She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter SS

EX:

The Great Salamander Training Regimen

ALCAIT ACADEMY was generally quiet in the early morning light. The students had yet to make their way to the academy for the first classes of the day. And yet, one person and one beast were running laps around the schoolyard.

“Just…three more laps! We can do it!”

“Gwarf.”

Ever since the dungeon crawl, Hinata and her salamander had been working hard to put Mira’s and Cleos’s advice into practice. Salamanders weren’t known for having much endurance, and they had to make up for it with agility. Unfortunately, Hinata’s fire spirit was cast from a different mold. Instead of being quick on its feet, it was stocky and sturdy—kind of like a fire-breathing tank.

But with the recommendation to focus on mobility, she had instituted a plan to train the summon’s legs, building a body that would be light on its feet. It was step one in her Great Salamander Training Regimen.

The salamander plodded around the track, heavy body swaying from side to side, flames snaking out from its mouth with every labored breath. Hinata kept pace beside it, sweat pouring down her forehead. She’d never ask a student to do something she wouldn’t do, and her salamander was a student…of sorts.

Their fitness plan consumed most of her free time, and it started with an early morning run. Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—as a professor in the Department of Evocation, she still only had a few classes to teach, giving her plenty of time to implement her plan. Gone were logic puzzles, replaced with runs and training exercises.

After the run, she had a class to teach, and then it was off to the training grounds. Thanks to Mira’s efforts, the Department of Evocation now had full access to the academy’s many facilities. Joining the summoning students who were already practicing, she picked up a wooden sword as she and her salamander began attacking one of the many training dummies. She didn’t have any clue how to use the sword, but she swung it with abandon, engaging in mock battle with her salamander.

“Okay, next let’s try a jump attack!”

“Gwarf.”

Being a teacher was no excuse to slack off. The students about her were inspired and motivated by her efforts, but Hinata was too focused on her own work to notice.

On her days off, Hinata and her salamander would venture into a nearby forest to practice the midair course changes they’d seen Mira’s and Cleos’s salamanders do in battle. But her summon was a decidedly earthbound spirit, and it kept crashing and burning over and over again. Sometimes it didn’t have the strength to flip itself over, and Hinata would have to grab a branch to roll the great lizard back onto its feet. Dismissing and resummoning it would have been quicker, but she didn’t have the spare mana for that, given how frequently it was happening. On the upside, she quickly became very adept at applying the principle of leverage.

“I’ll pick you back up no matter how many times you fall! Let’s do it again!”

“Gwarf!”

The two took off running and leapt at a tree. At first, this style of practice had resulted in numerous scratches, but now (perhaps thanks to her racial benefits) she was finding herself able to scale trees with ease.

The salamander, not so much.

***

The days passed. To help prospective summoners forge their first summoning contracts, Hinata and Cleos ventured off to the Ancient Yubeladius Battleground accompanied by three new students.

Cleos explained how to use the Blasting Stones, listed the benefits of the gear, and praised Mira, who had provided the materials to ensure their success. Meanwhile, Hinata patrolled the battlefield to prevent the intrusion of unwanted adds while the students were fighting.

“All right, circle behind it and attack!”

“Gwarf!”

The results of the training were showing. Her salamander had become so agile, it could outmaneuver the armor spirits. Now the trick was learning how to use the skill in actual combat.

“Hey, we’ve got two more over here!” she called to her salamander, waving her staff to grab the wandering spirits’ aggression. “Wait, three?!”

Another spirit had suddenly appeared and joined the fray. Hinata ran across the battlefield, dodging her foes and escaping—a feat achievable thanks to the efforts of her own training.

As her salamander engaged the armor spirits and took them down one by one, she wheezed, “Practice for fighting multiple opponents…” It was a poor excuse, but it was all she could muster.

***

The two continued their training day after day. One evening, as Hinata was leaving the academy after completing her daily exercises, a voice called out to her from the courtyard.

“Professor Hinata, I wonder if you might like to join me for dinner tonight?”

It was Siegfried. Gone was his usual tracksuit, and for some reason, he was dressed in rather a fashionable robe. He’d been waiting outside the school building for Hinata to finish up for the day. He’d tried to invite her out to dinner dozens of times. Yet each time, she either didn’t hear him or he lost his nerve before he could seal the deal.

But today—this very day—she stopped and turned to look at him.

Finally, he was going to get a response! His heart thumped with joy, but he managed to keep his composure and move a little closer. He’d even found out her favorite cuisine! This plan would not fail!

In his eagerness, he blurted his request out all at once without pausing for breath, putting his pride on the line and hoping to steamroll any obstacles. “You’ve been putting in a lot of extra effort lately and I was thinking you deserved to have a nice dinner and I found this lovely seafood restaurant nearby how about it my treat of course!”

“I’m so sorry, Professor Siegfried! I don’t deserve it!” Tears welled up in Hinata’s eyes as she fled across the schoolyard, trying to escape the sweet, sweet temptation. Her beloved seafood? On someone else’s tab? To her, it was like a dream come true. Any other time, she would have gladly taken him up on the offer.

But not this time. Her precious salamander was doing its best to stick to its diet, and she’d sworn off her favorite dishes in an act of solidarity. Siegfried’s invitation was like the tempting whispers of some cruel devil.

With a final anguished “Meow!” she banished the school of fish swimming through her mind and disappeared into the dusk of the city.

Siegfried was left standing there, flabbergasted, digesting his rejection. All those attempts, and the response he’d finally achieved was an apology and a hasty retreat. Where did he go wrong? Knowing nothing of her diet, he was left only to blame himself. At any other time, it would have been the perfect invitation. 

As the sky turned dark, he remained in the schoolyard, blankly staring into the void.