She struggled to process what he said. Most of it was jargon wholly unfamiliar to her. She hadn’t heard anyone refer to the creatures by name. It was, in fact, the first time she’d heard the term “Chaos.” She spared him a suspicious glance. Then, she looked back toward the creature and began inching toward it, her stick held at the ready.
“But... I see that won’t stop you from trying,” said the boy, his voice neither derisive nor reproachful. “This is personal, isn’t it? Very well. In that case, be my attendant.”
She stopped and gave him a perplexed look.
“Your... attendant?”
“Becoming my attendant will allow you to use light magic. That way, you’ll be able to fight Chaos. However... I’ll allow you to do so only on the condition that you promise me something.”
The boy paused for a breath before the gravity in his voice deepened.
“I need you to promise me... that you won’t indulge any self-destructive tendencies. I do not wish to see you die.”
Melia didn’t understand what he meant by that, but nevertheless, she took him up on his offer. Entering into contract as the young boy’s attendant, she then learned that he was the holy knight, Sain, upon whom the goddess had conferred her blessing. By transferring some of the blessing to Melia, he granted her the ability to use light magic, which she employed in concert with his power to defeat the Chaos that had been destroying the local villages.
After the conclusion of their battle, Sain made her another offer.
“If you don’t have a place to call home, do you want to come live with me?”
“Huh? Wasn’t that part of the plan in the first place?” said Melia with mild surprise. There was clearly a discrepancy in their interpretations of the contract. “You said ‘attendant,’ so I thought for sure I was going to be your maid or something.”
“Ah, I see. That’s... certainly one way to interpret it. My apologies for the confusion. By ‘attendant,’ I was actually speaking in reference to the power of the holy knight. I didn’t mean it in, uh... that way. Now that I think about it though, that would be a decent arrangement. You seem a little... insensitive to danger, and it worries me. I’d rather put you in a place where I can keep an eye on you... All right, then. I’m officially making you my maid.”
“No.”
“Too bad. You have no say in this matter.”
Figuring she had no need to accept an extra condition he’d attached to the offer after the fact, she refused, only to have her objection overruled.
“From now on, you’re officially my maid.”
Thus began Melia’s employment as Sain’s maid. After they returned to his residence, she started by tidying up her appearance. She took a comb to her disheveled hair, working it into proper form, and began wearing a miniature maid uniform. Her duties primarily consisted of looking after Sain until, one day, he instructed her to devote some time to her own studies. Looking over the small mountain of homework he’d left her, she pushed her lips out in displeasure.
“Doing this won’t make me any better at killing Chaos.”
“No, but it’ll make you better at life.”
She could tell that his words carried weight, but their meaning was lost on her. Nevertheless, she complied, and as time went on, she discovered the utility of academics. When she went shopping, she could calculate prices in her head, and organizing documents and reports was far easier when she had the knowledge base to understand their contents. More and more, her work changed from something she simply did to something she wanted to do. It gave her motivation and a sense of worth. One day, she looked back and realized that she’d become a different person altogether.
When, she wondered, had the vengeful Melia who lived only to kill Chaos been replaced by a gentler one who’d discovered the simple joys of a peaceful life?
When, she wondered, had she become less concerned with honing herself into a weapon against Chaos than learning how to make a perfect cup of black tea?
She didn’t know. But she didn’t mind, either. The truth was that she’d always been a gentle soul, but Chaos had derailed her life and twisted her personality, forcing her to don the avenger’s mask to keep herself from falling apart. Her cold resolve had been a front — one that Sain must have seen through on the day they’d met. Slowly but surely, the peaceful days she spent with Sain became a cherished part of her life. Even now, every memory she recalled filled her with pride and joy.
“Our contestants for the fourth match of the third round will be Melia and Cain Theresia!”
The reverberating voice of the commentator pulled her out of her reverie.
“Melia happens to be the attendant of Sain, whom we just saw in the third match. Treat her like any other attendant, though, and you’ll regret it. Her ability to freely make use of compound magic — a feat rarely seen even among fivekind — puts her on an entirely different level. It’s arguable that her strength has already surpassed that of a mere student.”
During the commentator’s brief introduction, she turned toward the stands and bowed politely. This elicited a round of cheers.
“However,” continued the commentator, “she is up against Cain Theresia, whose capabilities also far outstrip his status. Despite being a student, it’s said that he might be one of the five most powerful people in the kingdom. I’m not aware of anyone who’s better at using light magic than he is! Will this match end as a clean sweep in his favor as well?!”
In terms of pure power possessed by an individual, it was true that Cain’s mastery of light magic might indeed be without equal. He gave no reaction to his introduction, choosing instead to regard Melia with silent intensity. The countdown began.
“So, Mr. Student Council President, can I make one request?” asked Melia right before the match began.
Cain lifted his eyebrow at her.
“If I win,” she continued, “I’d like you to apologize for the things you said about Master Sain.”
Cain had insulted Sain the other day. That fact lingered at the forefront of Melia’s mind, adamantly refusing to fade.
“Very well. But...” He smiled with a confidence completely unmarred by doubt. “Like I told you before, you won’t win. Not against me.”
The countdown hit zero just as he finished his sentence.
“Let the match begin!”
Melia burst into motion immediately, generating mist through her trademark compound magic of fire and water.
“Sprites of crystalline veil, roam the endless mist — Londo Mysteria! ”
A white haze filled the space around them. Moving with silent steps, she circled behind him. Then, before she could strike, there was a blinding flash.
“Lighto. ”
He threw a beginner-level light spell at her. The thick mist permeating the ring should have prevented both of them from relying on sight to track each other, but his aim was somehow spot on. Whatever he was doing, it gave him an exceptional ability to sense his opponent’s whereabouts. Fortunately, it was still a beginner-level spell, and she had little difficulty dodging the glowing bullet before countering with her own spell.
“Lost souls gathered, scream in fear, die a shapeless death — Death Ripper! ”
The dagger in her right hand melted into mist. Her second spell, Death Ripper , allowed her to freely materialize her weapon wherever she wished, so long as the space was filled with mist. The short blade reappeared directly behind Cain, only for him to sense its presence immediately and bend his body with surprising pliancy to avoid the strike.
“Vright .”
A massive orb of light flew toward Melia, illuminating the entirety of the ring through even the thick mist. She squinted at its sheer luminance and lunged sideways out of its path. It exploded behind her, sending out a shockwave that cleared away the cloud of mist.
“Geez, do you have eyes on your back or something?”
His reply came in the form of an outstretched palm in her direction.
“Lighto Shot. ”
A swarm of glowing pellets flew at her at blinding speed. She entered into a run, waiting until just before the moment of impact to flip high into the air, clearing the barrage like a high jumper.
“...An impressive escape,” murmured Cain.
After an aerial rotation, she landed cleanly on her feet and swiftly followed up with another spell.
“Spirits of turbid water, grasp what you seek — Worta Halden! ”
Numerous watery arms erupted from the ground beneath his feet. They grasped at his arms and legs in an effort to hold him down.
“Lighto Shot. ”
Their advance was repelled by a barrage of glowing pellets, but reinforcements came in the form of Melia herself, who dashed into melee range and swung at him with her dagger. A thrust, a chop, and an upward swing all failed to find their mark, but she continued her offensive while simultaneously controlling the water arms to grab at his heels.
“Ray Javelin. ”
He took a great leap backwards and, still completely unscathed, brought a massive spear of light into existence. She immediately ceased attacking and shifted into an evasive maneuver. The spear slammed into the pool of liquid appendages, vaporizing both them and a large chunk of the ground. Dirt and debris filled the air. As dust swirled, she took a moment to catch her breath.
“...I see,” murmured Cain as he regarded her, daggers raised and still ready to fight. “Impressive indeed. As the holy knight’s attendant, you certainly live up to your name.”
“Ah... So you caught on to that part, too.”
“I’d be a fool not to. Every spell I’ve used, you’ve dodged without so much as a glance in my direction. I see that your time with the holy knight was not spent in vain... Clearly, you’re intimately familiar with the particulars of light magic.”