Rune's Relentless Magic Tutoring
“Seha, you asleep?”
“Just woke up.”
Today, too, Silleia's voice shattered my short nap. I barely stifled a massive yawn as I answered her, then finished getting ready to leave the room.
Man, waking up early still doesn't sit right with me.
Normally, I'd be a zombie until noon after an early rise, but not this time.
“Today's the magic lesson~”
I stretched long and hard, the words slipping out naturally. That had to mean I was that excited for Rune's magic class, right?
Heading to the kitchen, there was Silleia, waiting for me like always. She spoke to me quietly.
“Seha, you got this!”
“Huh?”
“You're taking my mom's class today.”
She'd cheered me on out of nowhere, no context, so I was confused at first. Turns out it was about Rune's magic lesson today. Was Silleia worried about me sitting through it? Unlike Ivelin's grueling training, her classes seemed like a breeze. Look at her now, slaving away in the kitchen for us every morning. I could already picture her sitting right next to me, explaining everything in that sweet, gentle voice—one-on-one tutoring. This must be what every guy's dream of the hot college girl next door feels like.
Time to switch gears and think about Silleia instead. As I turned to look at her, our eyes locked perfectly.
“Eek!”
“Finally looking my way, huh.”
Silleia grinned mischievously, her eyes crinkling in that playful way. Had she been staring at me the whole time I was lost in thought earlier?
No way—don't let one cute moment fool you!
She's about my height, but man, she talks so much—being around her drains my energy. Sure, she's got that adorable face and occasionally acts all mature, so I don't dislike her at all, but work and play are separate things. Think about how she hates books or runs around nonstop chattering. Even I'd sigh at the thought of teaching her. No doubt even that childcare expert Ogeom Young would shake her head at Silleia. Now I got why she'd said Rune's classes scared her before. Even Rune probably had to get strict with her boundless energy.
So, today's goal: earn some praise from Rune.
If I told Silleia about it, she'd be shocked. To her, her mom's classes were terrifying. I was smirking inwardly at the thought of her flustered face when Rune called out to me.
“Before we start today's magic lesson, I need to grab some materials, so it'll take a bit. Wait for me in the study until 10, okay, Seha?”
“Want me to help with the prep?”
“No need. Isn't it fun sometimes to wait without knowing what's coming?”
What amazing stuff was she hiding from even me? Anyway, I'd wait in the study, but what about Silleia?
“I'm heading out on search duty with Ivelin today. Yesterday was easy without him, but can't you come along again today?”
Come to think of it, that's how I'd first met Ivelin and Silleia—wandering the forest right after entering 2F. Guess search duty wasn't a one-off; it was ongoing. They were on the same team, too. Even back then, she'd gone quiet, watching Ivelin nervously.
Maybe Silleia's on bad terms with all the elder elves?
Nah, that might be too harsh on her. Ivelin clearly cared for her, even if he hid it behind his gruff exterior. If anything, she was the one scared of his tsundere vibes.
“I'm off to work now. Don't get yelled at too much by Mom during the lesson.”
“You too—stay safe out there.”
With Silleia gone, how to kill time until the lesson? Rune had headed off for materials, leaving me alone in the house for the first time.
“She said wait in the study, so off to the study it is.”
I'd heard it was tucked away on the third floor, isolated. I'd been crashing here for days, but never had reason to go there before, so I'd forgotten it even existed.
Why do I always get tense stepping into new places?
I carefully opened the wooden door to the study.
Creeeak.
Weirdly smooth—had Rune been using it often? No rusty stiffness like an abandoned door; it glided open like the others. But the real surprise was the vibe inside.
“Whoa… insane.”
The wooden ceiling was half-open, letting warm sunlight flood in. Even better, leaves were arranged on it to diffuse the light perfectly. How had I not known about this spot until now?
“Gotta come here for breaks, even if not for reading or studying.”
Separate from how nice it felt, I suddenly worried about sunlight damaging the books. Wind or rain would be disastrous too. Elves were skilled, but no magic to control weather on a whim, right?
Or maybe? Actually, that sounds plausible.
A weather mage's mood could probably shift the skies around them. Depressed meteoromancer? Cue the downpour. I'd exploded magic by channeling my imagery, after all.
Thankfully, inspecting the books eased my mind.
“These are all made from World Tree leaves, huh.”
Unlike regular paper, they were thinner, smoother—probably waterproof too. The World Tree ring from Ivelin, the drinks… it was everywhere in elf life. No wonder their faith ran so deep. In typical fantasy, the World Tree felt divine and distant, but here it was cozy, familiar.
Smiling at the new insight, I heard a knock at the door.
Knock knock.
“Rune? Just come in.”
Oh yeah, she'd promised to knock before entering from now on. Stemmed from her misunderstanding about me and Silleia, but whatever. I went to open the door.
“Whoa, what's all this?”
“Surprised, right?”
Yeah, totally. Rune's arms were piled high with books—dozens of them, all shapes, sizes, colors, but clearly magic-related. Her face was half-buried.
“These are all for me to learn?”
“Of course. Not for one day, though—with homework, it's about two weeks' worth?”
That meant two books a day, easy math. Worry started creeping in.
“Excited? Heart racing at the thought of studying?”
“Yeah, my heart's pounding, for sure.”
Not from excitement, but anxiety—though I didn't lie to her. She swiftly organized the stack, then handed me one, showing the cover.
“This is like the first textbook for elf magic students. Since I don't know your level yet, we'll start here.”
The title: Basic Magic Studies. Every major textbook had the most generic naming sense.
“Flip to page 5? You know all this stuff?”
Rune drew close, eager to dive in. She started quizzing me as I read, me answering—it was the patient tutoring I'd hoped for, but not quite what I expected.
“Hmm… you're surprisingly light on theory.”
“Sorry, can we take a quick break now?”
“Of course. Rest is key for elves and humans alike. Cool your head for 10 minutes.”
First time I kinda resented Rune since arriving in the elf village. “Just one more section” turned into three straight hours of nonstop lecturing. Her soft voice relentlessly firing questions from beside me. Like a one-on-one college seminar, but way more intense.
“Haa…”
I sighed softly, feeling her turn to look. She had to be wondering why I'd sigh during such “fun.”
Don't look back. No eye contact.
One glance, and she'd quiz me again—bye-bye break, hello more hours.
That's when it hit me why Silleia had warned me.
Sob, I smacked her without grasping her wisdom.
I'd apologize next time we met. That's when—
“Seha, break's over. Ready to resume?”
“…”
“You're weak on theory, so I adjusted the plan. Let's try practical first.”
Practical? Now that I could handle. I knew magic basics, even if her lectures on rune strokes or elemental components were over my head.
“Too cramped here for practice—let's head outside. The pond nearby?”
“Pond?”
“You use fire magic, right? Better by water in case trees catch.”
Never crossed my mind, but classic elf—nature first. The pond was one Silleia had shown me; quite a walk.
No magic talk en route, hopefully. Time to clear my head. As we walked, Rune spoke up.
“Seha, I've been curious about something with Silleia.”
“What's up?”
Misunderstandings seemed cleared, so what now? Her question blindsided me completely.
“Between you and Silleia, who's handling the attacks?”
“Huh???”