The Magic Lesson

I am currently on my way to the Royal Palace in the ducal household's carriage with Catherine-sama.

It has been several weeks since I cured Martine-sama's illness. Martine-sama has been recovering smoothly and is now well enough to have magic lessons, so I was summoned.

"I am truly honored that I can come along, too. You will be teaching me healing magic as well, won't you?"

"I do not know whether it will be of any use to you, Catherine-sama, but I will teach you."

"There is no need to be modest. You cured Martine-sama's illness and Alban's illness, after all. You are a far more impressive practitioner than I am. I have been looking forward to today very much."

"I am glad to hear you say that. Thank you..."

On the day I cured Martine-sama, I returned to the ducal household with Richard-sama and explained everything that had happened to Catherine-sama.

Catherine-sama was overjoyed that Martine-sama's illness had been cured, and she was especially delighted to learn that she would be able to study healing magic as well.

According to Richard-sama, she had an inquisitive personality and loved learning new things.

Indeed, Catherine-sama sometimes looked at me as though she were stalking her prey. It made me want to keep my distance if possible... Well, she was not a bad person, though...

After enduring that slightly awkward time, we arrived at the Royal Palace. I wonder where the lesson will take place?

I was guided along with Catherine-sama until we arrived at a reception room. Alexis-sama and Martine-sama were inside.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, it is a pleasure to see you again."

"Ah, there is no need to be so formal. It is good to see you again, Catherine."

"It is good to see you again, Catherine-sama."

Catherine-sama was greeting them, but I was supposed to be her attendant, so I could not speak. I stood quietly behind her and waited.

After exchanging greetings and making small talk for a while, the conversation came to a pause. At that point, His Majesty dismissed everyone else.

"Everyone, please leave us. The techniques Catherine teaches are not to be shared outside this room, so that is what she requested."

"That is correct, Your Majesty. However, my attendant is necessary for teaching magic, so I would appreciate it if you would allow him to remain."

"I see. Then everyone except Catherine's attendant may leave."

Everyone seemed satisfied with that explanation and began filing out. Once the door closed, only the four of us remained in the room.

"Leon, you may sit on the sofa."

"Thank you. If you will excuse me."

I sat down on the sofa, feeling a little nervous.

"I came as well because this is the first lesson, but from next time onward, only Martine will attend. Martine will dismiss everyone herself. Since I have explained the reason this time, it should go smoothly from now on."

"Yes. Thank you, Father."

Martine-sama seemed to have made a complete recovery. She had filled out a little and looked even more adorable.

Her luxurious, fluffy blond hair and sparkling pale-pink eyes made her look like a doll. No, perhaps she was even cuter than a doll, since she also had the charm of a real person.

Her cuteness was ten times more devastating whenever she smiled...

As I was thinking such foolish things, Alexis-sama called out to me. I flinched slightly, but turned toward him calmly so that he would not realize what I had been thinking.

We were sitting across from each other on a pair of two-seat sofas, with Martine-sama in front of me and Alexis-sama in front of Catherine-sama.

"Leon, thank you for coming. From now on, I would like you to come about once a week. Will that be all right? Catherine, will that work for you as well?"

"Yes, I can come whenever necessary."

"Yes, I am available whenever necessary as well."

"Then would it be all right for you to come once a week, on Recovery Day?"

"Understood."

Let me see... This country had five-day weeks, with Fire Day, Water Day, Wind Day, Earth Day, and Recovery Day repeating in that order.

Come to think of it, I still did not know how many days or months there were in a year. It had never come up in conversation. Leon's memories and age told me that a year existed as a unit of time, but I did not know any more details than that.

We had always spoken in terms of weeks and days. Well, I would probably have a chance to find out eventually.

For now, I needed to make sure I remembered the week correctly.

"Then let us begin today's lesson right away. I will listen in today as well."

"Yes. Then I will begin the lesson. First, are you aware that imagining something can reduce the amount of magic power consumed?"

"By imagining something? We have been taught that magic will not activate unless we form a clear image, but I have never heard that imagining something reduces the amount of magic power consumed."

Martine-sama tilted her head in puzzlement.

"I have never heard such a thing, either."

If Alexis-sama, the king, did not know about it, then it must not be common knowledge.

In this world, people used magic by imagining the phenomenon they wanted to produce, but they did not imagine why that phenomenon occurred. Imagining the latter was what reduced the amount of magic power consumed.

That was where we needed to start.

"Martine-sama, you use healing magic to heal wounds, correct? Then do you know why wounds heal?"

"Why? Because I used magic."

Martine-sama answered as though it were obvious.

Since magic existed in this world and was so convenient, perhaps no one had ever thought deeply about why these phenomena occurred. Everything was explained by saying, "It is magic," and that was the end of it.

"However, wounds will eventually heal even without healing magic. Have you ever thought about why that happens?"

"Wounds heal even without healing magic!?"

What!? We are starting there!?

It was true that nobles had their dedicated mages heal any wounds immediately, so they might never have seen natural healing.

The servants of nobles probably had visible wounds healed right away as well, so that they would not look unsightly.

Commoners did not go to a healing clinic for minor injuries, so natural healing was commonplace among them...

But even if commoners knew that, they had no time to conduct research, and probably no one thought about determining the cause. In the first place, most of them had received almost no education.

"Wounds heal even without healing magic. Healing magic is something like an aid to that process."

"I see..."

"Yes. By understanding the mechanism of natural healing and imagining it when using healing magic, you can reduce the amount of magic power consumed."

From there, I explained everything I knew about natural healing. Since almost nothing was known here about how the human body worked, explaining it was extremely difficult, but I think I somehow managed to make them understand. My knowledge was rudimentary, but it was far better than knowing nothing at all.

"I think I understand!"

"I understand, too. I would like to try it myself."

Phew... They finally understood... It had taken more than an hour.

Next came practical training, but I could not exactly injure nobles and royalty. I supposed I would have to cut my own finger...

"I think it would be best to cut a finger slightly and try it if we have a knife. Does anyone have one?"

"Ah, I do."

Alexis-sama said that, then took a small knife from inside his jacket and lent it to me.

Was this one of those concealed weapons people carried for emergencies?

Scary... It was best not to think about it...

I accepted the knife with some trepidation and cut my own finger.

"Then please try it first, Martine-sama. Make sure you form a clear image."

"Yes!"

When Martine-sama used magic, my fingertip glowed faintly. Once the light disappeared, the wound was completely gone.

"How much magic power did it consume?"

"It is amazing! I used far less magic power than usual. If I could normally use magic only once, I think I could use it four more times now!"

So she had consumed only about one-fifth as much magic power as usual. Thank goodness! It worked!

Catherine-sama tried it afterward and seemed to be able to reduce the amount of magic power she consumed in the same way.

I was incredibly tired... Teaching someone who knew nothing from the very beginning was this difficult? Japan's compulsory education really was amazing.

We should end things for today. If we tried to cover too much at once, they would only become confused.

We would practice curing illnesses next time. That said, teaching them did not guarantee they would be able to do it... The biggest issue was the amount of magic power they possessed.

Perhaps they could cure a cold by healing it little by little over several attempts. Well, we would try that next time.

At last, the day was finally over. I was exhausted...

"Let us end here for today. Please practice before our next lesson."

"Yes! Leon, thank you so much! Your magic is amazing. I am so happy that you are teaching me."

"I am glad to hear that from you, Martine-sama."

"You do not have to be so formal with me... You could call me Martine and speak casually, you know? You are my teacher, Leon. Or should I call you Leon-sensei?"

No, no, there was no way I could address the princess that way! Besides, I had not done enough to deserve being called a teacher.

"I cannot call Martine-sama by her name alone. Please let me continue as I have been."

"Is that so...? Well, I suppose it cannot be helped for now. There is always next time."

Martine-sama looked a little dissatisfied, then said something rather ominous. I did not think I would ever end up calling Martine-sama by her name alone!

Once Martine-sama had reluctantly accepted that, the atmosphere finally began to feel as though the lesson was over. I was relieved at the thought of resting when I got home, but then someone completely destroyed that mood.

"Leon, you have an image for magic other than healing magic, don't you? Would you teach me your image for fire magic as well?"

Alexis-sama gazed at me with a smiling expression that brooked no refusal. What? Right now? I was tired and wanted to go home...

Ugh... I could hardly refuse.

I agreed, looking as though I might cry.

"Understood."

From there, I explained the concept of air and oxygen.

...That took about another hour.

But the effort had been worth it, because they finally seemed to understand. Explaining concepts that did not exist in this world was truly difficult.

"Then please try creating a small fireball."

"Ah... Oh! This is amazing. The amount of magic power consumed has been reduced to about one-tenth."

After admiring it, Alexis-sama fell silent with a troubled expression.

He was probably wondering how widely to share this method. Spreading it carelessly could make our enemies stronger, so it was dangerous.

"Leon, what do you think about spreading this method?"

"I do not intend to spread it widely to large numbers of people. It would make our enemies stronger, and I think it would be dangerous. However, I think it would be all right to teach people I trust, like I did today."

When I said this with determination in my eyes, Alexis-sama seemed satisfied, and his expression softened slightly.

"Yes, that is what I thought as well. Once you graduate from the Royal Academy, I would like you to become a teacher who teaches people how to use magic. Of course, you would teach only people I trust."

He was deciding my career after I graduated from the Royal Academy, even though I had not even enrolled yet!?

I had no idea what the distant future held, but I did feel I could trust Alexis-sama. It was not a bad offer...

"That is still so far in the future that I cannot say for certain yet, but I think I would be willing to accept."

"Really!? Thank you. Until then, be careful not to let too many people learn about this."

"Understood."

"Besides, when I say it is in the future, it is not actually that far away."

Why not...? The Royal Academy lasted five years, did it not?

"Is it not still more than five years away?"

"No. The Royal Academy holds graduation examinations at the end of every winter, and students from every year take them. Anyone who passes graduates, so even a first-year student can graduate after one year by passing the graduation examination. Most people do not pass until their third or fourth year, but some graduate after only one year. I suspect you will graduate after one year, Leon."

So that was how it worked... Interesting.

More importantly, I was being looked at with such expectant eyes. I was not actually that smart.

I only had the memories of studying in Japan and the reasoning skills of an adult. I might have to work desperately hard for the graduation examination...

"I see. I will do my best."

"Yes, do your best. I can arrange any number of positions for you afterward. I could even make you one of my close aides... But that would probably be difficult right away, so perhaps I could have you serve as the chancellor's assistant..."

It seemed my future employment was being decided without me even knowing. I was grateful, incredibly grateful, but this was all happening far too suddenly and far too soon!

"Well, you still have more than a year, so I will think about it. Now, there is something else happening today: my wife and Martine's twin elder brother would like to thank you. They also want to give you a gift. Would you be willing to meet them afterward? They both know everything about your abilities, so you do not need to worry."

Those two meant... the queen and the prince!?

They were incredible people, too... I would just have to stop being so surprised. I would not last if I got nervous every single time.

"Yes. However, I have already received enough thanks from you, Alexis-sama..."

"Well, there was a great deal of enthusiasm about choosing the gift, so please accept it."

Alexis-sama said that with an awkward smile. A gift chosen enthusiastically by royalty sounded terrifying! I had no idea where I would even keep it. I was a commoner!

As I trembled with apprehension, Alexis-sama rang a bell, summoned an attendant, and asked him to bring the two of them.

I steeled myself and did my best not to let my agitation show on my face while I waited for them to arrive.