Interlude:
The Means and the Conviction
(Pepi Barlier)
“ALL RIGHT, let’s stop there. Go ahead and take a ten-minute break, Lady Pepi.”
“Paah, haah!” Exhaustion assailed me at once. I had created and held a vibration-controlling magic field for several dozen minutes now, gradually expanding it and only releasing it on Misha’s command. My body, despite not having moved much at all, was covered in beads of sweat like a waterfall.
“Here.”
“Thank you…” Still panting, I took the towel Misha offered and wiped my sweat. Not even caring how it might soil my skirt, I sat down on the ground.
We were in the courtyard of the Jur home. House Jur had fallen from grace; their courtyard was big, but contained no flower beds. They lacked the funds to hire a caretaker for such things.
Misha was training me in magic here.
“You’re able to spread your wind magic out wider than before,” she commented.
“Yes, and I owe it all to you. Thank you.”
“Not at all. You’re helping my family out greatly just by asking me to be your tutor.”
Indeed, I had asked Misha to be my magic tutor. I had medium aptitude in wind magic and mainly fought using wind blades, rather orthodox magic, but I no longer believed that alone to be enough.
I never want to see Loretta make such a face again.
The battle we’d both been part of on the beach had been a big shock for Loretta, but also for me. I’d learned firsthand how much stronger Loretta was than me. I lacked her ability to command troops, but I still wanted to be with her. Resolving not to be a burden, I set about improving my magic.
She cried… The fact that Loretta’s own command wasn’t enough to keep people from dying weighed heavily on her heart. If I had been stronger, perhaps I could have prevented her from ever having to make such a face. Perhaps the battle would have been a breeze if Misha had been there instead of me.
That was how amazing Misha’s Siren was. I saw it once more when I asked her to teach me, and I was awed all over again. Its range was of particular note—the spell traveled through the air, so it could extend as far as one’s magic capacity allowed. If Misha had been the one standing on that beach, she’d probably have slain dozens of undead.
I don’t think I can ever measure up to Misha…but I can at least get stronger than I am now.
“All right, I’m rested,” I said. “What’s next?”
“Let’s see… Your range has grown quite a bit. Let’s work on precision next.”
“All right.”
“I’ll prepare some targets. Use your wind blades to only hit the ones I call out.”
“Got it.”
Along the other side of the courtyard, Misha lined up targets similar to ones we used in Academy magic classes. The distance was about fifty meters, a far but doable, distance for my present self.
“One.”
“Ei!”
“Four.”
“Haa!”
“Nine.”
“Yaah!”
“Two.”
“Taah!”
As Misha instructed, I struck the targets with blades made of wind.
“Moving on: Two and eight.”
“Yaah!”
“Four and ten.”
“Traaah!”
“Three and five.”
“Uryah!”
The orders gradually became more difficult, but I did my best to keep up. When she started calling out three targets at a time, however, I was almost always unable to do as she said.
“Looks like precision is your current bottleneck.”
“Looks…like it…” I said through heavy breaths.
I’d been fairly successful at increasing my maximum range, but precision was proving more of a roadblock. For reference, Misha showed me what she was capable of. Hitting three targets was nothing to her—she could hit as many as ten, randomly called out, with pinpoint accuracy.
“Whoa… You’re incredible.”
“Well, I did get into the Academy on a scholarship. This much is expected of me.”
I’d thought I understood how amazing her magic was, but this was really something. The gap between us made me feel a little dejected. “Is there any way to train my precision?”
“Let me think… I suppose there is a way, but it’s not exactly simple.”
“Really? Teach me!” I urged. She seemed a bit hesitant, however. “Is there a problem?”
“Not quite a problem, per se, but a question of conviction and values.”
“Just tell me what it is, for starters. I’ll decide whether to go through with it or not after hearing about it.”
“…All right. Why not try using an instrument?”
I gave her a quizzical look.
“You’re skilled with the violin, correct? I heard you received an invitation to play at the Autumn Concert after an event you did before the holidays.”
“I did, yes.”
Just as Loretta had received an invitation after her Foundation Day Festival performance, I had also received an invitation to the Autumn Concert. Loretta and I both jumped with joy when my invite arrived.
“You must be able to play the violin with the utmost precision, like an extension of your body.”
“Perhaps, but what’s that got to do with magic?”
“There exist magic tools in the form of instruments.”
“…Ah.” In other words… “You’re suggesting that I use an instrument as a weapon?”
“I am.”
It made sense. Controlling magic was difficult precisely because the process necessary to envision magic was abstract and vague. I could expect to improve greatly if I had something physical to work with. What’s more, I could operate a violin more finely than my own arms and legs. Who knew how useful it might be if used for magic?
“The question,” Misha said, “is whether you yourself would be okay with such a thing.”
“…Right.”
The violin was special to me. Utilizing sound in magic was acceptable, but I greatly disliked the idea of playing the violin as a means of combat. I was sure many wouldn’t bat an eye at the idea, but I truly believed it antithetical to what the violin stood for.
I did not say this without basis. Music revealed character. If I used the violin as an instrument of war, it could very well affect my ability to perform. It was said, if only anecdotally, that the famous inventor of telepathy wind magic used to be a celebrated singer but lost their singing voice after using it for magic.
Misha said, “Personally, I do not recommend this path. The arts and warfare are best kept separate.”
“…Yeah. I think the same way.”
“Then let me think of ano—”
“But could you teach me how to do it, anyway? Just in case.”
“…Very well.”
Regardless of whether I’d ever actually use it, there was no harm in at least knowing the technique. Misha told me the location of an instrument magic tool workshop and taught me the trick to controlling magic with instruments.
“Thank you, Misha.”
“Hopefully I was of some help.”
“You were. I feel unmistakably stronger than before.”
Even the smallest step brought me joy. At the very least, today was a huge leap forward from that day when I’d been tormented by my own incompetence.
With a wry grin, Misha said, “You really like Lady Loretta, huh, Miss Pepi?”
“…What’s wrong with that?” I said a bit bashfully. I had told her my reasons for seeking her aid when I came to her, so she could know I was sincere.
“Nothing at all. If anything, I’m envious of you.”
“What about you, then, Misha? Do you ever wish to become stronger for Master Yu’s sake?”
She didn’t say a word, just smiling wryly. I may have opened up to her, but she had no obligation to do the same, as vexing as that might be.
“All right, keep your secrets. Let’s continue practicing.”
“Right.”
I began to practice widening the range of my magic again, eyes shut in concentration.
“…You and Rae are both so enviable.”
I thought I heard her murmur something, but surely it was just my imagination.