Chapter 24
“ALL RIGHT, THAT’S ENOUGH!” Mira said, calling an end to their special training session about thirty minutes after it’d begun.
The session which they’d set up to help develop their own special techniques was proceeding at full tilt, and yet it was starting to get pretty late.
Before they knew it, it was already the dead of night, when one might ordinarily begin preparing for bed.
And yet, not surprisingly, Alfina suggested that they continue for just ten more minutes. Truth be told, she looked rather exhausted, and yet her expression seemed to say that she was just getting started.
“I can keep going too,” Selestina said, echoing Alfina.
She must’ve been quite happy about finally making some headway on her special technique, which she previously hadn’t made any progress on, as she appeared to still have quite a bit of energy.
And yet, unable to keep her eyes open much longer, Mira turned down the suggestion.
“No, let’s call it a day for today,” she said, telling them once more that practice was over.
She was indeed getting sleepy, but most importantly, she was ending the session out of consideration for the two themselves.
When things were going well, it was very easy to keep pushing oneself while losing sight of when it might be best to stop and call it a day. This was something Mira had learned countless times from personal experience.
“Sleep is yet another part of training. You’ve got training tomorrow as well, no? That means you’ll really need the rest.”
The Valkyrie sisters trained every single day. Effectively being professionals at training, they ought to know very well the importance of rest.
When Mira said so, Selestina answered, “Yes… You’re right.” Her once sky-high spirits falling, she suddenly felt fatigue washing over her entire body. She seemed to recall just what kind of training was in store for her the very next day.
Their special training session would no doubt have an effect on the next day’s training. Presuming as much, Selestina nodded along and said, “Thank you for your help!” before hurrying off.
Meanwhile, Alfina’s expression hadn’t changed one bit when she was reminded of the next day’s practice. But now that her training partner, Selestina, was gone, she seemed to accept that it was no longer possible to continue training. “As you say, Master,” she assented.
And yet, Mira hadn’t missed just how much Alfina was still raring to go. Nor had she failed to notice how the hand in which she held Sanctia was still trembling eagerly.
“Get some nice rest tonight, so that you’ll be ready for tomorrow,” Mira told her once more, before dismissing the sacred sword Sanctia that Alfina had been holding.
“Agh!” she exclaimed, a cry escaping her lips. No doubt she’d been thinking about sneaking out again to practice more after they’d gone back. While Alfina’s expression had remained unchanged until then, it finally began to crack as she turned and looked at Mira diffidently.
“Got it?”
“Fine… I’ll do as you say,” Alfina replied in a panic.
She must’ve guessed from Mira’s words that she’d seen through her plan.
And so, after watching Alfina stalk away in dejection, Mira returned to her quarters and started getting ready for bed. Wearing the blue pajamas that Mariana had picked out for her, Mira sank into the king-size bed.
Night in Valhalla was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, and the only thing Mira could see from the sole window in her room were the stars twinkling brightly. But even these vanished as she closed her eyes, having fallen into silence herself. And indeed, the silence was so deep that the loud, spirited training session they’d just had seemed like a distant dream.
The only thing that remained was a profound feeling of tranquility. Wrapped in this mysterious sense of peace, Mira drifted to sleep.
“Hrmm. What a beautiful morning.”
In a word, Mira felt refreshed upon waking up in Valhalla. Having been roused by the strong yet gentle light of the sun, Mira was surprised to discover that she felt a sense of contentment that she’d never felt in the morning before. Usually, she was by no means a morning person, but on this particular day she felt remarkably clearheaded.
Checking what time it was, Mira was surprised yet again. Somehow, it was six in the morning, just about three hours before she usually woke up. And yet, she still felt in tip-top shape and not one bit sleepy.
“I guess it isn’t bad to wake up early every once in a while,” Mira said, feeling so good that she figured it’d be a waste to go back to sleep. And so, having leaped out of bed, she quickly changed clothes and took care of her most pressing morning business. She then headed out to stroll through early-morning Valhalla.
The warm light of the sun felt pleasant against her skin as she took in Valhalla’s wonderful springlike weather. Wondering to herself whether the place even had seasons, Mira strolled about the palace.
She saw some people warming up in the No. 2 training area, as well as washhouses filled more with armor than clothes. While the palace was indeed magnificent, the facilities within it seemed to be quite different from what someone might normally find inside a palace down on the surface. It was just what one might expect of a place where Valkyries resided.
“Oh, is that it…?”
Aside from those, there was also a blacksmith’s shack lined with all kinds of imposing weapons, and just ahead sat Mira’s destination.
“This place is beautiful.”
Compared to the size of the palace, it was by no means large. What’s more, compared to the other places she’d seen around the palace grounds, it undeniably felt rather out of place. And yet, a well-kept and assiduously maintained park stretched out silently right in front of her.
Mira scratched her head, wondering to herself just what kind of techniques had been used to transform the No. 2 training ground into the dreadful place it now was.
She also shuddered as she wondered to herself just how much blood had been splattered to sully the now accursed-looking armor she’d seen in the laundry area.
Finally, she struggled to imagine just who or what might’ve needed to use the colossal sword she’d seen at the blacksmith’s shack as a fighting tool.
Considering how frightful some of the surrounding areas of the palace were, the park did indeed stand out. And so, while staring at the colorful flowers there, Mira began looking all around the garden to see if there wasn’t anything else there.
There were beautiful beds of flowers that were grouped together by color and were all in full bloom. The well-kept grass and the elegantly blooming flowers contrasted in perfect harmony, elevating both to a level of beauty that neither could’ve reached by themselves.
There was no doubt that whoever was in charge of maintaining the park had a prolific understanding of flowers. It was the kind of garden in which one could glimpse just how much love had been put into caring for it.
Just by walking around it, Mira’s heart felt at peace. In the center of this garden, she also found a lovely bench. Mira felt that if she were to look at the flowers while sitting on it, she might achieve complete peace of mind.
Thinking this, she inadvertently found herself enjoying a stroll through the park, as if she’d been beckoned there by the warm, early morning light and the refreshing scent of the flowers growing there.
“Oh, looks like there are some on the opposite side as well, huh?”
After walking through most of the park, Mira discovered a break in the splendid-looking hedges and managed to catch a glimpse of what lay further inside. And sure enough…
“Well now, good morning, Master.”
There she found Floedina, dressed like an old farmer, but holding a rather expensive-looking silver watering can that shone brightly.
“Hrm, morning,” Mira replied. Then, staring at Floedina, she asked, “Are you by any chance the one in charge of taking care of this beautiful park?”
Likely happy to hear Mira describe it in such a way, Floedina answered, “Yes. I thought the area around the palace wasn’t terribly colorful, so I started tending to this space a decade or so ago.” Her tone was slightly abashed.
“Colorful, huh…? I walked around the surrounding area, and everywhere besides this park feels rather brutal and savage,” Mira said, giving her impression on what she’d seen.
“I know, right…?” Floedina agreed with a wry smile.
It seemed that she’d had the exact same impression of the place for quite a while. And so, this, combined with her love of flowers, had led her to start gardening in the once-vacant plot of land. Laughing, she continued that the area she tended had gotten bigger and bigger, until it became the park where they were now standing before she knew it.
What’s more, according to Floedina, Alfina seemed unexpectedly fond of the park. After busting her butt training until she could barely walk, Alfina would apparently often come to rest on the bench. It seemed that she herself had brought the bench there from elsewhere.
“That bench has had quite a history. I find that hard to imagine, given what she’s usually like.”
Alfina gave off the image of living solely to do battle and train with her bow, and yet, surprisingly, she also seemed to have a girly side. While Mira was still surprised to learn of this new side of her, something suddenly seemed to come to Floedina. “Master… Actually…” she began, a faint smile appearing on her lips before she let slip a certain secret.
Apparently, the truth was that Alfina hated tomatoes.
“Oh ho! I wouldn’t have expected that of Alfina.”
Alfina had a somewhat perfect and faultless air about her, and yet even she had this kind of childish aversion. While shocked at how out of character this seemed, Mira also felt vaguely like she had gotten to know her better. And then…