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「Yes, that’s correct. Do you know how to use Magic Bomb Sealing Stones too? Even if you don’t, it’s enough just to infuse them with your mana and throw them. Look over there, there are a Dark and a Holy together, why don’t you try hitting both of them?」 Mira gave a brief and unconcerned explanation while pointing at a spot where two Armor Spirits stood.

「But those stones…」 Because of her extensive studies, Rina knew how rare and expensive Magic Bomb Sealing Stones had become, and she hesitated to use them. But Mira quickly reassured her, saying, 「They’re just leftovers, so do whatever you want with them,」 before lowering her voice and whispering, 「I actually know how to make them, but don’t tell anyone.」

「…Okay!」 Rina was initially taken aback by the number of stones Mira was offering and the secret she had confided. Once she processed all of this, she smiled happily, realizing that she would be able to form a Contract with the Armor Spirits.

On top of that, she was excited to recreate the method suggested by an actual Wiseman. So, she took one of the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones and held it tightly, her eyes lighting up. But she did not throw it right away. The target was somewhat distant, and she seemed unsure about her aim.

Since the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones carried the mana of the spellcaster who threw them, the Armor Spirits would recognize them as the one who defeated them. But that also meant that everything hinged on the throw being successful. If the Armor Spirits survived, they would become aggressive and start to fight back, moving unpredictably and making it virtually impossible to strike again.

But Mira eased Rina’s worries, telling her, 「They’re about to move from that spot. That stone should be able to take them down even if you don’t hit them right on, so just do it, throw it!」 It would be harder to hit a moving target, so Mira urged her to throw it.

「Alright!」 She replied loudly and threw it. The two Armor Spirits were about ten meters ahead of them. The stone missed its mark and landed a distance behind both of them, which made Rina let out a disappointed voice.

Barely a moment passed after that when there was a roaring explosion, which shook the ground beneath them and blinded them for a moment. It was so sudden that Rina’s shoulder twitched violently as she let out a shriek, instinctively running behind Mira and hugging her tightly. But then her curiosity overcame her fear as her head peeked from behind Mira to see what had happened.

「Ah, I defeated them!」 Her elated voice rang from behind Mira. A crater with a radius of five meters was all that was left, with no trace of the Armor Spirits. Both had been taken down with a single stone.

「Yes, good job.」 The stones Mira had prepared were not meant to be used to form Contracts with Armor Spirits but had been made for actual combat, so they were far more powerful than those Mira had given to Creos before. That was why Mira was so confident about them, even if Rina’s aim missed.

Now that the Armor Spirits had been defeated, Mira took Rina’s hand and quickly went to the relic of the Armor Spirits so that Rina could form a Contract with both the Dark and Holy Knights.

「Thank you! Thank you so much!」 The moment Rina felt the Contract being successfully formed, she broke into a small dance, unable to contain her happiness.

Mira just smiled, watching her as if she was watching her granddaughter. Shortly after, Mira made Rina calm down, as it was time for them to delve into the core of the coaching.

Later that day, as the sun was about to set, Rina lay sprawled on a grassy plain while Mira pushed a bottle to the girl’s lips. After the liquid emptied into her mouth, Rina jumped to her feet and loudly stated, 「One more time, I want to try again!」

「Good,」 Mira responded, positioning her Dark Knight.

They had been practicing like this from the moment Rina had acquired her first summons. Rina was becoming more proficient at summoning, and her brand new Dark and Holy Knights were gaining combat experience simultaneously. Every time Rina’s mana would run out, Mira would take out a mana potion and bring her back, allowing almost no time to rest.

That was a really demanding routine, especially considering Rina’s age, but her motivation and Mira’s status as the best instructor in the field were the perfect match, and Rina’s improvement was noticeable.

At first, it took her nearly twenty seconds to summon, and that time had decreased to just three. Meanwhile, her Knights, which would initially stand still, were now able to exchange two or three blows with Mira’s Dark Knight too.

「Alright, I think that should be enough for today.」 After Rina collapsed from mana exhaustion for the umpteenth time, Mira gently supported her back, helping her drink a mana potion, and muttered those words. The sun had already set, and darkness surrounded them. Mira was uncomfortable with the idea of keeping someone’s little sister out in the wild late at night.

Once Rina had recovered enough, she tried to protest, eager to train longer. But even though her mana could be restored with potions, mental and physical exhaustion were still accumulating within her.

Mira sensed that Rina was reaching her limit, and reasoned with her, explaining that resting and recovering were crucial parts of training. She also mentioned that the next lesson would occur once Rina gained more experience.

「If you say so…」 Rina greatly admired the Spirit Queen, and training together felt like a dream. But all dreams must end, and it was time for Rina to awaken from this one. She did not argue against Mira’s decision, though her disappointment was apparent. However, she still had one question left.

「So… How experienced do I need to be before you teach me again?」 Their time together was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Rina, a fledgling summoner training with the most powerful summoner currently known. It felt almost miraculous that Mira had taken the time to do this, yet Rina held onto a faint hope that they might meet again.

「Hmm, let’s see… Once you’re able to summon instantly sounds like a good goal post.」 Mira added, 「Like this,」 as she turned to the left. In that instant, a Dark Knight was summoned there. Being able to designate a summoning spot and conduct the summoning simultaneously was truly the basis of all advanced summoning techniques. But Mira wasn’t done yet.

「Once you’re able to do that, we’ll practice how to do this.」 Then she turned to the right, and two rows of five Dark Knights and five Holy Knights appeared there all at the same time. That was Mira’s treasured simultaneous summoning technique.

「Whoa…!」 Rina’s best was a single summon in three seconds, so the idea of performing simultaneous summonings seemed almost unimaginable. Yet her eyes sparkled with determination. Even if it felt impossible, Mira had just shown her it was achievable, providing all the motivation she needed.

「Let’s go home now.」
「Yes!」

Mira summoned Pegasus and climbed up, with Rina following behind her. It seemed Rina’s future had just been filled with endless possibilities.

The exhaustion from their non-stop training finally caught up with Rina, and by the time they reached the city, her mind began to blank out, regardless of her talent.