Near Magic

~~~🔮~~~

"Solaria, allow me to see!"

Immediately, a ball of light shot out from Rei’s hands and crashed against one of the stained-glass windows of the Castle. The Hero was lucky that Light magic simply disintegrated upon hitting a solid object. Otherwise Ettor would've stormed in demanding explanations.

"Not too bad," Leonoris nodded beside him. "At least you’re generating it now. You just need to be calmer when controlling it."

"Hey, I am calm!" he shot back.

"I see," Leonoris chuckled at the irony, her laughter contagious enough to pull one from the inventor as well.

Four days had passed since Leonoris agreed to teach Rei how to control the ether crystal. Four days that felt eternal and fleeting all at once. Time within the castle stretched during training, only to collapse into the nights of conversation, taking advantage of the pirates’ apparent calm.

The first three days had been a slow prelude. Leonoris didn’t throw him straight into practice but instead had him learn the basics by watching her—memorizing the flow, the rhythm of the energy. Even though he was only learning Light magic, using energy incorrectly could harm the user, and Leonoris insisted on guiding him before letting him touch the crystal directly. She was patient, but strict. She corrected him with few words, her piercing gaze cutting through any excuse.

At first, Rei grew frustrated. His mind was sharp for gears, springs, and gunpowder, but magic was an entirely different kind of mechanism. Each crystal and spell reminded him how little he belonged in that world.

Still, true to his inner promise, he didn’t give up. Every time Leonoris reprimanded him, he shot back with a witty remark—half joke, half challenge. She feigned annoyance, though deep down—though she never admitted it—his stubbornness amused her.

Now, on the fourth day, she finally allowed him to hold the crystal. They were in a secondary hall of the castle, with high ceilings and pale stone walls, a place Leonoris often visited when seeking peace. On the table rested the ether crystal, polished and almost translucent, pulsing faintly like a living heart.

"Focus," Leonoris said firmly, her fingers laced behind her back. "The crystal doesn’t respond to brute force. You have to listen to it."

Rei held it again with both hands. The crystal was elongated, slightly flat, its surface describing perfect geometric figures, as if machined with flawless precision. It was cold to the touch, yet whenever he tried to channel energy through it, a tingling ran up his arms, almost painful—like needles of light piercing his skin.

"Listen to it?" he scoffed, squinting. "Where I come from, the only thing we listen to is the whistle of boiling water in the kettle."

"Then imagine it’s a kettle, whatever that is," she replied with a faint smile.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He breathed deeply, recalling the times in Gorō’s workshop when he had to listen to the hiss of cooling metal or the snap of a taut string about to break. Maybe it wasn’t so different—it was about perceiving what was there, even if invisible at first glance.

The crystal vibrated faintly. For an instant, a streak of white light ran across Rei’s palm and rose as a small flare. But the very next moment, it fizzled out, leaving his hands trembling.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, shaking them. "That hurts worse than burning myself with gunpowder."

Leonoris watched silently, then stepped forward. She placed her own hand on the crystal, and at her touch, the object glowed steadily, pulsing as though it breathed with her.

"It’s not pain if you let it flow," she said, glancing at him. "It’s resistance. You’re fighting against it."

"Sure," Rei replied dryly. "Maybe next time it’ll talk to me and ask for a cup of tea."

Her answer came in action. Closing her eyes, she extended her energy, and a luminous sphere emerged from the crystal, floating above the table, swaying softly like a living lantern.

Rei stared, surprised despite himself. The glow illuminated Leonoris’s face, rendering her almost unreal, like a statue carved from light. Delicate, intelligent, utterly devoted. He imagined this must have been what Solaria herself looked like in person.

"You’re obsessed with tea," she said softly, mesmerizing him with her gaze. "We could try preparing you something similar."

He looked away with a cough, unwilling to admit what he was thinking.

"Maybe later," he muttered, trying to distract himself. "Let me try again."

The practice went on. Again and again, Rei attempted and failed. Sometimes he managed a spark; other times, the crystal dulled, refusing him. Leonoris never lost her composure, though her emerald eyes demanded more of him.

"Not bad, Hero," Leonoris finally said, looking as fresh as if she had just woken up. "You just need to sharpen your focus on the flow."

Rei, however, felt crushed, as if tons of weights had collapsed on him, isekai or not.

"Right... the flow..." he panted. "I don’t think magic is for me."

"Solaria’s magic is for anyone willing to learn. Though, yes, some have better affinity than others."

"So I don’t have affinity for this," he retorted ironically.

"I didn’t say that. Sit down, or you’ll collapse."

Finally, Rei slumped into a chair, exhausted. That was when Leonoris decided to speak.

"When I was a child," she began suddenly, as if the memory had been waiting for release, "I was sent to a training where young nobles competed in duels with lances."

Rei lifted his head, intrigued. Leonoris rarely spoke of herself.

"I still remember the looks they gave me when I arrived… full of disdain. None of them expected me to do anything. I was just a little girl, a princess, and besides..."

Her words faltered, her gaze heavy. He shifted closer, resting an elbow on the table, attentive.

"It doesn’t matter. What matters is they underestimated me," she went on, voice low and restrained. "At first, I stumbled—even fell. But I got up, observed their technique, repeated it, and learned. And when the final duel came, I won. Even if I wasn’t supposed to belong there... I did it."

The silence carried her intensity. Rei looked at her, hiding his reaction behind a crooked smile, though something different flickered in his eyes.

"I see. So besides being a mysterious hooded girl, you’re good with a lance. Better not make you mad—I’d like to keep my bones intact."

Leonoris met his gaze, letting out a soft laugh.

"Deal. But if I could master the lance, then you can master Light magic. Just as I trust you, I know Solaria does too. There’s a reason she sent you to us."

Rei felt warmth again. The world constantly reminded him he didn’t belong, but this girl always eased that weight. He truly was glad she was there.

"Then I’ll keep trying. I promise."

Leonoris smiled, somewhere between mentor and friend.

"Fair enough," she said, rising to her feet. "Alright, I’ll prepare some spare crystals for later."

She leaned over the table, reaching for a wooden case of carved fragments. Rei, emboldened by the moment and eager to impress her, lifted the crystal still in his hand.

"Watch this!" he said, forcing concentration.

At first he held the sphere well, but then it shot straight toward Leonoris—aimed dangerously close to her right eye.

"Ah!"

Startled, Leonoris struck the table’s leg, lost her balance, and nearly fell backward.

"Leonoris!"

Rei moved on pure instinct, catching her just in time. He pulled her into his arms, both of them falling onto the table together.

"I’m sorry! Are you—"

For a moment they were too close, breathing the same air. Their eyes locked, but Leonoris’s filled with sudden fury as she pulled her hood tighter.

"What do you think you’re doing?!" she cried, flustered, shoving him away. She tore herself from his grasp as though burned.

"I’m sorry!" Rei bowed frantically. "I just wanted to impress you! I’m sorry!"

The silence tightened between them. She stared at him, still shaken, and in that glance realized she had overreacted. Rei, meanwhile, understood he had crossed a sacred line—her Light magic.

"I’m sorry," Leonoris finally said, her voice lower. "I shouldn’t have yelled at you."

Rei lowered his head, uneasy.

"Me too. I shouldn’t have played around with it—I nearly hurt you."

An awkward moment lingered. Leonoris broke it with a long breath.

"We’d better stop for today. You made good progress."

"Alright. Thanks," Rei nodded, not arguing.

Training was over. As Leonoris packed everything, Rei couldn’t shake the memory of nearly falling with her in his arms. His heart still raced at their closeness, his face flushed. But if his eyes hadn’t deceived him, he was starting to understand her reaction—and to wonder why the princess always kept her hood on.

~~~⚔️~~~

They left the hall in silence. The castle corridor was cool, lit by magical torches that flickered like stars against stone. Rei tried to lighten the air with a comment, but a distant shout cut him off.

"What..."

A guard came running.

"Pirates!" he gasped. "Pirates spotted causing trouble in the harbor!"

The message spread like wildfire through the castle. Servants and soldiers rushed about as bells began to toll.

In the chaos, two figures appeared in the corridor: Ettor and Nessus. The elder, immaculate in his bearing, strode forward, his younger brother’s cape disheveled behind him.

"There you are," Ettor said bluntly. "We were looking for you. The King wants the four of us."

"And it’s perfect timing," Nessus added eagerly. "We’ll finally get to give those ruffians a proper scare!"

"Nessus! You know that’s not the order!"

"And what is the order?" Rei asked.

Ettor fell silent, the bells echoing faintly in the pause. His expression betrayed his discomfort with what he was about to say.

"Whatever you decide. The King instructed that specifically."

Rei’s eyes widened, his throat tightening. Leonoris looked the same, though her eyes glimmered with something Nessus shared.

"We can try to negotiate with them... or, since you’ve begun to prove yourself..."

Rei blinked, stunned at how quickly things escalated. The image of Drey Malbrine, the pirate who attacked him that first day, flashed through his mind. Maybe it wasn’t time yet—not without mastering—

"Give me a moment," Rei said, before dashing off.

The three were left stunned, partly disappointed, thinking he was retreating again.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

Rei ran down the corridors, descending to the workshop where his tools lay. Amidst wrinkled blueprints, half-assembled parts, and the stench of oil, he spotted the grappling gun, the Auricite net he’d built days ago, and other prototypes. He grabbed what he could and rushed back to where the astonished Enlightened awaited.

When he returned, Nessus’s eyes sparkled like a child with a new toy.

"So that means yes? You’re coming with us?"

Rei tightened the strap of his bag and nodded.

"It means I want to see the situation with my own eyes. If we’re really going to resist these pirates... I want to tip the scales."

Leonoris watched him in silence. A faint smile touched her lips—a trace of approval reclaimed after their earlier clash.

Nessus, thrilled like a pup with a bone, bolted toward the castle’s entrance.

Ettor gestured down the corridor leading to the courtyard.

"Then let’s waste no more time."

Together, the four headed to where their horses awaited. Rei once again pressed a hand to the strap of his bag.

"You know... I’d like it to hurt, so you’d learn..."

The image of Drey Malbrine assaulted his thoughts. He feared facing him.

"Good night, Rei. Good night, Gorō. Good night, World."

But if it meant returning home, he’d kill him in an instant. With fury as before, but this time also with his mind and his craft. He felt more prepared after these days and, despite his doubts and mistakes, he would try again.

"Let’s go!"

He would no longer run. It was time, at last, to face those vile pirates.