Chapter 16
The Girl Named Alicia

Translated by Yuriko Aya [translasi.sanusi.me]
Edited by FrozenInk

 

“Alicia-chan. The score from the ability test before, it was as great as ever. Surely you’ve tried your best.”

“Thank you very much.”

Praised by Lotte-sensei inside the teacher’s room, Alicia bowed.

It was break time now, And there were teachers here and and there in the room.

Alicia was called by Lotte-sensei because there was something that they needed to talk about and was brought to teacher’s room.

Lotte-sense was frowned.

“But… there  hasn’t  been much progress on your practical skills recently?”

“I’m sorry… even though I keep training, my magic power doesn’t increase…”

Alicia hung her head.

“Alicia-chan wants to join the kingdom’s magic division after graduating right?”

“Yes.”

Lotte-sensei seemed to choose her words and continued speaking.

“Honestly… I think that it will be difficult if you’re still like this. In the first place, the ones who enter the magic division are usually battle-type magicians and have outstanding magical power. Alicia-chan’s magic control is outstanding, but originally your magic power was only average. That’s why, if you consider  the other course it should be something you can do but…”

“Thank you, I’ll consider the other course.”

“Eeeh…? Umm… is it fine to not be in the magic division? I thought Alicia-chan admired her father who is in magic division..”

Alicia gave a small laugh.

“Of course I admire him, but dreams and reality are different. I must figure out what I can do and think firmly about the future.”

“That’s… yeah, that’s right but…”

Lotte-sensei had a troubled face.

“Umm…I shouldn’t have said that  but, since Alicia-chan is still twelve years old, I think it’s fine to become more childish”

“I’m childish enough.”

After she gave small bow, Alicia left the teacher’s room.

When she went out to corridor and turned her head, she saw Lotte-sensei shrug her small shoulder.

Alicia Gutenbelt, in her young age, she properly saw the world.

The structure of the world, the expectations of adults, the other side of things, and the severity of reality. Those words seemed as though they were written in the air and could easily be seen.

That insight, maybe because her intelligence was high since birth, or maybe because she gained it little by little through observing the habits of everything.

Whichever it was, Alicia understood this world, and she understood herself.

She understood that she was average.

Even though her hard work showed excellent results, she didn’t have natural talent. She understood that since she met Ferris who had god-like powers.

But Alicia was not discouraged.

The world is something like that. There are some limitations that humans cannot cross, and must accept.

Since she understood that, she didn’t feel down.

And she understood the reason why she lacked passion was because she understood too much about reality.

The dream of becoming magician like her father didn’t come from the bottom of her heart.

「Such dreams are reasonable」

Like that, one sensible consideration was working. [TN: I’m not sure myself, そんな、一種の良識的な思考が働いていたのだ。]

She didn’t know what she really wanted to do. She was just trying to grasp 「what she can do」 and 「what she must do」.

Alicia’s daily life was neither black nor gray, but it was never shining. It was pastel colored life.

“Alicia-san!! Let’s have lunch together.”

“…Ferris.”

Yes, until she met this lovely girl who jumped like a kitten.

Somehow, whenever she saw that girl smile, she felt like a faint light leaked out from inside her chest.

———————————————————————

“What were you talking about with Lotte-sensei?”

In the courtyard which filled with dazzling sunlight.

Ferris asked Alicia while eating sandwich on a bench.

There was boiled egg stuck on the corner of Ferris mouth, Alicia wipe it with her tongue handkerchief.

“Just a little, she just talked about my course. Since my magic power is not that high, it seems my desire to entering magic division will be difficult.”

“Is that so…”

Ferris became sad and stopped eating her sandwich.

Because Ferris’ face looked like it was being covered by cloud of despair, Alicia added one more thing,

“But it’s fine. For magician, there still a lot of courses that can be taken. It can’t be helped.”

“That’s no good!”

“…eh?”

“Ah, sorry for suddenly shouting. But, that’s no good! Easily giving up on your dream is no good! Because, because Alicia-san seems very sad!”

“It’s not like I was sad.”

Alicia laughed.

She was accustomed to giving up on her dreams. When she was very young there was a time when she dreamed of becoming a princess, but she immediately gave up on that dream.

Ferris, while playing with her finger, timidly said something.

“Uu… umm.. If you’re fine with it… want you try using magic trick which I recently I found…?”

“Trick…?”

“Yes! When I use that, somehow it becomes easier to control magic and adjusting its power than usual! It’s amazing!”

“Heeh…”

Recently, Ferris was training with her best, Alicia knew that thing too. Maybe there will be some hint for her powerless self. Furthermore, it was impossible  to not listen  since Ferris gave glittering eyes like that.”

“Let’s do it then.”

“Right!!”

Ferris nodded with great joy.

After finishing her last sandwich, Ferris quickly jumped from the bench.

Alicia took out a practice staff from her bag and lined up beside Ferris.

“And then… how I should do it?”

“First act like some great one.”

“…like this?”

Following Ferris who puffed out her nonexistence chest, Alicia also puffed out her chest. [TN: Fozen-sama, please make a better sentence for it.](Ed: I can’t make their chests bigger….)

“More! Like someone great! Like the queen!”

“Like the queen?”

She put her hands on her waist and looked down the ground.

“And then, chant aria like ordering someone. It seems there is no problem even if the aria is slightly mistaken, more than that, it’s better to firmly consider the meaning of an aria and feel it.”

“Feel it… hn, I understand, I’ll try it.”

Alicia prepared her staff and looked at a stone on the road side.

Just like Ferris said, she chanted the aria as if giving an order to someone.

A basic attack magic is required by every battle-type magician.

With Alicia magical power, this magic could only create fist-sized fireball.

“Oh fire,  burning might…. obey my will, strike my foe… Flame Bullet!”

The fire broke out from the staff.

Overflowing fire rushed towards the stone and burned it. The burning stone melted and lost its shape.

Alicia panicked and lowered her staff.

The magic was interrupted and the fire were gone.

“Ho, how about it…? are  there any changes in your magic power?”

Ferris asked with worry.

“It’s more than small… I have never used magic this big before… for me to be able do such thing…”

Alicia murmured in amazement. Her hand trembled while holding the staff.

“That’s great! It’s convenient since it should work on other magic!”

Ferris made a big smile on her face.

This innocent girl must have not realized it.

That magic just now, in magic division it belonged to top class elites. That mean in just a few minutes, she revived Alicia’s dream.

No, not only will she be capable of entering the magic division. She can become an imperial guard with that, or maybe become the leader of the magic division.

Alicia suddenly felt like the world was widely opened.

She touched the drop that slid down her cheek with her finger.

Then she realized.

How painful it was to gave up her own dream. How frustrating it was to hold down her own frustration.

“Ahahaha… I… I really was a child…”

Ferris titled her head when she saw Alicia laugh and murmur something.

That girl was always more childlike than Alicia.

In a moment, Alicia’s future was changed.

———————————————————————–

The night.

After coming back to the students dormitory and finishing preparation for sleep, they were entered their own beds.

The weather started to deteriorating since evening, there was a storm outside now.

As the heavy rain hit the windows, and the roof howled, the atmosphere became eerie.

In a day like this, sleeping quickly was the best.

When Alicia have such thought and put her head on the pillow, a flash of lightning was brightening the room.

Followed by thunderous roar. A loud voice attacked Alicia’s ears.

“That was close!”

Alicia was shocked and looked at Ferris’ bed.

She thought that the blanket was shaped like dango,

But  that was not it. That dango was Ferris curling her body, stiffening and covered by the blanket.

“Ferris…”

Alicia came to Ferris’ bed and peeked into the blanket.

“A, Alicia-san…”

Ferris was trembling and her eyes were full of tears.

“…maybe, are you afraid thunder?”

“I, I think there is no one who-who doesn’t fear thunder…”

She had difficulty to speaking.

She grasped Alicia’s pajama sleeve tightly.

“A child like you…”

Alicia was laughed since it was funny for her.

“Uuu… why are you laughing…?”

Ferris weakly protested.

“Compared to that thunder just now, Ferris’ magic is obviously far more powerful and frightening right?”

“But… but…” [TN: Scary things are scary][Ed: well thunder is shocking~ .. hehe.. Yeah imma go away now]

“Fine then, come to my bed. Tonight, we’ll sleep together.”

“Yes!!”

Ferris gave a big nod, and ran with pitter-patter, and slipped into Alicia’s bed.

Alicia returned to her bed and embraced Ferris with her hands while lying down.

When she watched over Ferris each time there was thunder, somehow Alicia understood what she wanted to do.

Surely, this child is strong.

But, she need someone to protect her.

Having such thought, Alicia felt something shining gush out from her chest with brightness like never before.

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