The forest where I first met Annette.
I was there, silently observing.
Annette stood in front of the spring, practicing the same basic magic as before.
Normally, one would practice increasing the power of their spells, but Annette’s training was the opposite.
She was trying to control the power so she could use magic within the academy.
But despite her best efforts, the fireball exploded over the spring, and Annette was once again drenched by the water.
Seeing this, I stepped away from the tree.
This time, I approached Annette.
“You were being considerate, trying not to distract me…”
“You noticed?”
“I’m sensitive to my surroundings…”
Since Annette didn’t look my way, I couldn’t see her expression.
But she was probably far from cheerful.
I placed the towel I had brought over Annette’s head.
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“You must think I’m ridiculous… At first, I hated getting wet and tried to take precautions… But that assumes failure, right? I thought that wasn’t right… so I stopped doing anything. I told myself if I didn’t want to get wet, I had to control it, but…”
Annette clutched the towel tightly.
“And now… I’m used to getting wet…”
She was probably crying.
Her voice sounded different than usual.
It must be tough to face her lack of progress each time she practiced, feeling it with every splash of water.
Even just realizing it in the academy is hard enough, but Annette was coming all the way out here to do it.
Her spirit must be at its limit.
Still…
“You can’t grow if you don’t struggle.”
“…Roy-kun, are you a cruel person…?”
“Maybe.”
I extended my left hand to Annette.
But she didn’t take it.
I sighed.
“Annette, there’s a place I want to show you.”
“…I’m not in the mood.”
“You’ll miss your chance if you sulk.”
“…”
“Ugh… Annette!!”
It felt awkward calling someone I just met yesterday by their first name, but being too formal wouldn’t get her to move.
Hearing me call her name forcefully, Annette flinched.
“D-Don’t shout… I’ll cry, you know? Is that okay?”
“You’re already crying, aren’t you? Just come.”
Annette reluctantly extended her hand, and I took it, pulling her along as I walked.
With her head down, she let herself be led.
Her usual cheerfulness was nowhere to be found.
Even someone as lively as Annette has moments of despair.
It couldn’t be helped.
Her siblings’ futures.
The kingdom’s expectations.
Her own uncertainties about the future.
The only solution she saw was to become a successful mage at the academy.
But now, it seemed her own lack of ability was about to cut off that path.
Of course, the academy wouldn’t let her talent go to waste.
They’d probably have her focus on theoretical studies for now, and create an environment where she could use magic without issue.
But there was no guarantee that environment would be set up.
For Annette, being told to wait a bit longer was akin to a death sentence.
They might have explained it to her, but it probably didn’t reach her heart.
I led her to a clearing in the forest.
“Here?”
“Try casting a spell. At that tree.”
I pointed to a particularly large tree.
Annette shook her head.
“No, I can’t… It’ll catch fire! It’ll be a disaster!”
“It’s fine, just try it.”
“But…”
Annette hesitated, and I stood with my arms crossed, saying nothing more.
It was up to her to decide.
After a while, Annette spoke.
“I… I’ll trust you, okay? If it catches fire… will you help put it out with me?”
“It’ll be fine. If anything happens, I’ll handle it. But nothing will happen.”
“Really!? If you’re lying, I’ll never forgive you!!”
With that, Annette resigned herself and raised her right hand toward the tree.
“Here goes! Fireball!”
She cast the spell, trying to control it.
But control comes from repeated practice, and casting only once or twice a day wasn’t enough.
A large fireball shot toward the tree and hit it.
“Ahhh!!”
“It’s okay, look.”
I pointed to the tree.
When the smoke cleared, the tree was still standing unharmed.
There were no signs of fire spreading.
“Huh!? What!? No way!!”
“This is a spot where magic flows strongly—an area dense with ‘star veins.’ The vitality of the trees here, enhanced by the magic, is extraordinary. They can’t be burned, and even if they catch fire, it goes out immediately. This kind of place was where heroes used to train. It’s a good training spot for you too, Annette.”
“I’ve never heard of such a place… How did you find it…?”
“I stumbled upon it while looking for a nice view. The place was so unusual that even the animals avoided it. That made me curious.”
The details weren’t a lie.
But the reason I found it was different.
As a ‘Star Spirit Apostle,’ finding star veins was easy for me. Finding a dense area was even easier.
“It’s a place where you can practice magic as much as you want. If you can’t manage with talent, then it’s about practice. Do your best.”
I sat down against a nearby tree and took out my sketchbook and pencil.
“Uh…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay until you’re done. I’ll be drawing here. Once you’re finished, you can tell me what to correct. That’s the ‘price.’ Free help can be dangerous, apparently.”
“Thank you, Roy-kun!!”
Annette hugged me tightly, still soaking wet.
“Don’t hug me while you’re wet! And it’s too early to celebrate! You’ve just found a place to practice!”
“Leave it to me! I’ll train hard and quickly become one of the Ten Sword Mages and one of the Twelve Celestial Mages! Then I’ll repay this debt tenfold! Just wait and see!!”
With that declaration, Annette skipped toward the tree.
She had never been able to cast spells freely before, but now she could.
She seemed overjoyed.
Seeing her like that made me smile.
It’s good to see someone full of life.
It’s much better than seeing them down.
But…
“Geez…”
Her wet clothes had soaked my sketchbook.
I sighed, feeling a bit frustrated.
