“It is rare to see you coming to my office alone. So what did you want to talk about?”
“About…my future…”
Several days later.
Lefiya’s mind had long since overheated, so she came to Leon to talk.
Out of consideration, Leon made sure it was just the two of them in his office. Sitting in the seat he offered her, Lefiya rubbed her hands together as she slowly began to speak.
About Alisa’s recommendation.
About Anakity’s warning.
About how she looked up to Alicia.
About being directly scouted by Hedin.
The very word adventurer was tormenting her.
She had been praised by others, been curious, misunderstood, and tried to settle her path.
It was probably the same thing countless other children were doing. Maybe it would turn out differently from how she thought, but if she made up her mind and tried, it might end up working better than expected. Or maybe she was just overthinking things.
But unable to picture what she wanted to do or be, Lefiya could not bring herself to plant her feet.
“I see…I should say this at the start, but there are many students with the same sort of worries as you.”
“…”
“But in your case, it seems your surroundings won’t leave you be. And that is becoming a secondary source of doubt.”
“Th-that’s…”
Leon had a wry smile as he listened carefully to Lefiya and offered her several options. He mentioned all sorts of internships available in Meren and Orario and the various different paths that other graduates had taken. He spread a large file of materials across his desk, covering an enormous range of information.
Unable to make a decision, Lefiya quailed like an al-miraj, unable to reach an answer.
But even so, Leon did not ever look unhappy and continued the discussion with her.
Leon simply sat in his chair with his feet on the ground, uncrossed, and his hand on his chin. Exhausted and feeling a bit out of it, she was struck with the odd thought that the more she saw him in his thinking pose, the cooler he seemed.
The professor had sharp and gallant features, handsome in a way that was very different from the beauty of elves, who were often compared to ice. She could almost understand why Alisa and many others could become obsessed with him.
One aspect of Leon’s popularity was his chivalrous, knightly bearing.
If his patron Balder was the ideal god, he was the epitome of a knight. His beautiful posture alone was enough to charm people.
Leon was the model of a teacher, and though he was simply conducting himself as an educator, it had become a fitting look for him. He surpassed the standard image of a teacher, becoming linked with the image of a knight.
The way he treated everyone with grace and respect really did make him seem like a knight.
“Lefiya, have a drink.”
“Eh…? P-Professor Leon, this is…”
“Our secret.”
Their talk had become a marathon session, and it was now late at night. Lefiya still remembered how he put his finger to his lips while offering her a warm spiced wine.
If she had not known Alisa, who was a cringeworthy example of a maiden in love, her first love would surely have been Leon.
“Lefiya, I believe that the path you take should be something to think long and hard over, just as you are now.”
“Eh?”
“So you are not making a mistake right now. Struggle and worry all you need. But do not let that become sloth.”
Standing and leaning against the wall, Leon sipped at the steaming spice wine as he shared his own personal thoughts.
“Any failure that might come after that will make you wiser. However, failures that come without thought and consideration often do not become assets.”
“Professor…”
“So think. If you cannot reach an answer, then take some more time and think some more. Just as Lord Balder said. And…” He offered one last bit of advice, saying, “…when your heart trembles, be true to yourself.”
“When my heart trembles…?”
“Yes. There was a moment when my heart raced and trembled uncontrollably. In that moment, I vowed to become a teacher.”
His eyes, looking kindly down at her, were those of an adult. Yet she could see the unmistakable gleam of a child’s eyes in their depths.
Someday, when she could decide what she wanted to become, she wanted to ask Leon what made him want to become a teacher.
✦ ✦ ✦
After speaking with Leon, Lefiya thought more about herself.
She faced her heart in earnest because she knew that it was not wrong to do so.
“Lefiya, we’re going to the eighteenth floor!”
“All right…wait, what?! What are you talking about, Bardain? Students aren’t allowed past the fifteenth floor!”
“I want to see the Under Resort for myself! I already roped Nassen in, too! We have lots more allies, too. There’s nothing that can stop our adventurous spirit!”
“Y-you can’t do that! Professor Leon and all the other teachers were so adamant about not breaking the rules in the Dungeon, weren’t they?!”
“Rules are meant to be broken!”
“That’s not true at all! Wait, Bardain! He already left…argh, Alisa! Help!”
And as the Dungeon practical reached its climax, Lefiya came to know more deeply just what an adventurer was.