The Melancholy of Saint Anna
◇ Anna’s Perspective ◇
With the Goddess of Fate’s guidance, we arrived at the Sun Temple. The first thing we did was inspect the buildings and check for provisions. Of course, this hideout had been recommended by a goddess, so everything we needed was here. After settling in, Makoto cooked for us. We all ate, and finally, we had time to catch our breaths.
To think there’s a place like this... I almost wanted to stay here in safety forever.
After a while, I heard Makoto and Momo talking.
“Momo, let’s start magic training. You do what Mel says, and if you’ve got questions about water magic, come to me.”
“What?! Let’s relax some more, Sir Makoto!”
Wait, he’s already starting training?!
Countless butterflies and fish made with water magic were floating through the air around him. There were many little birds as well. I wasn’t exactly a skilled mage, but I knew how difficult that feat was. Even the white dragon, an expert by any measure, was looking aghast at him—this was further proof of his skill.
“I suppose you can rest for today,” Makoto conceded. “Training’ll start tomorrow.” He turned and walked over to the edge of the spring.
“Where are you going?” Momo asked.
“There are water elementals over by the spring, so I’ll train there.”
Momo had an odd look on her face. She probably wanted to spend her time relaxing with him. I hesitated for a while before deciding to join him by the spring. He was meditating by the water, and I sat by his side.
“What’s wrong, Anna?” he asked. It sounded like a completely normal question except for one small thing—his eyes were closed, so he shouldn’t have been able to see my expression.
“You shouldn’t push yourself too hard,” I murmured. “After all, you were attacked by the demon lord in Laphroaig.”
Demon Lord Cain had ambushed us all just before we’d escaped the country. Remembering that close call made my body shake with mixed emotions: anger at my mentor’s death and fear of facing the demon lord. Honestly, I was physically and mentally exhausted, so I felt a lot like Momo. I couldn’t understand what had possessed Makoto to start training practically the moment we’d arrived here.
“Pushing myself?” he asked curiously. He opened his eyes and stared at me with an odd expression.
“I mean...” I trailed off, looking for the words. “Look, we might have a whole year, but we need to use it to get stronger so we can defeat the demon lords! You shouldn’t just throw yourself into training without a single break! If you do, you’ll—”
“This is normal for me.”
The wind left my sails.
“What?”
I couldn’t understand what he’d just said.
“There isn’t a moment I don’t spend training my water magic,” he explained. “Even when I’m sleeping.”
“Wh...”
Oh, right. He has spells going even while he’s asleep.
“You seem tired too, Anna. You should rest with Momo.” He offered me a kind smile.
He’s treating me just like her?! Like a child?! At this rate, I could hardly call myself a hero or a saint.
So instead, I stood next to him and started practicing sword swings.
He watched me steadily. It was kind of unsettling.
◇
The two of us kept training for a while.
“Um...Makoto?” I asked. “How long do you keep going for? It’s getting dark.”
“I suppose...another six hours or so.”
“A-Are...are you serious?!”
He tilted his head, confused by my question.
I sighed. “I think I’m just going to turn in.”
“Rest well,” he replied, waving.
He wasn’t alone for long—Dia, the arch elemental, soon appeared at his side. They started to chat, and I was sure they kept on going for the whole six hours.
Will I...be able to keep up with him? I thought uneasily.
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