Lessons to be learned

I was looking out the window of my house, watching the rain accumulate on the ground. Every now and then, a flash of light would streak across the horizon, followed by a sound so loud that my heart would race for a moment.

Beside me was a girl with green hair, also focused on what was happening outside, her eyes fixed on the gray horizon.

"You know why lightning strikes?" I asked, breaking the silence between us.

She shook her head, not taking her eyes off the storm.

"You know I'm really smart, right? So, I'll explain it to you." I made sure she looked into my eyes to fully grasp my wisdom.

"So, here's how it is… When lightning strikes, it's like the sky is fighting with the earth, you know? The sky fills up with energy, but sometimes, it accumulates so much that it needs to transfer some of it to the ground. That's why the flash is so intense. And thunder is the sound of that energy spreading. The light moves fast, but the sound takes longer to reach us."

I paused, trying to gauge her reaction. Her face seemed caught between understanding and confusion.

"It's like magic, but instead of spells or incantations, the sky uses lightning. When it happens, it's as if it's casting a very powerful spell—not to harm, just to release all the built-up energy."

"I… still don't understand, but I think I do..." Sylphiette responded, her expression shifting between acceptance and confusion again.

'Do you understand, or do you not understand?'

"Is it possible to create lightning with magic? I didn't see any incantations about rain in the books. Maybe only Saint-level or higher mages can do that?" I said, sighing.

"Hey, Rudeus, when are you going to teach me magic? You said you would once I learned to read. And I already know some letters!" Her voice trembled slightly, with the first signs of sadness.

"H-hey, I will teach you! It's just that… I think it's still too early for you. I don't know what complications might arise from having too much mana while growing up. Maybe I'll explode out of nowhere... Or maybe my mana will build up so much that it starts leaking from my body?"

I was being serious. I really didn't know if there was a limit to how much mana a person could store.

"You're just making excuses not to teach me..." And that was enough to make her start crying.

'Dealing with kids is so hard.'

"Alright, alright, I'll teach you. But you know you can't tell anyone, right? It's our secret."

She looked at me with sparkling eyes and gave a wide smile, showing her teeth, even as tears continued to fall.

'Giving something to a child and seeing them happy is simple. Dealing with kids is easy. But she knows very well how to use the power of her smile when she needs to.'

Sylphiette is already three years old. Learning to control magic shouldn't be too difficult for her. Even so, I feel relieved to see her happy. Some kids in the village look at her with expressions that resemble bullying, and it's not uncommon for them to insult her.

However, when that happens and I'm around, they immediately back off. Being the son of the region's knight has its benefits.

Still, I'm not always with her. That worries me. What could happen if I'm not around?

At least now, she'll have a way to defend herself. Not that I think she'll use it… Sylphiette is still very shy when dealing with others.

Despite that, I sometimes feel embarrassed to play with her. I was never much into playing as a kid, and sometimes I have to talk in childish terms so she understands. Playing with a child in this body makes me uncomfortable.

'I just want to grow up already.'

"From today onward, call me Professor Rudy," I said, handing her the book.

She nodded in agreement, moving her head up and down.

After that, I tried to teach her the most basic incantation of water magic, but she still struggled to cast it. I consider it basic because I've pretty much mastered all beginner-level incantations, though I haven't tested any intermediate ones yet. I'm waiting for my mana reserves to increase significantly before practicing.

The next day, we were in my house's garden. The sky was sunny, and the sound of birds chirping indicated it would be a great day.

We were outside because two rabbits were making noise in the room, and I didn't want her to hear that.

'Don't they know Lilia can hear them? It's always weird hearing that when I'm trying to sleep or in the afternoon.'

"So, little Sylphie, I want you to read what's written here and then point your hand straight ahead," I said, demonstrating the gestures.

"Here? Okay... um... May the vast and blessed waters converge where you will and emit a single pure stream—Water Ball!"

Immediately, a sphere of water appeared. However, it quickly dissipated, spreading water onto the ground. Even so, she managed to do it.

"Heh, that was amazing, Sylphie," I said, genuinely happy for her.

"I did it, Rudy!" Her joyful face could make even the cruelest of people surrender on the spot.

"So, today marks the day Sylphiette became a mage under the tutelage of Rudeus Greyrat. This will be a day recorded in history."

Now, seeing Sylphie so excited, I realize that teaching magic is similar to that experiment I did when I was a child in my previous world—controlling something invisible and turning it into something tangible. Maybe it's too early to think about it, but at this moment, I feel like this is what I want. To teach. To see that sparkle in her eyes. Maybe… to be a teacher.

That's right. Having a clear goal can make everything worthwhile in the end. Most of the time, at least.

"Hey, Sylphie, try again! This time, without saying the incantation," I said, interrupting her moment of euphoria.

"H-huh!? Okay!" Sylphie returned to my side with a grin so big it seemed like she was enjoying the challenge.

"Wipe that smile off your face, little Sylphie. Today, you're going to train until you pass out, so get ready."

Half an hour later, there she was, lying on the grass, fast asleep. The training had exhausted her. She tried casting the spell without speaking the incantation four times but still couldn't do it. Probably, being so young, she doesn't yet have a clear enough mental image of water to materialize the magic.

Maybe I should illustrate for her what I mean? But I don't have paper or ink for that. I also don't want to give easy answers. If I tell her exactly what she needs, she might become dependent on hints whenever she struggles. I don't want that. I want her to think for herself, observe, and draw her own conclusions. That's how you truly learn.

But I guess a small hint wouldn't hurt… No, wait. That's right, no! If I give hints now, I might end up spoiling her. That's like removing the challenge from learning, and that doesn't help in the long run.

I have to think clearly. If my student needs help and I don't know how to help her, then the problem isn't with her. It's with me. That's right. I need to improve as a teacher.

"If I lack wisdom, then I just need to seek it. The magic book we have here goes up to advanced level. If I learn all the spells described in it, I'll be prepared to teach anything in the future. That's right. I'm going to study even more."

She was happy, and that's what mattered. I no longer need to worry about how I feel or my impatience to grow up. What really matters is that I can help her learn, and by doing so, I'm also learning and growing. This is what I want.

With that clear thought in mind, I grabbed the magic book and started looking for an intermediate-level spell.

Let's see, not this one… this one is fire magic, better not… ah! Found it… hmm… hm…" I tried to recall the words written in it.

'Okay, all set.'

I steadied my right hand in a fixed position, placed my left arm for support, and aimed above the wall.

"Flexible spirit of water and princess of streams that flow through the earth, sweep everything away with your hidden power. Splash Flow."

Then, I cast the spell… A massive amount of water appeared and wouldn't stop flowing. I forced my aim in another direction, and after a few seconds, it finally stopped. I stood there for a moment, but soon I got up and looked more clearly at the damage caused.

'I'm dead.'

That was my thought when I saw the wall destroyed and the place I had aimed at—my mother's tree, the one she loved… or rather, the one she used to love.

"H-huh!? W-what was that!?" Sylphie shouted, quickly getting up from her sleep.

'This is bad. I'm sure everyone in the house heard that too. Maybe I should pretend I fainted… Or maybe blame my pupil—no, no. I'm an adult, and I need to face this like one.'

"So, Sylphie, this is—"

Before I could finish my sentence, I heard footsteps on the stairs, followed by the sound of the door opening. Soon, my parents appeared right there, clear worry on their faces.

"What happened!? Was it a monster? No… There aren't any monsters in this area," my father asked, quickly approaching me.

"Rudy, what—"

My mother stopped mid-sentence, her eyes first locking onto the destroyed wall and then onto the fallen tree. She stood there, clearly confused, alternating her gaze between the wall and the tree, trying to process the scene.

"Rudy?" Sylphie said, stepping closer and lightly tugging at my shirt. Her face showed concern as she looked between me and the chaos around us.

'Urgh… Alright, I'll tell them. That's right, what matters is learning and growing, just like I said.'

"Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you, I—"

Before I could finish, my mother quickly stepped forward, picked up the book that was on the ground, and held it firmly in her hands. A gentle smile appeared on her face, but something about the glint in her eyes didn't seem completely natural. She looked into my eyes, her mouth curving into a warm smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. It seemed forced, which made the situation even stranger.

"Rudy, did you say some of the words from this book out loud?"

"H-huh? Yeah… I think so?" Now, I was completely confused.

"What was that?" Paul asked. "But this is an intermediate-level spell…"

"Oh, dear, did you hear that!?" Zenith interrupted, practically shouting. "I already knew our boy was a genius!" She clenched her small fists and started jumping with joy, completely ecstatic.

I think that surprised me more than it did her. I was left speechless, watching my mother so excited. She seemed to be in a great mood.

My father, on the other hand, still looked skeptical.

"Wait, wait a second," he said, looking at me. "We haven't even taught you how to read or…"

"We need to hire a tutor for him right now! Oh, he's going to grow up and become an amazing mage, I just know it!"

She seemed so excited, as if she already knew. Maybe it was a mother's intuition. Well, if she was happy, that was what really mattered.

After that, my parents started talking about promises, and after a suggestion from Lilia, they ended up reconciling. Apparently, they were going to hire a magic teacher. I was excited. With a teacher to support me, I could improve my magic and my studies.

As I thought about that, I looked at Sylphie. She was still standing there, but she had a smile on her face. Maybe she was happy for me, and that sparked a doubt in my mind. I placed my finger on my forehead and closed my eyes, trying to organize my thoughts.

'But now what do I do? I don't know how much it costs to have a private teacher, and they're hiring one for me… But what about her? If I ask, could they include Sylphie too? Or maybe I could talk to the teacher and have them teach both of us? I have no idea how much that would cost. Would it be something her parents could afford? Or maybe… I could learn everything from the teacher and then teach her myself? Urgh, better leave that for later.'

After that, my parents went inside. Paul said he would go to town to arrange for a magic tutor and went upstairs to change clothes. That left me and Sylphie outside. Well, Lilia was also nearby, but she seemed busy examining the destroyed wall.

"Hm, Sylphie, do you know how much your father earns?"

She shook her head.

"Why do you want to know, Rudy?"

"Oh, I was just curious." Phew, that was easy.

She looked at me, frowning.

"Let's leave that aside. Come here, Sylphie." I took her hand and led her to the fallen tree.

"I'm going to have to take care of Mom's tree. Maybe she was too happy to notice now, but I really destroyed her favorite tree…"

The scene was pitiful. The poor tree was completely wrecked—it almost looked like it was cosplaying Gojo.

I found myself reminiscing about my moments with the tree.

(Flashback)

I looked at the tree. I looked at the leaves. And then I went inside.

(End of flashback)

I felt a tear fall from my eye. "Great…" I took a deep breath and healed the tree.

Looking at the wall, I called Sylphie, and we headed toward it. Lilia, who was there, noticed my approach and looked at me—or maybe behind me, at Sylphie, or perhaps at her hair.

'Do they really think her hair is strange? My dad wasn't too surprised when he saw it, or maybe he was, and I just didn't notice, but when Sylphie came to play at my house, my mom seemed a bit startled. But to me, her green hair is something wonderful, a unique color.'

"Yes, that's right!" I nodded to affirm my thought.

"Why are you putting your hand on my hair?" Sylphie said, lowering her gaze.

'I didn't even notice my hand was there.'

I quickly removed it, giving an awkward smile.

"Sorry, Sylphie. How about we fix this together, okay? And, um… Lilia, could you bring some water?"

Lilia just stood there, looked at me, gave a small smile, and then walked toward the house.

"Rudy, why don't you use your magic to fix it?"

"Oh, I've never tried creating stone with magic before. There's no beginner-level stone spell, so I don't know if it'll work."

After that, we started fixing what remained of the scattered stones. My father was already ready, and since he had said he would leave, he called Sylphie, saying it was time for her to go back because her parents would be worried. She was a little reluctant, but I reassured her, saying we'd play again tomorrow. So, she left, and the next day arrived before I even noticed…

"Come on, Sylphie, focus! Think about the challenges of life! Think about what you'll achieve! Focus on the water, imagine it! You are the water, the water is you!"

"Hmmm… Huuu… Hi… Splash!" The sound of water forming and then falling was the sign that she had successfully cast water magic without incantation.

She looked at me, started running, and then jumped in my direction. At the last moment, I dodged, caught her, and set her down.

"Congratulations, Sylphie, but don't let it go to your head. You're still 50 levels below me. If you want a worthy duel, you'll have to train more and—"

"Hehe." She was there, smiling.

Seeing that smile made me smile too.

And so, Sylphie and I went to fix the wall, but some stones were missing—maybe they had broken.

But Sylphie's suggestion from yesterday didn't leave my mind. The suggestion to create stone.

And then, out of nowhere, a sudden scream filled the air.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The scream was high-pitched and full of despair, coming from somewhere nearby.

My body tensed automatically.

Looking in the direction of the scream, I saw a young girl, probably a teenager. She wore a brown mage's cloak, and her blue hair was tied in braids, which swayed with her frantic head movements. The panic on her face was evident, and she seemed completely out of it.

"Su-su-superd…" She could barely finish the word, her voice trembling with fear.

And then, suddenly, she collapsed.

'What a weird girl…'

That was the only thought that crossed my mind.