It Seems Like She's Imitating You
Lakrina's change had been sudden. Yet Enoch was not flustered. Having already experienced the absurdity of possession, Lakrina's transformation seemed relatively minor by comparison.
That said, I can't just leave her be.
Enoch led Lakrina down to the first floor. Fortunately, she followed his words without resistance. Her earlier request for praise and the way she kept glancing at him suggested she was wary of his reaction. Enoch guessed it was a side effect of magic.
Mages grow more assimilated to their attribute the stronger they become. Lakrina is no exception.
It was not a problem unique to her. Every mage in Eoin was, in essence, a lunatic. Those who studied ice grew colder in thought, while those who trained in earth became more easygoing. Regardless of the attribute or phenomenon, anyone who honed magic was eventually consumed by it. The moment one peered into magic, magic peered back.
To resist that, a mage must possess an exceptionally strong will. The Lightning Tower Lord, Bergo, is a prime example.
Bergo Tessa, Lord of the Lightning Tower. Even from his time in Pancratos, he had always valued rational and logical thinking above all else. Yet lightning's true nature was anything but that. It was swift and powerful, but fleeting and momentary. Lightning mages tended to mirror that essence, obsessing over transient pleasures regardless of their actual strength. Bergo, however, had suppressed that instinct through sheer willpower and monumental effort.
The Lakrina standing before him needed to become the same. Enoch steeled himself and spoke.
"Lakrina."
"Yes."
She answered at once. The two of them were now seated side by side at the counter bar on the first floor. The Master was nearby, wiping a cup while sneaking glances their way. The atmosphere was awkward in every sense.
Enoch sighed before continuing. "First, I should offer praise. Mastering magic through self-study alone is an achievement worthy of being called a prodigy."
"Thank you."
"However, I cannot simply praise you without reservation. Look at your current state. You studied ice magic alone and ended up being consumed by its attribute, did you not?"
Lakrina shook her head firmly at her teacher's rebuke. "It's fine. I actually prefer it this way."
"Prefer it? In that condition?"
"Yes. Unlike before, I no longer waver. Right now, I am in peak condition—better than the immature version of myself from before."
Lakrina met Enoch's gaze directly, her expression showing not a trace of falsehood. Enoch felt a headache coming on. When the person who had been consumed was the one saying this, no amount of reasoning would get through.
"Hey, miss," the Master interjected from the side, sounding exasperated. "How about considering my position for once? The entire second floor is frozen solid. What am I supposed to do about that?"
"It's fine. Teacher has already paid you. That payment was meant to cover incidents like this, was it not?"
"...Even so, magic is a separate matter. Listen well—if you keep this up, I'll have no choice but to throw you out."
"It doesn't matter. I, Lakrina, am destined to become the proud Lord of the Ice Tower. I will not stoop to begging. Throw me out if you wish. It will only be your loss."
Lakrina spoke with unshakable confidence, not a hint of shame in her demeanor. The Master unconsciously grabbed Enoch by the shoulder.
"...Enoch, as you can see, this is serious. That ice-brained girl has completely lost it."
"Hmm..."
"At this rate, the second floor will turn into a permanent glacier. Do something about it. You're her teacher, aren't you?"
The Master appealed to Enoch, his last hope.
I need to approach this differently. Why did Lakrina change like that in the first place?
Enoch pondered deeply. The side effect of ice magic was a shift in emotions—suppressing the user's feelings to prevent any disturbance. Yet Lakrina's current attitude was strange. She was not wavering, true, but she was overflowing with excessive confidence.
Confidence... Right. She said she was fine earlier.
Enoch belatedly grasped the answer. The greatest cause behind Lakrina's transformation was none other than Enoch himself.
I see. She tried to fill her own shortcomings this way.
Lakrina's life had always been cold—both in the slums and at the orphanage. The only warmth had come from the head nun, but even that was rationed affection. With other children present, the nun could not favor Lakrina alone. Then Enoch had appeared. He poured out lavish support—money, luxury goods, and above all, undivided attention directed solely at her. None of it was light. All of it was too heavy for a girl who had grown up too fast to bear.
She was accustomed to acting like an adult, but this was the first time she had been allowed to live like a child. The pressure of investment. The responsibility of trust. The instinctive urge to do something so as not to disappoint. That had been the starting point of this incident. Lakrina's greatest fear had been disappointing Enoch.
Her acting so dignified like an adult must stem from the same reason. The problem is that her heart burst at some point. The timing was probably around when I left briefly.
Enoch clicked his tongue as he pieced the sequence together.
It wasn't exactly a mistake—just bad luck. She happened to touch upon something resembling a trauma.
Fortune had not been on her side. Enoch let out a small sigh, and at the same time, a solution came to mind.
In the end, the root cause is Lakrina's self-loathing. So the opposite should help—affirming her original self.
At the very least, it would be better than doing nothing. Enoch quietly called the girl's name.
"...Lakrina."
"...? Teacher? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lakrina tilted her head in confusion. At that moment, Enoch reached out and grasped her shoulders.
"Lakrina, listen carefully to what I have to say."
He licked his lips. It was time to speak.
"I sincerely wish for you to become an excellent mage. But I absolutely do not want you to lose yourself in the process."
"...Yes? But—"
"No. Right now, just listen."
Enoch cut her off firmly. In moments like this, the luxury of rebuttal did not exist. When conveying something truly important, neither hesitation nor the flow of conversation could be permitted.
"Lakrina, I liked the original you more than the version of you standing here now."
Lakrina closed her mouth and stared at him. A flicker of emotion crossed her gaze, but Enoch paid it no mind.
"You were clumsy. You watched others' reactions and sometimes put on airs. But all of that was human. That was you. Those were the moments when you lived as yourself."
"......"
"I still chuckle whenever I think of the Spiced Apple Wine. Because that was when I liked you the most. But what about you now? Aren't you forcing yourself to suppress your emotions like an actor, continuing some kind of performance? Do you think that's what I want? No—more importantly, was that truly what you wanted?"
Enoch's voice grew steadily stronger. Lakrina said nothing, merely listening to him in a daze. Enoch thought that was not a bad thing. What was needed right now was not logic or persuasion. What mattered was the force that shook the other person's heart. The goal was to create a resonance stronger than the weight of words.
Finally, Enoch firmly took both of Lakrina's hands in his own. In a steady voice, as if casting a spell, he spoke once more.
"I will say it again. Magic is only a part of your life, not your entire existence. Before learning magic, you must first complete yourself. Before becoming an excellent mage, become an excellent human being first. The Lakrina I taught was that kind of child."
"......"
"Lakrina, I need you. Please return to the girl who drank Solis Blossom and enjoyed the scent of Alaria flowers."
Enoch finished speaking with a resolute expression. The entire speech had been delivered in a single breath.
Nailed it.
Enoch felt quietly satisfied. And it was not as though he had said anything wrong.
Sure enough, color slowly returned to Lakrina's previously frozen face.
"Um... well..."
Lakrina lowered her head, averting her gaze. Her face, half-hidden in shadow, was strangely flushed. For some reason, her fingers kept fidgeting.
"Um... Teacher?"
"What is it?"
"That... what you said just now... was it true? That you really need me...?"
Lakrina asked hesitantly, as if seeking confirmation. Enoch gave her a gentle smile and added softly.
"Lakrina."
"......"
"I have never once lied to you."
His words pierced her heart like an awl. The conversation ended there. Upon hearing his answer, Lakrina bowed her head deeply. The tips of her ears were oddly red. She trembled slightly, as if feeling cold, and avoided Enoch's gaze.
Success?
It seems so.
In the meantime, Enoch and the Master exchanged glances.
Good work.
You too, Master.
Both nodded at the same time. The commotion had come to an end as well.
@
A short while later, Lakrina suddenly stood up and fled to the second floor.
"I-I'll go reflect for a bit!"
"There's no need to go that far—"
"Anyway!"
—Whoosh
Lakrina vanished like the wind. Her speed was tremendous, enough to make one wonder if she had unconsciously used wind magic. Only silence remained in her wake. The Master let out a belated, relieved chuckle.
"Well, that's a relief. The conversation ended well. Honestly, I was a little nervous."
"She's not a bad child at heart. She probably just hit puberty."
"...Hey, Enoch. You need to take those rose-colored glasses off. No kid freezes an entire second floor just because they're going through puberty."
The Master offered his advice. Enoch merely shrugged.
"Haa... Anyway, you're in for some trouble from now on. Your student is already imitating you."
"...Pardon? Imitating me?"
"You didn't notice? It was obvious she was copying you. The way she talks, the way she acts—everything was similar."
"Was that the image I gave off?"
"Can't say it wasn't."
The Master smirked and turned away, returning to the tasks he had been putting off.
Lakrina was imitating me...
Enoch mulled over the Master's words while seated at the counter. If she had been mimicking him even while acting purely on reason... then at least in her eyes, he had been the ideal adult.
In the end, it meant his student respected her teacher. There was nothing unpleasant about that. Enoch chuckled softly, then rose from his seat.
I should start making some calls.
Enoch opened the door and stepped out of the pub. In his mind, he recalled the code numbers for the towers. Though unintentional, Lakrina had fortunately acquired magic. It was time to send her to the academy.
First, I'll need letters of recommendation. If I contact all the Boundary-level mages, at least one of them should respond.
Enoch walked over to a nearby public communicator. He dialed the tower codes with his fingers. If the Tower Lords made the request, the academy administrators would eventually have to yield. It was unfortunate, but this was the fastest way to get Lakrina enrolled. They could not afford to wait until next year.
This is all for the sake of the world. Please bear with it a little.
Enoch could not help but feel a twinge of guilt as he turned the dial. It was time for a Buster Call.