CH 13

Chapter13 - Rookie Teacher

“Well, let’s go to the chairman’s office for the time being? It’s still too early in the day for the staff to be here.”

According to Adelaide…

During spring break, teachers were supposed to arrive at work at 9:00 in the morning instead of the usual 7:45.

After breakfast, they left the mansion and headed straight for the school, so it was now 8:00 in the morning.

That meant that they were at work about an hour earlier than the other teachers.

Adelaide took the lead and walked ahead smoothly.

Lou and Fran walked behind her.

Eventually, the group stood in front of the door that was the entrance to the main school building.

“Let me unlock the door now.”

Adelaide held a silvery card-like object to the door and closed her eyes.

In an instant, she enhanced her magic power and muttered something.

Perhaps it was the Unlocking Magic.

The magic wave aura emitted from the card that Adelaide held touched the door, and they heard the lock open with a rattle.

Once the door was opened, they entered and found themselves in a spacious area.

There were a few tables and chairs for students to use.

It was currently unoccupied, but there seemed to be a counter in one corner and an office behind it.

Lou asked and was told that this floor was the administrative office for the school.

The stairs to the basement were also visible, so when Lou turned his gaze…

“The student cafeteria is in the basement,” Fran whispered.

There were three doors in the front and stairs to the upper and lower floors.

Lou was curious and asked her about it. She told him that it was a large magic tool that moved up and down with magic power.

“This is a magic elevator.”

A magic elevator was a box that carried people up and down from the first floor to the fifth floor of the school building with the use of Wind Magic.

The reason for this vague wording was that the technology used was based on magic found in ancient ruins, and the logic behind remained unknown.

Incidentally, of the three, two were for students only and the other one was for staff only.

Adelaide held the card in the same way as the door, and when the elevator door was opened, she got it.

“Come on, get in, both of you! Lou, the Chairman’s office is on the fifth floor.”

Adelaide beckoned from the elevato.  Fran looked at Lou, and the two followed.

The three hopped on, and as the doors closed, the elevator rose in the blink of an eye and reached the fifth floor.

The doors opened, and Adelaide quickly climbed down, smiling and beckoning again.

“The Chairman occupies the whole fifth floor, isn’t it extravagant?”

Seeing her mother in a good mood, Fran chuckled and muttered.

Adelaide giggled in response.

“This is the chairman’s office. Come in…”

She opened the door…

There was a wooden desk and chair in front with a stately atmosphere, and behind it were many oil paintings, probably portraits of past chancellors.

On the right side of the room, there was a reception set consisting of a long wooden table and a couch with armrests.

On the left side of the room, there were bookshelves with thick grimoires lined up inside.

There was another door on the far left, which was said to be the Chairman’s exclusive laboratory and library.

The size of the room was about the same as the study and laboratory room of the Dumers’ mansion.

“You can sit there with Fran and wait for me. I’ll issue you your staff ID.”

Adelaide didn’t seem too displeased as she muttered, “It’s supposed to be a secretariat job.”

…Soon, Adelaide came with a thin silver card.

When she came to the table in front of where they were sitting, she placed the card on the table.

“Lou, this is our Magical Girls Academy staff ID card. It’s our ID and pass card.”

“I see…I can feel magical power.”

“Yes, you saw me use it earlier. Now touch the card with your fingertips.”

With Adelaide’s prompt, Lou touched the card with his fingers, and it glowed brightly.

Afterward, it gradually returned to its original color.

“This card is made of Mithril. As you probably know, Mithril is the largest conductor of magic power among metals. Don’t ever lose this staff card.”

Adelaide handed him the card, and Lou put it into his storage bracelet as carefully as he had the staff handbook he had received yesterday.

“Now, before I give you a tour of the campus, let’s talk about the afternoon.”

“You mean this afternoon?”

Fran asked curiously…

She seemed to have remembered something and exclaimed, “Ah!”

Adelaide exhaled lightly.

“Fran, you have to report the details of your attack to Sir Ryan, the Royal Guard Captain, remember? He’s scheduled to come to the mansion at 2:00 this afternoon. After all, five of his men have been killed.”

“Yeah, you’re right…”

Fran muttered gloomily, as if an abominable memory had come back to her.

Adelaide addressed Fran bitterly.

“Fran, don’t worry! I’ll be there, and Lou will be there with you.”

“Haha, Fran. Don’t fret.”

“Thank you…”

Fran smiled weakly in response to the two’s encouragement.

****

“The fourth floor houses the principal’s office, the vice-principal’s office, the staff room, the conference room, and the gender-segregated teachers’ locker rooms. Your desk will be in this staff room, and every morning staff meetings will be held in the conference room on this floor.”

The staff room with no other employees before work hours…

Only Adelaide’s voice echoed.

“We have a spring semester starting in three days, so I’m going to ask you to take part in Fran’s classes. Tag along with her as a teaching intern.”

I can work with Lou.

When Fran heard Adelaide’s instructions, she pumped her fist in the air in delight.

“Yay!”

“Oh dear, my daughter’s beyond help.”

Adelaide smiled and took in her daughter’s excitement.

Luo, on the other hand, looked as calm as ever.

Just then.

The door to the staff room opened, and a loud voice rang out.

“G-Good morning!”

“Oh, good morning! Colette-sensei, you’re early.”

“Good morning…”

Adelaide greeted her cheerfully, and Fran greeted her hushedly.

“Hi, Chairman and Headmistress!”

She was a young woman, Colette, as Adelaide called her.

She had light chestnut hair in a ponytail and large, reddish brown eyes.

She was about the same height as Fran, maybe a little over 160cm.

She seemed to have come to work during the spring vacation, and hadn’t expected to find her two superiors in the staff room.

Colette’s gaze glided from Adelaide to Fran, then to Lou, where it got stuck.

“U-Uhm…You are?”

“Hahaha, perfect timing. This is Lou Brandell, who will be teaching this year, just like you. Lou, this is Teacher Adeline Colette.”

“Hi! Nice to meet you, Adeline! I’m Lou, Lou Brandell.”

Huh?!

This guy…why is he calling my name so familiarly all of a sudden?

Then what about me?

Lou’s seemingly rude and unorthodox greeting…

Colette…Adeline was dumbfounded.

“Colette-sensei? What’s wrong?”

The stunned Adeline came to her senses when Adelaide called out to her.

Yeah, right!

Whoever he is, I’ve got to greet him properly!

Adeline couldn’t understand what was going on, or what kind of relationship they had.

But he, Lou, was in indeed with the Chairman and the acting principal.

He seemed to be very friendly.

If they were going to be colleagues, the first impression that Adeline would leave during their first greeting was crucial.

…However, whatever the mind thinks, the body doesn’t always follow.

In her fluster, Adeline chewed loudly.

“G-G-Good morning! Lo-L-Lou B-B-Brandell-s-sensei. I-I’m A-Adeline Co-Colette. N-N-Nice to meet y-you! P-Please take care of m-me!”

Adeline ended up greeting him like that…

She couldn’t help but bow deeply at how shameful she was.

What a disgrace…

…How embarrassing!

But!

Adeline, who had her head down, was suddenly tapped on the shoulder with a “pop”.

Ha?! W-What?!

“My bad, I must have made you nervous. But you know what, Adeline? You’re a nice girl. I can tell by your magic wave aura. Once again, nice to meet you.”

When Adeline looked up, she saw Lou in front of her

Black hair, black eyes…and a mysterious aura.

Such a man was smiling and holding out his right hand.

Adeline was reeling, but she held out her right hand as well.

There was no trace of evil in his words or in the depths of his eyes.

That wasn’t all.

The moment she shook hands with Lou, Adeline had a strange feeling.

A strange feeling of nostalgia and sadness…

Adeline was caught off guard and looked at Lou’s face, but…

Before her was his gentle smile that hadn’t changed since a moment ago.