The Night Before Farewell, Undercurrents Swirl

Ultimately, Lokkishi accepted the fact that she had, once again, taken on an unexpected apprentice.

Rudy's talent was clearly superior to Lokkishi's, but when it came to teaching, she was undoubtedly more professional. She spent the entire afternoon explaining various magical concepts to Sylphy in an easy-to-understand manner.

Later, before nightfall, the group had a discussion. Since Lokkishi would be leaving soon, she decided to give Sylphy an intensive course over the next few days.

After observing everyone's performance on the second day, a preliminary schedule was set:

Morning: The three gathered on the hill to practice Magic, with Allen practicing his swordplay nearby.

Afternoon: Magic theory lessons were conducted at home, with Allen practicing his swordplay nearby.

Evening: In what was originally Allen's bedroom, but now belonged to Lokkishi, Sylphy received extended anecdotes related to world Magic. Well, it was essentially storytelling.

Of course, Allen was still practicing his swordplay nearby.

However, with evening 'classes,' Sylphy often got home late at night. Therefore, the group went to Rolls, and eventually succeeded in convincing Sylphy to stay at Rudy's house until Lokkishi left.

It's worth noting that Rolls agreed to Sylphy's request almost without hesitation, and Sylphy's mother gently encouraged her from the side.

It seems her child, who had always been bullied in the village, has truly found good friends.

And so, time flew by amidst Allen's pleas of "Just one more shot, please!" In the blink of an eye, it was the night before Lokkishi's departure.

—

"Alright, Sylphy, don't cry. You were so brave just a week ago, why are you sniffling now??"

Sylphy wiped away her tears, completely unmoved by Rudy's head-scratching, clumsy attempts at comfort. She was still young. Only two months ago, she had made her first friends, and then a week ago, she gained a kind and beautiful teacher. The novel experiences and the lively, joyful atmosphere filled her with a sense of anticipation and excitement every morning when she woke up. She was simply brimming with joy.

And then, separation suddenly arrived.

The moment Lokkishi announced the end of the lessons, Sylphy, whose expectations had been steadily rising, suddenly found herself falling.

She immediately burst into tears.

Lokkishi had seemed unusually quiet today, and now she was flustered, not knowing how to comfort Sylphy.

As for Allen, he was awkwardly flinging his sword from his elbow, and as the tip reached the bottom of its swing, the blade trembled.

He wiped the sweat from his face, and seeing Sylphy crying, he spoke with a somewhat grim expression.

"...Sylphy, cast a Healing Spell."

Upon hearing this, Sylphy wiped her tears with one hand and extended the other towards Allen, whimpering as she chanted intermittently.

"Like a mother's... loving goddess, please heal this person's... wounds, restore him to health, Heal... Healing Spell!"

Allen's expression improved, and he drew his sword, ready to swing it idly again.

Rudy watched Allen, and his usual joking tone disappeared. He looked at Allen and slowly began to speak in a calm manner.

"Allen... you're usually so good with words, aren't you? How come the teacher is leaving tomorrow, and you're just putting on a calm, indifferent face? Don't you see Sylphy has been crying the whole time?"

Lokkishi walked up to Rudy, wanting to interject and stop a potential argument from erupting, but she mumbled for a moment and ultimately said nothing.

Allen held his sword, but this time, instead of the slow, idle swings of the past few days, he casually spun it and forcefully slashed through the halo of candlelight near his face.

"...Rudy, what kind of reaction do you think is appropriate? What if Sylphy cries? Do you think crying isn't allowed? Should sadness not be accepted?"

Rudy was momentarily taken aback, and Lokkishi and Sylphy also stared blankly at Allen.

Allen ran his thumb along the forged pattern of the blade, all the way to the tip.

"I've always felt that... in human interactions, happiness should certainly be remembered, but pain shouldn't be deliberately avoided. No matter what emotion you're feeling at the moment, whether it's joy or sadness, excitement or sorrow, don't suppress your emotions. To feel, to experience—that is the proof that this experience existed."

"But, but... if that's the case..."

Allen flicked the blade with his finger, producing a crisp ding.

"If that's the case, then you'll have more 'strength' to look forward to the next reunion."

He sheathed the blade with a clink, and a gust of wind erupted from around him, tousling everyone's hair. The three of them stared at him in surprise.

"Isn't that right?"

After a brief moment of daze, Rudy came back to his senses.

"...What about you then? According to your theory, you're not crying or laughing, just calm-faced. So, you don't feel anything about the teacher leaving? Didn't you ask her to stay a few more days?"

Lokkishi paused, instinctively avoiding the confrontation between the two, but she couldn't escape their voices.

Only Allen's lazy voice echoed in the room.

"Because I'm certain we'll meet again in the future, I'm calm."

Rudy looked at Lokkishi. She seemed not to have heard Allen's words, simply tilting her head to look at the candlelight on the table, blinking.

The candle flame, like a fiery serpent, licked the air, unmoved.

Seeing this, Rudy suddenly felt a bit disheartened, losing the desire to speak further.

Then, Allen suddenly wrapped an arm around his neck, bringing his smiling face close to Rudy's. Rudy stared at him for a moment before grumbling, "...Get away from me. Flattering me won't work now, you smooth-talker."

Allen chuckled.

"Rudy, how about we celebrate with Magic tonight?"

"Huh? What do you mean 'celebrate with magic'?"

"Can you combine a Fireball Spell with a shockwave or something, to create a mixed spell that shoots directly into the sky and explodes into a spectacular, fiery meteor? Wouldn't that be beautiful? Lokkishi and Sylphy would surely love it."

Rudy paused, then instinctively blurted out, "HANABI?"

Allen feigned confusion and chuckled.

"What?"

Rudy looked at Lokkishi and Sylphy beside him, both curious. He scratched his head, then walked to the window. He pushed it open, and the night breeze from the quiet Buena Village outside swept into the room, disheveling his own hair, as well as Lokkishi's, Sylphy's, and Allen's.

Rudy turned back to look at the smiling Allen and sighed inwardly.

Actually, as an adult with the mental age of someone over thirty, he certainly wouldn't be so sentimental about parting as to childishly confront Allen.

His reaction this time was entirely to use the situation as an excuse to vent his anger at Allen, nothing more.

He was the one who met Lokkishi first.

Why did she clearly have a better impression of Allen?

I just looked at these two chapters and they seem like 'sugar' for someone emotionally reserved like me, but the sweetness isn't too obvious. However, I promise real sugar tomorrow!

Speaking of 'sugar,' this humble author recommends a book: My Childhood Sweetheart Next Door. It's about being reborn in childhood, with destiny right beside you.

It gives me the feeling of watching 5 Centimeters Per Second, where adult Takaki, in the moment he and Akari pass each other and look back on the train tracks, somehow travels back in time to childhood to begin a new 'Cherry Blossom Chapter'.

If you enjoy everyday romance, you definitely shouldn't miss it.