◆◇◆
It was a morning no different from any other, but today, an unexpected topic came up.
"Lumi, what path would you like to take in the future?"
"...My future?"
I was teaching Rudy about [Combination Magic], which created fog.
As I sat there devising and drawing up a new magic circle for making fog, Roxy, seated beside me, casually posed the question.
"Yes. Both Rudy and Lumi have talent for magic. I believe that if you make use of that talent, you can become great people someday. Paul is teaching you both swordsmanship and magic because he knows of your talents as well. So that one day, you can pursue whichever field you wish to enter."
"..."
"Of course, from my perspective, I hope both brothers will walk the path of magicians. From Paul’s perspective, though, he would likely want you to become knights with secure incomes and status, or swordsmen who devote themselves solely to the sword."
"A magician or a swordsman... Two paths, then."
"But there is no need to reach a conclusion so hastily. The sword and magic are not the only paths available to you. There is also the path of the magic swordsman, which takes both directions."
Father had once said that magic swordsmen were what people with middling ability became.
Roxy was probably saying this because she had noticed that my interest lay more with swordsmanship than magic.
That is true... The paths of sword and magic are different.
First, one chose a direction and followed that path.
I was not a genius like the heroes in fairy tales.
That meant that someday, once I became an adult, I would have to choose one path or the other.
And once that happened, it would only be natural for me to lose interest in the other field.
But...
"For now, I want to go as far as I can. I want to give everything I have until I reach the limit of what I can accomplish, with both swordsmanship and magic."
I did not want to give up either one.
Swordsmanship was something I had practiced since my previous life. It was as habitual as breathing.
Magic, too, was necessary for cultivating my mind and body, much like the calligraphy I had practiced every day from long ago until the day I died.
I did not want to abandon either. And more than anything, I wanted to cast aside the prejudices of the world.
"Well now, that was quite impressive. To fight Soji, the finest swordsman at our dojo, to a standstill..."
"I am left-handed. I hold my sword in my left hand... Does that not bother you?"
"Oh? Is that so? Well, what does it matter?"
"What?"
"Whether it is your right hand or left hand, the fact that you are strong does not change."
"..."
"By that logic, commoners and farmers like us should not be allowed to hold swords at all. So it does not matter whether you are left-handed or ambidextrous."
"Toshizo is right. This training hall was founded on casting aside such prejudices. Your origins, your past, even the way you hold a sword—it does not matter. All you need is strength. If you do not mind, I would like you to visit our dojo often. Would that be all right?"
"Kondo is right. Throw the world’s opinions to some stray dog. There is no need to attach all sorts of conditions to strength. You just need to wield your sword in your own way."
"I..."
"I am Kondo Isami, the man in charge of this training hall. And this is..."
"Hijikata Toshizo. I look forward to working with you."
"...I am Saito Hajime. The pleasure is mine."
The first spring of my sixteenth year.
For the first time, I met people who accepted me for who I was.
Back then, everyone had looked upon me, a samurai who held his sword in his left hand, with disapproval or contempt. Yet the people of the training hall did not care that I was left-handed.
Rather, they said that because I was left-handed, I could possess a strength unlike theirs and deliver unconventional strikes.
They never held back their praise for that fact. They acknowledged me, encouraged me to face the world’s prejudices, and pushed me forward with confidence.
Even now, those events... my meeting with them remained vivid in my memory.
I had been thinking about it ever since Father told me about magic swordsmen.
And after hearing Roxy’s advice, I hardened my resolve.
"...Teacher."
"Yes?"
"I do not want to become a knight, a swordsman, or a magician."
"What do you mean by that?"
"As one man named Lumius Greyrat, I want to walk my own path. That is why I want to learn swordsmanship and magic, as well as other skills if necessary. I want to become a magic swordsman freer than anyone else."
"Is that the future you desire, Lumi?"
"...Yes. I want to reach great heights as a magic swordsman in this world."
I would not waver. I had already chosen my path.
Upon hearing my answer, filled with firm resolve, Roxy gave a bitter smile, as though she had expected it all along.
"I thought that would be your answer, Lumi."
"...You did?"
"Unlike Rudy, whose talent for magic makes him more interested in that field, you are interested in both, Lumi, and you approach both with all your strength."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I thought so when I saw how happy you were after receiving that sword from Paul at your birthday party. The expression on your face was exactly the same as when you and I completed that Intermediate-tier magic circle together. I had thought you would not walk only the path of swordsmanship or magic, but to say you want to follow the path of Lumius Greyrat... That is quite an impressive answer. I want to support the path you wish to take as well. Of course, you are still young, Lumi, so your thoughts may change. There may be times when you run into the wall of reality. But please continue to face things with the same upright spirit you have now. As your teacher, I will support you for as long as it takes."
"Thank you, Teacher."
I had expected her to try persuading me that the path of a magician would be better, but Roxy readily accepted my dream.
It seemed she had given much thought to how deeply interested I was in swordsmanship.
That was what a teacher was: someone who deeply understood their disciple’s aspirations.
"This is something I told Rudy a while ago as well, but if you want to learn more about magic, Lumi, attending a magic school would not be a bad idea."
"...What is a magic school?"
"It is a school that teaches magic. You can find magic schools in any major country. But the largest of them all is the Ranoa Magic University."
"Are a magic university and a magic school different?"
"It has better facilities and instructors than the magic schools run by the major countries. You can receive more modern and advanced lectures there than at other schools. There are instructors there who research magic circles, like you do, Lumi. Unlike me, they specialize in particular fields, so they will be able to answer in detail the questions you have about magic circles that I cannot."
"Did you attend a magic university too, Teacher?"
"That is right. Of course, because magic schools are so prestigious, a demon like me could only attend a magic university."
It seemed that ordinary magic schools in major nations, attended by the children of nobles, would not accept anyone who was not human.
Father and Mother had told me discrimination against demons was decreasing, but the backlash from those who still rejected them appeared to be as fierce as ever.
"The Ranoa Magic University has no strange formalities or pride. If a theory is sound, it will not be dismissed merely because it is unconventional. It accepts many races and researches the distinct innate magic of each race. If you wish to create more magic of your own and become a magician of greater heights, Lumi, I recommend attending the magic university."
Perhaps because it was her alma mater, Roxy’s praise did not stop.
But it accepted everyone without prejudice.
That alone appealed to me.
A place that shares the ideals of the Shinsengumi, then. How interesting.
It was the sort of place that made me want to visit at least once.
But it was not yet time. At the very least, it would have to wait until I was somewhat older.
"I will humbly take your advice to heart, Teacher."
"Then that concludes the preparations."
"...Preparations?"
Was she saying that our break was over?
But contrary to what I had thought, Roxy smiled with a clear voice that somehow sounded lonely.
"There is not much left that I can teach you now. Graduation is close at hand, so I thought it would be all right to speak about these things."
◆◇◆
Come to think of it, since arriving in this world, I had never really gone outside the house except into the garden.
Partly, that was Mother’s wish to keep my physical abilities from being discovered. But Rudy had also been extremely reluctant to go outside, so the thought of leaving had never occurred to me.
And I, too, had felt a measure of anxiety about the outside world.
What if this life is really only a fleeting dream...?
There was an expression: the dream of Handan.
What if everything I had experienced until now was not reality, but the final dream of a dying old man? What if there was nothing at all beyond this house?
I could not say I had never harbored such vague anxieties.
If this was a dream, and if I was still alive rather than dead, then what awaited me upon waking would surely be the white ceiling of a hospital.
There was no way I could move a body that had been slashed apart countless times.
The thought that I might spend the rest of my life lying in a hospital bed frightened me.
Perhaps I was only the mind of a pitiful old man, trapped in a wild delusion that he had been granted another life in which to walk the path of the samurai.
That was why, unconsciously, I had come to take staying inside for granted.
Because it was my wish that this dream would never end—.
◆◇◆
When Roxy told us that the graduation test would take place outside the village, I could not readily bring myself to step outdoors.
Rudy, too, stood with me at the usual boundary between the garden and the road, resisting it.
"Outside?"
"We have to go outside?"
"Yes, outside the village. I have already prepared a horse."
""Can’t we do it at home?""
The brothers spoke in unison, perfectly in sync.
At those words, Roxy replied as though it were only natural, her expression sleepy.
"No."
A horse stood quietly behind Roxy.
There would be no avoiding this.
Intellectually, I knew I had to leave.
Had I not already set my sights on a great ambition?
To achieve it, I needed to see the wider world and gain countless experiences.
But a small anxiety, along with concern for Mother, made me resist going out.
"What is wrong with you two?"
"No, well... There might be monsters outside."
"...I am worried Mother will worry."
"I have already received permission from Madam. I heard about Lumi’s circumstances, too, so do not worry about that. And unless we go near the forest, we are unlikely to encounter anything around here. Even if we do, it will be weak enough that I can defeat it by myself."
Roxy looked puzzled at us as we piled excuse upon excuse.
"Could it be that you are afraid of horses, Rudy?"
"No, I-I am not especially afraid of horses, you know?"
"What about you, Lumi?"
"To me, horses are like friends."
There was no way I could dislike horses.
Children were naturally fond of animals, of course, but in my case, I had often ridden horses to travel during the height of the war.
Even after the Boshin War ended, I had frequently used horses and carriages while working for the Metropolitan Police Department, so they were actually more familiar to me than automobiles.
After hearing my answer, Roxy suddenly scooped up the motionless Rudy onto her shoulder.
"Huh?!"
"Once you ride, you will get used to it soon enough."
Though startled for a moment, Rudy did not put up much resistance and allowed himself to be placed on the horse.
After seating Rudy on the horse, Roxy extended her hand and grasped me beneath my arms.
"Now it is your turn, Lumi."
"I-I can get up under my own power..."
"With that little body, you cannot."
Like Rudy, I was lifted up in Roxy’s hands.
I had only a moment to marvel at the high vantage point I had not seen in so long before I was placed directly behind Rudy and seated on the horse.
Finally, Roxy mounted behind me, and the horse began to walk forward at an easy pace.
Just like that, I had left the house.
◆◇◆
The outside world, which I was seeing for the first time.
Roxy led us slowly through the village.
The beautiful countryside, filled with vast golden barley fields, stirred a feeling of nostalgia.
Before my eyes lay the peaceful rural village scenery I had seen in my youth.
And I was able to confirm it.
That all of this was reality, not a dream—.
The wind tickling my cheeks, the soft rustling of barley stalks brushing together in the breeze, the warmth of people before and behind me... Everything proved that this was real.
The moment I confirmed it, a sigh of relief escaped me.
"...Phew."
"What is the matter?"
"No, it is nothing."
Confronting the fact that this was reality made my anxiety vanish.
My heart relaxed. When people we passed by the roadside greeted Roxy, I too dipped my head in greeting, and a sense of peace came over me.
At some point, Rudy stopped trembling, and then words began pouring out of him as though a dam had burst.
"Teacher, what grows in this field?"
"Mostly Aslan barley. It is used to make bread. There are also Batirus flowers and a few vegetables. Batirus flowers are processed in the royal capital to make perfume. Other than that, it is simply the sort of food that always appears on the table."
"Ah, those are bell peppers. You cannot eat them, can you, Teacher?"
"N-No, it is not that I cannot eat them. I just dislike them a little. You have vegetables you dislike too, do you not, Lumi?"
"...No. I prefer vegetables to meat. Besides, I cannot leave behind vegetables that farmers have raised with such care."
"Ugh... Lumi, you are far too mature. I suppose I should refrain from being picky with my food from now on as well."
Talking peacefully like this, we made our way to our destination.
Roxy had said that today would be our final lesson.
In other words, once the test was over, her time as our tutor would be over as well.
Knowing Roxy’s personality, she might leave the house as soon as tomorrow.
Knowing this moment might be our last, I too tried to speak with her as much as possible, just as Rudy did.
In the midst of our conversation, I learned some new things as well.
According to Roxy, this village was called Buena Village and was part of the Fittoa territory, in the northeastern part of the Aslan Kingdom.
At present, roughly thirty households lived here by farming.
Father was the only knight assigned to the village.
He was responsible for making sure the villagers worked properly, mediating disputes within the village, and defending it should monsters or the like attack.
Simply put, Father was a samurai who received a stipend from the state in exchange for maintaining public order.
Even so, maintaining order by himself was impossible, so the young men of the village took turns standing guard.
That was why, after completing his morning patrol, Father generally spent his afternoons at home.
It was fundamentally a peaceful farming village, so nothing major ever happened.
As the conversation continued and grew more lively, the surrounding fields disappeared, and we arrived at an empty grassland.
A plain of green stretching all the way to the horizon.
Mountains faintly lined the edge of the horizon, but the sight impressed upon me once again that this was not Japan.
It felt as though I were looking with my own eyes upon the great Manchurian plains I had seen in television documentaries.
The vastness of it left me feeling as though my chest had opened wide.
"This should do."
Roxy stopped the horse beside a solitary tree, dismounted, and tied its reins to the trunk.
Then she lifted us down one at a time and stood facing us.
"From now on, I will cast the Saint-tier water magic, [Cumulonimbus].
This spell causes torrential rain accompanied by lightning over a wide area."
"Yes."
"Try following along."
So the test was to use Saint-tier magic.
But...
"Teacher, Rudy may be able to cast magic spontaneously, but I cannot. More importantly, I have not properly completed the Saint-tier magic circle yet."
I had completed spells up to the Advanced tier. But the Saint-tier magic circle was still in the testing stage.
Roxy and I had completed it just two days ago, but I had never once used it, so there was no guarantee it would succeed.
Even so, Roxy patted my shoulder as though it were nothing and spoke.
"This is a magic circle that you and I completed together, Lumi. It will surely succeed. I believe in your potential. So believe in me and give it a try."
She was right. This was a magic circle created by none other than my proud teacher and me, after we put our heads together and even stayed up through the night working on it.
Should I not have confidence in it? When I looked up at Roxy and nodded, she nodded back and immediately began the test.
"Since I am demonstrating, I will only continue for about a minute. For you... Let us say you pass if you can keep the rain falling for over an hour."
Rudy, on the other hand, did not know the details of the spell and tilted his head as he tentatively asked,
"Is it because it is secret magic that we are doing this where no one is around?"
"No. It is because it might harm people or crops."
Saint-tier water magic manipulated the weather across a broad sky to make rain fall.
If one used such magic in a field, it would cause severe damage to the crops.
Understanding Roxy’s intention, Rudy finally nodded and prepared himself for the test.
"Then."
Roxy raised both hands toward the sky.
"[O majestic spirit of water, prince of the Thunder Emperor who ascended into the heavens! Hear my plea, and in your savage grace, show your power to these puny beings! Strike God’s hammer upon the ground, reveal peril, and cover the earth in water! Ah, rain! Sweep away all things and drive all things out!]—[Cumulonimbus]!"
She recited the incantation slowly, savoring every word.
When the long chant, which lasted nearly a minute, ended, the surroundings darkened in an instant.
After about five seconds of waiting, thick streams of rain began to fall from the sky.
A fierce gale swept through the plain, and black storm clouds crackled with lightning.
Amid the cascading rain, purple light stirred within the clouds with an unpleasant buzzing noise.
The light, heavy as a lump of lead, gradually swelled—
KRAKABOOOM!
Lightning struck the tree.
My eardrums rang, and my vision burned white.
The shock was tremendous, as though an artillery shell had landed directly in front of me on a battlefield.
However...
"Ah!"
Roxy’s short cry of surprise rang in my ears.
It was the cry she made whenever she had carelessly made a mistake.
A moment later, the clouds scattered as though they had been a lie, and the rain and lightning subsided.
"...Nooooo!"
With her face pale as ice, Roxy sprinted toward the tree like an arrow.
There, the horse lay collapsed, smoke rising from its body.
The smell of burnt flesh entered my nostrils.
The lightning had swallowed the horse along with the tree.
Roxy hurriedly placed a hand on the horse and immediately began to chant.
"[O compassionate goddess, our mother, close this person’s wounds and restore their body to health!]—[Ex Healing]!"
As she hurriedly cast Intermediate-tier healing magic, the horse soon rose to its feet again.
It did not seem to have died. Intermediate-tier healing magic could not bring back the dead.
Still, perhaps terrified, the horse’s legs trembled like those of a newborn foal.
Nevertheless, upon confirming that the horse was alive, Roxy wiped the cold sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and released a sigh of relief.
"Phew, phew... That was close."
It certainly had been close. That horse was the only one our household owned.
Father tended to it devotedly every day, and sometimes even took it for walks with a happy smile on his face.
It was not what one could call a fine horse, but it was a friend who had been with him for a long time. He treasured it enough to say that he loved it more than anyone except Mother and us children.
Roxy, who had lived with our family for two years, knew that well.
I had even seen her pass by with a weary expression after witnessing Father looking unpleasantly enraptured by the horse.
"P-Please keep this a secret?"
Roxy’s teary plea made her look like a child frightened after breaking her parents’ expensive bonsai tree.
It was a fact I was reminded of anew, but...
"Teacher, you really are a klutz."
"Do not say it so directly. Uuuugh..."
My proud teacher was a natural-born klutz.
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