"Honey, I think it's time we get Kawa-Kun a proper tutor…"
"What? Why?" My mother retorted. "You said you could teach him!"
"He's got too much innate talent, we're holding him back," My father tried to explain.
"Yeah, that's true, you could say that…" My mother said resolutely.
They didn't even ask for my opinion this time! How rude! But I'm so kind-hearted that I'll forgive them just this once for saying I have so much innate talent. Of course, I am a prodigy! I grinned smugly, so very proud of myself.
And so, because of these reasons, my household decided to hire me a tutor, which I guess is quite good for a slightly noble family. I guess?
My father, Renar, was one of the few generals around this area, and we were probably a middle-class noble, so getting a celestian tutor should be a piece of cake.
But this village is quite far away from the capital, so getting young and outstanding talents will be a problem, even if you're sending a letter to the Adventure Guild. Sure, having money is one thing, but getting someone who actually wants to come to this remote village is another.
My parents, sorry, I suspect that my new tutor is going to be an old retired adventurer that's gonna be really grumpy and sticking to old school methods, because old hags are Karens.
Our stupid village has no inn either, so the tutor will have to stay with us. All the more, no one wants to be our tutor.
I just really hope we get a good tutor.
____________________________________________________________________________
Soon, the quiet of night descended. As I crawled into my bed like a good little boy, I remembered how my parents always talked about the mysterious "her".
That night, as I lay in bed, I stuck my head out of my covers and asked my parents just as they were about to leave, " Mama, Papa, story?"
"What story, dear?" Mama asked softly.
" Mama Papa always talks about 'her'. During my awakening, also. Who she?"
Instantly, Mama's eyes welled up with tears. Papa sat beside me on my bed and said, "Go, Liora, go to bed first, Papa's gonna tell you a story." His voice was strangely filled with remorse.
" A long time ago, before The First Astral Civil War, FACW for short, you had an older sister. Not that you're related to her, but we adopted her. She was Lady Kaori of House Shadeborne.
Born as the first daughter of the Shadeborne family, expectations for her were sky-high: they anticipated a prodigy in shadow arts. But when her core awakened, it was revealed that she carried Healing instead of Shadow. To the Shadebornes, this was a disgrace — Healing was seen as meek, useless for power struggles, and unbecoming of their proud lineage. Her siblings and even her parents distanced themselves, whispering that she was a "mistake of the bloodline."Instead of being embraced, she was shunned, left to the corners of their estates, allowed to exist but not celebrated. In this isolation, Kaori developed her tender nature — instead of hardening, she leaned into compassion. She secretly tended to servants, animals, and even strangers, finding solace in helping those whom others overlooked. Deep down, she yearns for someone who will see her not as a failure of House Shadeborne, but as Kaori, the girl who heals.
Later on, she was scorned by not only her family but also by the outside world as a disgrace. That's when she broke. She ran far away from her family and joined the adventure guild. There, she met us and joined The Ashen Vanguard. From then on, she slowly healed and no longer thought of herself as a mistake.
We have 5 ranks of magic. Basic, Advanced, Master, Emperor, and God. Your sister was truly a genius mage. At the tender age of 14, she could already grasp advanced magic!"
"I still remember her," Renar murmured, his voice carrying that mixture of pride and regret only a father could bear. "The way her brown hair would catch the faintest copper when the sun touched it… soft, shoulder-length waves, never as severe as the Shadeborne line expected of her. She always seemed out of place among them, but to me… she looked radiant."
He paused, his eyes distant. "And her eyes — hazel, warm, searching. They never held the cold sharpness of her siblings. No, hers carried kindness, as if she was always ready to heal rather than wound. I remember when she first got her acceptance letter to Celestara Academy. We were so proud of her! Especially Liora and Kara."
"Then, that time came…"
My father looked up in the sky for a moment before continuing.
" She was a kind girl, really, truly outstanding. She, the chosen successor of the old goddess Aurelia, was given the skill to see through time itself. No, she was more like a sear. She could see futures, predict them."
" The FACW came, and we were defending our country as per normal. But just before she entered the academy, she foresaw that we would die. Your mother and I. After that, she refused to enter the academy. Kaori, that lovely girl, told us she could prevent it from happening. That was the only reason we let her onto the battlefield. The…the biggest mistake of our lives."
Tears now flowed down his cheeks freely. His voice was breaking, I was sure of it.
I knew exactly where this was going.
" She… that stupid girl… she… she never told us the price was her life…" Renar choked out.
" I saw her that day, being stabbed from behind, her face not shocked at all. She just looked at me and Liora. In her final breaths, she smiled, " Ara~ ara~ my time is up, that's quicker than I expected. Renar, Liora, thank you for everything. And for that, I will give you one final prophecy: 'A child shall be born unto you, a prodigy bearing a forbidden power, whose hand may either heal the world or shatter it. In the shadow of despair, he shall rise, and from the very depths of hell, he will come to deliver me.'"
Papa looked at me proudly and said, "My genius child, may you rescue her someday. I place my hope in you."
I peeked a him and nodded meekly, just like a child would do. But deep down, I swore to my heart that one day, just one day, I will save Kaori, even if it meant going to the depths of hell, I will deliver her.
____________________________________________________________________________
"My name's Lexi Everis, nice to meet you." She covered her mouth with one hand as she let out a soft, sleepy yawn. Contrary to our expectations, we ended up with a sensei who looked impossibly young—barely in her early teens, if that. Standing only around 155 centimeters, petite and slender, she had the air of a middle schooler rather than a seasoned mage. Lavender-purple hair flowed to her waist, tied neatly into two long braids, framing amethyst eyes that carried both drowsiness and depth. Her porcelain skin glowed with a subtle pearlescent sheen, giving her a mystical aura without tipping into formality.
This all felt strangely familiar, as if I had seen her somewhere before…
With her half-open, sleepy eyes, she carried a briefcase in her left hand and a staff in the other, just as one would expect of a magician. A tall, wide-brimmed witch's hat rested atop her head, its dark fabric lined with a faint silver band that shimmered softly, marking her unmistakably as a mage. Her traveling robes of deep purples and midnight blues were embroidered with silver thread, layered over a fitted tunic and a long, flowing coat that struck a balance between elegance and practicality. Sturdy leather boots grounded her attire, while a hooded cloak trimmed with silver thread hung from her shoulders for long journeys. Simple accessories—a moon-shaped pendant, a ring, and a small charm at her belt—hinted at her magical lineage and quiet power. Altogether, she stood as a mentor who seemed to walk between scholar and wanderer, mystery and familiarity.
And thus, that is how she met the three of us.
"..."
My parents stood there speechless, mouths gaping.
Renar and Liora froze for a long moment, their eyes fixed on the small girl before them. Realizing how obvious they were being, Liora quickly bowed her head. Finally, my mother, who was carrying me, put me down and murmured, "Ah—excuse us for staring. We… weren't expecting someone so young. Please, this way."
No, it was beyond expected. We never expected someone this tiny.
I couldn't help but blurt out, " You're really tiny."
Offended by my "innocent" comment, her eyes suddenly opened fully, as if she was suddenly aware of her surroundings. She looked down at me with visible fury in her eyes and said nonchalantly, as if she didn't care, "Says someone smaller than me."
After our really small squabble, my parents gave her a house tour and showed her where her room was, which happened to be mine… that's really sad. I was not hoping to sleep with a stranger I just met.
I still don't understand why she gave such a reaction to my "very innocent" comment. Maybe she has really complex feelings about it. I wasn't referring to her bosoms, by the way, they're just average. But I have felt bosoms way bigger than this before (Psst, yes, Kara, I'm referring to you and your eccentric behaviour towards children).
After the house tour, Lexi turned around and sighed, "So who's the child I'm supposed to teach?"
Mama instantly became a little kid, squealing, "Oh, this one right here! Say high, Kawa-Kun. He's really a genius celestian; he can do all kinds of things!"
I reluctantly waved at Lexi.
"Haa… this happens every so often—parents start thinking their child is gifted just because they've grown a little," Lexi murmured.
Ahem, I heard that really loud and clear, Miss Lexi. Please keep your thoughts to yourself.
"What is it?" My mother asked concerningly.
"No, it's nothing, I was just wondering if your kid understands the concept of magic astralis yet…"
Lexi looked at me and asked my mother, " Liora, if you don't mind, could we test his control over astralis at your backyard over there?"
"Of course! Test him as much as you like."
And that is how we decided on our plan. Mornings, sword and celesteblade training with father, and afternoon celestial training with Lexi, lastly, nighttime is my free time.
Walking over to the backyard, Lexi asked, " Your name is Hoshikawa, isn't it?"
I nodded.
"Listen up, before we start, we need to set some ground rules."
Lexi stopped walking and turned her body to face me.
I didn't even notice her stopping, and almost walked right through her.
" Number 1. I am your sensei, you are my student. No matter what, as long as I am your teacher, you will call me 'Sensei'"
I nodded, embarrassed about nearly walking through her.
"Number 2. You will never call me short! Even though I'm really short, I'm still a proud 27-year-old, you know?"
I knew it! She really is very sensitive about her height. Serves her right for being a snotty dwarf.
Wait… 27-year-old? That old? Oh my god. I completely fucking forgot that she was an Everis, one of those long-lasting humans with eternal youth.
Sob, why must I be born a normal human and not one with a long lifespan and eternal youth?
"Last but not least, number 3. You will never—ever—pat me on the head. I don't care if you think it's cute, I don't care if you think it's funny, and I definitely don't care if you think I look like a kid.' I am your sensei, not your little sister!"
Her pout and puffed cheeks made her look exactly like a little sister throwing a tantrum.
I bit my tongue before I could say it aloud.
And with that, we continued walking towards the backyard.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Well, let's start from the celestian textbook…no…Hoshikawa," Lexi looked at me. I looked right back, forcing her to continue her sentence. "Let's see how much you can control."
"I will demonstrate first."
Lexi picked up her staff and aimed it towards the nearest tree.
"Spirits of the stream, gather and shape—a crystal bullet, swift as the river's wrath,「Water Bullet」!"
Miraculously, water bullets formed in front of her. She thrust her staff forward as if throwing the bullet, and the water bullets shot forward into the nearest tree at high speed, penetrating it completing. Whoa… that's so cool!
" That's a basic water technique," Lexi said nonchalantly and flicked one of her braids behind her, obviously showing off.
I decided to ruthlessly break her proud heart.
"Mama spent years growing that tree, sensei. I guess Mama will get" I said smugly, sure that she was in deep trouble.
" Eh? Really?"
" No doubt. The last time Papa knocked down the tree, Mama refused to give him food for a week."
Lexi frantically ran towards the tree and picked up the fallen branches.
" Eh, let's see… this is bad, got to do something…" Lexi murmured
" Let's try this… O radiant essence that flows through all, mend the vessel before me—let flesh knit and pain fade,「Healing」,"
Instantly, the hole within the tree vanished completely, all sealed and renewed. New branches grew out from the tree, connecting themselves with the fallen branches. Lastly, leaves grew again, abundantly, even more than before. Then, standing before us was a perfectly new tree, as if nothing had ever happened.
Wait… something's not right… Why can she use healing if she's a water mage?
"That's right, I'm a dual-elementer," Lexi sighed, but obviously boasting again.
"So, kid, what elements can you wield, or should I say, what can you wield?"
" What do you mean?"
" Do you not know? Some people are born without an element; they are born with only an ascended aspect. We call them compounds. For instance, His Majesty's daughter was born with a compound. They are really pitiful as they cannot wield both elements and compounds. So, what do you wield?"
What interesting knowledge…
" I am an all-element wielder. I don't wield any compounds yet."
" Don't underestimate me, I can tell truths from lies, don't put me on the same level as you,"
"But I really can!" I looked at her weirdly. Why would I lie about these things?
"You're joking, right?" Lexi forced a smile.
" No, why would I joke about these things, Sensei? Let me show you,"
Slowly, I visualised each element clearly in my empty mind.
Fire burns, but only to illuminate.
Water flows, but only to nourish.
Earth holds, but only to steady.
Wind moves, but only to guide.
Healing restores, but only to remind.
Starlight touches not the flesh, but the fate beneath it.
When I opened my eyes again, seven glowing elements surrounded me. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Shadow, Healing and lastly Starlight.
"..."
Lexi stared mouth gaping, her smug look completely wiped off her face.
I smiled truimphantly, " Look, Sensei! I wasn't lying!"
"Yeah… that's something," Lexi trailed off, still shocked.
Hmm, I feel kinda bad. Let's praise her a little.
" Sensei, you can use water and healing?"
"Yeah, I have no problems till the Advanced Rank."
"Wow, that's so cool! Amazing! You're so strong, Sensei!"
"If you try really hard, you can be as strong as me someday too,"
Lexi's response was curt, but I could see the edges of her mouth twitching upwards. She's so easy to manipulate. I've only complimented her twice and she's happy.
"Ok, now that I roughly know your level of astralis, we'll officially start tomorrow. Get ready for a long day." Lexi tilted her head and smiled at me gently.
Then, my mum stuck her head out of the house and shouted, " Dinner is ready!"
Lexi turned to look at her and shouted back, " We'll be there in a minute," then she turned to look back at me, "Come on, let's go," I smiled back. She grabbed my tiny hand and we raced back to the house, hand in hand, the light of the setting sun shining on our backs.