Unchanging Scenery, Changing Hearts
After finishing lunch, I headed up to the rooftop and found Leonor leaning against the railing, smoking a mana-herb. I had a feeling she'd be here. As I approached her side, her eyes remained fixed on the view beyond the railing. Without even turning her head, she silently offered me a mana-herb. I took it, lit it, and placed it between my lips. Standing in the same posture beside her, smoking in silence, my eyes naturally drifted to the scenery she was gazing at. A piercingly blue sky, drifting clouds, and the high midday sun. This view was probably deeply familiar to her. With the chatter of students walking around the campus below serving as our background music, I shared the view with Leonor, exhaling a plume of smoke before slowly murmuring to her.
"The view from here hasn't changed at all compared to a month ago."
"...You're right. It's been a month, but not a single thing has changed. It feels like I was standing right here doing this just yesterday."
Leonor replied quietly, then went back to smoking her mana-herb in silence. Watching her profile, I reached into my pocket, pulled out a pastry I had bought from the school store before coming up, and thrust it in front of her face. Leonor stared blankly at the pastry before asking,
"...What's this for?"
"Payment for the mana-herbs. Since I'm always freeloading them off you, consider this a small return."
"Hey, don't worry about stuff like that. I'm fine, so you eat it."
Leonor pushed the pastry back toward me. At her refusal, I let out a soft sigh and spoke to her.
"You must be hungry. I know you didn't eat lunch."
At that, Leonor's shoulders flinched slightly. I turned my gaze back over the railing. Perhaps because we were sharing the same view, I felt like I could understand exactly what she was feeling as she stared out at it. I murmured softly,
"The view from here hasn't changed, but... some things definitely have."
"..."
"The food in the cafeteria. Honestly, it tasted much better a month ago."
Through the haze of the mana-herb smoke, I saw something glint at the corner of Leonor's eyes. Swallowing her rising emotions, she tilted her head back toward the sky and muttered,
"...Seriously, you're way too quick on the uptake."
Leonor took a deep breath and vigorously wiped her eyes with her sleeve. I waited in silence, and once she had calmed down a bit, she lowered her head and spoke.
"...Still, you're pretty sweet. You're the only underclassman who'd come all this way just because they were worried about their senior."
"So don't make your sweet underclassman worry, and make sure you eat a proper lunch starting tomorrow."
"...I suppose I should."
As she muttered those words, I held out the pastry once more. She stared at it for a moment, then chuckled softly as she ruffled my hair. This time, she didn't refuse and took the bread. Leonor said,
"Thanks for the bread. I'll enjoy it."
A gentle smile graced her lips as she spoke. Although the city had returned to its original state in just a month, I knew that a month was far too short a time for the wounds in one's heart to heal. But wishing with all my heart that she would overcome this pain, I smiled back at her.
After lunch ended, the first-year students gathered in the gymnasium for their practical application class. Normally, Class A and Class B sat separately, but perhaps because we had grown closer after eating lunch together in the cafeteria, Marin and Flone naturally took their seats near us. Seeing this, May, who was sitting next to me, asked Marin,
"Come to think of it, I heard we have a special class today. Do you happen to know what kind of class it is?"
"Hmm, our class wasn't really told anything either..."
Marin shook her head, indicating she was in the dark as well. Seeing their curiosity, I spoke up hesitantly.
"Well, I think a special guest instructor is coming..."
This was information I had gathered earlier on the rooftop when Leonor let me speak on the phone with her father, Leon Lionil. Since it was hard for them to find time to train me individually, he said he would conduct a class at the academy so that I could get stronger while the other students benefited as well. He had even mentioned putting together a special lineup of instructors and told me to look forward to it. When I shared this, Marin showed immediate interest.
"Oh? It seems you've heard something, Lady Scarlet. Did you happen to hear who this special instructor is?"
"I didn't hear that part. He just said I'd know when I saw them..."
"For them to be called a 'special instructor,' they must have invited someone even more outstanding than the academy's regular faculty... I wonder who it could be?"
Marin tilted her head with a puzzled expression. I was curious too. If Leonor's father went out of his way to say that, they had to be someone extraordinary... Just as I was pondering this, Professor Eve's voice rang out.
"It looks like everyone is very curious about the special class. Today's lesson will be conducted with a special guest instructor. Now, the person standing over there is our special instructor for today. Since they've taken precious time out of their busy schedule to be here, let's give them a big round of applause!"
Professor Eve shouted, looking toward the gymnasium entrance. The students' eyes all turned in that direction simultaneously, and the moment they saw the person entering, a massive stir swept through the gymnasium.
"Wo-Wow...! Seriously? I'm a huge fan!"
"Oh my god, she's real... I wonder if I can get an autograph..."
Once I saw the person who had walked in, I understood why the students were buzzing so much. It was only natural for people to react this way upon seeing a famous Hero in person—someone they had only ever seen on broadcasts. Of course, the reaction of those who knew her as more than just a face on a screen was entirely different.
"Ah!! It's the old lady!!!"
"Seriously... would it kill them to give me a heads-up when something like this is happening...?"
The woman who entered the gymnasium possessed blue hair that closely resembled Marin's. Strictly speaking, it was Marin who resembled her, of course. Marin groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as if a headache were coming on. Anyone who dreamed of becoming a Hero couldn't possibly not know this woman. She was the Captain of Astrape's 3rd Division, a Hero hailed as the most outstanding esper of the current generation.
"Hehe, nice to meet you all. I am Natalia Eloise, your senior, who will be conducting classes with you from time to time starting today—and also the mother of Marin over there. I look forward to working with you all."
Natalia Eloise, who was indeed Marin's mother, waved with a bright, beaming smile. Accompanied by Marin's deep sigh, applause and cheers erupted from the students all around.
Natalia Eloise looked at her former mentor, Eve, feeling a wave of nostalgia.
"It really has been a while, Natalia. Is this the first time we've seen each other outside of official events since your daughter's first birthday party?"
"I'm sorry. I should have visited more often."
"No, no, it's fine. We both know how busy we are. It's enough just to see your face like this. I'm glad to see you looking so healthy."
Even though she herself had graduated from the academy and the daughter she gave birth to was now old enough to enroll, her teacher didn't seem to have changed a single bit over all those years.
"Natalia, make sure you make these kids wail."
"Oh my? Really? I might actually make them cry, you know?"
"I'd welcome that. Shedding tears now is a hundred, a thousand times better than shedding blood later."
Her teacher truly hadn't changed at all. Not her appearance, and certainly not her harsh educational philosophy. Even when her daughter graduated, her teacher would probably remain exactly the same. That was why she could feel at ease. If her daughter was being taught by this woman, she wouldn't die easily out there in the world. That was also why she respected her teacher so deeply. How much had she herself benefited from that merciless education?
In any case, since it was a request from her revered teacher, she resolved to thoroughly put the students through their paces today. Natalia turned her gaze to the class. Amidst the students with sparkling eyes, she spotted her daughter, Marin, who was wearing a deep scowl. She had come without saying a word to Marin as a surprise, and it seemed her daughter was quite shocked. Beaming with satisfaction at her successful prank, Natalia then remembered her other purpose for visiting the academy.
Come to think of it, I wanted to see what kind of girl Yoon Siwoo is so fond of. As she casually scanned the students, she noticed Marin sitting in a way that seemed to shield a certain girl from her view. Seeing that, she was instantly certain. Is that her? When she sent a subtle look in that direction, Marin's lips twitched as she glared back with a highly guarded expression. Watching Marin silently mouth that she would be furious if her mother tried anything funny brought an involuntary smile to Natalia's face. She wouldn't have treated her any differently anyway. After all, she was going to run every single one of them ragged without exception. Natalia spoke with a bright, cheerful smile.
"Now, let me explain the training we'll be doing today. I will attack you, and your task is to dodge my attacks and get as close to me as possible. It's a very simple exercise. But since words might not be enough to fully grasp it, I'll show you a demonstration. Now, our experienced assistant. Would you please step forward?"
As Natalia clapped her hands, Marin, seemingly having anticipated this, scowled as she stood up and walked forward. The training she was about to put the students through was a drill Marin had frequently undergone under her guidance since childhood. Of course, it would be a bit more difficult today since she had someone helping her.
"Professor, if you please."
As Professor Eve snapped her fingers, all the students except Marin vanished from sight. They were probably watching her and Marin through a screen from the outside. Using her esper ability, Natalia drew a large circle on the floor. Confirming that Marin had stepped outside the circle, Natalia spoke.
"As I said, the rules are simple. Run toward me from a distance of one hundred meters. If you manage to touch me, you pass. However, the closer you get to me, the fiercer my attacks will become. For your information, the passing standard will be set to whether or not you can immediately serve on the active front lines, so don't be too disheartened if you fail. This is a training exercise to measure how close you can get and to identify your own weaknesses."
While she spoke, Marin warmed up. The last time her daughter had done this drill, she had barely managed to pass. How would she fare this time? With a small smile, Natalia shouted,
"Then, start~!"
At the signal, Marin dashed across the line of the circle drawn on the floor. Simultaneously, a stream of water materialized in midair and shot toward her. Intending to casually dodge it with a slight tilt of her head, Marin suddenly gasped in shock, twisting her body violently as a scream escaped her lips.
"Gah?!"
The stream of water grazed Marin's cheek and slammed into the floor, letting out a thunderous boom. Cold sweat trickled down Marin's face. Natalia offered a cheerful smile and a warning to her daughter, who had clearly underestimated the drill.
"My sweet daughter! This is going to be very different from when we did this at home! Because today, we have insurance!"
When they trained at home, she couldn't risk injuring her daughter, so the attacks were only about as strong as a stinging water gun. Today, however, they had the assistance of Professor Eve. In the illusionary space she created, no matter how severely one was injured, their physical body in reality remained completely unharmed. Though the pain would feel just as real. There was an old saying that beastkin would throw their cubs off a cliff to raise them. The fastest way to grow stronger was to overcome a crisis. Well, that was why she had set the attacks to be quite powerful. Powerful enough that getting hit would likely result in a fatal blow. Wishing more than anyone for her daughter to grow strong, Natalia shouted with a smile,
"So if you don't want to die, you'd better dodge well!"
"Aaargh!! You crazy old lady!!"
Marin screamed as she dodged the incoming torrents of water. Yet, despite her dramatic cries, she was evading them remarkably well. The intensity was different, but she was already well-accustomed to this training. Dodging, and sometimes using her own abilities to block. Watching Marin steadily close the distance toward her, Natalia spoke.
"There are three key elements to this training. First, sensory awareness."
Without even turning around, Marin ducked slightly to dodge an attack flying in from behind her.
"Second, reflexes."
Streams of water shot toward Marin, who had been forced to leap into the air to dodge. Marin instantly conjured a foothold of ice in midair, kicking off it to barely evade the torrents. Seeing Marin, who had managed to get within arm's reach, smiling with a triumphant look on her face, Natalia smiled back and murmured,
"And finally, the third... is to never let your guard down."
With a sharp pop, a jet of water erupted from beneath Marin's feet, blowing her head clean off. Soon, the illusion dissolved, revealing her daughter dry-heaving on the floor, completely disoriented from the shock of "death." She would probably need to rest for a while to fully recover, but seeing that she hadn't fainted, she was indeed her daughter. Gazing at her with a proud smile, Natalia murmured to the rest of the students,
"Now, who wants to go next?"
At the sight of the instructor's cheerful smile—the very same smile she wore while mercilessly blowing off her own daughter's head—the students' faces turned utterly pale.