Chương 34: 34

[Time with Fresia]

Knock knock.

Room 707 of the research building. As usual, I entered without waiting for an answer. After all, it's not like this was my first or second time here, and I knew there was no need to wait for a response, especially since I knew I wouldn't get one.

Upon entering, as expected, the sunlight was blocked by curtains, and the room was dark with no lights on.

Moving into the adjacent room, also dark, I saw Fresia lying on the sofa.

Before waking her up, I tidied up the nearby table, clearing enough space.

"Boss, I'm here."

After taking out my books and getting everything ready, I gently woke Fresia from her sleep.

"Mmm... Elysia...?"

Fresia rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up. I placed my hands under her arms and helped her sit upright, brushing aside a stray lock of her hair.

"You promised to teach me the basics of magic today. Do you not remember?"

"I remember."

Still sounding half-asleep, Fresia hopped off the sofa.

As she lightly waved her fingers, the lights in the room started turning on, one by one. With a snap of her fingers, the teddy bear she had been hugging got up, waddling its way out of the room with its little bottom swaying.

After a moment, the bear returned, carrying a tea set. Despite its waddling, the teapot didn't spill a single drop of tea.

However, the bear struggled with the height of the table, unable to place the tea set properly. Fresia snapped her fingers again.

The teapot and cups floated into the air, and the bear, now holding onto the floating set, was lifted along with them.

The bear expertly set the saucers and cups, pouring the tea with skill. After placing the tea set on the corner of the table, the bear hopped down and returned to its original spot on the sofa, once again motionless, as if it had never moved at all. It was strangely amusing but also completely normal.

Sitting at the table, Fresia took a sip of her tea and then set the cup down.

"Let's have a quick cup of tea before starting the lesson."

"Sounds good."

Following her lead, I pulled out a chair and sat across from her.

"So... you're feeling better now, right?"

"Oh, I forgot to thank you. I heard you healed me"

Of course, Fresia was the one who had healed me with her magic, so there was no way she didn't know my condition. Her asking was simply a sign of her concern for me.

Later, I heard that Fresia's healing magic was even more powerful than the holy magic used by some high priests, giving me a glimpse of her impressive magical abilities.

"No need to thank me. If anything, it's thanks to you that I'm fine. It was the least I could do. If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Well... how about we stop saying who owes whom? Let's just leave it at being thankful."

To me, it was only natural to be grateful to Fresia, and she, in turn, felt the same way about me. If we kept going back and forth with gratitude, it would never end.

"Of course, it's best if nothing like this happens again. But if it does, I'll do the same thing. Wouldn't you, Fresia?"

"Yeah."

Fresia nodded in agreement.

"If we both understand each other's feelings, a simple 'thank you' should be enough, right?"

Expressing feelings is important, of course. But if we get too caught up in it, it could become suffocating. While we're not exactly close enough to communicate without words, I think a simple 'thank you' suffices between Fresia and me.

"...Yeah."

Luckily, my point seemed to get across, and Fresia nodded again.

"Then, I'll be counting on you today, Boss."

With that, we moved on to the real purpose of today: the basics of magic.

"How much do you know about magic?"

"Let's see... Isn't magic the act of using mana to create certain phenomena?"

The concept is similar, but it's fundamentally different from a knight's aura. While a knight's aura is a technique to strengthen and train oneself, a mage's magic manipulates the forces of nature to express their will. Magic can create various effects, unlike aura, which only strengthens the body. Though, since humans are part of nature, it's possible to enhance one's body with magic, albeit less efficiently than with aura.

Some legendary archmages in history were said to have performed miracles that ordinary people couldn't even imagine.

"So how do you create these phenomena?"

"With incantations and magic circles."

Manipulating the forces of nature is difficult for humans. However, magic spells and circles serve as mediators, allowing people to turn what was once considered a miracle into a mere skill.

"Correct. But do you know why incantations and magic circles are necessary, and what exactly they do? Of course, if all you want is to pass your exams, you don't need to dig this deep. You can just memorize the basics. But I think this will help you in the long run, Elysia."

Since I'm a knight who only wields a sword, I wasn't sure how useful this would be. But since Fresia suggested it, I figured it might come in handy, at the very least when dealing with mages in the future.

"Yes, please teach me."

So I accepted Fresia's offer.

Fresia's lecture on magic that followed was on a completely different level from what I'd heard in regular classes. Not that the professors were less skilled than Fresia, but since they were teaching the Knight's Department, few students there intended to become mages. The lack of passion and talent for magic led the professors to skim over the theory.

Naturally, Fresia's lessons were far superior.

"I use a different system of magic than the conventional one, so the more advanced material might not match the textbooks exactly. But don't worry—I've mastered the basics of magic recently, so I've got that part down."

Fresia said something I found hard to believe as she wrapped up the lesson.

"Pardon?"

"Hm?"

She tilted her head, not understanding my confusion.

"You just mastered the basics of magic recently?"

Mastering the basics of magic would typically make someone a novice mage. But Fresia, who had been invited to teach at the academy, couldn't possibly be just a novice mage.

"Yeah. Before joining the academy, I only used my own method of magic."

From what I knew, Fresia joined the academy at the same time I enrolled, meaning she only started learning the basics this semester. So, she had mastered the basics of magic in just one semester.

"The spells I tested on you were ones I created while studying the basics of magic."

What kind of prodigy is she?

"It was a bit confusing at first since it was different from what I was used to, but it was fun."

Most people would be completely lost if they had to use a totally different system of magic!

"If you're interested, Elysia, I could teach you my magic too."

The anticipation on Fresia's face made it hard to refuse.

"Are you sure?"

It wasn't just because of her expression, though. I was also a bit curious. Who knows, maybe I'd have a knack for her type of magic, even if I wasn't good with the conventional kind.

And so, I became Fresia's first assistant and first student. And...

"Elysia... you don't have any talent for magic."

I was once again reminded of my lack of magical talent. Although I had hoped for a different outcome, this was no surprise. I already knew I wasn't gifted in magic, so I wasn't too disappointed. Plus, not having talent doesn't mean I should give up.

"You'll still keep teaching me, right?"

"Of course!"

Fresia eagerly agreed. I held onto the hope that if I kept learning her magic, perhaps one day, just as Fresia had just said, I might witness the stars granting my wish.

I also have a small, worldly hope that one day, Fresia's magic will become a recognized system, and as her first student, I might get a mention beside her name.

Just a small hope.

* * * *

"Thank you for today. I'll be heading out now."

Since curfew was approaching, I expressed my gratitude and started tidying up the table. We'd finished covering the basics of magic, and I could always learn more of Fresia's magic later.

"Um..."

Just as I was packing up and preparing to leave, Fresia stopped me.

"Yes?"

For some reason, Fresia grabbed the hem of my clothes, glancing between me and the sofa. After a few moments of hesitation, she let go.

"It's nothing. Be careful on your way back."

"I will. See you next time. Goodnight."

I waved to Fresia and left the lab. The stars were already shining in the night sky. I hurried back to the dormitory to avoid being late for curfew.

Fortunately, I made it just in time as the night roll call began. After it ended, I quickly washed up, changed into my pajamas, and got ready for bed.

Tap tap.

But just as I was about to turn off the light and lay down, I heard a sound. I looked around the room but couldn't find the source. Thinking I might have imagined it, I started to head back to bed when I heard it again.

Scratch scratch.

This time, it was an eerie noise, like something sharp scraping against glass. I turned my head toward the direction of the sound.

The noise was coming from the window, where the moonlight was shining through. And beyond the window, I saw two small, round eyes glimmering in the dark.

"Kitty?"

I quickly got up and opened the window, and the cat jumped into the room. I'd only ever seen the cat during the day, under the bright sun, never at night. I knew cats liked high places, but this was the third floor of the dormitory. I was surprised it had climbed up here.

Did it know this was my room and come on purpose? Or was it just trying to get in, and it happened to be my window?

As I stood there, lost in thought, the cat, as if it were in its own room, leaped onto my bed and curled up.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight of the cat acting like it owned the place.

I had no intention of kicking it out. If anything, I was happy to have the cat keep me company. Crawling under the covers, I watched as the cat finally closed its eyes and drifted off to sleep.

With that comforting sight, I smiled again and let myself fall into dreamland.