"Miss Roxy, do you think you can use wind magic here?" Mr. Smith, one of the villagers who lived in Buena, called from the field next to hers. He was a rough-looking man, but from what Roxy knew, he was a hard worker. He even went out of his way to help the other villagers with their fields.
"The stream is drying up again! Do you think you can do anything about it, Miss Roxy?" Mrs. Peters, a kind-looking woman, called to her from next to her house on the bank of the small stream.
This had been Roxy's life for the past year. She went from one menial task to another. All seemingly pointless, but essential in the bigger picture.
She could make it rain when it would otherwise be dry, use earth magic to till the fields, and, with wind magic, aid in the harvest.
In short, having a mage in a village was usually so useful that, once you had one, you found it hard to get back to life without one.
Frequently, one village would hire another to provide the help the previous one had provided before leaving.
Of course, Roxy was paid for her work, but most villagers also donated a small portion of their harvest to the Greyrats so they could use her services.
Of course, Roxy felt a little guilty about charging for her services, considering Laws was the person to whom she owed a huge debt.
The debt, of course, was for saving her life, but the man paid no attention to her concerns.
he had no idea what she was talking about when Roxy told her about her supposed rescue.
The Migurd walked impassively through the fields and returned to a path that wound through Buena's maze of farms.
It was late in the day when she decided to leave the fields.
Roxy was never obligated to help the village farmers; her main job there was tutoring Rudeus at the end of the day.
So they didn't bother her or stop her when she left.
To think they'd see snow anytime soon was ridiculous, but Roxy supposed it showed her how different the Central Continent was from the Demon Continent.
Of course, she'd lived in the northern regions of the Central Continent for several years, so the cold wasn't a stranger to her.
Roxy continued walking toward where she thought she'd find her student. Of course, she wasn't surprised to see him on the same hill where he'd spent the last six months in his free time. She didn't understand why, but she liked being with him...
For some reason, he'd always said he wasn't interested in other areas whenever she asked him about it.
So, she'd rightly assumed he'd be there.
However, he wasn't alone when Roxy found him. Even from a distance, she saw him playing with another child. A green-haired one.
Who would have imagined it? She thought arrogantly. Roxy has known for a while that Rudeus and little Sylphiette are friends, but for some reason, she's felt uneasy seeing them so close.
Ah, two children enjoying their youth. That alone is enough for their teacher to shed a tear.
Watching them play, Roxy was reminded a little of her own childhood.
"I wonder what kind of person I'd be if another Migurdian child couldn't use telepathy. What if I found my own Rudeus in my village, like Sylphiette?" She paused in thought. I'd probably be more adjusted, and that's all.
I probably would have left the village at some point, like I did, but a childhood friend can greatly influence a person's attitude... It's a shame I never had anyone like that.
Roxy remained silent, standing there, unseen.
She knew that her brief stay in Buena would be remembered fondly. She'd leave eventually, but for now, she could enjoy moments like this. Even now, after what had happened...that night.
Roxy looked at the smiling girl as she chased after her friend.
Maybe that's what Rudeus needs? A friend.
Someone his own age he can talk to. Not just his jaded teacher. Her thoughts stopped for a moment.
Rudy's a kid, but all I've done is put him on a pedestal and even see him as something more... The girl slapped herself and let out a quiet groan of disgust at herself.
What Roxy was seeing seemed fine to her. It seemed like something Rudeus hadn't had, but needed.
She decided to let them continue for a while while she thought idly.
"Seeing this fills my heart with sadness..."
She watched the two children lying lazily on the hill. I want to be the teacher Rudeus looks up to, but I can't if I stay in this town forever.
I can't deserve your praise if I stay here.
Not to mention I'm running out of material to teach you, and fast.
The sun was beginning to set. Roxy hadn't even thought about the time as she watched the children.
"Come on, Sylphie! You did it!" Roxy heard Rudeus cheer.
Looking at the two of them, she figured what she was seeing must be a fantasy... Because there was no way little Sylphie could have tried using magic; a moment later, water manifested in the little girl's hands. "You did it, Sylphie!" Rudeus cheered in delight as he watched his friend cast a beginner's spell.
Sylphie's smile practically glowed. Roxy, on the other hand?
Did she do it without an incantation? Her mind was practically screaming in frustration.
"What is wrong with these kids these days?! I can't even do it with months of practice!" It was then that Roxy noticed Sylphie staggering back and forth, as if she were in a daze.
The woman knew at a glance that Sylphie was suffering from mana depletion.
Not to the point of fainting or her hair turning white, but evidently dazed by the mana she'd released.
It would be best if Roxy intervened now.
"Ahem!" The fake cough made both children turn their heads at the sight of the Migurd, whom neither of them knew was watching.
"You shouldn't put your friends in these situations, Rudy!"
"Oh, Master?" Rudeus replied first. "Excuse me, have you been watching us?"
"Just for a little while. It seemed like they were having too much fun to be interrupted by an adult like me." In this case, a little while turned out to be only slightly longer than a little while, but that was pure semantics. Her lifespan was more than double that of a normal human, so time passed differently for her than it did for them.
The perks of longevity, I guess?
"Ah, Miss R-Roxy!" Although Sylphie was still quite exhausted, she snapped out of her stupor by practically shouting,
"Sorry if I took Rudeus away when it should have been his class time!" Was she always this nervous around him?
"You're okay, Sylphiette. Anyway, I didn't have anything planned for today." Roxy was silent for a while as she watched Rudeus stroke the girl's head, probably as a reward for casting magic.
Should I be worried that he knows how to approach the girl?
Roxy quickly dismissed the idea; she was the only person he liked to fool around with, from what she'd seen. So the girl should be fine.
Roxy still wasn't sure how to feel about the boy.
Especially after the incident...
It wasn't even a topic worth mentioning to the Migurd girl.
Still, the way he looked at Sylphie was somewhat... fatherly? Roxy couldn't decipher the emotion on his face.
"Well, it's getting late, so I should walk you both home before it gets too dark." Her job is to teach Rudeus and keep him safe, and considering he was with a friend, it would be unbecoming of her teacher to leave the girl to her fate. Of course, that's not even considering the debt Roxy owed her father.
"Don't worry! I can walk home on my own!" Sylphie declared.
Roxy understood why Rudeus was interested in that girl.
She was adorable when she got nervous, that was for sure.
"Okay, Sylphie; we'll walk you home. That's what friends are for." Rudeus shook the girl's hand as he led her to Roxy's side.
"Nice save, you little rascal!" Roxy thought as she led the two children back home.
...
"Good! See you tomorrow, Sylphie!" Rudeus said, and the girl flashed a bright smile before entering her house.
Roxy watched this exchange with a raised eyebrow and...jealousy?
Roxy cleared her throat with a cough. "What did you think of having Sylphiette as a study partner?"
Roxy had seen several times before how Rudeus had brought Sylphiette to his house and tutored her to learn how to read, which was paying off.
At this question, Rudeus stumbled back.
"Would you seriously consider teaching her too?!" It almost seemed like he was going to ask the same question.
"No... I wouldn't mind." He struggled, clearly having stumbled over the thoughts that were probably running through his head.
"I think she could use a little confidence boost from having a teacher like you," he replied.
There he went, bragging about her being his teacher again. Roxy didn't understand why he liked her so much.
"Hmm, if it's okay with you, it's okay with me too. After all, I'm paid to be your tutor."
"Yeah, I'm fine, but speaking of tutoring little Sylphie..." Rudeus muttered as he turned his head to look at Sylphiette's humble home.
Hearing the word "little" come out of Rudeus's mouth to describe someone was priceless.
"You know her family can't afford your services, right?" So that's what he meant.
"That doesn't matter to me. I have an outstanding debt to Laws, so the least I can do is educate his daughter, who is obviously very talented." It was true that Laws would probably be ruined if Roxy made him pay for the services she would provide, but not even she would do something so cruel to the man who unwittingly saved her life.
Not that she was cruel, far from it.
The only problem Roxy faced now was Sylphiette's evidently low mana capacity.
Rudeus mentioned something about increasing her mana pool. It wouldn't hurt to find out if it was true.
It was humiliating for Roxy to learn so much in such a short time, and from a child, no less.
So far, Roxy hasn't been able to cast magic without an incantation like her student, and as daunting as that simple thought is, it didn't mean she could stop trying.
However, she had managed to shorten the chants on some of her less-used spells, so that was enough for Roxy to understand how much she still had to learn.
Rudeus said it took something like a mind-muscle connection to perform silent incantations.
"Still, are you sure you want to take another student besides me? You've got your work cut out for you if you're relearning magic from scratch." Yes, he was shameless, yes.
"And the nerve you have to answer back to your teacher! Faggot!" With a slap on the head, Roxy continued walking. She was angry, but he just laughed.
Damn, kid. Rudeus usually pissed her off a little. It was all in good fun, but the ease with which he could read her still irritated her.
"So, about your tutoring," Roxy started again. They would have to talk about this sometime.
At her tone, he stopped rubbing his head and ran to catch up with her.
Receiving a brief nod from the boy, he knew he could continue. "I've been running out of material to teach you for a while now."
Rudeus's expression suddenly soured.
"I thought you'd react like this, but the truth is, I can't teach you much more, and your graduation is approaching faster every day..." He paused to collect his thoughts.
"That's why I decided to bring up Sylphiette." Rudeus perked up at that last sentence.
"So, you're basically forcing your hand to try to stay?" Her eyes glittered.
"Sort of. It depends on how Zenith and Paul handle the information," she said, and so they continued walking.
...
Roxy waited to speak until everyone had started eating and the atmosphere calmed down. "I have a request for you." The words fell dry from her lips.
From the looks on Paul and Zenith's faces, she noticed they were a little taken aback by her announcement.
"What's up, Roxy?" Zenith's voice sounded as calm as ever, though a little worried by the sudden question.
"I was talking to Rudy about that, but it seems I'm running out of material to teach him." A sense of unease filled Roxy's voice as the table fell silent.
"Really?" Zenith looked surprised—not in a bad way, but as if exclaiming, "Is my boy really that good?"
"Yes, seriously. Rudy has already mastered all the advanced-level spells I've taught him, so his graduation could happen practically any day." Roxy finished speaking, and Zenith looked at her, her eyes wide. So, without hesitation, she excitedly jumped off the dining table and hugged her husband, who hugged her.
Could you two not be so affectionate for a moment?!
"Honey, what do you think! Our son is a genius!" Although it sounded very arrogant, Zenith was right.
"That's not what I wanted to tell you, but to ask you two." What Roxy said piqued both of their interest. Even Lilia perked up a little.
"It seems that Sylphiette, Laws' daughter, also has a gift for magic, so I thought I'd stay a little longer to teach her... If you'll allow me," she murmured.
The table fell silent. Roxy didn't dare look Zenith or Paul in the eyes for fear of how they might be looking at their hired tutor. All the Migurd managed to see was Rudeus's smile as he looked at her.
"Is that really all you were worried about?" Paul asked. "If you've already spoken to Rudy, I have no reason to refuse what you want." Her voice was sensible. "If you're asking if it's okay, it seems fine to me. Besides, all the villagers appreciate your work, damn it..." She paused at the word and slowly looked at her son, who beamed at her. Paul grimaced and continued, "They admire you, so I see no reason to stop you."
"I agree with my husband," Zenith placed her hand on her heart.
"You've helped me so much with the housework, Roxy. It's like I have a daughter I never knew I wanted—or maybe a little sister, in your case? So yes, I see nothing wrong with you staying here even after you're done teaching Rudy." Zenith walked over and, with a gesture, put her arm around Roxy's shoulder to reassure Roxy and let her know that she wouldn't let the Migurd woman get away.
"To me, you're part of the family now."
These people are too friendly for their own good. Roxy felt like crying. And she did.
It was a bittersweet moment for her.
She had run away from home because she didn't fit in.
She always felt like everyone was secretly judging her. In those days, all she wanted was to crawl into a hole and not come out. Did I ever say goodbye to my parents? No, right? I should probably visit them when I can, but I think I'm okay where I am: I have a family here.
"Thank you for your kindness." Roxy didn't bother hiding her tears from the family in front of her.
It was useless to hide them from those who could do nothing but watch the little girl in front of them cry.
She felt a slight tug on her robes and, looking down, saw the boy who had almost certainly changed her life for the better in such a short time.
"Even though you'll be graduating soon, it looks like our life together won't be over just yet," she said, giving the little boy a hug as she bent down.
A hug he returned almost as quickly as she did. He could hear her sniffle a couple of times and tighten her grip on his robes as she did so.
This life in Buena is peaceful. So, while I'm here, I'll try harder to become the person you admire. That was the silent promise Roxy made that night.