In my haste, I had omitted too many explanations.

“…Pardon?”

“Well, you won’t die… but it’s so bitter you might wish you had.”

After my repeated emphasis, the young man finally sensed something was amiss and glanced alternately at the Sarracenia and me. Deep distrust filled his navy blue eyes. Yeah, I get it. If someone suddenly appeared and told me I’d die from eating a perfectly normal herb, I’d be suspicious too. But there’s a world of difference between knowingly tasting hell and blindly jumping into a furnace.

“Have you ever tried Sarracenia before?”

“No.”

“Then listening to me would be better for your well-being.”

I shook my head firmly while delivering what sounded like a thug’s line. My serious attitude seemed to affect him, as the young man slowly lowered the Sarracenia and muttered with a hint of resignation.

“But I must eat this.”

“Then… I’ll process it into medicine for you.”

“Are you from the Department of Herbology?”

“No, but I’ve watched over the professor’s shoulder when he made it.”

Making a potion with proper measurements would be far better than eating Sarracenia raw. I took the Sarracenia from the hands of this nameless man and silently headed toward the greenhouse. Though I had planned to make it alone and bring it back, he ended up following right behind me. Entering the greenhouse that had become as familiar as the dormitory, I opened the door to the preparation room where I had previously gone with Asrein.

“Please wait a moment! I’ll make it quickly!”

Leaving him standing like a statue at the door, I hurried to the preparation table. I needed to brew Eucommia bark into a potion and add dried artichoke and Sarracenia pollen. While eating raw Sarracenia would be most effective… that would be cruel to do to the young man. Instead, I decided to increase the potency by grinding the petals directly rather than using pollen.

Recalling that day, I took out herbs from the drawer and skillfully prepared them in order. I even added acacia honey to neutralize the bitterness and masked it with lavender fragrance. Though it was my first time trying this recipe, I had confirmed in books that these three ingredients could be taken together, so it should be fine. With nothing to do while brewing the potion, I broke the silence first.

“Are you a student?”

“Yes. I’m studying magic.”

“Wow!! Magic?!”

At the mention of majoring in magic, I turned around with wide eyes in surprise. He flinched and unfolded his arms from where he had been leaning against the door. I hadn’t gotten a proper look at his face earlier since I was too busy trying to prevent him from experiencing hell, but seeing him head-on, he had quite a handsome impression. His short hair made his expressions particularly easy to read. As I stared intently with round eyes, he subtly averted his gaze.

“However, I’m not very good at magic due to my lack of magical power.”

“Ah~ So that’s why you were trying to eat the Sarracenia.”

Though I nodded in deep understanding, he let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“I know that relying on external power itself is a disgrace to the magical community.”

“What? No, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Then…”

“Actually, I wanted to use magic too, but my magical power was too weak and I got scolded by the professor.”

“What did they say?”

The mockery had been so scathing that I remembered it clearly. With an awkward smile, I muttered quietly.

“They said magic has its pride, and what could I possibly do with such weak magical power.”

“…”

No sooner had I finished speaking than his face crumpled, looking more devastated than I had been when hearing those words myself. Trying to lighten the suddenly gloomy atmosphere, I quickly poured the brewed potion into a glass.

“Here, try this.”

It looked distinctly different from the previous version with its strange smell. Though I hadn’t tasted it, at least it had a subtle fragrance of lavender and sweet honey. Despite the stranger color… With a nervous heart, I handed over the glass and quietly waited for him to drink it. The moment he put the thick liquid to his lips, I couldn’t help but ask for his opinion.

“How is it? Is it drinkable?”

“It’s a bit bitter but… acceptable. What did you put in it?”

“I added some acacia honey and lavender to the basic recipe.”

“You’re quite skilled.”

Pleased by the compliment, I quickly wrote down the recipe and handed it to him. Despite it being just a simple memo, he solemnly tucked it away like receiving an important military dispatch. Then he placed one hand on his chest and bowed politely.

“I don’t know how to repay this favor. Is there anything you wish for?”

I deliberately gave him a playful smile and said.

“Then show me.”

“Show you what?”

“Magic, of course. Ah, something that’s safe to do in here, naturally.”

“Magic… well…”

I couldn’t miss this first chance to see magic. Like an eager audience member with the best seat at a musical, I clasped my hands together with sparkling eyes. Unable to withstand the pressure of my gaze, he hesitated for a moment before tearing off a piece of the memo paper and writing something down with a quill pen. In the blink of an eye, the palm-sized paper was filled with complex characters. Just as I realized this was the procedure for magic, the glass floated up into the air.

“Whoa…”

Making a glass float without any tricks – this was the ultimate betrayal of science. Unable to close my gaping mouth, I examined the glass from all angles. As I kept expressing my amazement, he tried to hide his embarrassment by blinking rapidly. Finding his awkwardness endearing, I pointed to the paper filled with writing and asked without hesitation.

“Is this how you use magic?”

“Yes. You either write prayer texts like this on paper or recite them directly. Because my magical power is weak, I have to memorize everything, but if you have abundant magical power, there’s no need for such troublesome procedures. Short commands are sufficient.”

“Wow, that’s really complicated.”

Then I probably need to write prayers on a paper as big as a table just to make a cup float. While I was freely imagining this, he suddenly crumpled the paper and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“This is the price of forcing myself to use magic.”

Seeing his darkened expression, I belatedly realized my mistake. Though I had meant it as simple amazement, my words had been misunderstood.

I’d noticed it before, but this person… seems to have quite a severe inferiority complex. Especially regarding magic, his self-esteem hit rock bottom. His family or environment must have influenced this. Somehow, seeing my own reflection in someone who had given up so much made my heart ache.

After a moment’s thought, I spoke sincerely without any unnecessary flourishes.

“That’s what makes it even more impressive.”

“Pardon?”

“I never even thought about trying to make a cup float in the air.”

I shrugged with an awkward smile toward him, who was still frowning.

“Besides, when I was told my magical power was weak, I didn’t even think about looking for other methods – I just gave up right away.”

Because what’s impossible is impossible. I didn’t even try to increase my chances – I just gave up on the very idea.

“But you’re different. Even knowing the odds were against you, you didn’t give up.”

“…”

“Thanks to that, I got to see something precious. Not the price of forcing magic, but the fruit of all your efforts until now.”

I gently pulled the crumpled paper from his tense hand and smoothed it out on the desk. The prayer text he had written without hesitation remained impressive even on second look. I once memorized an entire book to gain recognition from my thesis advisor. Even then, I never heard even a single word of appreciation for my hard work.

“Some might call it unnecessary effort. But don’t mind them.”

That’s why I could understand his feelings more deeply. I know that people who belittle their own persistent efforts actually want recognition more than anyone else. With a tender smile, I recalled the words I had most wanted to hear back then and whispered.

“You’ve worked hard enough. That alone deserves applause.”

A deep silence fell over the room after my quiet voice. Unfortunately, I was facing away from him, leaning on the desk, making it difficult to read his expression. Maybe I’d overstepped. While silently caressing the creased paper, I slowly turned around and lowered my head.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Actually, this was my first time seeing magic in person, so I was really amazed. Haha…ha.”

I scratched my nape with an awkward laugh. Now how should I revive the atmosphere? Maybe I should just leave the greenhouse first. While pondering this, a low voice tinged with emotion spoke.

“…Until now, I thought it was a waste of time.”

When I slowly raised my eyes, I met an expression filled with complex emotions. When we first met, those navy blue eyes had been as calm as the deep sea. But now, small waves disturbed that perfectly still ocean.

“But hearing you say that… I feel a bit more at ease.”

His stiff lips curved softly, and his cheeks flushed pleasantly. Seeing his more natural expression made me feel good too.

“I’m glad it wasn’t just unnecessary meddling.”

“…! No, I was just a bit taken aback since I’ve never heard such words before.”

His hurried attempt to recover seemed clumsy, unlike his stoic exterior. Feeling mischievous, I leaned against the preparation table with a grin and said.

“Since we’ve met like this by fate, let’s talk more comfortably.”

“I’m not sure how you want me to speak.”

Something told me we’d get along well, and without realizing it, I started treating him like a close younger brother. I bit my lip and belatedly checked his expression. He didn’t seem uncomfortable with my casual attitude. …Ah, whatever. The water’s already spilled. Without further hesitation, I asked what I was curious about.

“How old are you?”