After leaving the house, I walk with Reina under the trees, and the sunlight coming through their leaves.
When was the last time we were alone together like this?
Ever since Snow started living here, at least one of us stays with her, because she gets lonely.
“It was just the two of us when I first got here, but things have gotten a lot livelier.”
“We met Luna, then Elga and Tiltue came along, Xellos and Merlin… We really met a lot of people.”
Thinking back, just how many people have I met?
People from the divine beast people’s village still ask for Reina’s food, and when we add alfar like Katima, ancient dragons, and demon gods, that’s a lot of people.
We used to take it easy a lot of the time, but recently it’s been one busy day after the other.
But I really don’t have a problem with that.
“And I never expected my master to come here.”
“Hahaha.”
She doesn’t sound too happy, but I can tell she doesn’t mean it.
I thought she’d have a more serious and grave air to her after hearing Reina talk about her, but I guess the memory loss plays a big part.
“She’s a lot different from what you said, but I think that might be Edinburgh’s true personality.”
“That can’t be right. My master has no interest in people.”
“No interest?”
“Yes. She was always facing somewhere, and never had any interest in anyone else. Even the seven great mages was a group created by Zephir to hold her in line.”
“I see.”
That’s a lot different from my impression.
There’s a cool, detached feeling to her, but if anything, I’d call her caring.
She likes Snow too, and is quick to notice and help when I have a problem…
“Did something happen in the past?”
“Who knows? She’s an ancient mage, so only Zephir knows about her past.”
And then Reina starts remembering and talking about things she did to her.
It’s a combination of new things and things I’ve heard before, but Reina doesn’t talk about these things often, so it’s still fresh, and fun to hear.
“Are you smiling a little…”
“Eh? Am I?”
“Yes, like you’re looking at a child.”
I put my hand on my mouth, and yes, I am smiling.
I didn’t really feel it, but I guess I’m happy about seeing a facet of her she doesn’t normally show.
“It’s because I’m learning about you, Reina.”
“…!?”
I say, and her face turns bright red, and she turns away.
Is she angry? No, she’s twirling her hair with her finger, so she’s just embarrassed.
“D-don’t you have any stories like those, Arata?”
“Me? A lot, but I think it’d be hard to understand.”
Anything I’d say would be about my life in Japan.
I’ve told Reina I’m from another world, and I’ve spoken about my old world here and there, but it has to be hard for her to imagine a world she’s never seen.
And I’m not a good artist.
There was one time I asked Snow to draw about Japan, but I didn’t do a good job conveying it to her.
Everyone’s expressions then were very kind, but that just made it sting.
“I want to hear, even if I don’t understand.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I want to know more about you.”
Reina and I spend a lot of time together, so we’re like family.
But what she just said is still touching.
“I see. Then…”
I put on a facade of calmness, and talk about my past.
But not about those tiresome days, about when I was a kid.
“Eh… So all commoners went to school?”
“Yes. I think most things I do here to play are things I did with my friends in school.”
I’ve been doing a lot of pretend sports here. Katima likes baseball, and sometimes comes ready for it.
But Snow doesn’t really care about that, so she ends up playing something else with her.
“So you learn not just words, but math and history… It sounds incredible.”
“How were things on the continent?”
“It was mostly nobles who went to school. And some children of merchants, but they were there to form future connections.”
And apparently nobles mostly learned etiquette.
They studied too, and since nobles hire tutors, their kids are ready for it by the time they start school.
“Oh? Then where do they learn magic?”
“They check if children have aptitude for magic from a young age, and ones that do are assigned masters.”
“Eh… so that’s how you became Edinburgh’s pupil.”
“Yes. I was surprised back then.”
Her future was set when she was assigned the strongest mage in the continent.
That said, Reina would rather be like the nuns that looked after children in the orphanage, and didn’t really look up to mages.
“I was really scared at first. If I didn’t hear that being a mage meant I could make the lives of the orphans better, I might have ran away.”
“I feel like you would’ve stuck with it anyway.”
“…Hn…”
She’s making a cute conflicted face, but I can’t imagine her running away.
“But you didn’t run away, and that’s how you got here.”
“Yes… There’s also the fact that I couldn’t…”
She feels a bit childish when she’s talking about her past with Edinburgh.
This side of her that I don’t normally see feels adorable, so I move my hand to her head without thinking.
“And I get to be here with you now because you tried so hard.”
“Mu… Are you treating me like a child, Arata?”
“I’m not.”
She presses my hand with both hands.
Does she not like it? Actually, despite lowering her head, she’s not moving my hand away from it.
“But you’re right, it makes it so what I did wasn’t pointless.”
I pull my hand away, and Reina intertwines her fingers with it.
I accept it, and put a little bit of strength into it.
“It’s been a while, so let’s relax for a bit longer.”
“Yes.”
And as I think about bringing Snow something she’ll like, I keep walking around the island, holding hands with Reina.
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Thanks for the treat.