Armark looked at Leila with serious eyes.
'Come on, what do you want to turn into what? Say whatever you want.
Armark looked at the stone piled in the corner of the magic practice area.
'Shall I turn that stone into a bird? Or to a rat.
I don't need a rock.
Leila shook her head at that.
'You use it in practice all the time.'
Yes.
That doesn't make it a challenge.
Bye.
Armark is a little confused.
'What do you use?'
It's more tense,
Tense ......?
Yeah.
Leila nodded.
'In your case, that's it.'
Leila pointed to what she was carrying on Armark's back.
'Eh.'
Almark's eyes widen.
'Here,'
Yeah.
Leila nodded.
'Quickly put me down.'
No, this is...
Armark stammered.
'I know it's important,'
Leila didn't change her expression.
'I know. I saw you in the cave at the Fountain, and the Headmaster said so.'
Okay, then.
So it's okay.
Leila reaches out her hand.
'If you can't put it down, I'll take it.
Okay, all right. I'll take it down myself.
Armark put it down in a hurry.
'Leila. But this is, you know,
Armark showed Leila Malus's wand and said.
'It's not just a wand, its, well, special.'
That's getting better and better.
Leila nodded.
'The more important it is to you, the better. Then you can never fail, can you?'
Saying that, the expression staring at Mars' wand is exactly the same as before.
''Or were those words that you said earlier that you would definitely do it, a lie?
No,
Armark shakes his head.
'I'm not lying.'
Then I'm going to have your wand transformed into something else. That's fine.
Leila's eyes narrowed.
'About the same size as a wand, to a dragon.
Even a dragon.
Armark's eyes widened.
The most Armark could make yet were small animals like birds, rats, and rabbits at best. 'I've never made a dragon before,' he said, 'but it's even more difficult to make something I've never seen before.
'It's even more difficult to make something you've never seen before.
I've seen the dragon.
Armark said.
'Only the water dragon, though.'
I've seen a dragon.
Leila's eyes widen.
'It's amazing,'
Want to try something else?
No.
Leila shakes her head.
'I'm interested in a dragon made by someone I've seen before. Let's go with that.
This was a terrible idea.
Armark glanced at Leila's face.
Leila is serious.
She looked at Malus's wand, then at Wendy's face.
'The Gate and the Key.
I hope I don't accidentally remake it into something outrageous and break this wand.
I once beat it as hard as I could with my own magic when I was almost controlled by Rynul. Even then, the staff itself didn't falter, so it must be sturdy.
But if you let the magic power flow in a strange way, there is no guarantee that it won't affect Wendy in some way.
What if Wendy's 'gates' were to open up.
When I thought about that, a cold sweat ran down Armark's spine.
Not me, but not Wendy.
I can't put Wendy in danger with my training.
Armark looked up.
'Leila, I knew this was going to happen.
You're scared.
Leila interrupted coldly.
'Of course I'm scared. But a mere stone won't make you feel that way. It's only good because it's scary.'
I can't afford to fail at this.
I'm sure you do.
Leila nodded.
'But,' continued Leila, 'I don't know.
'That's because you think this is just an exercise, isn't it?
Leila's stern eyes look at Armark.
'People who practice thinking it's just practice will wince at the show. Because they only practice for the sake of practice. I always think of every day's practice as an exam. I give it my all with the determination that I can't fail. So a little bit of fear and danger is more of a given, I think.
The fountain cave is used to train middle school students.
Leila, who had repeatedly challenged herself there alone, certainly embodied those words.
'So you too, I thought this was the real deal. That now is the time when you really have to turn that staff into a dragon.
Leila said and looked at Armark.
'If that doesn't work, I won't force you to do anything. But I'm telling you because I know you can do it.
There is no encouraging warmth in Leila's words. They just conveyed the facts calmly. That tone of voice told me so.
Layla looks at Armark's hands.
A hard, stony palm that doesn't look like a child's hand.
'Because I thought your sword must have been forged that way.
Sword.
The word reminds Armark of the weight that resides on his back.
A weight that isn't there now, but was always present on his back until he came to this academy.
''Or maybe your sword skills are something you've developed through practice for practice's sake.
Leila says.
Not.
Armark understood.
The days when he wielded the sword.
After he could swing the sword at will to some extent, he imagined fighting on the battlefield every day.
An image of slaying people.
At any time, he wanted to be able to go into battle.
To be able to get involved in a battle at any time.
My father's back.
The burning frustration.
That's why Arumark was able to slash the two mercenaries who suddenly burst into the mother's squadron, as he had practiced.
Ah, I see.
Armark thinks.
My thinking is still nurtured on the northern battlefield.
If you think of things by the sword, you will come to a clean and simple answer.
"Leila.
Almark said.
'You're right,'
Leila smiled slightly for the first time when she saw the light in his eyes.
'Yes. Those eyes.'
Leila said.
'I love that look in your eyes when you're serious.
When a huge demonic shadow appeared in the cave of the fountain.
When he appears from backstage to his sleeve as his turn comes up in a play at the Magic Festival.
When Armark gets serious, and the fire is in his eyes.
Those eyes gave Leila strange illusions, too.
And evil demons.
And demonic shadows that had no substance.
Old customs and ties.
Even the abominable thread of fate that twined around Leila.
With a single sword in his hand.
It's as if you could cut through everything in the world.