episode_0005

“Sharen.”

Saying that, Sharen put down the spoon she was holding and looked at me. Handsome, if I were a girl, I might have already developed a crush. But since I’m not into guys, although I think he’s really handsome considering I’m having these thoughts, it’s not like I meant to say that.

“Are we friends?”

“Eating together, attending classes together, and getting along with weird things, wouldn’t that make us friends?”

“…You’re simpler than I thought. Then everyone must be friends. Even the fairies here.”

Turning her head slightly, she looked at the fairies wandering around the restaurant, and Sharen’s laughter could be heard. Why is she laughing? Maybe she’s a cheerful person, that might be true, but being friends with fairies… isn’t that like a dream? The fairies here don’t make friends.

“That friend’s name is Audrey.”

“How do you know that?”

“Audrey.”

At Sharen’s words, the fairy who had been lingering in front of us turned around, ran towards us on small feet, and smiled.

“Do you need anything, Sharen?”

“This friend is Astan. This one is Audrey.”

“Hello, Astan.”

“…Hi, Audrey.”

And looking at Sharen, she was smiling at me. Is she good at making friends or something? According to what I read in books, fairies don’t easily open their hearts, so is this also a privilege of the protagonist or something? Or is it because of the mana of light flowing through your body? Like how mana gathers, do fairies also? Probably. As a protagonist, you should have that kind of privilege. I should look for a book in the library later.

“Why are you asking what a friend thinks?”

“I’m just a little curious, you’re so popular. You might not think of me as a friend, and I might be the only one who thinks of you as a friend.”

“It’s hard to define a special reason for a friend, isn’t it? If you just felt like a friend, then from that moment on, you’re friends.”

“You’re truly like a protagonist.”

“Protagonist?”

Sharen tilted her head as if my words were strange. “You might not know, but I do. You’re the protagonist.”

“Like a protagonist in a fairy tale, you appeared in the fairy tale books I read when I was young. Wearing a white cloak with the power of light, wielding a sword, like that kind of hero.”

And at that moment, her expression naturally stiffened. I misspoke. Referring to someone else as a hero.

“There are no more heroes.”

Sharen’s words were firm. I know. The hero is dead. All of the hero’s descendants too. There are no more heroes from fairy tales; they didn’t die at the hands of the demon king. They died at the hands of the person they loved the most. Becoming a hero was everyone’s dream, but they didn’t want to face the hero’s end. That’s why mentioning the hero was a mistake.

“But heroes are cool.”

At my words, Sharen took a sip of the juice beside her, folded her hands, and looked at me without saying anything.

“I don’t want to die at the hands of the person I love the most.”

“Do you have someone you love the most?”

I joked and laughed, then drank milk. Sharen also laughed heartily. The laughter was so loud that it seemed like people around us were watching.

“I slipped up. Her Majesty Ceresria said she wants to be friends.”

“Her Majesty Ceresria… Ah, the Princess of Flames.”

“Well, it must be a joke.”

Then I tore apart the bread in front of me and ate it. It’s clearly a joke, but royalty can never tell. It could have been sincere. Of course, I will refuse.

“The basics of magic involve commanding manifested mana, speaking with language imbued with magical power to express what you desire… Once you become accustomed to this mentally, you can use magic with simple commands. In simpler terms, if I define ‘Gather in my hand’ as ‘Gather,’ just saying that will bring the mana to me.”

… There’s nothing more annoying than hearing something you already know again. Thinking that, I looked ahead and there she was. Why did she look so terrifying with that bright smile? It felt like she could set me on fire and kill me right now.

It seemed the fact that my practice partner was of royal descent meant that the gods must dislike me.

“And as the incantation lengthens, the command becomes more specific, thus producing a stronger effect.”

“I understand that much.”

“Then you should be able to manifest, transform, and manipulate mana, so try transforming that mana into magic. You knew how to use simple magic when we met behind the tavern.”

“I’m not a genius.”

Her eyes sharpened at my words. Her appearance made it seem like she could conjure fire in her hands at any moment, and my saliva involuntarily swallowed.

“Aren’t you underestimating the academy too much? Just being here means you have talent.”

“Talent has its limits, Your Highness.”

“…One more time.”

She glared at me as she spoke.

“If you call me ‘Your Highness’ one more time, I’ll set you ablaze from your toes.”

“You seem quite capable of doing so, so I’ll stop.”

And without saying a word, I gathered mana in my right hand. This was now a simple task. Anyone would find this easy by now. I gazed at the mana gathered in my right hand. Those who had reached a certain level were said to be able to use magic just by speaking inwardly, or even just by acting.

Cerestia was like that too. With just a flick of her finger, it was possible. Thinking of that moment made my fingertips tingle.

“Ice, rise up.”

As I spoke, I slowly visualized the image of an ice crystal forming on the palm of my hand. What could I do with this crystal? The basics of fire magic involve igniting things. The basics of light magic involve emitting light. Just as those are fundamental, the basics of ice magic… to be precise, it’s derived from water magic.

However, I don’t know how to use water magic. I can freeze it, but I can’t melt it or make it flow. Then what is the basis of ice magic? The answer was simple. Freezing things.

First, as an experiment, I infused my voice with mana and spoke. “Freeze.” But even with my command, there was no response from the ice. Was the spell wrong? Or do I need an intermediary?

“Ice, freeze my hand.”

Even with that command, there was no response from the ice. Why isn’t it working at all?

“Again.”

Her voice came through. Even if I did it again, nothing would change. I opened my mouth once more and spoke the spell. But it was still the same. I looked at the professor, wondering what the problem might be, but the professor seemed to pay us no mind, sitting in a corner reading a book, and I sighed inwardly.

“Again.”

“Even if you do it again, it will be the same. Your Highness… No, what do you think is the problem, Miss Cerestia?”

In response to my words, she slightly extended her right hand and seemed to indicate that I should listen, then she uttered the spell.

“Flames, rise from my fingertips and consume everything.”

When her spell ended, a large flame appeared at her fingertips.

“It’s a shame that I don’t know how to use ice magic. Why does the magic fail… If I think about it, it might be simple, but I’ve never seen ice magic, have I?”

“Would someone living in the countryside of Araelia have a chance to see ice magic?”

“That part must be the problem. It’s impossible to implement something you haven’t seen.”

I nodded at her words. Because I hadn’t seen ice magic, implementation was impossible. So, would it be possible if I saw it?

“So let’s change it a bit. Astan, it seems like you lack imagination.”

“It hurts a little.”

She showed her necklace with her left hand and smiled.

“Try making this with ice.”

“It means to carve it, doesn’t it.”

I focused and gazed at her necklace. The pattern was intricate, and flames flickered in the hand of the seated lion, the symbol of Aralia. Seeing such meticulous detail in such a small piece, I naturally assumed it must be a luxury item. After all, it’s jewelry for royalty, so it’s only natural.

I closed my eyes and pictured her necklace in my mind. The seated lion was fierce yet elegant. It had the eyes of a predator ready to pounce, but the lion subdued the flames.

“Ice, rise up.”

I felt as though ice crystals were forming at my fingertips. But I didn’t open my eyes. I needed to concentrate. I visualized the lion, how the flames were rising, drawing the image in my mind. The lion was elegant. An elegant lion. Continuing to draw that presence in my mind, I cautiously uttered the incantation.

“Ice, be carved from my fingertips, slowly, sharply, be carved.”

Uttering the incantation, I continued to picture the necklace in my mind. It needed to be carved. The body lines were smooth, the claws sharp, the flames as if they would ignite at any moment. I drew it in my mind, over and over. Carving wasn’t important. Even if I failed, it was practice. Success would bring reward.

If I failed, it was just failure.

Thinking this way, it seemed a small smile would escape within me. Yes, I’m not a genius. I couldn’t shoot flames like others, possess the mana of light, control the wind, or direct lightning wherever I wanted. I knew I wasn’t a genius.

Geniuses are the ones people envy. So, even if I couldn’t make the necklace, if the ice crystal changed even a little bit, that was success.

“Ice, rise from my fingertips, become a necklace.”

With that final incantation, as I cautiously opened my eyes, Ceresia’s voice reached me.

“It’s a failure.”

At those words, a small sigh escaped me.

“But the ice crystal was carved… That’s one step towards success.”

When I looked at the ice crystal in Seresria’s hand, as she said, it was indeed carved. However, it wasn’t the shape of a necklace; the perfectly round ice crystal had its center precisely carved out.

“Should I consider this a success?”

“If it responded to the command to be carved, with a little refinement and more familiarity with imagination, it should become possible.”

She chuckled softly towards me, clapping her hands.

“Don’t be satisfied with this and practice more. Someday, you might be able to give me at least one wound, don’t you think?”

Seresria is a strange person. That was clear.