Chapter 15. After Sparring

“Doggy, are you alright?!”

Right after I unleashed the magic rush.

The Young Lady, startled, stopped sparring and ran to me.

"You're not hurt, are you? Huh?"

She lifted my arm, the one I used to unleash the magic.

Checked my face, cupping my cheeks.

Then she started feeling me all over, checking my condition....

"I'm fine."

…As if I'd be hurt.

I've been catching the Young Lady's magic during every training session, haven't I?

Well, this time the fireball was a bit bigger, but it wasn't hard to block.

“My, my, aren't they close.”

Terra said teasingly, observing the Young Lady's worried expression.

“My doggy can’t get hurt….”

"I'm not hurt by something like this."

I have to be tough.

Honestly, if I had reinforced my Guard a bit stronger, I could’ve just tanked it with my body.

“Uh… are you okay?”

Serena, who was also surprised by how I blocked the magic rush, came over to me and spoke with concern.

Her attitude was a bit more cautious.

…I unintentionally raised my value, huh.

This damn talent.

Even Fleet, I perfectly handled the rush in that urgent situation.

More importantly….

*Clench.*

I opened and closed the hand I used to unleash the magic, recalling the feeling.

…That felt amazing.

The fun of unleashing a lump of energy.

It's on a completely different level than popping balloons or bubble wrap.

“You blocked it more perfectly than I thought, huh?”

Seeing me like this, Terra came over again and lifted her chin.

Huh, I thought she’d just blocked it with magic and was touching me for no reason, so I got a little grumpy.

*Ssseek-*

An intangible energy flowed from her chin and was absorbed by Terra.

“You wasted Mana for nothing, didn’t you?”

“...You put a barrier on me?”

...When did she put a barrier on me?

It was so subtle that I didn't even notice.

“Of course? How much of a fuss would Aria make if her doggy got hurt?”

“Ah, yes.”

She’s mischievous.

No wonder she kept touching me.

She must have been applying it little by little.

She didn't let on, probably wanted to see how I’d react.

“By the way, how did the sparring feel?”

Putting that aside.

Terra went to her two disciples and asked.

“Hmm….”

“Honestly, it was fun.”

Come to think of it, was this their first spar?

I think they would have fought quite fiercely even if it hadn't been stopped midway.

From what I can see, their skills seem to be similar.

“Right? It's fun and you improve quickly when you spar with someone at a similar level.”

Yeah, I know that feeling.

I've sparred countless times with Kaiden and Daren, the Young Lady’s Bodyguard Knights.

You have to clash fiercely to improve quickly.

“But it's a shame that both of you are my disciples, so you have similar attributes.”

“Are there no other attribute Magicians in the Capital?”

“Not any your age. The older ones won't spar with you.”

Well, my body's fine.

I sat down nearby and eavesdropped on Terra's conversation with her two disciples.

Hmm, it seems there aren't any other talented Magicians around the Young Lady's age in this Kingdom.

And it seems like attributes play a big role in magic.

The people I usually meet in this Mansion are sweaty Knights.

So eavesdropping on these fragrant Magicians is a rare treat.

“Or sparring with a Knight is good too… It's good that there's no problem with that.”

“Will there be a Knight to spar with us?”

“Not a Knight, but isn’t there one right here?”

However.

I clearly wanted to be just a listener, but at some point, I became the topic of conversation.

“Ah, that's true.”

“An obedient Aura User your age is rare.”

“...I'm not obedient.”

Does she think I'm some kind of dog?

Huh? I might look like this, but I'm the Void Family's loyal hound.

I don't listen to anyone other than Lowell or the Young Lady.

“Doggy, will you spar with them?”

“...I will.”

…However.

If the Young Lady asks, I can’t refuse.

“Good, doggy. It'll be good experience for you to fight against Magicians of similar level.”

"Yes...."

Honestly.

And I mean really honestly.

Their level is high for their age, but I'm not sure if they're a match for me.

I may look like this, but I'm a proper intermediate Aura User, and I can even use the Void Family’s Secret Technique.

But….

“I look forward to it.”

Since Terra and Serena probably don’t know that yet, I just nodded as if I understood.

“Alright then, let’s do it next time.”

“...Not today?”

That was a bit unexpected.

I thought we’d do it right away.

“Look at them, they're probably out of Mana.”

“Ah.”

“Unlike Knights, Magicians deplete their Mana quickly, especially if they're inexperienced.”

…That’s true.

Unlike Aura Users who mainly use Aura for physical enhancement and only use techniques when necessary.

Magicians use a significant amount of Mana every time they cast a spell.

They can't spar all day like Knights.

"So, sparring is over, which means today's Lesson is over."

"It ended quickly, didn't it?"

"Still, you learned more than usual today."

And so, it was time for the Guests to go back.

“Bye, Serena.”

“I’ll come again next time.”

Serena and the Young Lady seem to have gotten a bit closer.

Will the young lady finally make a friend?

Come to think of it, she's always been alone in the mansion, so she must have been lonely.

They’re both Magician Women with similar interests and about the same age, so it would be nice if they became friends.

“It’s a shame, though.”

“Huh? Why?”

Just then, as they were having a rather heartwarming farewell…

Serina spoke to the young lady with a regretful look before leaving.

“You seem close to your Dog, won’t you miss him a lot when you go to Magic School?”

“Huh? Can’t I take him with me?”

“No? Pets aren’t allowed there.”

The most surprised by Serina's words…

Was none other than me.

…Magic School?

Is it time for our young lady to go to school already?

This is news I've never heard before.

***

Royal Magic School.

The only Magic School in the Adel Kingdom, founded by the Astel Family, to which Serina belongs, with the support of the Kingdom.

It's no exaggeration to say that all the core Magician Women of the Adel Kingdom come from this place.

And the young lady's admission to this Royal Magic School was imminent.

It sounded like good news to me.

Isn't that a chance for unmarked training?

No, wait, no.

If the young lady goes, will Daren and Kaiden follow as Bodyguards?

Then the number of Aura Users I can spar with will decrease, so it might actually be harder.

Just as I was thinking about how I would train in the mansion without the young lady…

“No way!”

I heard the young lady’s voice talking with Lowell.

“I'm taking my Dog!”

“Young Lady, you cannot bring pets to the Royal Magic School.”

She’s been arguing with Lowell ever since Serina left.

It seems the young lady couldn’t even fathom the thought of not taking me.

“I can take him as a Servant!”

“You were just calling him a Dog, and now this?”

“A Dog can be a Servant! He can be a service Dog!”

Lowell seems to think I’m better off here.

But the young lady is adamant about taking me with her, no matter what.

“Hold on, sorry to interrupt…”

As they were in the midst of their heated debate…

“Aria has to go study abroad in the Empire. I've told you this over and over.”

Terra, who had been listening to the young lady’s tantrum, spoke up, mentioning not just the Royal Magic School but the Empire.

“The Head of the Family strongly opposes that.”

“I'll persuade him. Aria’s talent is wasted at the Royal Magic School.”

“There are excellent teachers there as well…”

“Oh, please. If they were so excellent, Serina would be learning from *them*, wouldn't she? With her own Family running the school right here.”

“...Hah, you’re right.”

The Empire also has a school… I guess.

No, as the strongest power on the continent, the quality of education there must be on a different level.

“I’m not going abroad either!”

Well, it seems like the young lady doesn’t want to go anywhere.

Still, I’d prefer she went to the Empire.

It’s where the most developed metropolis on this continent is located.

It would be good for the young lady to go there and broaden her horizons.

“I’m not going anywhere if I can’t take my Dog!”

However, as if oblivious to my profound intentions, the young lady continued to throw a tantrum in front of Lowell and Terra.

“M, My Dog will be lonely without me, too!”

Now she’s even clinging to me.

“R, Right?”

She said pitifully, hugging my neck…

But honestly, I don’t really care.

It’s not like it's forever, she’ll come back eventually, won't she?

Besides, even if it's the Empire, the Royal Magic School is in the Capital, so it’s not that far.

“...I must follow the young lady’s wishes.”

However…

If I say that here, the young lady will be heartbroken, so I played along.

My opinion doesn't matter anyway, right?

Then it’s easier to choose the side that gets me less hate.

“See! My Dog wants to come with me, too!”

“Aria, look at his face. That Dog would be fine anywhere.”

“...Huh? Dog?”

Oh no.

That crazy Magician Woman.

The young lady looked at me as if asking if it was true…

…Unfortunately, I’m not talented in acting.

“You too! Waaaaah!”

In the end…

The young lady burst into tears, a sight I haven’t seen since puberty hit, and hugged me even tighter.

“I fed you! I gave you a place to sleep! I even trained you!”

“...Young Lady, your clothes are getting wet.”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen the young lady cry like this.

It’s a sight I haven't seen since her early puberty started, so I indulged in the nostalgia, even as I felt my fur getting damp.

Is this what raising a child feels like?

Just a year ago, this was a more common sight.

She’s become a bit prickly lately, so it's a little bittersweet.

"Waaaaah!"

...Oh dear, the young lady is serious, and here I am lost in thought.

"Young Lady, please don't be so upset."

"Why? Will you come with me?"

"There are weekends, are there not?"

"Waaaaah!! I'm not going!"

The young lady threw a tantrum all day…

But in the end…

"Uwaaah Dog...."

With her eyes swollen, she spent the whole day crying in the Doghouse and finally accepted the situation.

"I'll visit often… Don't go anywhere...."

"...Understood."

And so…

The young lady's departure for Magic School was decided.

…Considering that the Royal Magic School is less than a 20-minute carriage ride from the mansion in the Capital, it's a funny situation.