First Day with My Elf Disciple
"You took an elf as your disciple? Are you out of your mind?"
"Um, Master... Do you really think I can learn this thing called music?"
With Edelrin trailing timidly behind me and Boksoon perched arrogantly on my shoulder, we started making our way out of the forest.
Just an hour ago, I'd been savoring a refreshing morning, and now I suddenly had an elf apprentice. Life really is full of surprises.
On the way back to the mansion, curiosity got the better of me, and I spoke up.
"By the way, Edelrin, you seemed to treasure that spirit so much... Is there a special reason? It felt like you were willing to risk your life for it, more than just a friend."
Before Edelrin could answer, Luna, who was walking beside me with her arms crossed, jumped in.
"Lia, let me explain. Elf magic is mainly divided into nature magic and spirit magic. And spirit magic makes up a huge portion of it—practically the core of elven magic."
"Really? Can't they just not use magic and live that way? Sure, it'd be inconvenient, but..."
Luna chuckled and shook her head at my ultra-modern(?) way of thinking.
"Liaa~, elf villages are made almost entirely of natural materials. They grow their houses from trees and draw water with the help of spirits. If you couldn't use spirit magic in a place like that, daily life would be extremely inconvenient. Right, Edelrin?"
"Y-yes..."
Edelrin nodded, her shoulders slumped.
"That's not all. In elven society, if you can't communicate with spirits, you're not seen as a proper member of the tribe. There's subtle discrimination, or you get treated like you're invisible. In cases like mine, you even have to leave the village entirely."
Looking at her drooping ears, I felt a pang of sympathy.
"Anyway..."
Edelrin stared at Luna in wonder.
"I heard humans know almost nothing about elves... How do you know so much? You talk like you've seen it firsthand."
Luna shrugged with her usual nonchalant expression.
"Ah~ I'm a grand mage~."
"...Huh? What?"
Edelrin's steps came to an abrupt halt.
She stared blankly at Luna, then her face drained of color as she stumbled back a few steps.
"Gr-gr-gr-grand mage?! One of the rare strategic-level mages in the world?!"
"You didn't know?"
Edelrin's complexion turned ghostly pale in an instant.
She leaped back several meters from Luna and bent at a full 180 degrees in a deep bow.
"I-I'm so sorry! I had no idea and dared to act so boldly in front of a grand mage...!"
Luna waved her off as Edelrin switched to ultra-formal speech.
"Oh, come on, it's fine, it's fine! Just treat me casually. I'm not scary~."
Nothing was harder to believe than Luna saying "I'm not scary," but somehow, we arrived at the mansion in a lively(?) atmosphere.
"Oh, we're here."
Luna grinned brightly as she opened the gate.
"Now that we have more family, it'll be lively around here~. Edelrin, the end room over there is empty, so you can use that one."
The moment we stepped inside, Edelrin's eyes widened at the ornate yet cozy interior.
But I had no intention of giving her time to gawk.
I sat her down in a chair before she could even unpack.
"Alright, Edelrin. No time to rest. If you want to play in my place, we start with the basics right now—and I mean grueling basics."
My usual laziness? It vanished like dust in the wind before the promise of retirement.
My mind was filled with ambitious plans: Teach her quick, toss her on the plaza stage, and take a nap.
Truth be told, piano was my main instrument in my past life; guitar was just a hobby. I was a bit unsure how to teach it properly.
Just like how I taught Luna, it'll work out.
I adjusted my grip on the guitar and began explaining the fundamentals of music.
"Okay, music has 12 notes in total. There's this concept called a half-step..."
About 10 seconds into my explanation...
The elf girl in front of me had the blank look of someone hearing an ancient incantation. Her eyes had lost focus and were floating in space.
"...Got it?"
Edelrin didn't respond; her mouth hung slightly open, on the verge of drooling.
I let out a deep sigh and scrapped the theory lesson.
"Fine. Skip the theory. Just memorize it. Rote learning is the best."
If a practical music academy from my past life taught like this, I'd get refund demands and one-star reviews in a heartbeat. Whatever—this world has only me who knows music.
I placed Edelrin's slender fingers on the guitar neck.
"This is a C chord. Press down hard with your fingertips. Otherwise, no sound."
Edelrin's hands trembled as she gripped the guitar.
She looked up at me with teary eyes, but I ignored it and coldly corrected her fingers.
"I have to memorize all this? My fingers feel all tangled up..."
Edelrin stared at my fingertips with a pitiful expression.
No wonder— for an elf who'd spent her life thinking splashing water and yelling was music, splitting finger joints to press strings wasn't going to be easy.
"Once you play it and hear the sound, it'll stick faster than you think. Here, press the second fret on this string..."
Edelrin, who had been squirming and showing her reluctance, locked eyes with Boksoon hanging on my shoulder.
Boksoon narrowed her eyes at Edelrin, giving her a cold, disdainful look as if she were some pathetic creature.
"Eek! I'll do it! Just tell me to do it!"
Edelrin jolted in panic and straightened her back.
Being scorned by your own spirit looked tough for a master, but it sure made my lesson progress smoothly.
Then, as I taught, I discovered something unexpected.
Edelrin, who seemed brain-dead during theory, had freakishly flexible fingers once she held the instrument. And her hearing? She mimicked the notes I plucked perfectly on the first try.
"Whoa..."
When I demonstrated by plucking the strings, Edelrin took the guitar back. She was clumsy at first but quickly started imitating the sounds.
This might go way faster than I thought.
The living room filled with scenes of me demonstrating on guitar, Boksoon adding clear harmonies from the side, and Edelrin biting her lip as she struggled to follow.
After a solid practice session, the clock chimed noon.
"Alright, lunch break first, then rest a bit. Follow me."
I led the dazed Edelrin to the kitchen.
She hesitated and tugged lightly at my sleeve.
"Um, Master... As an elf, I can't eat meat or a lot of human food. If it's not too rude, I can just pick some fruits from the forest..."
"Don't worry about that. This kitchen's a bit special."
Like last time with the fried rice, I pictured a juicy steak in my mind. The kitchen tools clattered to life, lighting the fire and starting to cook on their own.
"Wh-whoa?! No chef, and the pan's moving by itself!"
As Edelrin's eyes nearly popped out in shock, I cautiously asked,
"You don't mind the smell of grilling meat, do you? I can change it if you do."
"N-no! The smell's fine. I was just surprised."
I explained how the kitchen worked: strongly imagine what you want to eat nearby, and the magic handles it.
Edelrin closed her eyes skeptically and focused.
Moments later, the kitchen bustled, and dishes appeared on the table. A fresh vegetable salad, plus exotic fruit dishes I'd never seen before.
"Wow! It even does elf food? It's just like back home!"
Edelrin marveled as she moved the food to the table.
As we sat across from each other enjoying a peaceful lunch, Luna stretched and appeared.
"Ooh~ Everyone's eating well?"
"Want to join us, Luna?"
"I already ate~. But Lia, just in case you forgot..."
Luna added with a sly smile,
"You haven't forgotten you have a performance at the plaza today, right? Time's almost up~?"
"..."
The meat I was chewing got stuck in my throat.
In teaching Edelrin, I'd completely forgotten about the daily plaza show.
And I couldn't shove her onstage when she could barely handle two chords.
"Oh no... That's right!!! The performance!!!"
My scream echoed through the mansion.