—-- Leon Greyrat —--

It was the day after Rudy’s birthday, and with my breath clouded from the morning chill, I finished my morning workout just as the sun began to rise over the hills.

“Does it have to be outside the village?” Rudy meekly protested.

“Yes, it does. Otherwise, we might damage some of the farmland and houses. Come on, I’ve already got the horse prepared,” Roxy explains.

“Can’t we do it in the yard?” he persists.

Roxy shakes her head, “No, we can’t.”

Rudy pouts, “We can’t, huh?”

Looking over at my forlorn little brother, I couldn’t help but release a small sigh.

When he was little, I didn’t think much of it, but now, it was quite obvious.

Rudy had never stepped foot past the garden walls.

Not only that, he was afraid to.

I remember asking him to come along right when I started hanging out with Sylphy as I wanted her to gain another friend, but he was extremely reluctant to. So much that his legs trembled as I tried to pull him along.

Well… I suppose it was time for him to face his fears.

“But… aren’t there monsters out there?” he asks.

“Huh? Not around these parts, no. Besides, even if there were, they are weak enough that I can deal with them easily. In fact, you and your brother could probably handle them by yourselves,” Roxy explained before frowning. “That’s right… I remember hearing that you’ve never left home. Have you, Rudy?”

Rudy scratches his cheek sheepishly, “Erm… no, I haven’t.”

“Even when your brother and his friend always play out there?” she asks.

He shakes his head in response.

“Hmm… are you afraid of nature, perhaps? Ah! Maybe you’re afraid of animals!”

Pff-!

Roxy… I don’t think that’s quite it.

I think he’s just afraid of leaving the house just because. With no real reason for it.

“N-No, I’m… not scared of animals,” Rudy explains.

“Hehe, so that’s all it is,” Roxy smirks. “I guess, just like your brother, you also act your age sometimes.”

Umm… I think she has the wrong idea, but I’ll let it play out for now.

Maybe her obliviousness will help Rudy overcome whatever fear he had.

“Guess I don’t have any other choice then,” Roxy nods to herself. “Hyup!”

“Bwuh!”

Contrary to my expectations, Rudy didn’t struggle as he was placed onto the saddle. Maybe it was because he had accepted his fate, or perhaps because he was in front of Roxy.

“There. Once we start riding, your fear will go away. Leon! Come on up!” she says to me.

“Got it!”

Heeding her call, I hopped onto the horse, with Rudy held in front of me as Roxy then clambered up behind me.

However, since I was getting a bit taller, she couldn’t easily see over me and decided to rest her head on my shoulder.

…That feels nice.

We began trotting toward the village centre, with Roxy slowly guiding us past the plots of farmland and various houses, the villagers themselves sending a few glances and waves our way.

It was only natural, as not only did Roxy and I complete various jobs with our magic, such as when Roxy watered the fields during a drought, but I had also been a healer for a while when Mama was pregnant.

Plus, I had been showing my face around more recently ever since I started playing with Sylphy.

Ah… speaking of that, she will be quite shocked then I don’t meet her at our hill, huh?

I’ll have to apologize later.

But oddly enough, with each glance thrown our way, Rudy would hunch in on himself more and more. As if hiding from the passing townsfolk.

“Uhh, Rudy? You good?” I ask.

“...T-They’re staring at me… why?” he asks.

Staring at you? Wait, don’t tell me… was he scared of the townsfolk?

Thinking about it, it made a good amount of sense. 

After all, other than the five people that were gathered in our house, he hadn’t had any interaction with another person, so it was only natural for him to be afraid of the unknown.

My lips curling into a smirk, I pat him a few times on the head, “Sorry to break it to you, but you aren’t that handsome quite yet. They’re looking at Roxy and me, you dolt.”

That seems to wake him out of his stupor as he then raises his head, looking around in new-found wonder, the previous tension disappearing as if it was a lie.

“Are you still afraid?” Roxy suddenly said.

Oh. She must have heard our conversation.

Rudy shook his head in denial, “No, I’m… okay now.”

“See? What did I tell you?” Roxy says. “Animals aren’t that scary at all.”

…She must have heard only a part of it.

“N-No… they’re not,” Rudy says softly.

After a few moments of looking around at the passing scenery, Rudy then spoke up, “What do they grow in these fields?”

“Well, it depends on the rotated crop, but usually Asuran wheat, which is used to make bread and beer. There are other vegetables too, but mostly wheat,” Roxy answers.

“Yep. Like that field there,” I point out, “Those are peppers. Miss Roxy’s favourite.”

Roxy pinches my side.

“She can’t eat those, can she?” Rudy says.

“I-It’s not that I can’t eat them, I’m just not fond of them, is all! Z-Zip it, you two!” Roxy says.

Seemingly embarrassed, she snaps the reins, speeding up our journey through the village.

I’m gonna miss teasing Roxy like this…

Soon, the fields turned from tilled farmland to empty grasslands and hills, as Roxy eventually led us to the top of a particular mound, far away from the village.

Looking across the plains, I could faintly see mountains rising above the distant horizon.

Those… were the Red Wyrm Mountains, if I’m not mistaken.

I remember going near there for a quest that the Fangs of the Black Wolf took. Something about a stray dragon causing trouble.

I was still a newborn though, so I was asleep for the whole fight.

“Right here should do nicely,” Roxy suddenly says.

Bringing the horse to a stop right beside the singular tree, we then hopped off the saddle as Roxy tied the reins to said tree.

Making sure the horse was secure, Roxy then turned to us, “I’m going to cast the Saint-tier water spell, Cumulonimbus. It creates thunder, and causes torrential rain to come down in a large area.”

Rudy and I nod our heads in understanding, “Got it.”

“Good,” Roxy says as she grabs a hold of her staff, “Now, I can only cast this once, so watch closely and try to memorize the chant. Though I can tell it to you after if need be. Also, I’ll only be casting it for a minute, but you two will need to leave it going for… let’s say an hour. After that, I’ll consider it a pass.”

Walking forward and raising her staff, Roxy then begins to cast her spell, “Oh, spirits of the magnificent waters, I beseech the Prince of Thunder! Grant me my wish, bless me with thy savagery, and reveal to this insignificant servant a glimpse of thy power!”

Clouds began to gather across the sky as she continued to chant steadily and purposefully, the landscape growing dark under the forming storm.

“Let fear strike the heart of man as thy divine hammer strikes its anvil and cover the land with water! Come, oh rain, and wash everything away in thy flood of destruction - Cumulonimbus!”

As her chant finished, rain began to fall as the wind roared, and the black clouds began to flicker with flashes of lightning.

The sky rumbled, and purple light shot through the clouds, increasing in power with each flicker before it released onto the ground below with a streaking flash.

Right onto the tree that our poor horse was tied to…

My ears ringing from the clap of thunder, I faintly heard an “Oh no!” from Roxy as she cancelled her spell, the clouds scattering as the rain let up before she rushed over to the collapsed horse.

“Oh, goddess of motherly affection, close up this one’s wounds and restore the vigour to his body - X-Healing!”

Turning to me with a flustered look, she quickly voices out, “Not a word! Understood? Not. A. Word.”

Ah. So she was embarrassed.

“Got it… Miss Roxy…”

But even if I wanted to comment on her frazzled state, I couldn’t bring myself to do so, as I was still in the process of getting over my shock.

That spell… it was truly a work of art.

While it was a water spell, it also incorporated wind to its formation, and lightning as well… why hadn’t I thought of that?

Lightning would be such a potent and quick method of attack, but since it wasn’t covered in the four schools of elementary magic, it had completely slipped my mind.

But then again… I knew that magic wasn’t omnipotent. At least not without the proper means to harness it.

I could use the elements freely, as well as healing magic, detoxification magic, and elementary barrier magic.

But that was because I got a clue as to forming the main element or effect of the magic, and how the mana formed to create said elements, through incantation.

Maybe with this spell, I would be able to open up a new branch into the lightning element. Or perhaps the lightning was only generated as a side-effect of the static in the clouds…

“Alright, Rudy. You try this time. Leon, come here,” Roxy says, forming a rock dome with the spell Earth Fortress to defend against any errant lightning strikes.

Peeking through the small hole, I watched as Rudy held his wand to the air, “Oh, spirits of the magnificent waters, I beseech the Prince of Thunder! Grant me my wish, bless me with thy savagery, and reveal to this insignificant servant a glimpse of thy power! Let fear strike the heart of man as thy divine hammer strikes its anvil and cover the land with water! Come, oh rain, and wash everything away in thy flood of destruction - Cumulonimbus!”

Oh… I just realized… I would have to wait here for an hour.

Haa… at least Roxy was here with me.

Watching the clouds billow similar to Roxy’s spell, I knew that my little brother was going to be fine. Thus, I sat against the wall, letting the soothing sound of rain lull me into a light nap.

At least until Rudy came back a moment later.

“I’m done,” he said proudly.

“Done? What do you mean ‘done’? You have to control the spell for an hour, so get back out there!” Roxy says.

“Control them?” Rudy says cheekily. “Why would I need to do that?” 

Roxy and I then took a peek outside, and to our surprise, the spell was… self-sustaining.

No, not just self-sustaining. In fact, the clouds that covered the sky were growing.

“I see! You created a diagonal whirlwind in order to push the clouds up!” Roxy exclaims, grabbing her hat so it doesn’t fly away in the intense winds.

“Rudy,” Roxy says, turning to my brother with a smile, “You pass.”

“Huh? But it hasn’t been an hour yet,” Rudy says.

“There’s no need. If you can do that, then you’re more than competent enough. Now… can you make it go away?” Roxy asks.

Nodding his head, Rudy then raised his wand and began dispelling the storm.

Now… how exactly did he do that?

I knew that clouds were formed when warm moist air is forced upwards. This was something ‘scientific’ in nature that was actually taught to me by Roxy rather than already understanding it.

I also knew that hot air rises, but also, as one went higher, the air cooled as gas particles expanded from lower pressure and lost energy.

So if I used those two properties of the atmosphere together, I could theoretically create a sort of cycle- 

Aha! So that was it!

Damn… I knew my brother was smart, but that was more than I expected.

“Okay. Congratulations, Rudy. You are now a Water Saint,” Roxy then turns back to me, “Your turn now, Leon.”

Okay… let’s do this.

“Don’t tell me… did you forget the chant?” she teases.

I just shook my head before raising my wand.

Now… let’s do this, Leon.

Focus on the incantation, but also how the mana moves. We’re in the uncharted territory of Saint-rank magic now, after all. Let’s make the most of it.

“Oh, spirits of the magnificent waters, I beseech the Prince of Thunder! Grant me my wish, bless me with thy savagery, and reveal to this insignificant servant a glimpse of thy power! Let fear strike the heart of man as thy divine hammer strikes its anvil and cover the land with water! Come, oh rain, and wash everything away in thy flood of destruction - Cumulonimbus!” chanting the spell, I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of it.

The way my mana moved, both throughout my body and then outward where it then affected the environment, was… beautiful.

Clouds conjured overhead by generating moist warm air, just as I had expected, before said clouds were then cooled, allowing the water in said clouds to precipitate in the form of rain.

While it was on a larger scale, this was simply an improved version of the Advanced-rank spell Squall.

But that’s where the similarities ended.

I watched in awe as the mana twisted and weaved into the sky under my command, charging the clouds with energy, which would then cause lightning to strike.

Hmm… while I understood the process of what Rudy did with the spell to make it self-sustaining, I didn’t feel like going down the same path.

At least not right away.

I wanted to keep control of the spell, and hopefully, gain a deeper understanding of it. A slow and steady learning process, just as I have always done.

Hmm… while the rain and lightning weren’t expressly generated by my magic, they were still elements. This meant that I should be able to control them as if they were my own, especially since my mana was already interwoven in the surrounding atmosphere.

Well, maybe not for lightning, but if I used that same charging property in the ground… I should be able to direct it. Just like so…

Lightning flashed across the sky, and all the bolts converged to strike a few hundred meters from my position, creating a deafening boom that echoed throughout the surroundings.

Whoa… that was cool.

Now let’s see… if I can take control of the rest…

As soon as I closed my eyes and began to focus, a change appeared in the surroundings.

The rain, while still pelting the area, now diverted before it could hit me or the two who were standing behind me. And the wind, while still howling, swept around me like the eye of a storm.

Absolute control.

Like this… I truly felt like a master of the elements. Like a conductor letting the winds dance to will, I commanded the currents to blow this way and that as I began jumping around with glee.

Cumulonimbus… it wasn’t just an enhanced form of Squall with some lightning mixed in. 

Instead, it was like a canvas that one could use to paint the environment as they pleased.

While I couldn’t find a practical use for this spell in terms of combat, nor any way to meld it into my swordsmanship, still… Saint-ranked magic… it truly was amazing.

—-- Roxy Migurdia —--

Extending my hand, I watch in amazement as my robes do not flutter from the wind, nor does rain splash against my palm.

“Crazy… both you and your brother are crazy…” I say to Rudeus in awe.

Really… this level of control was something else.

Was it because of his ability to cast chantless magic that he could do this? Or was it something possible with the normal use of this spell through incantations?

Either way, I had added yet another thing to practice in my pursuit of magical mastery, all thanks to these two young students of mine.

A Saint-ranked water magician at five and seven, both chantless spellcasters with the latter being extremely gifted in swordsmanship.

Truly, there was something in that family that spawned geniuses.

It couldn’t be inherited, as Leon was adopted, so perhaps it had to do with how Zenith raised them. It definitely wasn’t Paul, after all.

Or perhaps… it was just luck.

Anyway, with such a lovely display of control and ability, there was no need to potentially turn this lovely grassland into a marsh.

“Leon! You can stop now!” I shout.

The winds calm in an instant before Leon then makes an updraft that blows away the clouds a moment later, wiping away the rain and lightning along with it.

Haha… what a showoff.

But he was quite cute to see him jumping around so happily, so I’ll let it go this time.

Leon then turns to me with a wide smile, the rain dripping down his face as his hair stuck to his skin, “So? How’d I do, Miss Roxy?”

My heart thumps painfully in my chest.

I don’t know whether it was the swordsmanship lessons, or if it was simply something inherited, but he was already reaching my height, and his previously childish facial features were slowly morphing into a more mature appeal.

Haa… truly, it was a shame I was a few years too early.

“Congratulations,” I say with a smile, “you are now a Saint-ranked water magician as well.”

I swallow down the blush that was about to form on my cheeks as his eyes light up in glee.

Haa… it truly was a shame.

—-- Information on the Six-Faced World —--

Red Wyrm Mountains

This mountain range splits the Central Continent into the North, West, and South, completely separating the three territories save for three points that allow travel. 

The Red Wyrm’s Upper Jaw - This connects the North and the West at the northwestern point of the mountain range.

The Red Wyrm’s Lower Jaw - This connects the West and the South near the southernmost point of the mountain range, which is also the southernmost point of the Asura Kingdom.

Crying Wyrm Mountain Range - This is the mountain range that separates the North from the South and runs across the continent before ending abruptly near the coastline, where travel is possible.

Aside from the three points of travel, the Red Wyrm Mountains are impassable save for the strongest of the Seven World Powers. This is because Red Wyrms, or Red Dragons as they are sometimes called, claim the mountains as their territory. And if one were to impede on it, a swarm of many of the S-ranked monsters would quickly attack any trespasser.

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

“You’re more than welcome to stay, Roxy. I still have plenty of recipes to teach you,” Mama says.

“Right. While your role as a tutor may have come to an end, we’d be more than happy to have you stick around. And you already know the villagers love having you around,” Paul adds.

Roxy just shakes her head in return, “I appreciate the offer. Truly, I do. But I’m afraid I can’t accept. Teaching those two has really broadened my horizons on magic, so I want to take this chance to hone my craft.”

She then sends a small glance my way, “And hopefully, once I see those two again, I will be able to stand by their side as a chantless spellcaster.”

Rudy, oblivious to our late-night studies, just looked confused. “Huh?”

“I see,” Paul says. “I suppose it is what it is. Sorry that those two caused you to lose confidence in yourself.”

I was about to comment, but Mama beat me to the punch, giving the man’s side a pinch. “Ouch!”

“No, I should be thanking them for the opportunity for growth. Ah! I almost forgot!”

Roxy then reached into her robe before pulling out a pair of necklaces and handing one each to Rudy and me.

“Those are amulets of my race, the Migurd. If you ever come across a demon giving you a hard time, showing them this might come in handy… maybe.”

…Not exactly inspiring a lot of confidence with that last bit, Miss Roxy.

“Anyway. Leon, Rudy, I’m sorry that I didn’t have what it takes to teach you-”

“That’s not true, Miss Roxy! You’ve taught me lots of things!” Rudy interjects.

Roxy shows him a warm smile, “Thank you, but if you ever find yourself wanting to advance your magical studies, then I implore you to visit my alma mater, the Ranoa University of Magic. With your skills, you would likely be treated very well there.”

She then turns to me, “You should do the same, Leon.”

I originally had no desire to grow my rank in magic, as with my chantless magic and general mana control, spells became somewhat meaningless.

But after seeing Saint-rank magic in action, I had come to see the beauty in such high-level magic.

“All right. I’ll think about it,” I say.

And then, flashing a small smile, she departed. After all, there was nothing left to be said.

But… I didn’t exactly want it to end here.

I still had a few more things I wanted to tell her. And I didn’t exactly want to do it in front of my family.

So, ignoring my crying brother, I chased after her.

“R-Roxy!” I exclaim, just in front of the walled garden.

She turns to me with surprise, “Leon?”

Taking a breath to calm my beating heart, I step forward, keeping my chin high as I look into her eyes.

“I… I want to be with you! W-When I’m older!”

My face was burning at my confession. To the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if steam began rising from my cheeks.

Roxy’s lips curl into a sad smile, though she has a slight blush on her cheeks, “Well… I appreciate the sentiment. I-If,” her blush deepens. “If you feel the same once you become an adult, then I’ll… I’ll accept.”

Did that mean what I think it means?

Well… maybe.

It was better than a rejection, at least.

“Okay!” I say, running up to hug her.

Relishing the feeling I would likely miss for a while, as she begins to let go, I quickly whisper into her ear, “And when I’m older, be sure to visit lots of dungeons.”

“Why?” she asks.

“S-So then I can be the swordsman that rescues you.”

She instantly lets go of me, “W-Where did you hear that from!?”

Her cheeks were now dark red as she pointed at me accusingly.

“Umm… you sometimes talk in your sleep, Miss Roxy,” I say with a teasing smile.

That only seems to deepen her flustered state as she quickly turns to face away from me.

“F-Fine… I’ll meet you again at that time then, Leon.”

And then, with those words, she departs. For real this time, without me holding her back.