“…My father is a magic knight who is respected by a lot of people. The kind of person who charges fearlessly against anything, always leading the way and cutting open a path for his allies… His injuries led him to retire from the front lines, but people say that his courage in battle captured the hearts of his allies.”
Yuugo and Mizari sat together on a bench in the training area.
He thought what he had to do as a master was to listen quietly, and Mizari talked about her admiration towards her father.
“I saw my father fighting up close once. One time, we went out as a family, and monster armor beasts appeared. My father jumped out and fought to protect me and everyone there. He charged right into that group of monster armor beasts without a hint of fear, and destroyed them… He looked so cool.”
Mizari spoke about that day, that kickstarted her admiration of her father.
She had a somewhat bright smile on her face, but immediately after, clenched her fists, and her voice sounded pained.
“…I wanted to be like that too, like my father. I went against my parents, and put myself on the road to become a magic knight. That, along with having a magic item like his made, was all because I admire him.
I’m The Stinger’s daughter. I have his blood in my veins, so I can be like him, I naively believed. It’s laughable.”
“It’s not. When I was a kid, I really wanted to get on a time train or use a rainbow line full of imagination to travel.”
“Fufu! What’s with that? But it’s a wonderful dream.”
Mizari smiled, becoming a little more cheerful. However, that pain and frustration was still in her heart, and she voiced to her master how powerless she felt.
“I noticed my lack of talent right after I joined this academy. I thought for no real reason that I could be like my father, and became a failure that couldn’t keep up… The techniques I’ve been polishing all this time were practically worthless.
Even if I fought like my father, I couldn’t be as strong as him. When that reality hit me, my heart was broken into pieces.”
“But you’re still trying to become stronger, aren’t you? That’s proof that your heart’s not broken.”
“No, master. I… I’m just frustrated. I’ve been making excuses that I can’t be like my father because I’m a girl, ever since I felt my heart break… But I took advantage of the favor of one of those students called hero prospects. I used the fact that I’m a girl as an excuse for why I couldn’t make my dream come true, but then used it as a weapon too. Being abandoned by him basically means I have no value as a magic knight or a girl…
I was so frustrated at how pathetic I was, and then…”
“…You decided you wanted to change.”
Mizari nodded.
There were big tears in her eyes, as she turned to Yuugo.
“You’re disappointed, aren’t you? That I’m so full of negativity…”
“Not really. Marcos said something like this too, but if your heart breaks, it’s cooler to be the kind of person that desperately aims for the top, and not the person that rots, right?
And when I first joined this academy, Zenon beat me, took my fiancee away, I was disowned, and I was left without even a place to live, right? You might not feel good about being lumped with me, but I feel like we’re close.”
“:..Thank you. Strangely enough, your words make me warmer.”
Her heart felt brighter with every encouraging word Yuugo gave her. Surely that was because he meant them, Mizari thought as she smiled lightly, and he asked her a question.
“Mizari, tell me one thing. What is it about your father that you admire?”
“Eh…?”
The question surprised Mizari, but Yuugo continued.
“If what you admire is how he uses Wasp Needle so strongly to defeat opponents, I won’t say anything, because it’d be for the best for you to keep fighting like that. But if it’s not that… How about you trust me and change your fighting style a little?”
“Change my fighting style…? I-into what?”
“I can’t say that yet. I need to see how you feel. What do you admire about your father… Think about it and answer me.”
“…”
Her master’s question was like a trial.
Mizari would have to respond after really thinking about it.
She closed her eyes, and started questioning herself over it.
She thought back to how her father went all out fighting to protect so many people, and to the way she felt when she saw it.
(…Yes. What I admire isn’t how strong he is, it’s…!!)
It was not the power he used to beat down his opponents. There was something to be respected about that, but it wasn’t the main reason.
It was something else that made her want to become like him, and once she realized it, she landed straight onto a conclusion.
“…Master Yuugo, tell me more about changing my fighting style.”
“…Yes! The training will be tough, you know? Can you hang with me for a week!?”
“As you wish. I will follow you to the death!”
Mizari nodded strongly, and Yuugo smiled.
And so… Under Yuugo’s guidance, and now that Mizari remembered what really mattered, the great training for the duel that would take place in a week could begin.
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