Frost Nova

"Don't worry about it. Please forget how rude I was just now. Could you teach me a few more spells tonight?"

Cain let go of Roxy and breathed a faint sigh of relief, then placed the magic book in her hands.

"Of course. But in return, I'd like you to show me some swordsmanship."

Seeing the faint blush on Master Roxy's face and her slight smile, Cain agreed at once. Yes! More magic proficiency!

"No problem."

But then Cain realized something: how was he supposed to show Roxy his swordsmanship? An ordinary Advanced Sword God Style swordsman's strikes were already fast, and when a Sword King of the Sword God Style swung his sword in earnest, the naked eye could barely follow it.

And he was a Sword God. Forget watching him swing—any Sword God Style swordsman who could even see when he drew his blade was impressive. He could do it in slow motion, but... That would feel weird. Still, it might make it easier to watch.

"Water droplets, scatter and fly; flowing water, cover all things!"

"Water Vapor!"

Outside the city, Roxy raised her faintly glowing staff over the snow.

As the Intermediate-class spell Water Vapor took effect, a thin film of water covered her body, while droplets floated across a wide area around her.

Behind her, Cain stood holding the magic book, his eyes widening slightly.

Another new spell! I thought Water Magic could only make water cannonballs to blast people with. I had no idea you could use it like this!

"Watch closely, Cain."

Roxy saw the curiosity and admiration in Cain's eyes. The corners of her mouth lifted, and she felt a little proud—and a little eager.

Her gifted apprentice could cast ordinary single-target spells without chanting. He would surely learn one quickly, perhaps without even hearing the incantation once. But what about a composite spell made from several spells? How long would it take him to figure that out? She looked forward to finding out.

With that thought, Roxy smiled and waved her staff.

"Azure goddess descending gracefully from the heavens, wave your staff and freeze this world!"

This was the incantation for the Advanced-class Water Magic spell Frozen Domain. Combined with the Intermediate-class spell Water Vapor, however, it became a more powerful composite Advanced-class Water Magic spell with a wider range.

"Frost Nova!"

As Roxy finished chanting, the area twenty meters around and ahead of her instantly became a glittering world of ice and snow.

All the snow nearby turned to ice. Even the snowflakes in the air became ice crystals and fell.

"So cool..."

Cain's eyes shone behind Roxy. In that glittering frozen landscape, she turned toward him, straightened her magic hat slightly, and gave him a happy, gentle smile.

She's beautiful.

"Your turn, Cain."

"O-okay..." Cain took the staff from Roxy.

Roxy clenched her small fists. There was worry behind her smile, and she felt uneasy.

If her apprentice managed to cast a composite spell on his first try, she would be too ashamed to keep calling herself his teacher.

But it seemed the very thing she feared was about to happen.

Cain raised Roxy's staff, and countless droplets slowly appeared within nearly a hundred meters of him.

Of course, he had to leave Roxy out of it. Can't accidentally hurt my lovely teacher. That was his first thought. Then, without chanting a word,

he skipped the incantations for both Water Vapor and Frozen Domain and said simply,

"Frost Nova!"

As droplets turned into ice crystals and fell from the sky, Roxy's lips parted. Her wide blue eyes trembled.

That isn't Advanced-class magic anymore. That effect... King-class? No! Is it the Emperor-class spell Absolute Zero?!

Roxy stared in shock at the changes around her.

A wave of cold swept past. For hundreds of meters around Roxy and Cain, the ground became a glittering sheet of ice, like a vast skating rink. Everything in the area except the two of them had frozen.

Crack, crack! An evergreen tree, now an ice sculpture, shattered into icy fragments. A large rock ahead of them split cleanly in two; it had frozen through to its core.

[Successfully cast Emperor-class Ice Magic: Absolute Zero]

[Proficiency: +3,854 points]

[Rewards: Greatly increased Ice Magic casting speed; Ice Magic Magic Power cost -25%; total magic capacity +5%; Ice Magic power +10%]

Hmm. Ice Magic and Water Magic are the same type, but the system still treats them separately?

But I'm so happy! That wasn't the Advanced-class Frost Nova—it was the Emperor-class Absolute Zero?! This is amazing!

Cain trembled with excitement, not noticing that Roxy had grown dejected. She was crouched on the ground, forlornly poking the ice beneath her feet.

Her apprentice was a prodigy. She had never expected him to succeed on his first attempt, much less surpass the spell entirely. At this rate, he really could reach Water God-class someday.

And I still call myself his teacher. Isn't that shameless of me...?

Roxy crouched there in gloom. She did not know that Cain's magical power came from the system.

Roxy had become an adventurer after falling out with her own teacher. Back then, she had proudly thought herself a genius. Only after meeting Cain, her first apprentice, did she realize how laughable the talent she had once prized seemed now.

Compared to my genius apprentice, I'm probably just an ordinary mage who needs to chant to cast spells...

"Um, Master Roxy... Are you all right...?"

Sensing something was wrong, Cain turned. Roxy was crouched on the ground, tracing circles on the smooth ice with one finger, looking utterly dejected. His mouth twitched.

Oh no. I shouldn't have cast that at full power. Master Roxy looks crushed.

"Um, Master Roxy, how about a late-night snack? My treat."

Cain scratched his cheek. He still remembered Roxy saying she might be jealous of his magical talent when he first used Chantless Casting.

They walked around the streets a couple of times, but Roxy still looked downcast. Cain pursed his lips, about to offer to perform a sword dance for her, when

he noticed her staring blankly at a shop ahead.

"Hmm? Do you want something from there, Master Roxy?"

Cain followed her gaze to the cake shop across the street. She was so absorbed in it that the corners of his mouth lifted.

Of course, the desserts in a cream-cake shop like this were expensive. Usually, only nobles could afford them.

"We made a lot of money this time. Would you like to try some, Master Roxy?"

"B-but that would be such a waste of money..."

Roxy swallowed and forced herself to look away from the neat rows of tempting cakes in the shop.

But when she turned back, she saw a hand held out to her. It was slender, with a thin layer of calluses on the palm: her apprentice Cain's hand.

"It's okay. Do you want some? My treat."

Cain smiled and offered his hand in invitation. Besides, the cake shop was right in front of them. Surely he couldn't get lost now.

"Mmm, but it's still too expensive. We should—"

Before Roxy could finish, Cain smiled and gently took the hand she had instinctively extended, then tried to pull back. If his teacher couldn't decide, her apprentice would have to decide for her.

Roxy blushed to the tips of her ears. She blinked her azure eyes at his hand holding hers. For some reason, she didn't want to pull away. Instead, she gave his hand a small squeeze in return. This felt right.

She really did want something sweet. And if Cain was paying, then going in for just a little while wasn't... out of the question.

O-of course I won't fall for this silly apprentice of mine. I definitely won't. I just like desserts, that's all.

Besides... I'm his teacher! Even if I'm an incompetent one he's already surpassed...

Happily holding Roxy's hand, Cain glanced at the shop sign, whose lettering he couldn't read, and went inside. The owner, a middle-aged Dog Beastfolk man, rubbed his hands together and gave them a kindly smile.

"You two are a couple, right? We've got a special offer: couples get cakes at half price!"

"Huh? A c-couple?!"

Cain flushed. He looked at the Dog Beastfolk man's confident expression, then at Roxy's equally red cheeks. The corner of his eye twitched.

"W-wait a second! Isn't this a normal cake shop? Why do you have an offer like that? And we're not—"

Roxy pursed her lips and tightened her grip on Cain's hand. With a shy blink of her azure eyes, she signaled to Cain, then looked at the owner.

"Th-that's right. May we choose our cakes now?"

The cakes here weren't cheap, and Roxy didn't want to spend more than necessary. Yes, that was all. Though she didn't mind pretending to be Cain's girlfriend, either...

Right. It's only to save money.