I didn’t have time to get excited over pulling off a technique for the first time. It was easy to throw up a simple barrier, but they only lasted around ten seconds at most. I needed to get the next one going as soon as I finished the first.
One barrier, two barriers, three barriers, four.
One after another, I produced the barrier spells. I needed to avoid focusing too much on how I was doing it in the first place and somehow ignore the immense pressure under which I felt like I could faint at any given moment.
There was so much I had to process in my mind that my nose started bleeding. I ignored it, though, and kept throwing up more barriers as the previous ones dissipated.
I knew if I failed here, I would regret it for the rest of my life.
Faster, faster! I need to run through the formula faster.
I could feel myself making the barriers even faster. At the same time, I could feel the intense toll it was taking on my body. I’d never used so much magic in such quick succession before.
“Faster… Faster…”
My mind was beginning to go blank. Slowly, my vision grew dark starting from the outer edges, and my thoughts grew clouded.
How long have I been casting for? How many barriers did I manage to make…?
I soon woke up to someone grabbing my hand.
“Spberry. You did good.”
“Sophie…”
“Everything is all right now.”
Hearing her say this, I noticed that the barrier had been cast around the portal. Not only was it up, it was also fortified. The formula used for its magic circle had been redesigned and improved.
“How long have I been out…?”
“For about two or three minutes.”
“That’s all?”
Sophie managed to not only re-create but improve the barrier formula in a matter of minutes? She may have messed up, but wow, did she know how to make a comeback. They didn’t call her a genius for nothing.
“Wow, you Sages sure are something else, eh?”
“Your nose is bleeding, Spberry.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
“One more thing.”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
Sophie didn’t look at me when she said this. I could tell she was blushing as she did, though.
I got up, and we bowed for the audience, who gave us a grand round of applause. Sophie, who was used to putting on a show, waved for the spectators. She really was a celebrity. It made her feel so far away, even though she was right next to me.
With that, the Celebration of Worlds began.
“What?! You made a mistake creating the magic formula?”
“Yeah, ha-ha. Sorry.”
I scratched my head, and Mayor Carter looked terrified as he uttered, “Meg…”
After we finished the opening ceremony, we went to the town hall to tell the mayor what had happened. Sophie and I stood opposite his desk as we told him the news.
“Will there be any side effects from this?”
“No, everything should be fine.”
Sophie quietly nodded as she said this.
“I’ve heard of major accidents happening related to portals in the past…”
“Past incidents were always the result of a delayed response, with the problem being left undiscovered for days at a time. There won’t be any issues with a three-minute opening at most.”
“Well, that’s a relief…”
Something dawned on me as I listened to the explanation.
“Wait… You don’t mean to say I panicked for no reason, do you?”
“That is what this would mean. We wouldn’t hold such a dangerous event publicly every year, would we?”
“Well, yeah, but why didn’t you say something sooner?! So you mean to say you let a beautiful damsel show her bloody face in front of the entire town for nothing?! I even stuffed a tissue up my nose…”
“Yeah, that was really funny. I think the townsfolk enjoyed it, too.”
“It’s all right, Meg. It was a good show, and that’s what counts.”
“You’re not helping, Mayor!”
Bickering about it only made me even more tired. I let out a sigh and almost lost my footing, but I managed to put my hand on the desk to catch myself. This worried the mayor, who was watching.
“Are you all right? You don’t seem well.”
“Yeah… I haven’t felt so hot ever since the portal ceremony. I feel drained.”
“That is what happens when you use spells rapid-fire like that. It takes getting used to, forming magic formulas inside yourself.”
“Is that right? I’ll be sure to eat some liver later, then.”
“Why liver?”
“I figured it would help get my blood flowing better.”
“The hematopoietic mechanism responsible for the proliferation of your blood vessels exhibits no discernible relationship with magic energy restoration.”
“We speak English here…”
As Sophie and I poked fun at each other, the mayor interjected with “But… The last thing I expected with the presence of one of the Seven Sages was a magical error. I suppose mistakes happen, though.”
“I…”
“Oh, it was my fault. I’m sorry.”
Sophie gave me a surprised look as I said this. I gave her a wink to tell her I would handle it with the mayor.
“Well, things worked out this time, so all is well. But you ought to be careful. You wouldn’t want to tarnish your teacher’s name as well.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“I’ll let Lady Faust know about this.”
“Okay…”
Am I gonna be okay? My teacher might make me work for three days and nights without sleep. Or maybe something even worse, like making me climb a mountain during the winter with no clothes as some form of ascetic training?
“Ah-ha-ha… Perhaps death is the only true release. All things eventually perish, and any pain or embarrassment is less than a mosquito bite in the grand scheme of the universe. That’s right, life is a test. As my wise, ascended teacher once showed me. The purpose of life is to find your twin flame…”
“Are you all right, Meg?”
“Just feeling a bit worried is all.”
I could only imagine the horrors that awaited me as Sophie and I excused ourselves from the mayor’s office. With my shoulders slumped, I meandered out of the town hall, and Sophie followed a few paces behind.
“Spberry.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you lie?”
“Lie? About what?”
“About making the mistake…”
“I mean, it was my fault for not looking into it enough beforehand and realizing the formula was changed. More importantly, though, there are much fewer repercussions for some apprentice like me to mess up than there are one of the Seven Sages, right?”
It was a mistake that could have led to Sophie, a Sage, causing a big accident at a small-town event. If word got out about it, it would be a scandal of epic proportions. It could even lead to her losing her seat as one of the Seven Sages.
“I’m used to it anyway. I’m always messing up.”
“But…”
“It’s easier this way. A Sage covered for a witch in training to stop a big accident. And…”
“And…?”
“I know you were only trying to make the festival better for the town anyway. I didn’t want Lapis to be a town you remembered for something negative.”
“Spberry…”
“Now let’s get back. The festivities have already started.”
I grabbed Sophie’s hand, and she squeezed mine back. She did so with a hint of hesitation—in a way two lovers who weren’t sure of how strong they should hold each other’s hands did.
“Wow, you purty girls have some real soft hands on ya.”
“Let go of me.”
“But I won’t do that.”
I continued to hold her hand and drag her out of the building. Once we were out, I could see the surprise on her face. She gazed at the town, which was lively with people celebrating and enjoying the festival. There were colorful flags all around and pop-up shops lining the street—it was like Lapis had transformed overnight.
“You helped make this possible, Miss Sophie. You brought all these people happiness, but I’m sure you’re used to doing that by now.”
“Yes, but…it’s my first time actually being able to take it in like this. Usually, I have to move on to my next job once I’m finished with my part of the show.”
Sophie looked happy as she gazed at the town.
“Let’s go check out the food stalls, Miss Sophie. You in the mood for anything in particular?
“It’s Sophie.”
“Huh?”
“I’d prefer you just call me Sophie.”
Sophie gave me a genuine smile as she said this. So genuine that I nearly choked.
She was the witch who captivated the world, and I got to see her real smile.
“You’re even more beautiful when you smile…”
“You have a bad habit of sounding like a creepy old guy, Spberry.”
“Who you’s callin’ a guy, lady?”
Sophie grabbed my hand this time. It caught me off guard at first, but it made me happy from the bottom of my heart.
“Let’s go, Sophie!” I called out to her, my voice becoming a part of the festivities that rang out in the bright blue sky that day.