After visiting Mr./Ms. Gladys, I decided to take a short walk around the city of Luqvis with Amako, who joined me later.

I didn't have much free time during the day because of training and meetings, so I thought it would be a good time to take a break at the end and enjoy the city of Luxvis.

 

"What's going on with Suzune and Kazuki?"

"Kazuki is going to the Great Library, and Senpai is playing with Eva."

 

Kazuki seems to have a book that he is interested in.

Before the meeting, I glanced at the books in the large library, and all of them seemed difficult.

There were many titles that made me think about various things, such as "Approaching the Source of Magical Power" and "Lost Technology, Acquired Peace," ...... many other titles.

I don't read specialized books, so I think it's amazing to be able to accumulate knowledge while having fun.

 

"Is Suzune with Eva?"

"Yes, I'm going back to my country tomorrow, so come to say hello to me for the last time. I had a lot of time, so I decided to go for a cup of tea."

"Wow."

 

I was also invited, but I had promised to take a walk around the city with Amako first, so I gave priority to this one.

I'm glad that Eva got along well with her seniors. Just because you're the same age and you're a girl, you're going to have to talk to each other differently.

Senpai is also damaged by Eva's purity, but it seems to be fun (?) So it looks like it's OK as a result.

 

"How was you?"

"I ...... I was having a normal time. I helped Kiriha with housework, took care of Satsuki, and woke up Kyo when he wouldn't wake up in the middle of the day."

"Oh, that's right......

 

It's not hard to understand the desire to coast on Kyo's holiday.

On school holidays, I sometimes end up sleeping until daytime. Then, in the afternoon, he realizes that he wasted half of his holiday and regrets it.

 

"I mean, it was a normal life, but it was fun."

"That's good, it was the right decision to leave it to Kiriha and the others."

"Yes...... Hmm?"

「…… What's wrong?"

 

Looking in a certain direction, you notice Amako worrying about something.

She looked at the back of the alley with a somewhat surprised expression, and when I followed her gaze, it was a place that I remembered.

 

"Is this the first place I met Nak......?"

 

The square at the end of the alley where he was hurt and collapsed.

There, a young girl was practicing magic.

Mina, a girl with bright red hair in twin tails, noticed me on the street and gave me a disgusted look on her face, as if she had just encountered a monster.

 

"Usato, I wonder if that's the face of an ogre in the city."

"Amako, first of all, I would like to say that there are no ogres in the city, right?"

「?」

"Why do you look at me and tilt your head curiously?"

 

Do you mean to say that I'm an ogre myself, Oi?

Doubly shocked, we find a grumpy Mina beckoning to us.

To be honest, I thought I would be able to avoid her if she could see her face, so I was a little surprised and headed with Amako to the square where she was.

 

「……」

「……」

 

However, when she comes to Mina's side, the conversation doesn't start.

- She is playing with the tips of her own hair and flickering at me, but there is no sign of Mina talking to her. I don't know what to say.

After all, I don't have much contact with this child in the first place.

 

"How are you doing?"

「! Oh, I didn't hear that!"

 

I tried to step on it, but it was immediately returned sharply.

However, he responded when he heard Nak's name, so it shouldn't be difficult to keep the conversation going.

 

"Well, do you remember me for the time being?"

"I can't forget a monster like you, and besides, yesterday you were moving like a human being."

「…… Are you talking about the exchange game?"

"When I was fighting a hero in the morning, it's a mystery why you can react to an opponent who can't see your movements, it's a mystery why you're accelerating in an unnatural position, and above all, it's a mystery that you're a healing wizard doing it."

 

It was said very quickly. What? Am I a mystery?

And the little fox in the back, don't agree in a small voice. It's not like, 'I know, I get it.'

…… I've been wondering about it for a while, but there are traces of soot and a burning smell in the square where we are. Based on this smell, I wonder if Mina was using magic here?

 

"Did you train here?"

「…… Bad?"

"No, it's not bad, but why here?"

"I can't use the training ground that I usually use, so I'm just using it today."

"Oh, I see."

 

Yesterday an exchange game was held at the training ground, so it is currently unusable in the middle of maintenance.

I was wondering why they were training in such a small space, but it makes sense.

- When I got it, Mina talked to me this time.

 

"I told you that Nak was doing well......

"Hmm? Ahh

"What did you say about me?"

 

Did you want to hear that......?

It's about my impression of Nak, and I'll be honest with you.

Tell Mina what she heard from Nak before she left for Luqvis.

 

"I don't think I'm bad at you."

「…… He's as sweet as ever. Better yet, I hope you don't like it."

 

Mina muttered with a sad face.

While wondering about this child's behavior that is different from the previous image, I ask what I was interested in.

 

"Do you regret it? What did you do to it?"

「……」

 

Mina shuts up.

According to Nak, he said something along the lines of, "It's your fault for being depressed," but at least he doesn't seem to think so.

Otherwise, I wouldn't shut my mouth with such an expression.

After a dozen seconds of silence, Mina finally spoke.

 

"Hang out with me for a minute."

"What? I don't mind, but what are you talking about to me?"

"It's about Nak and me, you care too, don't you?"

 

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered...... What's that? The story is abrupt.

He sat down in the shade of a nearby tree in a gymnastic position, as if he was going to speak.

 

"Have you heard that Nak and I are childhood friends?"

"Oh, I've heard it from Nak."

"Well, then you don't have to explain why he was put in Luxvis."

 

Nak, who was originally supposed to awaken to the magic of the water system, has awakened to the magic of the healing system.

Because of that, he was treated coldly by his parents and kicked out of his home and put in Luxvis.

Looking back on it now, I think it's a terrible story.

 

"It's like this now, but when I was little, I used to play with Nak a lot."

"Look at our relationship now...... I can't imagine it."

「…… That's right. But...... I remember it was fun."

 

It's surprising, but did they get along well?

But when we first visited Luxvis, the knack we were supposed to be playing with was like that.

Is there a reason for that?

 

"We used to hang out together, but about a year after I joined Luxvis, I couldn't see him anymore."

"Can't we see each other anymore?"

"They wouldn't let me go to the mansion to see them, and Nak's parents would rather play with his sister than him, and they would treat me like I didn't have him...... It was creepy."

 

…… Was he under house arrest?

It's a pretty bad way to say it, but like putting a lid on something that stinks, Nak's parents may have been desperately trying to hide him from not having the powers he wanted.

 

"That's when I happened to hear that Nak was going to be put in Luxvis."

「…… And you, too, to Luxvis?"

 

Mina nods her head as it is.

It seemed as if the hand that was gripping his robe was holding on to his own heart.

 

"What was Nak like when he was put in the Luqvis Academy...... It was like a shell of itself. I was able to enroll in the Luxvis Academy, a place where I could learn magic in the best environment, but he looked down and looked like it was the end of the world."

"Well, it's like being kicked out......

"It wasn't until then that Father told me why Nak was put in Luxvis."

 

From Nak's point of view, there was no hope.

 

"Still, I tried to talk to him many times, but he was scared of everything around him, even me, and I didn't like it at the time."

"You don't like it, ......."

"When I woke up to healing magic, I just accepted my current situation and didn't do anything."

 

Maybe Nak had given up at that time.

The moment his magic was not water-based, he was treated coldly by his parents, who were the closest to him, and was eventually kicked out and sent to Luxvis alone.

When it comes to the age of ten years old or not, it is not surprising that he is mentally devastated.

As she thought about it, Mina, who had a slight hoarse voice as if she remembered that time, continued to speak.

 

"If you put in the hard work in Luxvis, you should have been recognized for your healing magic, and then even your parents who gave up on you might have returned you home. …… But Nack didn't give up everything and move on."

"Didn't you look down on the healing wizard?"

 

At least, that's how Mina looked when she was oppressing Nak.

She shakes her head at my question.

 

"For me, it didn't matter if Nak was awakening to healing magic, I just wanted him to stand up. But no matter how many times I try to get him to do that, he just keeps looking down, doesn't look at my outstretched hand, and doesn't ask anyone for help. I can't stand him, I'......."

「……」

"I got frustrated with him when he didn't get his way, and he became violent...... I...... What I wanted to do was not what I really wanted to do, but before I knew it, I had reached the point of no return."

 

Does that mean that Nak is in a situation where he is oppressed?

What I thought was good at first gradually deviated from my purpose and became distorted.

Mina smiles at me as if to mock herself.

 

"There's no way I'm going to be able to apologize now, what I've done is so much...... It was a terrible thing."

 

…… At times like this, I wish I could give solid advice, but the relationship between Nak and Mina is not as easy as it is to be managed with advice that comes up on the spot.

But even so, the reason why he declared that he was going to the Ringle Kingdom where Nak was after graduating from the academy was probably because he wanted a reason to go see him again.

 

"So, after you graduate, you're going to see Nak in the Ringle Kingdom?"

"You heard it from Nak...... Because there's no other reason to show your face. Oh, it's frustrating to lose to Nak, so there's a reason why I'll see you when you're stronger."

"Oh, I see......

 

Maybe he cares a lot about being beaten by Nak?

Even if you pull it out, this may be a compromise in this child's way, but I mean...

 

"You're clumsy, aren't you?"

"It's noisy, I know that best."

 

I smile wryly at Mina, who frowns and looks away from me.

Like Nak, Mina was trying to move on.

As she thought about this, she stood up while dropping dirt and leaves, and opened her mouth without looking at me.

 

"It was a little refreshing to talk to you who had nothing to do with it."

「…… That's why you told me."

"If you talk to the guys in the school, they'll make weird rumors, so if you're an outsider, I think it's just right."

 

If you think you can talk so easily...... I mean, he's got a lot of guts.

Maybe I misunderstood him.

When I was training Nak, I thought he was a child who was abusing Nak for no reason, but there was something like a passing between the two of them leading up to that point.

…… I can't say anything witty, but I'll say what I can tell you.

I call out to her as she is about to go back to training when she has finished saying everything she wants to talk about.

 

"I can't erase the fact that you've done it."

"Huh?"

"But it's going to be different from now on."

 

Without looking at him, he continued to speak to Mina, whose shoulders shook slightly.

 

"You and Nak are still kids and you're going to live a long life, so I think it's a good idea to come to a compromise, even if it takes time."

 

The amount of time they passed each other was insignificant. They have plenty of time to get it back.

Besides...... Unlike Mr./Ms., who has committed a crime, Mina can still start over.

Mina rolled her eyes at my words and smiled somewhat dumbfoundedly.

 

"Really, all the masters and disciples have similar sweet personalities."

"Well, Nak is my apprentice, so it's only natural that they look alike."

 

I've often been told that I look like Rose.

Mainly the atmosphere and the face.

If you think about it, it's possible that Nak will eventually look like Rose ......? No, let's not think about it.

 

"Thank you for talking to me, and I ...... this to Nak."

"I know, I'll keep quiet from him."

"That's right...... Then I'll go back to my own training."

 

Relieved and relaxed, Mina turned her back on me and walked to the center of the square.

I can't get in her way, so I leave the place and go back the way I came.

It was an unexpected encounter, but I think it turned out well.

With that in mind, I turned the alley and Amako pulled the sleeve of my uniform.

 

"Hmm?"

"Usato now, the story was like Uncle Mr./Ms.."

"Guha...... Whew!"

 

The moment he turned around, Amako struck him with a powerful blow with the weapon of words.

I've tried not to worry about it until now, but it didn'...... work! What are you talking about. "I'm going to live a long life"! What is a seventeen-year-old young man telling a girl five years younger than him about his life? Seriously.

Frankly, about halfway through talking to Mina, I had the urge to sit there and get rid of her.

Pick yourself up and talk to Amako.

 

"So, what are you going to do after this?"

"I'll talk to Nea later."

"Okay, okay, what do you want? I'll do anything now."

"What? If Usato says that, I'll spoil it."

 

Wow, a dazzling smile.

I'm going to cry with joy that you're so strong.

As I was about to walk down the street while checking my hand, I saw a woman with light blue hair, Mr./Ms., running towards me from the end of the street.

 

"Is that you, Mr./Ms. Welsey?"

"What's wrong?"

 

Tilting my head, Amako and I run up to her.

Mr./Ms., who had her hands on her knees and was breathing heavily, was so out of breath that she couldn't even speak, perhaps because she was running so hard.

 

"We, Mr./Ms. Welsey, are you okay?"

"It's hard......

 

He casts a healing spell on Mr./Ms., who seems to be breathless.

This panic is not normal.

Mr./Ms., who calmed my breathing as I had a bad premonition, spoke with a stern expression.

 

"I just received a messenger from the Lingle Kingdom! Near the border, they saw a shadow that seemed to be a scout of the Demon King's army!"

"Huh!?"

 

I can't react to Mr./Ms.'s words for a while.

What I remembered was the scenery of the battlefield, which was full of murderous intent and fear.

I have to run through that place again.

Amako's hand was attached to my hand that had unknowingly clenched my fist. If I look at her, she looks up at me as if she is worried about me.

When I received Amako's gaze, I tightened my mind even more and decided to be prepared.

 

"It's going to start again."

 

The end of a peaceful routine.

What comes next is the battle with the Demon King's army, a battlefield next to death.