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ONE week later, on the day of Professor Morris’s exam.
“Emma, here.”
Lunchtime was over, and she was on her way to the training room for applied life magic. Glen gave her a small tin.
“What is this?”
Head tilted curiously, she twisted open the lid covering the lemon-colored tin. Inside, the container was packed to the brim with the cookies Glen had been treating her to during their two-week-long intensive training. Full of dry fruits and nuts, the cookies gave off a tempting vanilla aroma.
“Think of these cookies as a good luck charm. Though it might serve as merely a mental balm, I suggest you take a few bites before your exam.”
“Thank you. They look delicious!” she exclaimed.
In the end, she hadn’t succeeded once at the tea-warming magic. The only silver lining about the whole endeavor was that she had stopped failing so spectacularly. Even so, she remained nervous. It would be a challenge, if not impossible, to obtain Professor Morris’s approval as she was. I feel even more pathetic when I think about the fact that Glen can use all his magics so skillfully…
“Perhaps you’re under the impression that I’ve always been good at using my abilities?”
“Huh?!” Emma froze at the unexpected question. Was he a mind reader, after all? “I…I’m not?”
“Well, let’s say you were,” he said with a wink. “I’d tell you you’re wrong. The only reason I know about and can use magic is because of my efforts. As long as you try your best, your efforts won’t go to waste.”
My efforts won’t go to waste. On the surface, Glen seemed effortlessly capable, but he had just given her a glimpse into himself with his words. When she factored in his special instructions to her after school these past two weeks, the experience added even greater weight to his words. I want to know more about him and all the burdens he’s shouldered so far in his life.
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“NEXT, Miss Emma Grace Seagrove.”
“Yes, sir.”
At Professor Morris’s summons, Emma hurriedly but stealthily stuffed two cookies into her mouth. She chewed them as fast as she could before swallowing. The same cookies she’d been snacking on the whole time she trained with Glen. The ones he’d given her earlier. If she viewed this exam the same as her practice sessions with him, she felt markedly calmer and reassured.
In today’s exam, each student would be called up to the front to demonstrate their attempt at tea-warming magic. So far, of the students who’d been tested, only half had passed. Rashida, who had already had her turn—and what a wildly successful turn it was—raised her fist encouragingly at Emma.
“Good luck, Emma.”
Emma nodded at her friend, then stood up and walked to the lectern at the head of the hall. Professor Morris spoke to her, his tone impassive.
“Ah, it’s you. Do you need a shield?”
“No, I don’t.”
A shield was a magical device designed to protect the examinee in case hot water erupted or the pot exploded. Normally, they didn’t use it in the applied life magic class, but Professor Morris had prepared one for Emma anyway. Except she would prove to him and herself that it was unnecessary.
“Tea once cold, warm again to your mistress’s liking.”
The black tea within the transparent glass teapot swirled fluidly. A second later, steam rose inside. This was usually the point when Emma would run into trouble. She couldn’t cut off the flow of her magical energy properly, so the tea would get hotter and hotter until disaster struck.
I have to stop it now. She pulled back the hand she held over the pot and exhaled slowly, deeply. The tea within continued bubbling. About now, the lid would usually fly off from the pressure of the accumulated steam, but she sensed that wouldn’t happen this time. I think I’ll finally succeed today.
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Emma’s gaze remained focused on the pot, and soon after, the bubbling inside the pot subsided. It should be fine now. She heard Professor Morris’s voice on the heels of that thought.
“Right, then. Your test is over.”
“Professor…?”
“You must have practiced a lot, eh? It shows because your personality didn’t have a disastrous effect this time. A job well done, Miss Emma.”
Eeep! The usually cool Professor Morris sounded surprised and impressed, his sky-blue eyes wide in satisfaction. She passed the exam.
“Thank you very much.”
“But you must keep in mind your personality. It will continue to pose a challenge with other magics. I believe the more you train, the more easily you’ll be able to adapt. Even so… Even so, you’ll need to exert a great deal of effort into every advanced magic you try your hand at—more than the average person, in my opinion. As you did now.”
“Yes, sir! I learned to manage this much after many attempts, so I’m confident my hard work will pay off in other magics, too.”
She couldn’t decipher Professor Morris’s expression as he stared at her beaming face, but Emma wasn’t bothered. A powerful sense of accomplishment exhilarated her. In hindsight, I’m glad Professor Morris taught us along with Professor Katie. If it had been her alone, I have a feeling she wouldn’t have tested me so rigorously since she knows my situation.
Once class ended, Emma raced out of the hall, wanting to thank Glen for all his help. She found him in his classroom and eagerly told him the good news.
“Glen, I passed! Profess Morris even said I did well!”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Thank you again so much. It’s all because you taught me so much in our training lessons.”
At her words, he broke eye contact, smiling shyly. I’ve never seen him like this before. Emma’s heart raced upon witnessing the unexpectedly boyish expression on his usually confident, relaxed face.