“Shall we rest a bit before looking around the warehouse? Should I have some snacks brought over?”
“I’m really fine!”

Leticia barely succeeded in stopping Astrid, who was fussing about how babies needed to rest.

Even as Astrid moved toward the warehouse, she kept asking Leticia if she was okay, and Leticia lost count of how many times she had to answer that she was fine.

Hilda simply stood there, gazing at the two with an utterly… blissful expression.

Seeing this, Leticia decided not to look in that direction anymore.

Creaaak.

The door to the warehouse at the back of the Basilinte estate opened.

Hilda murmured in a worried tone.
“I tried to organize it as much as possible, but there are many items that haven’t retained their shape…”
“It’s fine. I’ll have to sort them out again anyway.”
“Then I’ll go and start tidying up the annex.”

At that, Astrid nodded and casually threw out her response.
“I trust you.”
“Y-Yes…!”

Watching Hilda tremble with emotion, Leticia was at a loss for words.

What was so great about those words, anyway?

More importantly, wasn’t Hilda married? What would her husband think if he saw her acting like that? Surely, they married for love… right?

Leticia’s mind swirled with complicated thoughts.

Unaware of Leticia’s musings, Astrid finally set her down and squatted beside her.

On a clean cloth spread out on the floor lay the debris of broken objects.

Some pieces looked like they might be identifiable, but most were so pulverized that it was impossible to tell what they originally were. There were even piles of dirt scattered around that looked like they had just been scooped up from the ground.

Astrid took Leticia’s hand and placed it on something that resembled a broken scale.
“I don’t have any magic right now, so you’ll have to do it.”
“How?”
“Just watch carefully and put it back together.”
“…?”
“Well, first, look closely. When you look, you’ll see its original form, right? Then you just command it to return to that form.”

Despite her warm and kind tone, the explanation was far from helpful. Leticia stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“Could you teach me from the basics?”
“This is the basics. I started like this too… The very foundation is being able to see. You begin by seeing the original form of an object infused with magic.”

It was just a broken scale. How was she supposed to see its original form?

Leticia stared blankly at the broken scale, doubting whether she was even a magician.

Astrid, meanwhile, was struggling to explain further.
“So, um… focus your eyes. Clench your fists, tighten your stomach, and glare at it… Yes, just like that.”

Following Astrid’s instructions, Leticia couldn’t help but wonder if this was really the right way.

Seriously? Was this really the basics of magic? Just glaring at it? That couldn’t be right.

“Blink once—no, three times. Now, blink your left eye once…”

As Leticia blinked one eye as instructed, she hesitated.
“…?”

Wasn’t this just winking? Could winking at a broken object really reveal its original form? Was that even possible?

Leticia’s growing doubts reached their peak as Astrid’s voice melted into a dreamy tone.
“So cute…”

When Leticia turned her head sharply, Astrid immediately pulled her into a tight hug. Unable to hold back, Astrid rolled across the warehouse floor, clutching Leticia.
“So cute, so cute!”
“…???”

Thanks to being tightly held by Astrid, Leticia’s body never touched the floor, but Astrid, who rolled around the warehouse floor, was covered in dust by the time she sprang to her feet.

Leticia was starting to worry—about Astrid’s head.
“Are you… feeling okay?”
“Baby, are you worried about your teacher? Just because I rolled on the floor a bit?”

Leticia couldn’t bring herself to reply, No, I’m worried about your head, not your body.

Instead, she avoided Astrid’s gaze and changed the subject.

“More importantly, why… do you keep calling yourself my teacher?”
“You decided to stay here, didn’t you? Then who else would teach you but me?”

Still holding Leticia tightly, Astrid whispered softly.
“The Magic Tower hasn’t found you yet, so they won’t come looking for you. And the only magician near you is me. You should have chosen wisely. Now it’s too late. Even if a century-old archmage shows up, I won’t give you up.”

Astrid wasn’t as weak as Hilda, who lost all sense of reason and became dazed.

But even if she appeared composed on the surface, deep down, she was just as captivated by this little girl.

That was simply how magicians were.

“You’re mine, baby.”

She whispered in a gentle tone.
“You’ll see, change, move, and command the world the way I teach you. And every time I see you do that, I’ll love you even more.”

Astrid took Leticia’s hand again and placed it on the broken scale. Then she moved Leticia’s magic in her stead.

It was painful, but Leticia didn’t let it show.

Having someone else’s magic flow through her body felt like sharp frost coursing through her veins.

“…!”

Sensing something, Leticia turned to Astrid.

Astrid thought she saw another world swirling within Leticia’s eyes.

A small, intricate, and beautiful world that was impossible to look away from.

“Look ahead, baby.”

Slowly, Leticia turned her head.

Astrid followed Leticia’s gaze to the debris scattered on the cloth.

The original forms of the objects, recreated with blue magic, glimmered with lines and points of light.

The young magician, seeing this beautiful sight for the first time, stared in awe.

Guided by her teacher, Leticia’s magic moved and began to reassemble the scale beneath her hand.

The scale, restored to its original form by the glowing blue light, mesmerized Leticia as she slowly raised her head.

The entire warehouse was filled with light.

Astrid whispered.
“There’s nothing I can do that you can’t. Someday, you’ll even be able to do things I can’t. And when that day comes, even if I’m no longer your teacher—”

A child may abandon their parent, but a parent can never abandon their child.

Though this principle might not always hold true in reality, it was an unshakable truth in the master-apprentice relationships of magicians.

Astrid finally understood the expression her teacher had worn when she left.

“—you’ll always be my disciple.”

Leticia gazed at the debris scattered on the cloth.

Even broken, the objects infused with Astrid’s magic remembered their original forms and shone with a blue glow.

Now, Leticia could see the traces of that magic.

And, just like Astrid, she “wished” for them to return to their original forms.

“Ah…”

The young magician gasped in awe as the debris filling the warehouse began to find its shapes and come together.

Her teacher’s first lesson had been perfectly realized.

Blue halos scattered beautifully in every direction, and within them, the broken pieces found their matches and fused together.

***

Chamuka, following Astrid’s orders, released Tan, drew some blood, and headed to the warehouse to find Astrid.

And inside that warehouse, Chamuka witnessed the light of a young magician casting her first spell.

It was beautiful.

This was not a rational judgment but an instinctive one.