Chapter 63: Forward (1)

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The old training grounds of the Guardians, a place rarely frequented by anyone.

With the backing of Ian, Sugar said, “Excuse me, could you lend us this spot?” and managed to secure a place just for Sugar. Connections truly are the best. Besides, it’s not like the place was being used anyway.

Sugar lay there, gazing at the sky. In one hand, she held the staff Riley had gifted her, deeply lost in thought.

Beside her was a beginner’s magic book. It contained basic magic spells, she had borrowed it from the children’s learning center.

Why was Sugar doing this, anyway?

Was it because self-study was difficult?

“I can’t come up with a name…”

But that wasn’t really the issue.

The dreams of men.

Those things we all thought about during our childhood.

An essential element you can’t leave out in a magical world.

Naming your ultimate move!

The combined magic she had used with Riley on the day they escaped the cult. She wanted to give it a name, which was why she was so deeply engrossed in thought.

There are various types of magic but the most common ones consist of the “incantation,” which is the process of refining magical energy, and the “trigger,” known as the activation phrase.

The trigger could be a hand gesture, or you could skip the incantation and just chant the activation phrase. There are many variations, but generally, that’s how it works.

However, that combined magic was a spell that could be used without an incantation or an activation phrase. The trigger was just one thing: pointing the staff. Simple spells were usually like that.

But despite its grand power, it had a rather static feel to it. That’s what left Sugar feeling unsatisfied, she felt like she had to give it a proper name.

Sugar Beam… Super Sugar Beam…

Special Beam Cannon…

“Ugh…”

Her naming sense was utterly hopeless.

Fortunately, Sugar herself was painfully aware of this, so she didn’t hastily decide on a name.

‘Maybe it’s cooler to leave it unnamed.’

‘I should probably ask Riley for his opinion…’

“Ah…”

It’s been a month; It’s already been a month since that kid left.

The void he left behind was still so vast. Feeling slightly lonely, Sugar rolled around on the dirt ground before finally getting up.

‘I need to stay strong.’

Brushing off the dust, she opened the magic book and began practicing each spell from the first page, one by one.

Then, at some point, her magical energy ran out leaving her gasping for breath. Due to the nature of her magic, a lot of it dissipated into the atmosphere.

It used to recover quickly, but in this land, it felt completely blocked.

So she would rest in between, practice, rest, and practice again. Before she knew it, the sun had set.

Once the sun set, it was time for theoretical studies.

The entrance exam for Steele, the school that set the bar for all others, was as demanding as its reputation. In this world you had to be an adult to enroll, but it wasn’t too early to start preparing at Sugar’s age.

‘I want to finish my magic practice before the sun sets today. If I get too tired from using magic and go back to my room, I can’t focus on the theory books.’

‘Alright. Let’s concentrate properly.’

‘Fast incantation speed, unwavering mental strength, and abundant magical energy. To master these three elements, I’ll keep pushing forward today.’

.

.

.

“Ugh…”

She collapsed again.

Her magic was completely drained.

‘An hour or two of rest…’

‘If I push myself any further, I’ll suffer from magical energy deficiency. Proper rest is the most important.’

‘Since incantations require a lot of mental energy, my head hurts too.’ Slumping down, Sugar drank some water and caught her breath.

‘But still, the magic is the biggest problem…’

It keeps leaking out into the surroundings. If she could just secure her magical energy, she could keep practicing.

Like when they escaped the cult, if Sugar could draw in the magical energy from the atmosphere, maybe she could make it work.

However, no matter how much she focused the magic didn’t respond. Back then, when she followed the voice that said “Imagine that you can do it,” the atmospheric magic gathered around her.

Now, she couldn’t feel anything. No voice, no sensation of being able to control it at will.

Even the vision Sugar saw back then felt hazy.

If things keep going like this, even if she came up with a name for the combined magic, she might never be able to use it again.

“…”

Staring blankly at the sky, she heard footsteps and heavy breathing from beside her.

“Sugar… I… I ran all the way here…”

It was Ian, who had just finished running a few laps around the spire.

After Riley left, Ian had declared, “I want to get stronger too!” and had started training with Sugar sporadically. Sugar didn’t know what had gotten into the girl, but she was happy to accept it.

“Good job. Time for magic training now, right?”

“Yeah… huff…”

The priestesses wiped her face, handed her water, and even prepared her staff.

“Take a little break.”

“It’s fine… Running was just a warm-up…”

Ian immediately took her stance and aimed her staff at a distant target. Then, after the incantation, the activation phrase.

Her movements were smooth and precise. The magic hit its mark cleanly.

Since Ian was older and a descendant of the saint, she had received some magic training before. She looked every bit the part of a proper mage.

“Ian, you’d look just like a mage if you wore a cloak…”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. I haven’t seen many mages, but you seem really stable in your magic.”

“Ahaha… Thanks for the compliment. You’re not bad either. You’ve got talent.”

“I still have a long way to go. I need to figure out how to stop my magic from leaking…”

“That’s more of a physical issue than a skill problem.”

“Isn’t overcoming that physical issue part of skill?”

“You’re so mature for your age…”

Then, Sugar suddenly stood up. Perhaps inspired by Ian’s display, she tightly gripped her staff.

“You should take a break too.”

“I rested a bit earlier. I’m fine with this much… Ugh… It’s hot…”

Even in winter, the holy city was always warm. After moving around and focusing, she quickly broke into a sweat.

Sugar used the hem of her shirt to wipe her face. In the process, her stomach was naturally exposed.

Ian, startled, quickly moved to block Sugar’s front.

“Hey…! You’re a girl!”

“Huh? Oh… It’s fine. There’s no one around.”

“I’m here!”

“Hmm…”

Looking Ian over, her silhouette, damp with sweat, looked delicate. Her slightly cinched waist contrasted with her pronounced hips. As for her chest… she might be wearing a compression bandage. She’s 14, so it’s probably starting to develop.

To someone who didn’t know, she could pass as a slim boy, but in reality, she’s unmistakably a girl. Hearing her say such things was just amusing.

“Ha, anyway. Be more careful about how you carry yourself! You can’t do that in front of just anyone, especially not in front of boys!”

On the other hand, Ian, unaware that Sugar had already figured out her gender, was frustrated.

‘What is she thinking? Being so careless in front of a boy. It’s a good thing I’m not actually a boy!’

As a girl two years older than Sugar, Ian couldn’t help but sigh.

“Don’t worry. I don’t do that in front of just anyone.”

Of course, if Sugar had thought Ian was really a 14-year-old boy, she wouldn’t have done that. In front of a child, maybe, but at that age? It’s unthinkable.

Even though Sugar had memories of living as a man in a past life, her current body is that of a girl. She knows the power this body holds and understands the need to be cautious.

The only man Sugar allows to touch her body is—

“…”

…What?

Wait.

The only man she allows to touch her body?

That sounds weird. That’s a strange way to put it. It’s really strange.

Something… um… about that…

But when you think about it, it’s not exactly wrong…?

As Sugar frowned, lost in her own thoughts, Ian clicked her tongue. She assumed Sugar was just trying to avoid being scolded.

“A-anyway! Ian. Let’s put this aside for now.”

“Put what aside!”

“There’s something I want to ask. I have a question about magic.”

“Sigh… What is it? Go ahead.”

Seeing the sparkle in Sugar’s eyes, the soft-hearted Ian gave in.

‘Successful topic change!’

Sugar mentally gave herself a victory sign.

Of course, it wasn’t just a topic change; she really did have something she wanted to ask.

“Ian, do you ever hear voices?”

“Voices?”

“Yeah. When you’re really focused on using magic. Like chattering voices… or strange visions…”

“What are you talking about…”

“You’re of the saint’s bloodline, right?”

“Are there rumors outside that those of the saint’s bloodline experience such hallucinations?”

“No, not that. It’s just that I thought you might know a lot about magic and the mystical… I’ve experienced something like that before. If I could understand what it is, maybe I could find a way to reinforce my magic even if it leaks.”

“Really? Hmm… If it’s something like that, it might be better to ask my sister than me.”

“The saintess?”

“Yeah. Have you seen my sister use magic? Just based on skill alone, most mages from the Sky Island wouldn’t dare show their faces in front of her.”

“Even without considering her skill, I don’t think anyone would dare show their face in front of her…”

“That’s true.”

Nodding, Ian took the lead.

“Let’s go see her.”

“Is it okay to visit her so suddenly?”

“I’ll arrange it. We’re friends, I can do at least that much.”

And with that, she started walking toward the spire.

Watching her back, Sugar’s mouth fell open in awe.

The taste of power this taste of being close to someone in power.

It’s so sweet.