Strongest Noble's Daughter Uses Water Magic Book 2

Revelation and Respect

After the spar, Professor Greenwood called for an early recess for our class. It came as a surprise for most of us; sure we won the spar, but the deal was that we were to do as we please outside of class should we win. I want to think maybe she got tired from the battle, but that was highly doubtful. Especially from what I noticed back in that spar.

While I found her action questionable... the others were not as observant to think so.

“Man, who would have thought our professor was strong?” Austin said.

“No kidding. With that kind of power, I’m surprised she isn’t Class A’s homeroom professor,” Felix agreed.

“I heard homeroom professors are usually assigned to each class based on their social status, rather than merely power. It’s possible Professor Greenwood is, at best, a low-ranking noble who got some sort of special training to get that strong,” Dora spoke.

“I’m willing to believe that,” Sheera agreed, chewing on another apple, as several of our classmates also nodded in agreement to Dora's assumption.

While I am also inclined to believe in such a thing- rather, I want to believe in that- as well as amazed by how strong our homeroom professor truly was, I was also quite frustrated. It was not from the difference in strength between us, though that may be a part of my frustration. But as a whole? That was for a completely different reason. A reason that I had read only once in a book, back when I was still living with my family, before my fifth birthday. A reason... that was said to only be possible to very few individuals.

"Lady Levi? Lady Levi," Mindy called, waving a wing in front of my face and snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay? You spaced out for a moment there."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assured.

"You sure? You don't sound fine," Azalea asked me.

"If anything, you seem to be lost in thought about something," Flora stated.

"Yeah. If anything, you should be happy here. I mean, our professor is really tough, tougher than the squires back at the mock exam, and we beat her," Taurus told me.

"Not so sure if 'beating her' is the proper term for that," Kyle stated. "I mean, all we really did was outsmart her, as per Lady Levi's instructions."

"Same difference. You heard what our professor said, didn't you? 'You've all surpassed my expectations'. She didn't think we would win."

At those words, my mind once again replayed our spar with Terranium. Especially at some certain events. While it was true we had outsmarted our homeroom professor, twice, and made her yield in that fight, as much as it irritates me to even think it...

“We didn’t win,” I muttered out loud, bringing some attention to me.

“Huh? What are you talking about, Levi? Of course we won,” Bruce asked.

"Wait... Is our leader having doubts about the clear outcome of the spar? Seriously, Levi? What's there to doubt? It's a clear win," Leroy questioned.

"Except it wasn't," I corrected, bringing nothing but confusion to me. “Tell me honestly… during that spar, did she ever cast a spell?”

Many of them raised their brows at my question.

"What's with that strange question? Of course she did. How else could she have made that plant dome and appeared out of the ground?" Ethan answered.

"Not to mention how she subbed in a wooden puppet in her place when you and Dylan bound her for Ethan's Drainage Mana," Tem added, glancing at our Shadow Mage classmate, who was taking a nap as soon as Terranium had left earlier.

"But was there ever a time when a magic circle appeared?" I asked then.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Of course it-" Taurus stopped himself when he realized something. Not just him, but everyone else, as well.

"Wait, now that you mentioned it... When those spells were casted, a magic circle never appeared for her, did it?" Belle recalled.

"But how is that possible? Whenever a spell is being casted, a magic circle would appear. That's common knowledge, even for us crossbreeds," Philia informed.

"Maybe she used some kind of magic item? Something to conceal her magic circles?" Hailey suggested.

"Highly doubtful. I've never heard of such an item back when I was traveling around with my dad," Tem denied.

"Neither did I," Kyle added. "Nobles, especially those high in ranks, often have various sources to get information about... Well, practically anything within their status rights. If there really was such an item, it would be more reasonable to say that someone of a higher social status can verify it."

"I can tell you with absolute certainty that I've never heard of such a thing, even before my family got demoted," Lilith spoke.

"Even so, there would've been at least a rumor of such an item," Dora added on.

"That's because it is not from an item," I said then. "I... heard a story about it back when I was a child. Of a phenomenon when spells can be casted, and yet no magic circle appeared. I assumed it was just some fairy tale, but to think it was true..."

"What do you mean?" Shaun asked.

Rather than me answering, some of the nobles widened their eyes in realization, catching on to what I was insinuating. "Hang on... Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Taurus questioned. "You can't be serious... Her?!"

"If you guys have heard of the story, too, then shouldn't the possibility of that be considered as well?" I only retorted.

"Possibility of what?" Leroy asked. "Mind filling in for some of us who are lost?"

"She's referring to the possibility that our homeroom professor is a sage," came Dylan's voice, he who just woke up and rubbed his eyes to relieve them of the forced sleep.

The rest of our classmates went silent at the revelation, all in disbelief at what they heard.

"A sage? You don't mean the ones in legends and folktales, do you?" Hailey inquired.

"One of the higher level a mage can ever reach? So high that only a few can reach such a level, even if one devotes themselves to study their own magic? Said to be able to cast spells, even the most powerful and advanced spell, without batting an eye? The very one and the same," Ethan confirmed.

"Not to mention so skilled and powerful to the point where no mere mortal would ever know if a spell is being casted by them," I added on to that. "Back at that spar, Professor Greenwood was casting spells, but she never chanted a word, nor did a magic circle ever appear when she casted them. It has to be that. Why she is here as a professor- especially a homeroom professor for a so-called 'failure class'- is something I would never know if it was such a case, but I can't think of any other valid reason for what happened back at that exam."

The silence returned amongst the group, for no one could ever believe the possibility that may be the truth of our professor, as well as...

"So wait... Are you saying she went easy on us?" Leroy asked.

That... After they got their hopes up, after they got all cheery at the fact that we beat our professor in a spar- outsmarted her twice during that battle- they realized she only went easy on us. That she did not take them seriously at all in that fight. With how confident and prideful some of us were, especially in the aftermath of the spar, it would not take a genius to know how frustrated everyone here was to realize the truth. I know I was when I found out. At the same time, though...

"That's right, she did. And before you- any of you- go on a tantrum over it, I want you to tell me honestly. After what we went through back there, do you want to have another go at her? With her at full strength?"

Leroy and Taurus both opened their mouths, wanting to respond to my questions- most likely to say they will gladly fight her and her fullest- only to refrain from speaking. Not just them, but all our other classmates as well.

"Going up against a veteran mage is crazy enough, especially for us who just turned into adults. But going against a sage at their best? That is nothing more than suicidal. Even more so when we got lucky against one who held back in a simple spar. Though 'simple' may not be the right word to describe it..." Mindy stated.

"Exactly," I nodded. "If she wanted to, she would've come at us at full strength and force us to submit. And yet, she still held back against us. Why do you think that is?" They all looked at each other with unsure expressions at my question, an expression that slightly irritated me, especially towards a few amongst the group. "It was because she wanted to teach us a lesson! When we saw our class ranking, what did some of you do? While I was also proud of where we stand, I didn't want to do a big celebration over it. If anything, my mind was more occupied with where we had lost our points, as well as my battle against Ed- uh... Professor Anberibca. Even though I came up with such good strategies to counter our weakness, in the end, they still backfire on me. Even though I told myself- told Professor Anberibca- that all I will be doing is weaken him, stall for time for someone to come and finish him, in the end, what did I do? What did I do?! I tried to beat him! When I was well aware how strong he was, and yet because deep down, I had confidence in my Water Magic, I almost got myself killed doing more than I was capable of! ... And I am very sure that was what Professor Greenwood wanted to tell us, especially as words did not seem enough to get through to all of us." I glanced at a certain handful when I said that last part, who avoided eye contact with me, all with shamed looks on their faces. "And besides that, there was also what she said before the spar. If we become so blinded by our victories, and treat the nobles the way they had been treating us, in what way does that make us any better than them?" I added on. "All that will do is reverse the roles, and make an endless cycle of discrimination."

No one could say a word when I pointed that out. As our heads were clear at this moment, hopefully my words get through even the most stubborn of us.

"So... What now?" Felix asked. "We were pretty harsh on her before the spar."

"If she really does care about us as she said, I can only imagine what the result of our spar did to her. Especially with the stakes she had put," Azalea pointed out.

"You don't think she'll revert back to how she was before, do you?" Flora wondered.

"That's kind of hard to say. Though considering what we did..." Belle trailed off.

"There has to be something we can do to fix this!" Shaun exclaimed.

We all took the time to think on that, hoping there was a way to prevent Terranium from neglecting us again as our professor. There was so much we could do on our own- so much I can do to help my classmates. We need a real teacher to guide us during our time in this academy.

"Actually..." Dora spoke first. "There was a time when I had seen knights in training greet their higher ups, especially as a group. Maybe we can do something similar to that?"

"You mean act like knights?" Austin asked.

"Not that; I mean show our respect for Professor Greenwood as our homeroom professor. We could just do what any other students would and just respect her normally, but after the spar, I don't think that will be enough."

An idea came to me when she said that, especially her suggestion. "You know... That can actually work."

******

*TERRANIUM'S P.O.V*

The next day, Professor Greenwood walked down the halls, a glum expression on her face, especially with what happened just the other day.

'In the end... I couldn't change anything,' she thought.

The woman had been so disappointed in herself for admitting defeat in that spar, especially for someone of her strength. Then again, it was not as though she had any other choice. A sage she may be, she was still just a normal person deep down. Besides, with the many things that had occurred in her life, especially for someone of her rank... She just could not find it in her to go all out against her own students, even if it was to make them see reality, in the harshest way possible. That was not her thing.

'Once I take attendance, I will let them have a free period to do as they please,' she thought. 'After outsmarting me twice in that spar, was there truly anything I can teach them? Besides...' Her mind wandered to Levi, and then to her one, late promising student. '... Levi is not her. She had done more than her, got the class together, and trained with them. Surely, she is also capable of teaching them as well. She has all their respect, after all.'

Arriving at her classroom door, Terranium took in a breath to recompose herself. Once she was calmed down enough, the woman placed her hand on the handle, and opened the door.

Surprisingly enough, one look at the inside of the room, and she saw every student in their seats, patient and silent. The Plant Mage professor widened her eyes at this and walked inside, feeling quite unnerved by the situation. "Why so silent, guys?" she dared ask.

Instead of a response, Levi spoke up in a loud tone. "Stand!" One word, and every student in the room stood in complete unison, spooking Terranium. "Bow!"

"Good morning, Professor Greenwood!" they all greeted, once again in unison, increasing her surprise.

"Be seated!" At Levi's call, they all sat back down.

To say she was utterly speechless would be understating it. Terranium had worked in this academy as a professor for a long time, but this was the first time she had even seen such a greeting.

"Um... What's going on?" she asked once more.

Once again, rather than an actual answer, a few classmates- that being Taurus, Leroy, and Felix- stood up once more and approached her. The moment they were close enough, the trio took a knee and bowed to her. "We are so sorry for our arrogance, Professor Greenwood," they simultaneously said, grabbing her attention.

"We didn't realize you really were looking out for us, as you claimed," the Fire Mage commoner began.

"We only thought of ourselves in a narrow view," the bull crossbreed followed.

"We may be adults, but we still acted like children," the Mud Mage noble added on.

"None of us thought you were actually trying to teach us anything back in the spar, except for the class rep. Now our eyes are open, and we see where we truly stand in society," Leroy continued. "For that, we apologize and ask for another chance. Please, stay as our professor!"

"Don't go along with the conditions you made for the spar. We see now where we were wrong," Taurus said.

"If anything, even if you say it's our win, it's more of a pity victory, especially if you held back on us," Felix ended.

Terranium widened her eyes at their words, especially the last one. While it was true that she held back in that spar, she did not think these students would catch on to that. Sure, the part that sages can cast spells without casting a magic circle is not that rare a knowledge, but normally no one would ever suspect a mere professor to be that powerful of a mage. It would be understandable if it was the headmaster, but she was just the homeroom professor of a supposed failed class. She would be the last person to be suspected as a sage. Regardless, she also did not think these students would ever open their eyes to what she was trying to tell them, to what she wanted to avoid. With how the spar had ended, she thought for sure these kids would go along with the wager, and only give her an average amount of attention during class. Never did she think they would have this sort of change of heart.

Her eyes wandered to Levi, who stared at her calmly. Once they made eye contact, the class representative gave her a smile and a nod, silently telling her that the boys bowing to her were serious in their apology and reflection. Terranium did not know what to say, or even feel about the circumstance she was in, as she felt her face go a little warm.

Clearing her throat, the homeroom professor once again regained her composure and said, "W-Well... If you all understand what I was trying to teach you, then that is fine. Now get back to your seats, so I can take attendance and begin our lesson for today."

"Yes ma'am!" the trio shouted, retreating to their respective tables.

Holding back a smile that was threatening to form on her face, Terranium took out the class roster. "When I call your name, please say 'here'."