When Sylphie heard the sound, she immediately turned around. Seeing it was Rudeus, her eyes curved into crescents. She was carrying a small wicker basket:
"Rudeus! You're a little later than usual today."
She trotted over and held the basket out to him:
"I baked your favorite honey cookies. They just came out of the oven, so they're still warm."
Rudeus took the basket, picked up a cookie, and popped it into his mouth. The honey flavor, sweet but not cloying, melted on his tongue, and he couldn't help narrowing his eyes:
"Mmm! Sho good! Your baking keeps getting better, Sylphie."
Her cheeks turned slightly pink, and she tugged at the hem of her skirt as she whispered:
"As long as you like them."
Rudeus led her to sit on the grass beneath the oak tree and raised one hand. After a faint ripple in space, a pitch-black opening appeared in front of his palm:
"Today I'm going to teach you a really useful spell. I spent days perfecting it. It's called Magic Pocket."
Sylphie immediately sat up straight and looked at Rudeus with sparkling eyes, like a little rabbit paying close attention in class.
After patiently explaining and demonstrating it, he had Sylphie try it herself:
"All right, try channeling mana into your fingertips and feel how your blood flows."
Sylphie took a deep breath and carefully gathered mana at her fingertips.
A dark opening split open above her palm, and she moved the pocket in front of herself in delight:
"I did it! You're amazing, Rudeus!"
"There's more." Rudeus smiled and ruffled her hair:
"You can spend mana to expand this pocket permanently. One cubic meter takes a thousand mana. You have enough mana to expand it to about five cubic meters right now, which is plenty for your books and a change of clothes. You won't have to carry such a heavy bag when you go out anymore."
Sylphie nodded vigorously and tried putting her magic books and basket of cookies into the pocket. Sure enough, they vanished in an instant.
She excitedly opened and closed the Magic Pocket, taking things out and putting them back in, having the time of her life.
But as Rudeus watched her enjoy herself, the smile on his face slowly faded, and a trace of complicated emotion welled up in his heart.
Sylphie quickly noticed that something was wrong with Rudeus. She stopped and looked at him worriedly:
"Rudeus, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
Rudeus fell silent for a moment, then looked up at her and said earnestly:
"Sylphie, I've hit a bottleneck."
She froze. "A bottleneck?"
"Yeah." Rudeus nodded, his gaze drifting into the distance.
He knew perfectly well that there was no bottleneck at all. He just wanted Sylphie to become a little more independent.
So he came up with a reason to leave for a while.
His fingertips traced the patterns in the grass unconsciously:
"Even though I have more mana than I could ever use, I've hit a bottleneck in my magical techniques and theory. I don't know how to improve anymore."
"If I stay in Buena Village, I might be stuck at this level for the rest of my life."
He took a deep breath and voiced the decision he had been considering for a long time:
"I want to continue my studies at Ranoa University of Magic. It has the best magic teachers and the most complete collection of magical texts on the entire continent. Only there can I truly surpass my limits."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air around them seemed to freeze.
The smile vanished completely from Sylphie's face. She stared at Rudeus, tears gradually filling her pale green eyes.
Her lips trembled, and for a long time she couldn't get a word out.
"Sylphie..."
Rudeus was just about to speak when Sylphie suddenly threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and burst into loud sobs.
"No... Rudeus, don't go..."
Sylphie sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently. Her scalding tears soaked through my shirt, wetting the front of Rudeus's clothes:
"I don't want you to go to some university of magic... I'll be good, and I won't throw tantrums anymore. I'll learn lots and lots of magic to help you... Please don't leave me all alone..."
Her sobs were like a little hammer, striking Rudeus's heart again and again.
He stiffly raised his arms and gently embraced her trembling body, his heart aching and softening.
He knew how much Sylphie depended on him.
Ever since the first time Rudeus stood up to protect her from the children who bullied her in the village, he had become the only light in her world.
She was used to going to Rudeus for everything, used to staying by his side. Now that she had suddenly heard he was leaving, her world must have come crashing down.
"I'm sorry, Sylphie..."
Rudeus patted her back, his voice a little hoarse:
"I'm not abandoning you. I'm only going away for a while."
"How long?"
She looked up at Rudeus through tear-filled eyes, her eyes swollen like walnuts:
"What if you don't come back for years? I'll miss you... What if you forget me?"
"I won't!"
Rudeus gently wiped the tears from her face with his fingertips and looked earnestly into her eyes:
"How could I ever forget you?"
"I promise you, we'll definitely see each other again!"
At those words, Sylphie's eyes widened in shock.
Her rosy little lips parted slightly, revealing her white teeth. Looking into her eyes at such close range made my heart race...
"In a couple of years, I'll come back for you, and then we can go to the university of magic together. How does that sound?"
"So... it's for my sake?"
Sylphie bit her lip, tears still streaming down her face, and shook her head:
"I don't want that... I don't want you to go alone... I can go with you... I'm not afraid of hardship..."
Rudeus sighed and cupped her face, making her look into his eyes as he spoke word by word:
"Sylphie, I don't want you to become a pretty ornament who can't do anything without me around."
The words struck Sylphie like a thunderclap, bringing her sobs to an immediate halt.
She stared at him, her eyes full of astonishment.
"You're very talented at magic, more than a lot of people." Rudeus looked into her eyes, his tone utterly serious:
"If you stay by my side all the time, you'll only ever depend on me. You'll never grow up."
"I hope you'll use this time to practice your magic and become a powerful magician who can stand on her own. That way, even when I'm not by your side, you can protect yourself and won't be bullied anymore."
"When I come back, I want to see a Sylphie who shines, not a little girl who can only hide behind me and cry."
Sylphie looked at Rudeus, and tears flowed down her face again, but this time her sobs were much quieter.
She was silent for a long time before she nodded with a sniffle. Wiping her tears with her sleeve, she whispered:
"I understand... You're doing this for my sake, Rudeus..."
She held out her little finger and said in a heavily nasal voice:
"Then let's make a pinky promise. Promise me you'll come back for me. No lying."
Rudeus smiled and hooked his little finger around hers:
"I promise. Once I've saved enough money, I'll definitely come back. Pinky promise, no changing it for a hundred years."
"Whoever breaks it is a puppy." Sylphie sniffled and finally smiled, tearstains still on her face.
The two of them sat beneath the tree for a long time, talking about many things.
Rudeus, I told her to practice her magic diligently, and if she ran into anything she couldn't handle, she should go to Paul or Zenith instead of trying to bear it alone.
She also told Rudeus to take care of himself while he was away, not to get sick or fight with anyone, and to remember to write to her.
Only when the sun began to sink in the west did Rudeus say goodbye to Sylphie and fly home on his flying sword.
In the living room, Paul was sitting on the sofa polishing his sword, while Zenith and Lilia sat nearby mending clothes.
When Zenith saw Rudeus return, she smiled and said:
"You're back, Rudeus? Did you have fun with Sylphie today?"
Rudeus walked over to them, took a deep breath, and said seriously:
"Dad, Mom, Lilia, there's something I want to discuss with you."
Paul put down his sword and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's got you so serious?"
"I want to go to Ranoa Magic School with Sylphie." Rudeus looked at them and told them his decision.
Zenith froze for a moment, a worried look appearing on her face:
"Ranoa Magic School? Isn't that very far away? How can we not worry if you go alone?"
"There's no need to worry, madam. Rudeus is a Saint Rank magician now. He'll be fine," Lilia said softly from the side:
"And the young master has always been sensible. I'm sure he can take care of himself."
Paul rubbed his chin and studied Rudeus for a while before suddenly laughing:
"Well, well, you little rascal, you're going places. I thought you planned to hole up in the village all your life, fussing over your two little sisters every day."
He patted me on the shoulder and said cheerfully:
"If you want to go, go! A man ought to go out and make his way in the world. Leave the job to me."
"Thanks, Dad!"
Rudeus felt a warmth in his heart and nodded.
Although Zenith was still a little worried, seeing that Paul and I had both made up our minds, she said no more. She simply sighed and said:
"Then you must take good care of yourself, and remember to write home often."
Rudeus couldn't help laughing. "I know, Mom~"
As the night grew deeper, I lay in bed, gazing at the starry sky outside the window.
The road ahead was still long, but Rudeus knew that as long as he had people he wanted to protect, he would never stop moving forward.