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Ciel hung her head dejectedly. For a magician like her, the loss of valuable Magic should’ve been far more grave than to a swordsman like Karin.

“So that’s how it is…”
“Yes. So, please! Please teach me Flight Magic! I wish to revive the Magic of old even if only a bit!”
“……”

Ciel bowed her head to me. I could tell how serious she was with that statement. What should I do…? My heart told me to help her, but I was worried that doing so could spark some kind of undesired conflict.

But she came all this way, so it would be too pitiful to send her away. I noticed that I was already willing to accept her request, and got fed up with myself.

…In the end, I really can’t refuse when someone asks for my help, huh?

“Understood. If you’re going that far, I’ll teach you.”
“T-Thank you very much!”
“I’m so glad for you, Ciel!”

Looking at them embrace each other in joy, I couldn’t help but smile wryly. Even if it was an insignificant Magic for me, it was something irreplaceable for her. Seeing her so happy made the happiness bud inside me as well for some reason.

“Then let’s get to it at once… Is what I’d like to say, but from what I can see, your Magic Power is still too small. Flight Magic expends quite a lot of Magic Power, so you wouldn’t be able to fly properly even if I taught you now.”
“Eh…”

Her expression turned hopeless as if she had fallen from heaven straight to hell. Karin next to her became flustered, unsure how to console her.

“No need to panic. I’ll be training you for a while so you don’t have to worry about Magic Power. However, it’s going to be pretty strict training, so prepare yourself.”
“O-Okay…”
“While we are at it, I’ll train you too, Karin. It would be boring to just watch, anyway.”
“Huuhhh!?”

I smiled sweetly towards the two. This was a stimulus to my stagnant lifestyle. I felt bad for them, but I’ll be using them to kill time to the utmost. Though their frightened expressions got me curious, I secretly decided on that in my heart.

§　§　§

The training that started from the next day was a fresh experience for me. I’ve been alive for over 300 years, yet I had never taught anyone, so I was just trying things out.

When I gave them the same muscle training based on my standards, they collapsed without managing to complete it, when I tried to increase their lung capacity for Magic by submerging them in water, they remained sunk and almost drowned to death.

It didn’t take long for their eyes, that used to be filled with hopes and motivation, to be dyed in despair and regret.

“She’s a demon…”
“Contrary to her cute face… Lapis is the Devil incarnate…”
“What a cruel thing to say. I’m training you out of goodwill here.”

The two of them were all worn-out due to continuous training. The equipment they had on hand broke in the blink of an eye, the bladed weapons becoming chipped to the point they were indistinguishable from blunt ones.

But on the contrary, their bodies had visibly undergone changes. Their bodies got rid of excess flesh and became firm like the animals of the wild. The look in their eyes changed too, and their respectful attitude towards me was nowhere to be seen. They even started calling me Lapis without the honorifics. This too was a fresh experience.

I wonder how long has passed since they started training? I’m certain that it has been over a month, but perhaps a bit short of two months? I’m not sure of today’s standards, but they should have acquired power on the level of new recruits from my days.

“Is this good enough?”
“Yup. Keep circulating the Magic Power inside your body. You sure have improved quite a bit.”
“Of course. It’s one thing when I’m awake, but you told me to keep circulating even during my sleep, so it’s natural that I did.”

Ciel’s Magic Power more than doubled compared to her initial amount. She had the makings of a magician since the start, but as she had probably never experienced proper battles I simply awoke those dormant parts. With that, her overall Magic Power increased, and her control over it became so good she seemed like a different person.

The power of the same Magic differed between individuals. For example, I was certain that if she used Fire Magic now, she could easily melt even iron. At most, she could’ve reddened it a bit before.

“No, Lapis! Let’s go once more!”

Karin’s skill with the sword also improved quite a bit. Unlike Ciel, she didn’t need to train her Magic. Due to that, she was training by continuously sparring with me. Since it was actual combat, she naturally suffered from injuries.

When I punched her, the bones broke, when I slashed at her, she got cut and blood spurted like a fountain. But that wasn’t a problem. I could patch her up in an instant using Magic. At first, she made a lot of noise every time she got injured, but now bone fractures were no longer enough to make her scream. She couldn’t match my sword before, but now she was able to just barely stop one of my attacks.

“Good, I suppose we should wrap it up soon.”

My sudden declaration caused them to open their mouths wide in shock. I started the training without setting a time frame, so I suppose the end came too suddenly for them.

“Huh…?”
“It’s over?”
“Yeah. It’s over. Both of you have become considerably strong by now. Ciel, your Magic Power is already enough to handle Flight Magic, and Karin, you can already hunt the nearby monsters with your current strength. With that said, let’s start the graduation test.”

The moment they heard me say the word test, their expressions turned really sour. What was by my standards a lenient training almost got them killed. They surely thought the test itself would be far harsher. I offered them a gentle smile to calm their fears.

“No need to look so worried. It’s just a simple test. Let’s start with Ciel. I’ll teach you Flight Magic now, so try to last midair until tomorrow morning. And Karin, go hunt 20 monsters in the vicinity. Their species don’t matter. You have until tomorrow morning, too.”

The sun had only just risen a few hours ago. Which meant Ciel had to stay afloat for almost 24 hours. This was a test that demanded Magic Power, willpower, stamina, and above all, concentration. Unlike Karin who just had to hunt monsters, I think her test was far harsher.

“Til tomorrow morning…”
“Will you be alright, Ciel?”

As Karin asked worriedly, Ciel responded with a weak smile, pale-faced.

“I’ll be alright. I’ll show you the results of this training. Make sure you hunt all those monsters, too.”
“…Okay. I’ll be going, then. I’ll try to return as fast as I can.”

After hugging each other, Karin dashed away with her chipped sword in hand. With her current strength, I didn’t have to worry about leaving her alone. Instead, I had to do what was necessary now.

“Ciel, are you ready?”
“Of course. I’m ready when you are.”
“Good. Let’s start then. Flight Magic is…”

If I were to explain Flight Magic in a word, it would be expelling your inner Magical Power outside of your body and negating all physical interferences like gravity with it, which then allowed you to fly. Expelling Magic Power like this had many uses, and not just magicians but even many swordsmen used it. Naturally, I was the same. Using a technique that utilized it was what allowed me to sever the Dragon’s head with Karin’s cheap sword.