episode_0017

After parting with Flora,

I devoted myself even more to research.

First, I re-examined the abilities I needed.

“To play an entire orchestra alone, how many instruments’ sounds do I need to know?”

‘Roughly speaking, if it’s composed of strings, winds, and percussion…’

I started counting the instruments one by one.

Strings include violin, viola, cello, double bass, and harp.

Wind instruments are divided into woodwinds and brass,

Woodwinds include flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.

Brass instruments include horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba.

Percussion includes timpani and cymbal.

‘How many is that in total?’

Even just the simple instrument types amount to 15.

I was only at this level because I could at least play the piano.

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped me at the daunting road ahead.

But in the end, even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

“I should start with string instruments step by step.”

If I keep at it, I’ll get the hang of it!

With my teacher’s permission,

I started research using all the resources of the Magic Tower.

And, time passed.

Now, about 4 years after parting with Flora.

I was still,

researching string instruments.

* * *

My daily routine is as follows.

First, I wake up in the morning, do some simple washing, and then eat.

After finishing my meal, I move to the research lab.

In the lab, I analyze and record the sounds of various string instruments.

Next, I analyze and record the sounds of string instruments in my memory through a device.

After that, I reproduce the sounds with string instruments made of magic power.

I repeat this process until it gets late and my teacher comes to find me.

Today is the same.

I was playing the sound of the violin, which I had already finished analyzing, with magic power.

-Do~

-Re~

-Mi~

…

After a short test,

I play a short song.

-Jiiiing~

As I started playing the violin,

Sweat poured from my whole body, and my head started to overheat.

“Ugh…! ”

‘Just a little more…!’

In the process of the performance maturing,

I create and play more violins.

One by one, violins are realized.

‘Just one, just one more…!’

Like the ‘one more’ from a health personal trainer, I focused on creating one more violin even when I felt my mental strength was at its limit.

Like that, 26 violins floated in the air.

Now, I do the selection process again here.

I form the first violins with 14 violins,

And form the second violins with 12 violins.

In that way, 14/12 violins play different octave pitches, creating harmony.

-Drip.

I didn’t care that blood was flowing from my nose.

I gritted my teeth so hard they felt like they’d break, and continued playing.

And finally.

I completed one song.

As soon as the performance ended, I released the magic and canceled the realization of the violins.

-Jiiing.

The magic powers returned to my body, turning into blue light again.

I felt a sense of powerlessness all over my body, but I felt proud.

“Finally…!”

Finally,

The conquest of the violin was over.

Even though only one of the 15 types of instruments had been conquered after 4 years, it was more joyful to me than any other fact.

“I really thought I was going to collapse…”

In fact, the analysis of the scales of the string instruments was finished a long time ago.

The same goes for wind and percussion instruments.

So what’s the problem?

“My concentration is lacking.”

My concentration and magic power control ability were insufficient to simultaneously adjust the pitches of those numerous instruments.

Since this was not something that could be solved by simple research,

I had been taking magic lessons again from my teacher separately from about the second year of research.

I still remember my teacher’s reaction when I said I would learn several more spells again.

-What?! O-of course! What do you want to learn? Battle magic? Auxiliary magic? No. Should we start with the life-related kind from the beginning?

‘I felt like I was looking at a big, giant dog.’

If my teacher had a tail, wouldn’t it have been wagging like crazy?

‘Oops. Sacrilegious thoughts about my teacher.’

I’m sorry, teacher.

But it’s your fault because you were cute.

Anyway, after that fact, I had been receiving education along with research every day.

Today is the same.

Having achieved a considerable accomplishment in my own way, I entered the lecture room with a proud expression.

-Creak.

“Teacher. Today I was able to achieve…”

But at that moment.

-Pause.

Having discovered something, I stopped on the spot.

The identity of it was…

An elf child with green hair.

How did I know it was an elf child?

If you don’t know it’s an elf when their ears are sticking out like that, you’re blind.

-Pout.

Moreover, their appearance was extremely young.

Of course, considering the characteristics of the elf race, they may not be a child,

But it’s right to say they’re a child if they’re that size.

By the way, it seems that my existence was also embarrassing for that child.

-U-uh…

‘Hmm. Yeah. I’m also embarrassed.’

As if looking at Medusa,

We were frozen while looking at each other.

The grateful person who resolved our abnormal status (?) was, as expected, my teacher.

-Creak.

“Ah, Serena. You were here early.”

“Teacher. Who is this child…?”

“Haa, it’s a long story to explain. Well, to put it simply.”

“To put it simply?”

“She’s your junior. Get along.”

“Huh.”

A junior?

An elf?

I whispered softly in a flustered voice.

“No, teacher. How old is this child? If she’s an elf, isn’t she like hundreds of years old even like that?”

“No. Serena, you were 11 years old this year, right?”

“Yes.”

“That child is 10 years old in human years.”

“If it’s human years, what is it in elf years…?”

“Uh-uh. You don’t need to know things like that.”

‘I don’t think I don’t need to know…?’

I looked at my teacher with resentful eyes,

But what came back was my teacher’s scolding mixed with nagging.

“Aish, Serena. Are you going through puberty these days?”

“W-what are you talking about.”

“When you first came to the Magic Tower, you used to be so affectionate and cute… Now you’re just glaring at your teacher… Aigoo….”

“I was too young back then.”

“You’re still young! Serena is still a baby angel!”

I lightly ignored my teacher, who was protesting loudly to me.

In fact, I could feel that my personality was getting a bit prickly these days.

‘Am I really going through puberty?’

Rather than puberty, isn’t it simply because I’m cooped up in the lab?

I sighed and looked at my junior (?).

When I turned my head, the child gasped- and inhaled.

I smiled as brightly as possible and asked.

“Hello? My name is Serena. What’s your name?”

But a strange thing happened.

The child’s face turned bright red after receiving my question, and they broke down even more.

It seems they were a very shy child.

I scratched my cheek and said again.

“Um, if you’re shy, you can tell me later.”

Once again, I smiled brightly,

This time, the child, having regained their senses, told me their name.

“M-my name is Merina Bant. I’m the Guardian’s only daughter.”

“Um-um, Merina is the Guardian’s only daughter, huh.”

I answered casually, but felt a sense of incongruity for a moment.

‘What is it?’

And soon I realized the identity of this sense of incongruity.

‘Wait a minute. An existence that elves would call a Guardian?’

The alarm bells rang 20,000 times in my head in an instant, and I asked again in a rapid voice.

“Hey, Merina.”

“Yes?”

“Could it be that the Guardian is the Great Chieftain of the elves?”

No way.

It can’t be.

Why would the Great Chieftain of the elves’ daughter be here?

If they’re the Great Chieftain, they’re the top leader leading the elves.

I diligently denied reality and waited for Merina’s answer,

And her answer dragged me back into reality.

“Yes. You’re right about my father.”

My facial muscles broke down and I turned my head.

-Squeak.

Roughly sending a look demanding an explanation to my teacher,

Only then did they clear their throat and explain the situation.

“Ahem. You know that Her Highness the Princess is graduating next year, right?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m studying so hard like this.”

“That’s right. By the way, the destination for the Academy’s sophomore field trip this year has been decided as the World Tree.”

“Wow.”

I was a little surprised at the unexpected news.

I knew that elves were quite reclusive,

But to open up to the Empire’s students for this kind of thing.

“But what does that have to do with Merina?”

“Well, as a condition for allowing the students’ field trip, the Great Chieftain asked for Merina’s short-term education.”

“But why the Violet Magic Tower of all places…? Couldn’t she just go to the Academy?”

“Well….”

My teacher paused for a moment and looked at me carefully.

What is it?

Why are they looking at me so carefully?

“That child is a genius, so they asked to send her to a place where geniuses can be educated.”

“Hmm. Still, why here of all places….”

“Her Highness the Princess told your story.”

“Ah.”

Flora talked about me.

I felt somewhat proud, but my head hurt a little.

“So, it was said that it would be nice if you, Serena, could take classes together.”

“Well, I don’t mind.”

“And they also said that they wanted you to take good care of her.”

“Yes? Me? Who said those words…?”

“The Great Chieftain.”

“Ah.”

‘I feel like I’m involved in something quite troublesome…?’

I was actually a bit sensitive because it was a time when I was busy improving my skills, but I had to pay attention to an unexpected area, so my head hurt a little.

“Ugh….”

‘My plate is already full….’

To me, who was troubled,

My teacher added a word as if they had forgotten.

“Ah, right. The Great Chieftain said that if you take good care of her, they’ll give you a drop of ‘World Tree’s Tear’ as compensation.”

“I’ve wanted to become close to elves since a long time ago.”

Once a year.

Elves collect the morning dew that forms on the leaves of the World Tree.

Among the collected dews, they filter out the ones with the purest energy and magic power,

And then they ferment the filtered ones in the center of the World Tree for over 100 years.

In other words.

The elf’s special handmade elixir is none other than the ‘World Tree’s Tear’.

Its effects include increasing magic power, improving concentration, increasing the purity of magic power, increasing physical strength, and so on and so on.

There were too many additional effects to list them all, so it was a very, very precious elixir.

It couldn’t even be compared to the Great Revival Pill that the Princess showed me before.

‘I have to get this no matter what.’

Research?

What’s that?

‘Research is over starting today.’

Since I’ve already finished analyzing the pitches anyway,

I don’t need it.

I sat down next to Merina in an instant and said.

“Merina. How long are you going to be here?”

“Yes? Um… It’s the same amount of time that humans come to visit the World Tree, so I think it’s about a month.”

“A month….”

Taking care of a child for a month and getting a drop of ‘World Tree’s Tear’?

‘How can this be such a profitable deal.’

I gave Merina’s shoulder a pat with the brightest smile I’ve had in recent years.

“Okay. Merina. You just have to follow this older sister.”

“O-older sister?! Y-yes….”

Merina’s face turned red again because she was embarrassed,

Well. I didn’t care.

‘World Tree’s Tear, I’ll enjoy it…!’

You’re my best friend from today.