Ficelle had commented on that point before. I still remembered her going to Lucy for help out of concern. Now that I thought of it, back during my first meeting with Mewi—to be blunt, when she’d tried to pick my pocket—she hadn’t strained herself at all to produce flames. It really had come out naturally the moment I’d grabbed her arm. Not only had it been unexpected, but I hadn’t been given the time to react to the possibility of her even trying to do something.
In other words, be it an inborn talent or something she’d developed, she was a genius at turning mana into fire. I wanted her to put some effort into other areas of magic, too, but this was already a splendid strength on its own. I was excited to see how Ficelle and the other teachers of the institute were going to train her. If there was anything I could do to help, I was intent on doing so.
“Tah!”
“Haaah!”
While we exchanged brief impressions of the match, the other students continued sparring with each other. Some pairs had already finished, while others were still going at it. Taking a quick glance around, I saw that the vast majority were sticking to the fundamentals—they’d clearly had the basics thoroughly drilled into them.
I wondered if this meant that Ficelle’s teaching style had stuck in a good way. Ficelle was the poster child for practice by repetition. If she could only learn moderation, she would be well-suited to hammering the fundamentals into people.
Once that step was done, it would be time to apply said fundamentals and develop them. This was unknown territory for Ficelle. I could help with swordplay, but not magic. I hope both Ficelle and her students can grow steadily in this regard.
“Ummm... Anything else?” Mewi asked.
“Hm? Let’s see...”
Hmm. I guess she’s asking for advice on how to improve? She’d never pleaded with me like this before, so it was a novel experience. I couldn’t let it go to waste.
“Just as I mentioned, you’re beginning to get a grasp of the fundamentals,” I began. “However, when chaining one movement to the next, your body has a hard time keeping up. You need to gradually develop the muscles needed for battle. In particular, you should focus on everything from the waist down. You’re fast, so you need your body to be able to withstand the speed of your techniques and make full use of them.”
“Mm... Thank you...”
“You’re welcome.”
Oops, I got so excited I couldn’t stop talking there. Well, at least it got through to her.
The sparring wasn’t over after just one match. With her usual excess of energy, Cindy came running over.
“Mewi! A match, please!”
“Mm, sure.”
Their personalities were polar opposites, but from what I could see, they got along very well. I prayed that they would continue to push each other to greater heights.
As I saw Mewi and Cindy off, another student approached.
“Mr. Beryl, may I ask for a match as well?” he asked.
“Of course. Let’s do it.”
“Thank you!”
This was Lumite, the one who’d been leading the class during the practice swings. As the son of a nobleman, he’d learned the basic theory of swordplay before coming to the institute. Nesia had a big advantage in terms of pure strength, while Mewi was steps ahead in terms of speed. But when it came to the full picture, Lumite was well beyond the others.
“Hee hee, enjoying yourself, Master?” Ficelle said teasingly.
“Sure am. This is my role, after all.”
I wouldn’t be an instructor otherwise. Seeing the younger generation grow was a teacher’s privilege. Not that they were strictly my pupils or anything. Still, it was definitely fun. This was especially true if my techniques could be of use to them.
If possible, I want to spend as much time as I can doing this. I intend to give it my all. I have to keep up my dedication so that those around me continue to depend on me.
Lumite readied his wooden sword and fired himself up.
“Here I come!”
“Bring it on!”
Now then, what kind of sword magic will you show me?
No matter how much time passed, my curiosity never faded.