Mirabelle

Clemence led the way through the basement over to the small library, which had been modified into a one-person classroom. There was a bench made for Anthony to sit and study by, as well as a blackboard, desk, and chair for the teacher to use at their discretion.

Mirabelle was at first dazed by the elaborate workshop on the way, but he quickly regained her bearing as she looked toward where Clemence was leading him.

The walls of the corner of the basement were lined with bookshelves of various topics, mostly medicine and herbs. Among those books was the place where she would teach, as well as the student she would teach. He was sitting there, facing away from the entrance and toward the blackboard, though his head was in a thick book.

'He's small.'

That was Mirabelle's first impression. Her student-to-be was incredibly small for someone about to try and enter the Imperial Academy with its twelve-year age requirement. But maybe that was why Clemence didn't want him to judge based on appearances.

"Huh?"

However, Mirabelle was in for a shock when Anthony turned around.

"That's—"

'...Clearly a baby!'

The student-to-be wasn't just small. He was no different from an ordinary baby. He wasn't fresh out of his mother's womb, but Mirabelle would be surprised if he could even walk.

Mirabelle turned to Clemence to voice an objection.

"Welcome."

But Anthony spoke before he could do so.

"I thought you were told not to judge the book by its cover?"

Mirabelle stiffly turned toward Anthony. The voice was unmistakably that of a toddler with its high pitch. But there was also clear intelligence behind those words.

Mirabelle took a closer look at Anthony. While his outward appearance was that of a baby, his pose, composure, and the intelligence in his eyes belied his age. So, although it was the opposite of what Mirabelle was supposed to do, he gave Anthony a second judgment based on the finer details of his appearance.

"R-right. My mistake."

Mirabelle still wasn't sure what her student was. But she wasn't hired to ask questions. She was hired to answer them by teaching magic. And she needed the money.

"Um. I am Mirabelle. My friends call me Mira, and if you two agree to it, I will be teaching you magic from now on…"

Anthony nodded.

"My name is Anthony. Please do a good job teaching me magic, Miss Mirabelle."

Anthony wasn't sure what to think of Mirabelle as a person. But as a mage, she was quite capable, at least as far as Anthony could tell.

Of course, he wouldn't have spared her even a glance if it had been his past life. But after spending a year as a human, he knew that Mirabelle was quite good at magic, at least if she was as young as she looked. Anthony still wasn't that good at determining the age of humans by looking at them.

"Oh, uh, there's no need for the 'miss.' Just call me Mirabelle or Mira."

"Mirabelle it is, then."

Clemence looked between Mirabelle and Anthony, his eyes wide in surprise.

"'Miss'?"

Anthony raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that how you call younger, unwed women?"

"It is. But isn't Mirabelle…?"

Mirabelle followed Clemence's gesturing and looked down at her body and clothes before gasping in realization.

"Oh! I'm sorry about that. I guess my clothes are a little easy to understand. Ahem. I am indeed a woman. I hope that doesn't bother you?"

Clemence shook his head, quickly regathering his calm. He had dealt with more surprising things than women dressed as men.

"No, not at all, at least as long as there's no reason behind it that could implicate us."

"Uh, no."

Mirabelle spoke while slightly embarrassed.

"Men's clothes are cheaper."

She then grabbed her short hair.

"It's the same with this. Maintaining long hair is a job and a half. It's cheaper and more efficient to keep it short."

"I see."

Clemence nodded in understanding. He hadn't had long hair, but he understood the ease of maintaining short hair.

"Ahem."

Anthony cleared his throat. Mirabelle was here to teach, not talk about her fashion choices, even if it was because of Clemence.

"'Right.'"

Clemence and Mirabelle spoke at the same time before looking at each other and awkwardly chuckling.

"I will leave you two to it, then?"

Anthony nodded as Clemence excused himself.

"You're not staying to watch?"

Mirabelle curiously asked Clemence. He wouldn't have to watch each lesson. But guardians or at least one overseer tended to stay and watch the first occasion to make sure everything was in order.

"There's no need. I also have a shop to run. You can get the payment when you leave later."

"Alright."

Mirabelle nodded and gave Clemence a slight bow to see him off as he went up the basement stairs.

"It's just you and me then, Anthony."

"You're very observant."

"Ehe, thank you."

Mirabelle rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, unsure of what to think of her student. Since she didn't know how to respond to the sarcastic compliment, she decided she might as well just start with the lessons.

Although she was curious about a lot of things, she refrained from asking any improper questions about Anthony or how he had planned to enter the Academy.

"Magic, huh? Anything special you want to start with? Maybe some fireballs or something?"

Mirabelle spoke with a gentle voice, the kind she had when dealing with ordinary kids.

Anthony gave her a soft glare, at least in comparison to what he sometimes did to others who annoyed him.

"Doesn't matter. Teach me any and all magic you can. And drop the attitude. I may look like a child. That doesn't mean you have to treat me like one."

"Y-yes."

But it was the first time Mirabelle faced that glare, so she meekly agreed and agreed to change her attitude.

That kind of stare didn't belong to a person she could treat like a child.