Side Story 4

The practice of controlling the inherent aura in one’s body was not something that could be finished in just an hour or two.

“Then, see you in a bit!”

So, Rodella was about to leave the auditorium with Professor Shubian to go to her next lecture.

However, as Rodella was about to leave the auditorium, the children, one and all, followed closely behind Rodella and Aivert.

“Hmm?”

Rodella looked down to see the children looking up at her with sparkling eyes.

“Can we go with you?”

If there was a person who could coldly refuse the company of the children after receiving such a look, they would not be a person with a human heart.

“I’m not teaching swordsmanship or aura, so it might be boring for you.”

Since most of the children there were young, between 7 and 10 years old, they might be too young to listen to the next lecture.

Because the next lecture was about negotiation.

But the children just looked up at Rodella as if they didn’t care.

Some children, unable to grab her clothes, held onto the tip of Aivert’s hand instead.

“They probably need that lecture too.”

At that moment, Aivert said.

Rodella looked back at him.

“Why?”

Rodella asked back, and soon she understood what he meant.

***

Nobles, by default, learn how to wield their authority.

Some children learn it naturally, while others receive twisted teachings by observing their surroundings.

And since the academy was attended by both nobles and commoners, it was a daily occurrence for children from commoner or merchant backgrounds to be ignored by the noble children.

This was because of a certain power they wielded.

However, the people that this power didn’t work on were precisely the children with strong aura.

Because the power of a family far away was less frightening than the physical force close by.

So, whenever these children clashed with noble children, they always…

“You…!”

…with genuinely angry expressions, they clenched their hands tightly.

Then, whatever they were holding would usually break or the surroundings would get damaged, and the noble children would say…

“You, if you touch me, I’ll tell my father and…”

“Do you think that won’t hurt you?”

…and a fight would inevitably break out in this manner.

When Rodella attended the academy, there were no children with aura, but still…

…commoners who were naturally light on their feet and got good scores in things like swordsmanship tests always appeared.

In front of those children, the noble children would sometimes be unable to speak.

Then they would go back to their mansions and unfairly harm the other child’s family…

Rodella had seen that situation too many times.

This was also why she decided to talk about simple negotiation with not only the children with strong aura but also all the children attending the academy.

“Just because you have strength doesn’t mean you can get everything.”

Rodella, considering the age of the children listening, put aside the deep discussion about negotiation that she had originally planned.

Instead, she decided to talk about something more important.

“In many situations, communication is necessary. If what you have is different from what the other person has, and you can share it, there’s no need to fight and spill blood.”

Aivert was listening from among the children.

Then, he suddenly raised his hand.

“Yes, student Aivert.”

The larger auditorium where the negotiation lecture was being held was filled not only with a large number of students but also with staff.

So, the rumor that Aivert was not a student must have already spread.

But people chuckled softly among themselves at Rodella’s shamelessly treating him as a student.

“If one’s strength is overwhelmingly superior, can’t they just take what they want without having to give anything?”

Aivert asked.

Perhaps some of the children here had this same thought.

That’s why he must have asked the question.

Aivert would have discarded such thoughts at least in his childhood.

“What a person can lose is not just their own safety. Many people, if they can’t harm the person directly, will try to harm their opponent by threatening those around them.”

Especially if their relationship has gone sour.

Rodella held out her hand.

Aivert made a fist.

“Then what if they become strong enough that they can’t be threatened?”

As if there were others who agreed with him, many children’s gazes were directed at him, and then at Rodella.

Rodella almost laughed at his shameless question, but she managed her expression and said.

“That’s a very good question, student. I’m sure there are some students here who have a similar thought.”

Rodella didn’t specifically look at anyone.

It was easy for children who had experience resolving conflicts with great strength to have such thoughts.

“You might be able to protect yourself, but you won’t be able to protect the people around you.”

“Then we can just become strong enough to prevent that!”

Sure enough, it was the big-bodied child from the aura class.

“We’ll show them that if they touch our friends, it will hurt!”

The child raised his fist.

Rodella looked at the child and said.

“If you show them, they might be safe for now. But the people around you will always be under threat and will have to worry, and you yourself will eventually have to worry about whether the people around you will get hurt.”

At that, the child seemed to ponder deeply.

“Most importantly, there are people who have convictions that they must protect, even if they get hurt or die. And sometimes, there are things you can’t get with force, or things you lose if you use force.”

Rodella held out her hand.

“A close example is student Aivert over there, isn’t it?”

Laughter erupted again at the word ‘student.’

“That student is the Vice-Commander of the Azure Knights, who was born with aura, so I can’t overpower him with force. But Aivert doesn’t try to press me with force just because our opinions differ.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“He might get the answer he wants right now, but then I might get so angry that I’ll never see him again.”

At that, laughter broke out among the children and staff.

On the other hand, all the humor vanished from Aivert’s face.

From his perspective, it was something he didn’t even want to think about, even as a joke.

“I’ve never even thought of threatening you.”

“I know.”

Rodella replied immediately.

Laughter broke out again among the people as the two exchanged words.

“Now, let’s stop laughing and get back to class…”

As the atmosphere lightened, the children began to concentrate more on Rodella’s words.

The enjoyable time passed for both the children and Rodella.

***

Although the class was arranged abruptly, the children followed along well.

Especially the children with aura seemed to have gained more.

Before the children, who were on the verge of being isolated as troublemakers, could go astray, it seemed the presence of Aivert, the ‘person who doesn’t get hurt,’ provided a great sense of stability.

Following that, it was clear that the words from Rodella, who taught them how to control their strength and trusted them, held more meaning.

Most importantly, the significance of this time was…

“Um… can I sit next to you?”

…that other children began to approach the children with aura.

Originally, many children were reluctant to approach them because there were always broken pieces around them, but after Aivert and Rodella’s aura management lecture, that was no longer the case.

“Just, don’t grab my hand.”

Still, the children who had learned how to roughly gather their dispersed aura into one place seemed to have escaped from being a human disaster that could hurt others just by touching them.

After that, all the children had was curiosity.

“You didn’t break it because you wanted to, did you?”

“No, I just…”

Children’s relationships can fall apart quickly, but they can also become friends just as quickly.

Rodella smiled as she watched the children talking.

Just then, the swordsmanship professor, Shubian, approached.

“The children seem very satisfied. I am too.”

“I am as well.”

A sense of pride was in Rodella’s voice.

Perhaps because she knew the frustration and despair that the young Aivert had felt, she worked even harder to help.

And Aivert’s own experience must have been a great help as well.

The problem was…

“But those kids will have a hard time managing their aura again once they hold a sword.”

Aivert said.

Shubian nodded. He, too, was a swordsman who had gained aura through training, so he understood the children’s condition, although not as much as Aivert.

“So, I was wondering, would you be able to teach them how to handle their aura while using a sword?”

At that, Rodella and Aivert looked at each other.

Shubian had a very apologetic expression.

But since only the two of them would be able to do this…

“Alright.”

The two of them eventually nodded.

However, the problem arose at the location where the class was to be held.