Chapter 18
“You have time, don’t you?”
“Well, I mean... I do, yeah.”
Out of nowhere, she declared that I had to come with her.
Apparently, I had no right to refuse. For such a little girl, she was awfully overbearing and forceful. What on earth had her parents taught her?
“The commander of the Mage Corps herself has requested your company. You could at least be a little more grateful.”
“Ha ha ha. All right, I’ll take your word for it.”
Well, whatever. I hadn’t come out with any particular plans in mind anyway.
There was nothing wrong with sightseeing around the capital while following Lucy. I had no idea where she was taking me, though.
And so, a man over forty and a girl who looked about ten ended up wandering around the capital early in the morning.
Hmm, I’d agreed to this on the spur of the moment, but wouldn’t we look pretty suspicious to anyone watching? I’d prefer to avoid attracting the attention of the military police or the guards.
“And stop treating me like a child. I’m probably older than you.”
“Huh?”
Surely you’re joking.
Lucy was, by any measure, a little girl.
Of course, her features were far more refined than those of any country girl, and I could tell that she’d grow into a truly splendid beauty.
Her natural beauty was exceptional. She was a different type from Allucia, but I could still tell she’d have no trouble finding a husband when she grew up.
But you, older than me?
I’m forty-five this year, you know?
“You don’t believe me, do you? Well, if that’s how I look to you, I suppose that’s fine.”
“Come on. How can you expect me to believe that?”
The girl’s expression, beneath her flowing, glittering golden hair, was closer to wry amusement than displeasure.
Now that I looked more closely, her manner and the air around her did seem beyond what you’d expect from someone so young.
It was just that her appearance made such a strong impression that I hadn’t noticed until she pointed it out.
Considering the magic she’d used earlier, I decided I’d better think of her as no ordinary girl, at least. I had no desire to start a pointless quarrel. That was true even if the other person was a little girl.
“Never mind that. As I said earlier, I heard about you from Fis.”
“You mean Fissel, right?”
“That’s right.”
Just like Kuruni, everyone called Fissel “Fis.”
I generally didn’t use nicknames, so hearing it felt rather fresh.
Fissel was one of my precious pupils, too, but as their instructor, I couldn’t play favorites in that regard. So I called everyone by their given names.
“Fis seemed to be having a wonderful time. Probably ever since she met you.”
“...I see. That makes me happy, then.”
Lucy’s profile as she murmured that was anything but a young girl’s.
Putting aside whether or not what she’d said was true, I was starting to believe a little more that she wasn’t the age she looked.
“I hear you were Fis’s teacher.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Though I’m hopeless at magic.”
The old man and the girl continued walking, chatting about this and that.
I still hadn’t asked where we were going, but judging by her stride, she clearly had a destination in mind.
“Fis’s Sword Magic is impressive. She has a gift for magic, of course, but her swordsmanship is excellent too. She must have had a very capable teacher.”
“It’s nothing that grand. It’s all thanks to Fissel’s hard work.”
I gently denied Lucy’s praise.
I wouldn’t say I’d contributed nothing, but most of it came down to Fissel’s own talent and effort. I had no intention of making some grand claim that I’d raised her with my own skill.
“Well, this should do.”
“...Is there something around here?”
How long had we been walking?
We’d arrived in an area where the buildings seemed rather short for the capital, and it was unusually quiet for the Central District. Quite some time had passed since the sun peeked over the horizon, but I couldn’t see anyone around.
Perhaps because of the time of day, this whole area was almost completely silent.
I’d never realized there were places like this right in the middle of the capital.
“...I love magic. I spend every day studying and researching it.”
“Well, I can understand that. I spend every day swinging my sword, too.”
Lucy stopped and turned to face me, her expression impossible to read.
She looked both delighted and tormented. Her face had a bewitching quality that someone her apparent age could never have.
You couldn’t improve at swordsmanship just by swinging your sword haphazardly.
If even swordsmanship was like that, magic must be even more so. Drawing on the wisdom of those who came before her, she must have worked through an immense amount of knowledge and countless trials and errors—and she was surely still improving.
“I suppose it’s simply in my nature. I’m always thinking about wanting to feel myself grow, wanting to test the results of my research.”
“It’s the same with swordsmanship. It’s important to feel that you’re improving.”
With a soft pop,
a small flame appeared in Lucy’s raised right hand.
It wasn’t the blazing inferno she’d shown me when we first met, but a tiny flame, smaller than my fist.
“I want to try it out. Against a strong opponent.”
The girl smiled, and killing intent enveloped her.
“—!”
Was it a swordsman’s instincts, or simply human nature?
I leaped back on reflex, and a flame exploded where my feet had just been.
“Hmm, impressive reaction. You really are Fis’s teacher.”
“...You’re not joking, are you...!”
As she spoke, Lucy raised her right hand again.
A number of flames appeared in midair, moving in time with her hand.
What should I do?
Should I draw my sword?
If I took her words at face value, this was probably best described as a test of strength.
I had no idea what she and Fissel had talked about, but the teacher of a mage who excelled in the Mage Corps as a wielder of Sword Magic was bound to pique Lucy’s interest.
But the weapon I had with me now wasn’t a wooden sword.
It was a real sword—one that could cut with the slightest touch.
Now that I’d sensed her killing intent, I doubted she’d sent that flame at me as a joke.
Even so, I couldn’t tell how serious she was or how far she intended to go.
“What’s wrong? You can come at me without holding back.”
“I’m not looking to fight...!”
Something about her had changed, as if she’d let go of her restraint—or thrown it away entirely.
Her voice sounded calm, but I could tell she couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from curling upward. The contrast between her rapt expression and childish appearance even made it feel rather provocative.
Good grief. Ever since I came to the capital, Baltrain, it’s been one surprise after another.
Allucia, Surena, and now Lucy. Why did I keep getting hassled by people who were successful and powerful in their own right?
“I’m really not that strong...”
“Now that’s an amusing thing to say.”
After a very brief hesitation, I chose to draw my sword.
I’d tried telling her I wasn’t strong, but this seemed to be one of those situations where she wouldn’t listen. What’s so amusing about that? There’s nothing amusing about it at all.
“Then let us begin!”
“I’d rather not!”
To hell with it!
After spitting out every complaint I could think of, I kicked off the ground.