"Father..."
"Do not speak to the sacrifices, nor empathize with them. Empathizing with sacrifices will only make us Black Magecraft practitioners waver. I've told you this many times."
"Yes..."
Sajo Ayaka lowered her head. Though she had been told countless times, she always ended up speaking to the pigeons because she unconsciously empathized with them.
At first, there had only been a few pigeons, but now dozens of them had grown close to her. Their white wings created a dreamlike sight beneath the sunlight.
"Pigeons cannot converse, nor will they converse. They cannot achieve empathy with people. You may still be far too immature as a mage, but you should at least be able to sense that, shouldn't you?"
"..."
"This is all for your own good, Ayaka."
The same words were repeated every day. Sajo Ayaka no longer remembered how many times her father had said them. She did not dare raise her head to look at him, so she could only stare at the tips of her shoes and the cooing pigeons.
She wanted to live up to her father's expectations as well, though she truly resisted doing these things.
"Sacrifices are an inseparable and vital part of Black Magecraft. The suffering felt by sacrifices is the source of Black Magecraft's power."
Those were the same words again. Even forgetful Sajo Ayaka would not forget words that had been spoken an unknown number of times.
"I'll try..."
She murmured softly, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz. Her father's next words would probably be an explanation of this Black Magecraft. That was how their usual routine went.
"No, that'll be enough for today. Go check on the dining room."
"Huh...?"
Sajo Ayaka curiously raised her head. They always practiced their morning lesson before breakfast, so why was