Graciously Gifted Grit

Then it hit me: Even if Robolina couldn’t help me, maybe her gods could. I ran into the house, rummaged around in my mother’s closet, and found some incense sticks. Without stopping to consider whether using fire to worship an ice god was sacrilegious, I placed the incense on Kooririnshu’s altar.

I placed my hands on the shrine. “Great Kooririnshu, thank you for watching over me. Please teach me ice magic so that I may become worthy of your grace.”

As I spoke those last words, the chill running through my body intensified. My breath became visible. Ice formed on my fingertips. I pulled my hands away from the shrine, but I continued to feel colder. It hurt to breathe.

Had I accidentally triggered one of Kooririnshu’s trials? I never expected something so intense. Weren’t the gods supposed to love me? But I had asked him to teach me. Tough love was still a form of love. Maybe Kooririnshu didn’t know his own strength. Even if I survived the trial, there was nobody around.

If I lost consciousness, I could die.

“Fireball!” Flames erupted from the tips of the incense. The ice melted from my fingertips, but I was still cold and getting colder.

I needed a stronger spell, but I didn’t know any. With what was left of my strength, I ran back into the house. I could feel Kooririnshu’s disappointment as I fled, but what was I supposed to do?

I didn’t know enough about magic to be trifling with the gods. I was ignorant. I was weak.

I was alone.

⁂

Morning light filtered through my window, landing on my face. But this time, Robolina wouldn’t be coming by to make breakfast. Was school even open, or would it be closed due to the dragon attack?

Honestly, I hadn’t slept well. How could I, with reality weighing down on me like that? But after agonizing for hours, I resolved to withdraw from Blade and Shield Academy. My spot would go to a better mage.

In the meantime, I’d go to a normal school, but I’d continue to help Robolina tend her shrines. If I kept my magic studies up on the site, maybe once I graduated, I’d still be able to pursue a career in adventuring.

I put on my uniform one last time. It really was a shame that Senpu Hime’s blessing was wasted on the blazer. Maybe it’ll fit whoever replaces me.

Breakfast was bland. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to taste anything, or maybe Robolina was just a better cook than I was. Either way, I forced it down and left for school.

I wanted to get in and out before the other students arrived. Better not to make a scene. But when I got there, the coach, Yuumondou, and his sister, Shizuho, were standing in the courtyard.

“See?” the coach said. “I told you he wasn’t a wimp.”

By the look of Yuumondou’s frown, I could tell he wasn’t convinced. “How’s Robolina?” he asked.

“She’ll be fine, but the repairs will take a few weeks.”

His frown deepened. “Yamaguchi, I was wrong about you. You showed real grit yesterday. Someday, you’ll make a good adventurer, but I’m afraid--”

I held up a hand to stop him. “I know. I can’t stay here. I’ll only fall further behind. I only came today to inform the principal that I’m withdrawing.”

“I don’t believe it,” the coach said. “You stared down that dragon. Why can’t you do the same with some grimoires? You’ll have to put in some extra work, but if you weren’t prepared to do that, you would have dropped out on the first day. Why not ask some of your other friends to help?”

“I… don’t really have any other friends.” The admission caused Yuumondou’s sister to look at me with a mixture of skepticism and pity. “Well, except Blooming Flame Blossom, but she probably won’t want to help with anything but fire magic.”

The three of them shifted uncomfortably. They probably wanted to defend her, but they knew I was right.

“Then I’ll give you extra attention after practice,” the coach said. “You juiced me up real good during the fight. It’d be a shame to let talent like that go to waste.”

“About that,” I said. “Doesn’t holy magic hurt you? Why did it make you stronger?”

From behind me, Akemi Anmori approached our group. “Pfft. You mean you’ve never heard of the Holy Demonic Berserker?”

The name rang a bell. I tapped my chin with one finger while I tried to remember. “Wasn’t that the nickname of a really strong adventurer? I think my parents mentioned her once.”

“She was the top ranked adventurer,” Shizuho Yuumondou said, glancing meaningfully at the coach, “before she retired.”

“The one Robolina said she wanted to beat?” I asked.

Realization hit me harder than the coach’s club ever could. There was a reason why Robolina had always bickered with her. The coach was the adventurer Robolina had always admired.

“You’re the top-ranked adventurer in all the realms?!” I blurted out. “What the heck are you doing here?”

The coach let out a boisterous guffaw and slapped me on the back. “I ask myself that same question every day. But I needed a job while I recovered from my injury. Never thought I’d end up facing a dragon while babysitting you kids.”

Shizuho Yuumondou summoned a paper fan and spread it in front of her face. “The most successful adventurer in the history of the profession just complimented your potential. Don’t you think you should keep trying until the very end? My dear older brother’s silly challenge is still weeks away.”

“Well, when you put it like that…” I guess it couldn’t hurt to try.

⁂

The lunch bell rang, leaving me with a predicament. Because I hadn’t planned on staying, I hadn’t packed lunch. But because I didn’t know the summoning spell, I couldn’t get food from the cafeteria.

Hayashikaze came to my rescue. With a bright smile on his face, he approached my desk. “Yamaguchi? Want to eat lunch together? I bought an extra bento if you want it.”

My savior. I was about to weep for joy when Akemi Anmori moved her desk closer to mine. “Sounds good. I could use some entertainment with my meal.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kageko Anmori asked, moving her desk closer on the opposite side.

“Take it easy, sis. I’m just saying he’s fun to tease. His reactions are so over the top.” She plopped a bento box on her desk and opened it.

“Sorray about her, Yamaguchi,” Kageko Anmori said, doing the same. Guess all four of us were going to eat lunch together.

Hayashikaze didn’t seem to mind. He pushed the empty desk in front of mine closer and handed me a bento and a pair of chopsticks.

“Shall we eat?” I asked, hoping to change the subject. “Thank you for the meal.” Opening the lunchbox, an earthy aroma flooded my nostrils. There were rice balls, gyoza packed with vegetables, edamame, a large salad, and assorted fruit. “There’s no meat?”

“Sorry, elves are vegan,” Hayashikaze said. “If you don’t like it…”

“No, it’s not that. I just didn’t know.” Snatching a gyoza with my chopsticks, I put it in my mouth. “It’s delicious.”

“Thank goodness.” Visibly relieved, he started digging into his own lunch.

“So it’s just dark elves that eat meat then?” I asked.

“Huh? No. Well, I don’t know about dark elves from other realms, but Sylvorian dark elves eat the same cuisine.”

“But Anmori--that is, Akemi Anmori--told me--” Before I could say more, Akemi Anmori shoved her hand over my mouth to stop me.

“What did she tell you?” Kageko Anmori towered over us, murderous intent in her eyes.”

I shrank back in fear. Popular girls were scary.

Akemi Anmori obviously wanted me to remain silent, but at the moment, Kageko Anmori appeared more frightening. I pulled the hand off my mouth. “That dark elves sometimes kidnap people with rich mana and… eat them.”

“It was all in good fun,” Akemi Anmori hurried to add. “I wasn’t trying to insult you, honest. Don’t get mad.”

“And why would I be insulted?”

Akemi Anmori shook her head with a smug look on her face. “Isn’t it obvious? You can’t keep running from your heritage forever.”

“My heritage?! In case you forgot, we’re high elves. My skin’s just a teensy bit darker than yours.” Calling it a “teensy” bit was the understatement of the century. “Besides, you’re the one obsessed with dark elf culture. What do you think you’re doing, waving that whip around on the battlefield?”

“Oh? So you can pretend to be a high elf, but I can’t pretend to be a dark elf?”

This conversation was way out of my depth. I couldn’t do anything except chew my food in silence. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for Akemi Anmori, her sister grabbed her by the ear and dragged her out of the classroom.