The Stage of Getting Closer -3-
Today, Mikhail had once again come to the plains of Hamel on the weekend, sweat dripping from her brow.
"Alright, one."
"Haa!"
"Two."
"Nngh..."
"Your sword tip is trembling too much. At this rate, you won't even catch a single goblin. Catch your breath and go for three."
She swung her sword at steady intervals as I spoke. After our frequent meetings, Mikhail had grown a little closer to me. Collapsing onto the ground, she called out.
"Haa... Teacher, this is too hard."
"If you're struggling with just this much, what will you do? And you who have already awakened Aura, no less."
"That's..."
"Ah, you said it was a secret."
"Yes... I don't like rumors spreading."
"I'll be careful."
Mikhail was hiding the fact that she possessed Aura. After all, if she wanted to operate under the name Misa, she had to conceal that she was an Aura user. It would be easier to make the existence of 'Misa' convincing to me that way, and if I ever went looking, I'd immediately notice there was no such person. She must have been mindful of that.
I let out a dry laugh and gave the next count. I didn't want to trouble her with unnecessary questions. Still, there was one thing that bothered me.
"By the way, isn't it exhausting to come down here every weekend?"
It must have been a packed schedule for her. Thanks to our frequent meetings, it was nice that I'd grown closer to the existence known as Misa, but that didn't mean I wasn't worried.
At my casual question, Mikhail shook her head with an awkward smile.
"It's fine. I've already secured most of my first-semester credits."
"Oh... You're quite the prodigy."
Of course, the top student of the swordsmanship department wouldn't need to worry about grades, but still, there were memories to be made. I was concerned about Mikhail constantly visiting the dull countryside of Hamel, yet seeing her passionate will to learn, I decided not to overthink it. With Mikhail's current skill level, what she learned at the academy would be meaningless anyway. It would actually be more beneficial for her to train with the sword here in Hamel.
Keeping my worries to myself, I called out the next count to Mikhail.
"Then, without resting—four."
"Just a little break..."
"Quiet."
"Uwaaah...!"
Mikhail let out a pained groan as she swung her sword. It wasn't a bad way to relieve the stress that had built up because of her, so my mood improved as well. I chuckled and offered her some advice as she struggled to find her rhythm.
"Don't draw out your Aura too forcefully. Try thinking of it as slowly coating the surface."
"...Aren't you making it sound too easy?"
"It was easy for me."
"..."
Mikhail furrowed her brow, squeezed her eyes shut, and began spreading Aura along her sword's edge. But as expected, the Aura didn't flow as she wished.
—Fssst.
It scattered and vanished.
"Ah..."
Watching Mikhail's Aura dissipate, I gave her a regretful smile. She had been so close to succeeding.
"What a shame."
It really was. Personally, I believed that after awakening Aura, the most important factor was 'control.' Only by regulating the proper amount could one gain an advantage in battles against multiple opponents, and it was especially useful when fighting stronger foes. Mikhail's current problem was precisely her lack of control. During the fight with Yoong here in Hamel, Mikhail had run out of Aura. Of course, the gap between her and Yoong was the main reason, but the fact that an Aura user couldn't even scratch an Archbishop before collapsing was something worth pointing out.
"If you'd focused just a little more, you could have succeeded. Such a pity."
"Haa... haa..."
"Still, you've improved a lot compared to the beginning. Back then, you couldn't even spread it thinly."
"...Thank you, Teacher."
"I'm getting paid for this, so there's no need to thank me."
"..."
Knowing the original story, I understood exactly how Mikhail needed to grow—what she lacked and where she should focus. Of course, once she awakened the hero's power and found the Holy Sword, her level would rise, but she still needed to build a solid foundation. Mikhail, sitting in the shade of a tree and wiping the sweat from her forehead, cautiously spoke to me as I held the parasol.
"Teacher."
"Yes, Miss Misa."
"Do you happen to have time this afternoon?"
"Around what time?"
"Um... Would two o'clock be alright?"
"That's quite an ambiguous time. But why do you ask?"
Mikhail glanced at me sideways before opening her mouth.
"I..."
*
Inside a quiet restaurant in Hamel. At Misa's—Mikhail's—invitation, I found myself seated in what looked like a rather expensive establishment. Ornate chandeliers. Private seating areas. Though not quite on the level of the Forest's Friend, it was the kind of place you'd need a reservation for. Sitting there with an awkward smile, I looked at Mikhail, who was staring at the menu, and grinned.
"Th-the prices..."
Watching her flustered expression, I gently curved my lips. No matter how you looked at it, she didn't seem like someone who came to places like this often. She hesitated.
"Teacher... what do you like?"
She wanted to pretend she'd been here before.
"Ah... You don't know? Then, um... what should I pick..."
Her flustered appearance was rather endearing. The sight of the kid from the slums who once cried over a single box now treating me to a nice meal stirred strange feelings in me. I was also surprised to see this side of the Mikhail who used to grumble at the academy. Looking at her after she'd finally finished ordering with difficulty, I spoke in a calm voice.
"This should be delicious."
"Yes?"
"The meal you're treating me to, Miss Misa. I said it looks like it'll be good."
"Ah... I hope so too. It's the first time I've ever bought someone a meal..."
"If it's from you, Miss Misa, I think anything would taste good. Free food is always the right choice, after all. And here I am, a teacher getting treated to a meal by my student."
"...I wanted to do more."
Mikhail clenched her fists and lowered her head. The gimbap we'd eaten last time must have been really good—she seemed to want to do even more for me. I let out a dry laugh.
"Even if it's just empty words, it feels nice."
I never thought I'd hear something like that from Mikhail. In many ways, it felt new. Of course, I didn't know if she meant it sincerely. Despite all the misunderstandings and incidents between us, her considerate actions made me feel a small sense of gratitude. There was plenty to resent, plenty of bad blood, but I didn't want to dwell on it in front of food. Watching Mikhail's smile, I gave a small nod.
*
—Teacher, what do you like?
Mikhail clenched her fists tightly at her own words. Because she knew nothing. What he liked. What kind of food made him happy. The realization that she knew absolutely nothing about him made her feel like her mind had gone blank.
'I really don't know anything...'
Steak. Salad. Fried dishes. Even though there were so many options on the menu, she couldn't bring herself to choose. She felt like whatever decision she made would turn out to be wrong. After hesitating for a long time, when she finally picked something, Ricardo smiled faintly and said:
—This should be delicious.
What was delicious, exactly? If he knew the person who'd chosen the menu was her, he would have frowned. Yet seeing Ricardo's bright smile, she couldn't help but smile along with him. How foolish.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. The fact that she had never done anything for him. Even back in the slums, when they'd grabbed each other by the collar over a single piece of hardtack.
—Eat this.
—...What about you?
—I've already eaten a lot.
'Grrrowl...'
—That sound just now came from your stomach...
—You must have been really hungry! You should have said something sooner.
Even at the academy, where awkwardness had kept her from approaching him properly.
—Mikhail! Let's have a meal together this time. There's something I need to discuss with you, man to man.
—...Get lost.
—I'll pay.
—Ha... It's dirty money. I doubt I'd be able to stomach a meal bought with blood money.
—It's money I earned through legitimate work.
She had only ever taken from him. The fact that she was now, as an adult, buying him a meal for the first time... It was embarrassing and infuriating.
'...'
Her clenched fists tightened even more. Because of the foolish, idiotic sins of her past. She couldn't lift her head as strength drained into her fists.
—Haha... If it's from you, Miss Misa, I think anything would taste good. And here I am, a teacher getting treated to a meal by my student.
Knowing nothing. Truly knowing nothing, yet smiling so brightly—Ricardo's smile made her chest ache as if it were being torn apart. All she could do was something this small.
—Even if it's just empty words, it feels nice.
Seeing the person she liked like this hurt her heart so much. On a scale that had been cruelly tipped, Mikhail stared at the empty weight and clenched her fist.
*
—Shhhk, shhhk, shhhk.
Rain poured sorrowfully over the carriage heading back to the academy.
—Creak.
"Haa... This is bad."
After driving for a while, the coachman felt a strong jolt and stopped the carriage, stepping down from his seat. Seeing the wheel stuck in the mud, he let out a long sigh.
"Aigoo..."
—Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Excuse me, Teacher."
The coachman knocked on the window and spoke to Mikhail.
"I'm terribly sorry, but would it be alright if we departed tomorrow instead?"
"...Yes?"
"The wheel fell into a pothole and got smashed... I think I'll need to borrow tools from the nearby village to fix it..."
The coachman pointed east with his finger.
"If it's alright with you, could we stay in that village for the day and depart tomorrow?"
"Well..."
Mikhail bit her lip as she looked up at the darkening sky. They hadn't even made it halfway, and pushing forward from here would mean they definitely wouldn't arrive today. At least there was a village nearby—that was fortunate. The broken wheel was something beyond their control. Mikhail stepped out of the carriage and began walking toward the village. Then—
"Ah... Teacher."
The coachman's greeting reached her ears.
"Have a good night."
"...Thank you."
The village she arrived at was...
· · ·
Shrouded in thick fog.