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Chapter 6

[Location: Southern village, day]

Sturdy-Looking Man: Y'see, if you want to come out on top in the festival, you'll want to fill up on protein to build more muscle. You can do anything if you've got enough muscle!

Man in Hunting Hat: Come on over, y'all! Grab whatever you'd like, and eat a lot of it! A real, professional chef picked the menu!

Nero: Eh, it's really nothin' to get worked up about. They're just regular Eastern dishes.

Nero: Here, Mitile, come n' take whatever you want. You too, Mithra, Master Sage.

Meat skewers, soups, stews, and rounds of roasted meat. The rough-hewn log table was piled high with all sorts of hearty, meaty dishes.

Several makeshift fire pits and stoves had been set up nearby, where villagers were working hard to cook even more.

Mitile: Thank you, Nero and everyone. I'm ready to eat a ton!

Nero: Yeah, help yourself.

Akira: Nero, are you going somewhere? I see you have a basket of food…

Nero: I was going to bring a plate to our hardworkin' tailor over at the seamstress' shop.

Nero: I called him over for dinner earlier, but he never showed… He most likely forgot he's gotta eat at all.

Akira: Ahaha, that sounds like Chloe. I'll help you bring food over, if you'd like.

Nero: Ah, thanks. Here, grab that dish of stew and follow me.

Akira: Got it! Mitile, Mithra, I'll be back soon.

Mitile: Do you want me to help, too?

Akira: No, don't worry, you can go ahead and eat. You must be hungry.

Mitile: They're already leaving. Mister Mithra, they said we can eat first…

Mithra: (Chomp, chomp.)

Mitile: Ah, you already started! Hey…! You shouldn't eat while standing over the shared plates like that!

Mithra: Really? Why not?

Mitile: Because you'll get crumbs and drool everywhere, and it's super unsanitary! It's easy to spread illness at big events like this.

Mitile: Let's grab some skewers, a dish of soup, and some salad… Okay, now we'll find somewhere else to sit down and eat.

Mitile: Hm, let's see… somewhere with shade… Huh…?

Village Child: Elder!

Village Child: Elder! Hey, are you asleep again?

Elder: I'm asleep, I'm asleep.

Village Child: No, you're awake!!

Elder: I'm awake, I'm awake.

Village Child: Hey…!!

Mitile: Ahaha! The Elder seems to be popular with the younger kids.

Mitile: On the big day, it might be kind of awkward to fight the Elder in front of all the village children…

Mithra: Don't get complacent. Despite his appearance, that wizard is very powerful.

Mitile: Huh!? Is he that strong!?

Mithra: Well, he's certainly stronger than you. Do not let your guard down.

Mitile: I - I see…

Mitile: …That reminds me, Mister Mithra. What made you change your mind and agree to participate in the festival?

Mitile: You only got excited to join in after we visited the Elder's house.

[BGM fades out, more serious track starts playing]

Mithra: Yes, because I made up my mind upon seeing him.

Mithra: The Elder will make a fine mana stone for your next meal.

Mitile: …What…?

Mithra: At the moment, his mana stone might still be too strong for you, though. We may have to wait a little bit longer.

Mitile: You want me to eat… his mana stone? The Elder's?

Mithra: Yes.

Mitile: Th…That's horrible! I w-won't do it! I could never do something like that!!

Mitile: For one thing, this is a friendly competition at a festival, not a fight to the death!

Mithra: Is that so? Well, I suppose we can wait until after the festival to turn him to stone.

Mitile: That's not any better!! How cruel can you be…

Mithra: What about it is cruel?

Mithra: If I recall, you were eager to eat the stone of the witch I had killed.

Mitile: … Th...That wasn't…

Mithra: Or is it only cruel because the Elder is popular with children? But I seem to recall that that witch liked children, too.

Mitile: …Gh…!

Mithra: As do the twins. They have told me that whenever they came across infants that had been abandoned and frozen to death, they would take the time to perform a burial.

Mithra: Cheek to cheek, they'd sing. "Sleep, sleep, and rest in peace," as if it was a lullaby. 

Mitile: …I … 

Mitile: …That's… I didn't know…

Mithra: That is what happens, whether or not you were aware of it. The Elder is no exception.

Mitile: …

Mithra: …After we have eaten, I will show you some methods with which to kill the Elder. Please be sure to do as I say, Mitile.

Akira: Sorry for making you wait!

Akira: Nero wanted to stay and talk for a while longer, so it's just me… …Huh? Is something wrong?

My gaze lands on Mitile, who is pale and frozen in place. I quickly try to look him over to make sure he's alright.

Mitile, seemingly recovering from his shock, put on an awkward and forced smile.

Mitile: I'm sorry… It's nothing.

Akira: It doesn't look like "nothing"… Mithra, do you know if something happened?

Mithra: We were just having a normal conversation. Mitile is --

Mitile: I said it's nothing! Seriously…!

The way Mitile was pleading, his face still pale, made me more and more certain that it was definitely not "nothing". 

Gently, I placed my hand on Mitile's tense shoulder.

Akira: Um… How about calling it a day on your special training?

Akira: I don't know much about the effects of using magic, but Mitile, you look much paler than when the training began. I'm a little worried you're going to collapse…

Mithra: Well, I would hardly want that. If you absolutely must take a break, we can continue again tomorrow.

Mitile: …Okay…

Akira: (I really do wonder what's going on. Before I went to see Chloe, Mitile had been so excited about his successful defensive magic.)

Starting tomorrow, I was going to be busy helping out at the Southern Wizard Center. I wouldn't be able to meet up with the others until just before the big duel.

Akira: (Mitile has Mithra to take care of him, and he doesn't need to worry about food or clothing, so I agreed to help out over there…)

Akira: (...I hope it'll be okay...)

—

[Location: Village arena, day]

[Magic shines]

Mitile: ...S… <<Scintilla>>!

Mitile: Agh... It didn't work...

Mithra: Haah… Again?

Mithra: This special training… You have been struggling like this ever since we began working on offensive magic. Have you lost your motivation?

Mithra: At this rate, you certainly will not be able to kill the Elder. 

Mitile: …

Mithra: ...

Mithra: …I don't understand. You want to become stronger, do you not?

Mithra: After all, ever since you were summoned to the Magic Manor, you have been practicing magic even outside of classes.

Mitile: …Huh…?

Mitile: …M-Mister Mithra, you knew I was practicing magic…?

Mitile: I mean, you're usually just loafing around and not really interested in what other people are doing, so I guess I just assumed…

Mithra: …? Of course I would know that you've been up to something around the Manor.

Mitile: Did you… see it?

Mithra: I mean, when your magic is that messy, it is difficult not to see it.

Mithra: I thought it was a good idea. You were truly terrible at all the magic you attempted, though.

Mitile: …

Mitile: ...Hehe…

Mitile: … How cruel. And I was doing my best, too… Hehe….

Mitile: The whole time, even before the forest practice… Mister Mithra had been watching me.

Mitile: Then, along with the mana stones…

Mitile: …

Mitile: …Alright. Mister Mithra! Please repeat the spell you showed me earlier.