Alptraum of the White Funeral Night Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Mitile: …That was him being worried for us?

Riquet: Yes. Oz usually lets me do whatever I’d like, but after something dangerous happens he always gets like this. 

Mitile nervously looked up at Oz. The area between his eyebrows was firmly creased. 

Oz: It is still too early. You must focus on recovering your spirits. 

Mitile: Ah…

He looked a little relieved to know that Oz wasn’t mad at him,

but his gaze quickly fell to the floor.

Mitile: …Uhm…

Oz: What is it.

Mitile: …If we were Shino or Prince Arthur, would you still have said that?

Oz: Yes.

Mitile: …Really?

Oz: …

Depending on the situation and context I may reconsider.

Mitile: Is that because the two of them are powerful wizards?

Are you worried about us because we aren’t strong?

Oz: …

Mitile: …

Oz: …Medicines are another story.

Mitile: H-Huh?

Oz: If you were holding a weed toxic enough to kill a horse, I would not be worried.

However, if I saw Arthur or Shino even touching it, I would stop them right away.

It is the same for training.

Mitile: …Okay…

Snow & White: Oz. We agree with the idea of a trial. 

Snow: If you are so worried, how about you create a safe space for them to fight. 

White: It may be true that it is a bit early for Riquet to challenge a real monster or magic creature like he desires. 

Snow: Except as practice it wouldn’t hurt to do some training that is harder than normal. 

Oz: But…

Snow: The Great Calamity will come sooner than you expect. 

White: The younger wizards need experience.

Oz: …

He moved his gaze to the window. 

Outside the broken window was the giant moon, gazing back as if it were having a good chuckle ridiculing us.

Eventually, he let out a sigh, and looked to the younger pair.

Oz: You will not be fighting against monsters or magic creatures.

But I will prepare a special training session for the two of you.

Mitile & Riquet: …!

Riquet: Yay!

Mitile: Thank you Lord Oz!

They took each other’s hands in joy.

Seeing them smile again felt like a lightswitch had turned on, and it was as if the entire room brightened up.

Cain: So we’re putting on a training session for them. You can be sure I’ll lend a hand.

Chloe: Me too!

Snow: We will help too.

White: As teachers ourselves we will give you a most special and fun session. 

Akira: If there’s anything I can do, please count me in!

Snow: Now that we’re decided we ought to start preparing. We’ll contact you later about the date and time.

White: You’d better sit in anticipation for what kind of unique training session awaits you.

Riquet: Thank you so much! No matter what sort of training it is, we will give it our all!

Mitile, let’s do our best together!

Mitile: Yeah!

Mitile and Riquet clenched their fists tightly with power. There was a passionate fire in their similarly green eyes.

It was as though their enthusiasm and motivation suddenly burst into a roaring flame.

Heartwarmed, I take the tray off the table and bring it to them once again.

Akira: Alrighty then, with the special training session in mind it’s time to fill our stomachs! Please, have a creampuff. 

Riquet: Ah, right! We wouldn’t want Nero’s creampuffs to go to waste.

Mitile: I’ll go pour the tea! For everyone here too. 

Snow & White: Yaaay!

Chloe & Cain: Thanks!

The tutorial room became lively, and I quietly prayed as Mitile went to pour us tea.

Akira: (May this special training session go well…)

–Days later.

Headed by the teachers Oz and the twins, the preparations for the training session were proceeding steadily. 

Riquet: Oz, have you decided on a location yet for the session?

Oz: In the North’s…

Riquet: Wait, don’t say it! It won’t be special anymore if I know.

Oz: …Then why did you ask.

Riquet: I wanted to know how the preparations were going. I was worried about its progress. 

So have you decided on what it’ll be on? Oh, spare the specifics of course. 

Oz: …It’s not been decided yet. I’m still discussing it with the twins, but we’re having trouble. 

Mitile ate a strong mana stone, but he has yet to fully make it his own power. 

The twins warn that should he exhaust his heart through excessive use of magic, he may be consumed by the stone. 

Riquet: Is that so…ah, right. I just remembered something I had to ask you.

In case Mitile does get consumed by the mana stone during our training session, what should I do? Please tell me how to help him.

Oz: You can’t.

Riquet: …Huh?

Oz: If he’s lucky, he will return to his senses. If he’s not, then that’s it for him.

Should you lose your mind, you will forget yourself. There are some who lose their lives too.

Riquet: B-But…then, how…

Mi…Mitile…if he uses too much magic then…

Oz: You have no need to worry.

Part of our preparations is ensuring that will not have the slightest chance of happening.

You and Mitile both will be able to complete this training safely. 

We will be watching over you.

Riquet: …

Another few days passed–

Mitile: Next is the roots of this tree…hmmm, I still have a lot of pesticide left. I guess I made too much.

…We still haven’t gone on training yet. Looks like it’s not gonna be today either. 

(Lord Oz and the others should be working on the training grounds. I wonder if something happened?)

(Or maybe it’s because they think I’m still not healed yet…so they’re thinking of delaying it…)

(No no, it’s no good to think like this. I wonder what the training will be like? What kind of magic will they make me work on?)

(It’s Lord Oz’s idea, so maybe there will be a lot of fighting.)

(That book of magic I saw in the library recently had a spell about inextinguishable flames. I think I could pull that off. Maybe I can try it out?)

(I’m the son of the Great Witch Tiletta. There’s gotta be tons more magic I can do. This time, I’ll show them what I can do!)

(I’ll surprise everyone! They’ll say “Wow Mitile, you’re so skilled with that attack spell!”.)

(“Even though you’re a Southern wizard, you’re so strong and amazing!”.)

Heehee, hmhmhm! Ehehehe…

…Ah…

But…

(...Shock isn’t always good. What if they think “You’re a Southern wizard, but you’re so battle hungry!” and stuff?)

(Mr. Leno and Dr. Figaro know how to fight, but they don’t often use attack spells. In the South, it’s just me who…)

(...Why should I worry? I’m me. I’m gonna be a strong and awesome Southern wizard.)

(...Though…)

…Riquet…he said he holds those who seek fighting and violence in contempt, that they’re fools.

He told me that since I’m kind and pure, fighting in good faith suits me but…

…Will he think the me now is foolish…?

…! That’s the signal to meet up! 

(I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t finish spreading the pesticide. I want to hand it over to Dr. Figaro but…)

It rang again…there’s no time to search for him. I’ll just bring it with me to training.

Into the bottle and…done! Let’s make a dash for it! 

Akira: –It’s finally time, Mitile, Riquet!

Mitile: My heart’s pounding…!

Riquet: First let’s take a deep breath and calm down…

The space for the special training session was an old mausoleum in North Country. 

Once dreaded as a "Labyrinth” in the borders of the territory overseen by the twins, it now stands as a long abandoned ancient ruin. 

Even though we were just at the entrance, I could feel a severe gloom coming from the eerie damp darkness. 

Riquet: I thought that it wouldn’t be held at all today, you know. 

Oz said that he would call us with his magic past noon when it was time, and he didn’t call us at all. 

Mitile: Me too. I’d given up and went to spray pesticide in the garden. 

Akira: I’d think the same if it became sunset while I was waiting…sorry about the long wait.

We were discussing postponing it too…

Oz: The sun is nearly down. Let’s not do it today, but another…

Snow & White: That will be difficult.

Snow: Spirits run rampant in these parts. The times they are calm enough for the young ones to come near are limited to a few days in a year. 

White: According to our divinations, the spirits will begin raging again starting tomorrow. 

Chloe: And we don’t have the time to find another perfect place to hold the session, they’ve already waited this long…

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