When Lucy saw Noah step into the room, her face lit up and she waved him over excitedly.
"Brother Noah, come here quick!"
Noah walked over to the bedside. Sitting next to Lucy was a young girl with emerald green hair and a soft, curious gaze. She hugged a stuffed doll tightly to her chest, peeking at him from behind it.
"This is my new friend Brandish μ!" Lucy said cheerfully, scooting a little closer to the girl. "Brandish, this is the Brother Noah I told you about."
Brandish blinked up at him. Her bright green bangs fell slightly over her forehead, and on either side of her head were striking blue-violet cross-shaped hairpins. She looked around the same age as Lucy young, cute, and very serious about her stuffed animals.
Noah smiled kindly and knelt a little to meet her eye level.
"Hello, I'm Noah. It's nice to meet you, Brandish."
"Hello, Brother Noah," Brandish replied softly, her voice full of curiosity. She had heard the name Noah many times since becoming friends with Lucy, so finally seeing him in person made her a bit nervous and intrigued.
"Alright you two," Noah said, glancing around the mountain of plush toys, "time to get up. Your mom's already waiting dinner's ready."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait, Mom cooked?!"
Noah nodded, and then turned to Brandish. "Your mom helped too. So get ready and let's go."
Lucy squealed and practically launched herself out of bed, grabbing her shoes in one hand and Brandish's wrist in the other.
"Come on, come on! I had no idea Mom could cook!"
Brandish, still hugging her stuffed doll, blinked in confusion but followed Lucy out, her little feet padding quickly after her.
Their giggles echoed through the hallway.
"I'm really looking forward to Mom's cooking! Who knew she could actually cook?!" Lucy's voice trailed down the corridor.
Noah smiled faintly, shook his head, and gently pulled the door closed behind them before heading back toward the living room.
As he reached the doorway, he heard Lucy again, her voice full of excitement:
"Mom! This looks amazing! Did you really make all this?"
Grame replied, her voice calm but warm, "Your Aunt Grame made most of it. But you're not allowed to eat yet not until your brother Noah gets here."
Lucy groaned dramatically. "Why's Brother Noah always so slow?!"
"You're the one who ran ahead," Grame said with a small laugh.
When Noah walked into the living room, he saw that everyone was already seated at the long dining table, which was filled with steaming dishes, platters of grilled meat, fresh-baked bread, colorful vegetables, and bowls of warm soup. The light from the chandeliers shimmered across the polished surface of the table, and the scent of herbs and spices filled the room.
"Noah, sit next to Lucy," Leila said, gesturing to the empty seat beside her daughter. "Keep an eye on those two, will you?"
Noah nodded and took the seat between Lucy and Jude. Brandish sat beside Lucy, her little hands neatly folded in front of her plate.
Once everyone was in place, Leila, ever the composed head of the household, looked around and declared:
"Alright, let's begin!"
Lucy didn't waste a second. She reached straight for the dish she'd been eyeing since morning, scooped a generous portion into her bowl, and took a bite.
The moment the food touched her tongue, her entire face lit up.
"It's delicious!"
"This one was made by Auntie Gramey," Lucy beamed, chewing happily. "Her cooking was always amazing. I really missed this taste!"
"Oh, Lady Leila," Grame said modestly, setting down a ladle, "you flatter me. These are just simple home dishes."
Brandish, hearing the praise from Lucy, smiled softly. She picked up a small piece of food, popped it into her mouth, and her eyes slowly closed in delight as she chewed.
Lucy didn't stop at just one dish. She quickly reached out, grabbed another from a nearby platter, and took a bite.
"This one's delicious too!"
"That one was made by me," Leila said with a warm smile. "Does Lucy like it?"
"I love it!"
"Then I'll make it for you again next time."
Lucy nodded excitedly, cheeks puffed out with food.
Beside her, Brandish didn't speak. She simply continued quietly picking at the plates around her, putting one bite after another into her mouth, her content expression never changing. Her eyes stayed gently closed the whole time, as though savoring every second.
With Lucy momentarily distracted by her next mouthful, Leila turned her attention to Gramey, and the two began chatting. Their conversation drifted from household news to deeper topics including life on the Western Continent, especially Lucy's experience growing up in Alakitasia.
Jude occasionally joined in as well, offering his perspective as a businessman. He was particularly curious about the economic systems and culture in the West.
Meanwhile, Lucy kept offering little tastes of her favorite dishes to Brandish, and Brandish happily accepted each one without hesitation, silently adding it to her growing list of favorites.
Watching everyone so thoroughly enjoying themselves, Noah finally relaxed and began to enjoy the meal as well.
When dinner finished, the dishes were cleared away and everyone lingered around the table. It was then that Leila formally introduced Grame and Brandish to Noah.
Grame gave a polite bow, while Brandish offered a quiet nod.
Noah glanced at the little green-haired girl and turned to Grame.
"Has Brandish started learning magic yet?"
"You're right to ask, Master Noah," Grame said with a small smile. "She has, in fact, just begun her training."
"Please don't call me Master. That always sounds so strange," Noah chuckled. "Still, that explains it. I could feel she has pretty strong magic. It's just a bit weaker than Lucy's."
He turned back to Brandish with a friendly look.
"Want to learn magic from me? I'm not all that amazing, but I can teach a few things."
Leila raised an eyebrow and immediately objected.
"Not all that amazing? Please. Most mages would be lucky to land a scratch on you. Don't act like you're just average."
Noah laughed it off, but Grame added her agreement, clasping her hands together.
"Lady Leila is absolutely right. Young Master Noah is incredibly skilled. If you're willing to teach Brandish magic, that would be a great blessing."
As she spoke, Grame gently pulled Brandish forward.
"Should we prepare a gift of apprenticeship or something?"
"No need for all that," Noah said, waving it off casually. "We'll keep it simple. Brandish and Lucy can start with basic training together. Then I'll teach them more advanced stuff when they're ready."
He looked between them both, then added:
"If either of you have questions or run into anything difficult, just ask. I'll be coming here once a week to check in."
Leila gently took Grame's hand and looked at her with a sincere smile.
"Since Brandish will be studying magic here now, you really shouldn't leave just yet. Stay a little while longer see how things go."
Grame hesitated for a long time, clearly torn. She glanced toward Brandish, who was quietly standing nearby, and after a long pause, she finally nodded.
"Thank you, Lady Leila… but I still have a few things to take care of back home before I can return and stay here properly."
Leila didn't argue. She simply nodded and smiled.
"I understand. I'll have someone escort you back it's too dangerous to travel alone."
"Thank you, Lady Leila."
Leila gave her a gentle look.
"You're my friend, Grame. Don't be so formal."
"Lady Leila…"
As emotion welled in Grame's voice, Lucy wrapped her arms around Brandish with a grin.
"Yay! Now we can train together!"
"…This already feels like such a hassle," Brandish muttered, her voice flat.
Noah chuckled at her reluctant expression.
"Well, if you're strong enough, you can avoid a lot of hassle. That's the trick."
He tilted his head toward her.
"By the way, Brandish what kind of magic can you use?"
"I can do Shape Magic," she answered simply.
"You awakened it on your own?"
Brandish nodded. "Mhm."
"That's impressive. I'll figure out what to teach you next," Noah said with a thoughtful look. "But first off you go. Start with the basic training alongside Lucy."
"…Such a pain."
Lucy, undeterred, grabbed Brandish's hand and practically dragged her away, brimming with energy.
"Come on! It'll be fun! We'll train together over at the Heartfilia practice grounds!"
Noah smiled, waved back at Leila and the others, and followed after them at a slower pace.
By the time he reached the training field, Lucy and Brandish had already begun their warm-up routines.
It was immediately clear that while Brandish's magic power wasn't weak just a little behind Lucy's it was her physical strength that was seriously lacking. Her pace was slower, her balance off. Her movements lacked energy. It was obvious she'd never had proper physical training and had grown used to a lazy lifestyle.
Seeing this, Noah adjusted the training plan. He tailored some simpler routines just for her, focused on building stamina and strength first.
Even then, Brandish couldn't complete half of Lucy's usual regimen. Noah didn't push too hard he simply let her take it slow, encouraging gradual progress.
Though Brandish wore her usual look of disinterest throughout, it was easy to see that she was still trying her best. Every time she stumbled or hesitated, Lucy was there beside her, cheering her on with a smile.
And somehow, that seemed to keep her moving.
....
Keep supporting me with you comments and reviews if you like the story please drop a power stone and your support is very much appreciated.
Want to read 40+ chapters ahead , share your fandom thoughts, or just fuel my translation caffeine habit? or if you want to support me please Join me on Patreon here! :
patreon.com/Keep_ItUp