The professor seemed unbothered by Stella’s tsundere comment. “Now then, as for the subject itself...”
“Can I ask about that later?” Stella asked. Professor Elyena tilted her head. “Um, I want to use class time to practice miracles...”
“Goodness! At last you wish to practice miracles instead of immediately going to the library...!” the professor exclaimed, moved.
Stella turned away. “I-I mean, even I want to practice miracles so—”
“Is it frustrating, Stella?” the professor asked, peering up at her. “It is my understanding you had a personal meeting with your class head Professor Speranza yesterday.”
Personal meeting...?
As far as I knew, Stella hadn’t had any meetings with a professor. This must’ve been before we met.
“I understand why you may be anxious. Professor Speranza did say that if you do not produce results by next month’s finals, you will—”
“I know, Professor,” Stella replied, her voice sharp as if to cut the professor off. “You don’t need to worry about me. I can handle it myself.”
Stella’s palm was heating up. Seemed like she was getting tense.
Professor Elyena eyed Stella for a moment, then smiled. “Let me teach you a special technique of mine. Consider it the ace in the hole of an expert saint.”
Stella swallowed.
“Be honest.”
It was a simple, two-word suggestion. As Stella fell silent, the professor chanted, “Terararia Sein.” A golden chalice appeared in her hand.
“Your body is the vessel, and honest calls for aid are like water. We at all times have various wishes, prayers, and hopes within us...”
“Aquaria Sein,” she continued, and water began pouring from the empty air, filling her chalice. “People awaken to their own power once the water overflows from the vessel. Miracles are a reward for honest calls for help... They do not occur from trifling wishes from small people.”
The chalice continued to fill.
“You must hold big dreams. Let your frustration, sorrow, and agony build so that you might turn them into wishes. When they finally overflow, you will surely be a mightier saint than anyone.”
With a splash, the water overflowed from the chalice. It got all over her hands, then disappeared like a magic trick.
“I believe in your potential, Stella. And now... I shall go to the side so as to not disturb your practice. Aha!”
The professor swung her staff—which was taller than herself—and left.
“That’s a good teacher,” I said.
“How? She’s a weirdo. This is the first time I’ve heard anyone talk about honesty-this and honesty-that when all you’re doing is getting a spirit to do miracles for you,” Stella said.
But hey, she had cheered Stella on, and that made her a good person in my book.
Stella, now alone in the garden, turned to the distant mountain and began her chant.
“Hey, Stella. What were you told at the meeting yesterday?” I asked, since her interrupting Professor Elyena had cut off the most important part. Her brow twitched. “Professor Speranza is that scary lady that came to your room this morning, right? What’ll happen if you don’t produce results at the next exam?”
“None of your business,” she replied after some hesitation.
Her aura told me she didn’t want me pressing any further, so I fell silent.
Well, the meeting’s over anyway, so no point thinking about it. Now’s the time to focus on practicing miracles.
“O Spirits of Wind, grant me wings in the name of the Goddess supreme...” Stella began, closing her eyes and giving it her all. She was straddling me and leaning forward as if she might fly at any moment.
Unfortunately, as expected, the miracle didn’t come so easily.
The garden was dead silent and devoid of any wind whatsoever. Only the trees planted around the garden swayed, and their sound was like mocking laughter. How dare those cursed Wind spirits ignore a tsundere girl calling for their help?
I exhaled to calm my anger, then remembered Professor Elyena’s lesson.
Miracles need a prayer, mana, and spirits... Stella praying forms an image, her hands fill her staff with holy power, and then her guardian spirit uses that power to call the nearby spirits for aid.
As the one inside her staff, I was a guardian spirit; it was my duty to call for the nearby spirits. Thinking back, last night’s miracle had happened right after I’d lectured the spirits about tsunderes or something like that. I’d thought, Come on, give at least a little light.
In which case...
I visualized Stella high in the air, then shouted a silent scream: O Spirits OF WIND! Don’t you want to see a tsundere smiling or— Whoa!
“EEEEEK!”
I was struck with a floating sensation, and Stella let out a short shriek. It all happened in an instant. Stella and I had been enveloped in a strong wind and lifted up to a point where we could see the expanse of the entire garden.
“Wha? Wh-Why?! Why am I flying?!” Stella said, a look of panic on her face in place of any broad smile or whatever.
“Because you succeeded in casting a miracle.”
“This doesn’t make sense! I mean, the light yesterday disappeared like nothing, didn’t it?! I was just trying to practice floating a bit off the ground, why am I so high in the air...?”
Yeah, it sure felt strange that it worked that well. Maybe the spirits around here were just better listeners? Talk about a big difference from yesterday. It was like the spirits were now fawning all over me or someth—
Ah.
I got it. I got it! This is because of the divine power!
This must have been what Professor Elyena was talking about. A strong guardian spirit meant a lot of spirits provided their aid. Thanks to the Goddess granting me divine power, I was now leagues stronger than I had been yesterday. The spirits sensed that and now listened to me much better.
“All right, Stella. Let’s catch up to your classmates.”
I called out to all the Wind spirits that had to be around.
We’re heading right for the peak. Let’s make our tsundere the top of her class!
We instantly accelerated.
“HyaaAAAAAAAH!” Stella shrieked at the immense speed.
I visualized us going as fast as possible. I felt powerful winds carrying us farther. That’s the stuff, spirits! I had you all wrong.
“W-Wait, stop...! This is too fast, too fast!”
A panicked voice went right into my ears. Before I knew it, she was clinging tightly to me and glaring down with tearful eyes.
Holy cow, I just realized! A silver-haired beauty is riding on top of me!
Due to focusing entirely on flying, I had missed the true enormity of what was happening. Stella was even tightly squeezing her thighs around me, likely due to being afraid.
“Why are we flying faster than birds?! I didn’t visualize this!”
“Sorry. I’ll slow down.”
So I said, but we had already slowed down to about a walking speed. We were also losing a lot of height. Me losing focus meant I wasn’t speaking to the spirits clearly.
“Ngh, now the flying’s all weird... Hey, is this okay? I think we’re falling!”
“I-It should be fine! If you don’t mind, uh, could you be a little gentler with your thighs?”
“My thighs...?” Stella replied, her brow furrowing. It was only then she finally realized the absolute death grip she had me in. Her cheeks instantly flushed with crimson. “YOU BIG STUPID PERVEEERT! NOW I CAN’T GET MARRIEEED!”
“Calm down, Stella! All that matters is that you’re a tsundere! This doesn’t mean anything!”
“That’s just your weird fetish! BWAAAAH!”
Naturally, I did have some guilt about being wedged up a girl’s crotch. I had to end this endurance run sooner rather than later... I cut off all emotion and honed my mental energy.
“We’re speeding up. Hold on a bit longer.”
“Eek! Nnm, no...!” Stella clung to me, digging into me even more. She let out a voiceless sort of breath.
After a moment, she started wriggling about.
“Stella? What are you doing?”
“Taking off my shoes.”
What.
Despite my confusion, she went barefoot and planted her feet on my back. She lifted her hips and stood atop me carefully.
“Wow...” Stella gasped. She spread her arms wide, long hair flowing in the wind.
Before us spread the vast expanse of a blue sky. The streaming sunlight was warm, and we lined up with birds flying in groups. The grounds of Antohsa spread out beneath us, alongside a vast forest.