Transferred to Another World and Became a Teacher

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"She really is quite popular, isn't she."

"...Sigh."

"Troublingly so."

In the Fiddiq Academy office, Glenn muttered with a wry smile, while King Middleton and Queen Lea of the Verted Kingdom both pressed their hands to their foreheads in unison.

"The fact that elven royalty became an instructor should still be known to only a handful of people, should it not? Why are so many applying at this time..."

As Lea murmured that to no one in particular, Middleton crossed his arms and groaned.

"...To begin with, Aoi's abilities have already become widely known to other nations through the last cultural festival. If we consider that ambitious factions, having caught wind of those rumors, have been verifying the information while also using it to check domestic political rivals, then this timing is not too soon at all."

When Middleton answered that, Lea reached for the teacup on the table. In fact, the white teacup set was Glenn's favorite. This time, under the pretense of having asked Middleton and the others for help, he had apparently paid careful attention to the tableware as well.

Lea set the teacup down onto its saucer with a clink and glared at Middleton with fierce breath.

"This is troublesome. I do not want any more rivals appearing."

"Be that as it may, Aoi is treated as a senior instructor from commoner origins. Conversely, it would have been far easier in various ways if she were a noble of our kingdom, but this cannot be helped."

Middleton muttered that with a sigh, and Glenn smiled ambiguously in agreement.

"That is true. In fact, from Aoi's perspective—since she has no interest in power—she would likely view royalty as a negative."

"Marquis Glenn?"

"Eep...! I misspoke..."

Glared at by Lea, Glenn caught his breath and stared out the window. The sky was annoyingly clear and blue.

As Glenn narrowed his eyes and gazed at that sky, Lea raised her eyebrows and spoke.

"Certainly, Aoi is a mage in the truest sense of the word. She devotes herself entirely to magic and never looks away. With that personality, she might not tolerate the restrictions that come with becoming royalty. However, it all depends on how one looks at it. There may be research that only royalty can conduct, and great nations possess royal treasures. If we consider those factors, she might become more open to the idea of—"

"I do not think Aoi likes that kind of way of thinking."

Glenn could not help but interrupt Lea's statement. Lea then shot Glenn a glare sharp enough to make a sound. Glenn shrank his neck and averted his gaze again, but Lea soon let out a deep sigh and nodded.

"...Sigh. Yes, you are right. That is precisely why I like Aoi so much."

Seeing Lea murmur that with drooping shoulders, Middleton opened his mouth with a relieved expression.

"Headmaster Glenn. As headmaster, can you not refuse them by saying you cannot accept such a large number of people?"

When Middleton raised one eyebrow and said that, Glenn shrugged lightly.

"Fiddiq Academy accepts anyone regardless of status or position, so long as they have talent in magic. That is the agreement we made when the academy was founded. Having proclaimed that, I cannot very well retract it now."

"...If you say that, then the six great nations who endorsed that agreement are in the same position."

Middleton said that, stood up, raised one corner of his mouth, and snorted.

"Now then, what will become of our foolish son."

At Middleton's mutter, Lea placed one hand on her forehead and shook her head left and right.

As I continued my magic research holed up in my lab, the sound of knocking on the door suddenly echoed. I had reinforced the lab to be sturdy, but because I had made the door metal, sound carried through it quite well.

Perhaps I should make it a double door the next time.

Having such thoughts, I moved to open the door.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

When I opened the door and poked my head out, the fresh night breeze brushed my cheeks and gave me a refreshing feeling.

Sensing something odd, I looked up and saw that the sky had become completely dark.

"...It seems you lost track of time again."

Strass muttered in a tone of exasperation.

"Th-this won't do! You really need to come outside at least for meal times!"

Beside Strass, Eliza said such a thing. Apparently, they worried that I was pushing myself too hard with research.

Smiling at my two kind colleagues, I answered.

"You are right. I was just about to take a break. If you are both free, shall we go out for a meal together?"

When I asked that, Eliza nodded happily and took my hand.

"Yes! Then let us go try that newly opened restaurant today!"

"...A new restaurant. Is it a meat place?"

Eliza tried to lead the way excitedly, so I could not help but ask ahead. Eliza then widened her eyes in surprise.

"Huh? How did you know!?"

"Because dwarves love meat and alcohol."

Strass dutifully answered Eliza's question. I gave a wry smile and nodded, and Eliza scratched her cheek with a slightly embarrassed look.

"Ah, hahaha. I-I will find a good seafood place next time!"

"No, whatever you like is fine, Eliza."

"No! Seafood it is! I have committed it to memory!"

Laughing and exchanging such conversation, we headed into the night-time Wintervale to enjoy dinner. Wintervale had grown more populated compared to last year, and apparently more shops stayed open late to match. Walking through the lively streets made me feel energized. Moreover, the brightly lit night streets, where the cobblestone patterns were clearly visible, lifted my spirits just by looking at them.

"Ah, here it is! Here! They have delicious food!"

Eliza jumped up and down like a child in front of a small restaurant, signaling that we had arrived. A cute establishment with a red roof. It looked like the kind of place Eliza would like.

"Now, let us eat our fill!"

"I get it, so calm down a little."

"Eh!? How can you stay so calm!?"

Feeling something akin to reassurance from the usual exchange between Strass and Eliza, we entered the restaurant. The interior matched the exterior in brick style, creating a very nostalgic atmosphere.

"Alrighty! Welcome!"

A cheerful male voice rang out, and the one who appeared was a muscular man like a dwarf. His beard was bushy and his hair was long, so only part of his face was visible. But at a single glance, I immediately recognized his race.

"A dwarf-run restaurant? That is rare."

Strass muttered as if unable to help himself. In my heart, I also felt the same—I had never seen a dwarf earning a living outside of smithing, except for Eliza. So I could not say anything.

"Wahaha! This is my shop, but I am not the head chef! Ah, my apologies... I am the owner of this establishment. As you can see, I am a dwarf, but I have hired a skilled human chef that I personally selected. Well, just give it a try—you will not be disappointed."

The jovial dwarf said that, pointed one hand toward a table, and walked to the back. It seemed he was indicating that we should sit there.

"...Quite a unique establishment."

Strass voiced his first impression and sat down, and Eliza nodded in agreement.

"Yes! Apparently the owner built this place because he wanted to eat his favorite meat dishes and drink, so I am looking forward to it!"

"...That sounds like the perfect place for Eliza, then."

"Indeed."

Hearing Eliza's explanation of the restaurant, Strass and I exchanged glances, and naturally such a conversation came out.

"Here you go, first up is the crunchy-crunchy grilled poultry!"

"Wow, that looks delicious!"

"Next is the chewy-chewy grilled pork!"

"This looks delicious too!"

"And for the main dish, the smash-smash grilled beef! This branding mark uses the authentic dwarf kingdom crest! Wahaha!"

"Wow, that is so cool!"

The dwarf owner and Eliza were having a great time. Watching them, Strass squinted and looked at the large chunk of beef.

"...That is a proper cooking brand, right?"

"That should be fine, should it not?"

I laughed at the joke-sized piece of meat and answered the worried Strass.

"Let me carve it up!"

"Thank you."

Eliza cheerfully carved the meat and served portions onto everyone's plates. However, Strass groaned at the portion sizes.

"...That is thicker than my fist."

"Isn't it great? You rarely get to eat meat this thick!"

"...I see. That makes you happy, does it."

Seeing Eliza overjoyed, Strass seemed to give up pointing it out. I took a more positive approach to the situation than Strass did and promptly picked up my knife and fork.

Let me start with the poultry. Thinking that, I pressed down on the visibly crispy skin with my fork and cut the meat with my knife. The fragrant aroma whet my appetite.

I decided to try it as is first and brought the cut piece to my mouth on the fork. The surface was crispy, but the inside was juicy and tender, overflowing with meat juices. The slightly wild taste and aroma of the spicy seasonings paired excellently with the meat, further enhancing its flavor.

"...This is delicious."

When I shared my impression, Eliza's face lit up like a blooming flower as she nodded.

"It is delicious, isn't it! Ah, Strass, you have not eaten yours yet!"

"Hmph, I am about to."

As I glanced at Strass, who looked flustered at Eliza's remark but still cut his meat, I decided to try the beef next. Using my knife and fork as before, I cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and brought one to my mouth.

A rich sauce aroma wafted up first. Though the surface appeared well-seared, the inside was even more tender than the poultry. Furthermore, the juicy meat juices spread throughout my mouth, allowing me to enjoy the beef's rich flavor that did not lose out to the robust sauce. If the poultry was prepared with a spicy emphasis on seasonings, this was an elegant yet punchy dish that would fit right in at a French restaurant.

"...That means the pork dish should also be something to look forward to."

The moment I murmured that, Strass seemed to have finished his poultry as well, and he looked at me with slightly widened eyes.

"...Indeed, it is delicious."

"See!?"

Before I could respond, Eliza let out a cry of joy.

"Ah, this brings back memories. Dwarven meat dishes! We cannot fully replicate them because the seasonings are hard to come by. Well then, I will dig in too!"

"Then I will try the chewy-chewy grilled pork..."

As I said that and glanced at the pork, the dwarf from earlier returned from the back.

"Here you go! For dessert, we have magical beast meat with sweet sauce!"

"...That, surely, is..."

Strass looked dumbfounded at the mysterious dessert the dwarf proudly brought, but Eliza's eyes sparkled and she let out a cheer that silenced him.

"E-even that...!? Owner! As expected of you! I will definitely come back!"

"Sure thing! Do come again!"

It seemed the two dwarves shared some kind of mutual understanding.

Or perhaps, in the dwarf kingdom, magical beast meat desserts were a common thing.

While thinking such thoughts, the three of us thoroughly enjoyed the delicious meat dishes.

Incidentally, it was unexpected that even the magical beast meat dessert was genuinely delicious.