OSWALD watched the group’s lively interaction from atop the staircase. Surliness punctuated his expression as usual, but he sighed and descended into the entrance hall. He stealthily approached Nichika and greeted her with a snide remark.
“Obnoxious energy seems to follow you wherever you go.”
“Oswald! Good morning!”
A sharp pang surged through the man’s heart at her radiant smile. But the sorrow he felt rapidly transformed into annoyance. Where do you get off smiling like that when you’re about to say goodbye to me forever?
“…You seem to be in awfully good spirits,” he unintentionally bit out in an irate voice.
“I do? I feel pretty normal,” she replied as if it didn’t bother her one bit.
Ini put an arm around her shoulder and puffed out his chest in some theatrical show of bravado. “My empress shines brighter than the sun at all times!”
“You’re embarrassing me, so drop it already.”
Nichika grabbed Ini by the nose and thrust him aside with a straight face, yet Oswald’s frustration ballooned as the other man latched onto her hand and pulled her to his chest.
Deciding it’d be best to quickly finish his business and skedaddle out of there, Oswald clumsily held out the long object wrapped in a white cloth he had been holding.
“Here.”
Nichika accepted it with both hands and carefully moved the cloth aside, revealing a three-foot long staff. A round pedestal sat in place of a tip on the golden staff. She tilted her head when saw it. The essential pedestal looked empty and incomplete. Knowing how she’d interpret it, Oswald explained its use to her.
“Staffs amplify magic for witches and wizards. Master and I adjusted this one. You normally insert a magic stone in the pedestal, but the magic orb is a better fit for you.”
“Like this?”
When she removed the magic orb from her belt and brought it near the pedestal a magnetic force pulled it into place.
“When not in use, the staff automatically shrinks.”
“Wow!”
There was a sudden flash of light and the staff shrunk until only the pedestal was left. Now she didn’t have to worry about it getting in her way. She rolled it over in her hands and studied every inch of it, trying to figure out what the trick was.
“Ooh,” Ini uttered with a nostalgic expression, stopping his clinginess to admire the staff. “Now that’s nostalgic. Isn’t that Yuna’s staff?”
“Yuna’s staff?” Nichika looked over at Ini who was confirming his suspicions with Headmaster Grindieda.
“I’m positive that’s it. You kept it preserved at this school?”
“Yes. Several years ago I tracked it down to a pawn market and bought it. It’s a pity that it fell into the hands of a human who didn’t know its value.”
“Hmm. I see. I believe Yuna left that on the surface world after fulfilling her duties… But I see it had been passed around quite a bit in the time since.”
Melissa, who had been listening quietly up until that point, couldn’t keep her thoughts to herself any longer. She cried out in a loud voice as she checked out the item in Nichika’s hands.
“Oh my spirits! Is this for real? Isn’t that the rusted hunk of metal that was dangling in the trophy case?!”
Headmaster Grindieda shot a warning look at her granddaughter’s rude outburst. “My apprentice and I spent two whole days polishing it. Do not call a legendary staff a rusted hunk of metal,” she instructed with a barbed edge to her voice.
“I get where you’re coming from, but you’re asking the impossible expecting anyone to think of that junk as having once been Goddess Yuna’s staff—Ah! Sorry. I’ll keep my mouth shut. I won’t say another word!” Melissa rolled back on her heels and away from her grandmother’s pointed glare.
Nichika smiled at her and spun the surprisingly light staff in her hands. “Looks like all I have to do for now is concentrate the flow of mana into the staff… Mm…yep… I think I can activate it easier than before. Thank you, Headmaster.”
“Your thanks is unnecessary. I merely passed the staff on to its rightful owner,” the headmaster slightly tripped over her words before the girl’s unadorned smile. Though she didn’t show it, she was worried.
Given she had been assigned the grand duty of saving the world, it was only natural for her to seek greater recompense. Yet the child demanded neither status nor honor, but rather gave her thanks. Was it truly all right to entrust Yuna’s staff to such a girl?
I shouldn’t doubt her, because this is the child Ini saw outstanding potential in. He can’t be wrong. I hope. Driven by that thought, Headmaster Grindieda grabbed Nichika by the shoulders and advised her about the journey ahead.
“Heed my warning, child, you mustn’t summon forth the staff more than absolutely necessary. You never know what evildoers are after you both.”
“O-Okay. I’ll be…careful?”
“However, do not hesitate in times of danger. Offense is the greatest defense. Don’t wander around at night if you can help it. Blast suspicious people away with fire. Proper magic comes from proper sleep and eating. Also—”
“Grandmother, you aren’t sending her on a child’s errand. Sheesh,” Melissa interceded on Nichika’s behalf though she understood where her grandmother was coming from.
Something about her school friend who had a good head on her shoulders but a lack of common sense certainly made her someone you couldn’t help worrying about. Tamping down the desire to join her grandmother in mothering her, Melissa turned to Nichika to see her off with a smile.
“Be careful out there, Angeli—that’s not your name is it?”
Oh yeah, I haven’t told her my real name yet. Nichika firmly grabbed hold of Melissa’s right hand.
“My name is Nichika. Thanks for helping me out with a lot of stuff. You’re the first friend I’ve made since coming to this world. I was so happy to meet you. I’ll definitely come back to school once I fulfill my duty. Work hard toward achieving your dreams too.”
“Of course I will…!”
She swore she wouldn’t cry but the tears didn’t listen to reason. At least they weren’t the sole product of sadness, but also the joy of finding companionship in a new friend.
The last person to step up to Nichika was Oswald. He pressed a pouch into her hand and explained the contents in a clerical voice.
“Candy to suppress your condition. I created them in a hurry so there are only twenty. I’ll send Char after you with another batch before you run out.”
“Thanks.” Nichika gladly accepted the pouch and looked straight into his eyes. Neither reluctance nor regret shone there, invoking an odd sense of loneliness within Oswald.
He forced a half smile and spoke to bury those unnecessary feelings. “That’s…right. You no longer need…”
“Hm?”
You no longer need me. He swallowed the rest of that comment as it didn’t fit his character. I knew that. This should be what I always wanted. And yet— Oswald shook his head, stopping himself from thinking further. A sad smile pulled at his lips as he rested his hand on her head.
“Nah, it’s nothing. This is really the end for us. Is there anything else you want? How about a goodbye kiss?” he teased, but before he could make a move, she tugged on his hand.
Nichika’s lips drew an arc. The voice he heard spill from those lips felt very precious for some reason he didn’t understand himself.
“There’s just one more thing.”
“Nichika?”
In the bright morning sunlight, a smile blossomed on her face like a sunflower. The chirping birds and whooshing wind disappeared as if someone had flipped a switch so that she was all he could hear.
“I want you.”
Oswald’s face in that moment was truly a sight to see. Eyes bulging, unsaid words lodged in his throat, he froze with his mouth hanging open. But Nichika’s carefree smile brought him back to earth. Flustered, he tried to pull his hand free of hers and rambled in a voice that betrayed his rare panic.
“Y-You can’t…have me. You heard them, too. I’m not worthy of traveling with the great Spirit Priestess—”
“What they say has nothing to do with us. They can go to hell for all I care. Because regardless of what the world thinks or says, ‘Witch Oswald’ is my dear, irreplaceable friend.”
Nichika captured his hand once more and dragged him from the shady staircase into the bright morning sunlight.