From that day on, my childhood had a playmate.
I sat under the big tree on the hill, flipping through the book my mother had given me for my birthday.
How should I put it…
it was a truly beautiful book.
But that was about the extent of my thoughts on it, because I had no real interest in any of the plants inside.
Before long, Sylphie appeared.
We’d never made plans to meet on the hill.
It was just that every time I came and sat here, he would show up.
I’d grown used to it by now.
“So, what do you want to play today?”
I smiled as I asked.
“I…
I don’t know…”
Same answer as always.
I thought about it for a moment.
The childish games we’d been playing lately had probably run their course.
He needed to learn to get stronger.
Relying on me like this wasn’t good for him.
If it kept up, he’d end up useless when he grew older.
“Then how about I teach you magic?”
Swordsmanship wasn’t really my strength, but magic?
I was more than qualified to be his teacher there.
“Mm…
the stuff Rudy always uses?
Like making the weather clear up…?”
“Yes.
Though you’ll have to work hard if you want to reach my level.”
“O-okay!
I…
I’ll do my best!”
“Good.
Then we start special training today!
This afternoon too — physical training, together with me.”
“Th-that’s…
the exercises Rudy always does in the yard at home…?”
“What’s the matter?
You don’t want to?”
“I…
uh…
I’m not really comfortable…
talking to Mr.
Paul.”
Even someone as dense as me could tell he didn’t want to do physical training.
Well.
His timid side was something I’d long since stopped being surprised by.
“Then we’ll train magic the whole day!”
“Oh…
oh!”
…
After a full afternoon of teaching Sylphie, I realized he might be a genuine genius.
He caught on incredibly fast.
The moment I showed him something, he had it.
He even learned Voiceless Casting, which honestly left me speechless, because even Roxy hadn’t been able to manage that at the time.
“Rudy!
I did it!”
“Well done.
Next you need to learn to control it.”
“Control…?”
“Yes.
Control.
Magic isn’t something you cast and then forget about.
A mage who does that is a low-level mage.
You need to feel the flow of mana and stay in command of it.
Like this.”
I reached out and touched the ice magic Sylphie had just cast, reshaping it, letting it drift and shift freely before the mana could dissipate.
“Th-that’s amazing…”
“Give it a try yourself.
I don’t think it’ll be too hard for you.”
“Oh…
oh!”
Sylphie set to work on the side while I opened my book and went back to reading.
A childhood like this…
wasn’t so bad.
At least, not for me.
An hour later, Sylphie succeeded.
I knew it.
He’s a genius.
“Rudy, I…
I did it…”
He said it softly, then sat right down and leaned against me.
The mana drain had tired him out.
But looking at him now, his reserves were roughly on par with Teacher Roxy’s.
Maybe even close.
“Rudy…
aren’t you going to praise me…?”
“Mm.
You did great.”
I took his words for what they were — a kid wanting a little attention.
I’d never had younger siblings in my previous life, so I genuinely wasn’t sure how to treat Sylphie.
In the daydreams I used to have, I’d always imagined that if I had a little brother, I’d teach him everything I knew — exactly the way I was teaching Sylphie right now.
But something felt off.
The satisfaction rising in my chest wasn’t the pride of an older brother recognizing a younger one.
It felt more like a teacher watching a student finally get it.
“Is this what Roxy felt back then…” I murmured.
“Roxy…
who’s that?”
Sylphie, still leaning against my shoulder, asked quietly.
“My teacher.
The person I respect most right now.
She taught me a lot.”
“She must be really amazing.”
“She is.”
It hadn’t even been a year since Roxy left, and I was already starting to miss her.
Then, all at once, Sylphie pushed himself to his feet beside me.
“Ru-Rudy…!”
“Wh-what?”
I flinched a little.
“Keep…
keep teaching me!
I’m fine!”
“Good.
Now that’s more like it!”
“Ugh…”
➤ Next: The Unexpected — What Was Lost