all decided we wanted to blow away the high-and-mighty Thousand Elf—wait, what?! Never mind! Pretend you didn’t hear that!!!”
Nano was a talkative student.
She ran her mouth like a young girl, saying things that need not be said (and Lefiya was a little bit disheartened to hear that she came across as pretentious). She leaped around energetically, emoting with her entire body. It was charming. She appeared well loved by her fellow girls, even outside the squad. Their explanations went along the lines of “She’s sort of like a little sister. At first, the way she talked was too pushy, and we didn’t think we would ever like her, but she was so stupid that we were worried about what might happen if we didn’t look after her.”
She, like Luke, was older than Lefiya, but there were not many people who better fit the image of an impressionable younger student than her.
Apparently, she was an old friend of Luke’s, who hailed from the same hometown, and she had come along when he tried to enroll—without telling her parents. Lefiya could guess she was a noble of some sort by her last name, but she appeared to be quite the tomboy.
“Also, um, Lefiya…d-don’t seduce Luke!”
And it was—to be blunt—plain to see that she thought of Luke as more than just a friend since she had put Lefiya on the spot and constantly glanced over at him.
“Luke is reliable, but once something is decided, Nano only looks at him, so we correct her course as needed since her head is normally empty.”
“M-Milly…that’s a little harsh…”
Miliria and Cole had a good eye for people.
Miliria did not have the distinctive elven prickliness—as with other elf students, it had been worn away by the School District’s communal living—and she had even given Lefiya permission to call her Milly.
Cole was a humble, frank boy. So much so that it was hard to believe he was a werewolf like Bete. Lefiya could also tell that he was in the same position as Raul, well versed in the difficulty of dealing with the strong personalities of the squad.
The two of them were clearly the glue that held the party together.
“…Rather than just watching, could you demonstrate some of your magic, Instructor? I can’t obey someone who hasn’t proven their strength.”
Luke was still sharp and prickly.
He smiled in front of Nano and the others, but his tone stiffened whenever Lefiya came into view. As Milly took every opportunity to warn her, they were a bit on edge.
So Lefiya fired off her magic in a corner of the arena, which made Nano and Milly even more attached to her.
“Please teach us magic!!!”
Taken aback, she remembered how she had been the same with Riveria, and with a wry smile, she agreed to give a little lecture. Many more students swarmed them, wanting to join, and it turned into a much bigger event.
And seeing all that, Luke looked annoyed.
But still…it’s not just the Seventh Squad. The other students seem to be on edge as well.
In the personal room provided to her, Lefiya ran her quill pen across the parchment like a true teaching-in-training, and she organized her observations.
The Level 3s stood out, for sure, but the students’ overall abilities had unmistakably gone up in all measures.
The School District was an island of study and diligent training. Abilities were always to be improved, and it was a welcome sight, but it felt like something more than just that.
At least, that was what Lefiya felt.
They travel all around the world, so they have plenty of experience. It would be fair to say they are almost full-fledged fighters. What I can teach them as an adventurer is…
Reflecting on what Leon had said, Lefiya firmed up the stance she should take with them while improving their individual abilities and connections as a squad.
Two days passed in no time, and the main event came.