ALL NOVEL Chapter 37 – A Diligent One
Two days after Althea performed her first earth magic, today is the day Regalus leaves for the academy in the principality known as the Congregation of Ecclesiastical Sacraments.
After breakfast, everyone from the Monclair household gathered outside to bid farewell to Regalus and Jean.
"Regalus, make sure you keep up with your sword practice over there, alright? Consistent training is key," Thomas advised as he patted Regalus on the shoulder.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" Clara said, giving him a hug.
"...Father, Mother, thank you. I may not be as skilled as father, but I'll give it my all. Also... about Siegfried..."
"That's right. As a friend of the crown prince, support him," Thomas reminded him.
"Yes."
After saying goodbye to his parents, Regalus approached Althea, who was shedding a few tears nearby.
"...Althea, if you keep crying, your eyes will puff up."
"But... but... brother..."
Regalus gently patted his sister's head and looked at her with a reassuring smile.
"...I'll be back during the long break in 4 months... so please don't cry too much. I'm eager to see how your spell [Earthen Wall] progresses when I return."
"Yeah. I'll do my best..."
"But don't overexert yourself, okay? I'm more worried about you than myself."
Regalus took Althea's hand and continued speaking.
"Listen, Althea. Even if the restriction on going out is lifted, promise me you won't go alone... Father mentioned it too, but I want your word as well. Promise you won't venture out alone."
"...Okay, I understand. I promise."
"You're a responsible kid. And I'm curious to see how much of a 'lady' you'll become in 4 months."
With a cheerful laugh, he added, "I'll also work on my 'gentlemanly' skills... let's both surprise each other."
"Haha, you still have your moments of childishness. ...Well then, I should get going. Althea, take care."
Regalus flashed a gentle smile at Althea, who had stopped crying without him noticing, and headed off to the Holy Sacrament Academy.
Three days later, the Monclair couple left home to attend the entrance ceremony, leaving Althea behind.
With her parents and brother gone, the mansion felt eerily quiet. To fill the void, Althea dedicated herself to practicing magic every day.
The spell that occupied Althea's thoughts was meant to conjure a wall when cast correctly.
On the afternoon following her first spellcasting, Thomas demonstrated how to create walls of varying sizes, ranging from over 3 meters tall to as small as 3 centimeters.
"Magic allows for adjustments in size and strength, even with the same spell. The first spell serves as practice for mastering these adjustments... it's crucial to get the basics down. Though I reckon it might be challenging for Althea with her abundant magical power... Keep at it diligently," Thomas advised.
Taking Thomas's counsel to heart, Althea diligently practiced after her initial spellcasting, but saw little improvement. Only patches of earth sprouted sporadically. If anything, the range of the raised earth may have widened slightly.
"Oh dear... why can't I get it right? ...What's the use of having so much magical power if I can't control it properly?"
About a week after her first spellcasting, Althea sat amidst the raised earth, frustrated and muttering to herself.
"Brother mastered it in just a few days... Um, was it 'Suidou' for water magic?" she pondered aloud, yet nothing happened.
"...Water magic, of course. Um, then... 'Kaze'... no, what was it? 'Kazawa'?"
She attempted to recall the spell as she muttered, but still, nothing occurred.
"Hmm... perhaps I got the spell wrong? I should have taken notes if I knew it would be like this."
Rolling onto her back, she observed the clear sky. Taking a deep breath, she admired the sky for a while.
"What lovely weather..."
She murmured, closing her eyes.
As she contemplated surrendering to the pleasant sensation of the wind against her skin, she heard Ciel's voice.
"Althea~"
"Ciel?... Where have you been? I haven't seen you in a while..."
"Yeah. I've been out for a bit. But more importantly... how are you holding up~?"
"Well... I'm giving it my best shot but... I just can't seem to get it right. I wonder why?... My skills in self-defense and swordsmanship improve with practice, but magic doesn't seem to work the same way."
"What about studying~?"
"...That's... different. ...I'm... not really putting much effort into it..."
"Haha. I see~, not exactly putting your all into it, huh... You know, I visited a sacred place~."
"Huh?"
"I think the reason you're struggling is because you have so much magical power~."
"What do you mean?"
"Because you have so much, it's tough to control just a little bit at a time, right? It seems to take longer than it does for regular folks~."
"...I don't fully grasp it, but... it'll take time... But if I persist, I'll improve, won't I?"
"Yeah, practice makes perfect~."
"I see... Well then, I won't give up. There's no point in sulking around, and time spent practicing is time well spent. And... Ciel mentioned that if I keep at it, I'll eventually get it right."
Determined, she rose to her feet, fetched her magic book, and began reciting the spell for 'Earthen Wall' once more.
And so, after relentless practice each day, Althea finally succeeded in shaping 'Earthen Wall' into an actual barrier, approximately three months later.
