Luthiel didn't say anything more as she suddenly grabbed Grub's wrist and pulled him off the flat rock they had been sitting on. Grub blinked in mild confusion, stumbling slightly as she guided him a short distance away, her steps light and almost playful despite the suddenness of her movement. The rock they had been sitting on was perfectly fine—flat, stable, elevated. There had been absolutely nothing wrong with it.
So when she stopped and lowered herself directly into the grass instead, Grub's brow twitched. She patted the ground beside her, gently pressing the grass down as if preparing a seat for him.
Grub stared at the spot. Then at her. Then back at the rock.
"…We just moved from a perfectly good rock," he muttered under his breath, voice low and laced with irritation. "Just to sit on the ground."
The doll-looking girl paused, tilting her head slightly as if genuinely considering his complaint. Her golden eyes shifted from him to the rock, then back again. For a brief moment, she looked thoughtful.
Then she nodded.
"Yes… I see the inconsistency," she admitted honestly. Grub blinked, caught slightly off guard by the immediate agreement.
"But," she continued softly, her tone gentle yet certain, "sitting here… in the grass, surrounded by life… will make what I want to show you easier to understand." She patted the spot again.
Grub sighed. There was no point arguing. Not really. If this was part of whatever she had planned, then resisting it would just waste time. And time—especially here—was something he couldn't afford to waste.
So, with a quiet grumble, he lowered himself into the grass beside her. The ground was softer than he expected. Cool grass pressed beneath him, the wind brushing lightly against his skin. Luthiel grinned as she watched him sit
"Good," she said, clearly pleased, before turning her body slightly toward him. There was a subtle shift in her demeanor then—something more focused and deliberate.
"Today," she began, "we're going to start your Anima training… in a way."
Grub raised an eyebrow. "In a way?"
Luthiel gave a small, amused smile.
"I heard you weren't quite sure what Anima is," she said, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. "So I thought I could at least help you understand it… even if only a little." Her expression softened.
"Master Morrigan would be much better at teaching you how to actually use it," she added. "Applications, techniques, control… all of that."
She looked back at him.
"But I can teach you the basics, like the principles of Anima and really get the foundation of your understanding built."
Grub stared at her for a moment, clearly confused.
"…Why?" he asked bluntly.
She cocked her head to the side, a little confused.
"Why would you teach me anything?" he continued, his voice steady but edged with suspicion. "We've known each other for, what… two days?"
His gaze narrowed slightly. "It doesn't make sense."
For a brief moment, Luthiel said nothing. Then she smiled. A simple, unguarded smile.
"Because I want to," she said.
Grub frowned at the shoddy response.
"And," she added lightly, "you give off good vibes."
He stared at her with a blank expression. "…Good vibes."
"Mhm."
"And Master said you didn't have any bad intentions," she continued casually. "So there's no reason to worry."
Grub went silent. Then, after a moment, he exhaled softly.
"You really like the chief, don't you?" he said. "Calling her 'Master' like that."
Luthiel didn't respond immediately. Instead, she looked up at the sky. Her expression changed—just slightly. It became a little softer and more distant. It reminded him of how expressionless she was whenever her bangs covered her face and she had blue streaks in her hair. But right now she looked the same as she had.
"She saved me," she said quietly. There was no hesitation in her voice and no doubt in her face. "My life is hers," she continued. "I will never forget what she did for me."
Silence followed. For just a moment, her face went blank—completely still, like a doll without movement. Then, just as quickly, her usual smile returned. Grub watched her carefully.
She said she trusted him. She said she liked him. But beneath that… there was something else. It was not doubt or fear of him. Something that felt like she was watching him—measuring him—while pretending not to.
She didn't notice that he noticed. So he said nothing. If that was the case, then all he had to do… was meet her expectations. Luthiel shifted slightly, crossing her legs as she had before.
"Close your eyes," she said softly.
Grub hesitated for half a second. Then he complied.
"Just… breathe," she murmured.
The sounds of the park filled the silence. The rustling of leaves. The soft whisper of wind brushing against grass. Then she began her explanation.
"Anima," she said gently, "is the energy of life… and creation."
"It is the force behind consciousness. Behind thought. Behind change."
"It exists inside of you," she continued. "It is a part of you. It reflects who you are… and shapes what you can become."
Her words settled slowly. "Your body and your soul both produce Anima," she said. "Think of them as generators… and Anima as the energy they create."
Grub's fingers twitched slightly against the grass.
"Everyone has Anima," she went on. "Even those who cannot use it." There was a pause. "Feel the grass beneath you, Mister Grub."
He followed her instructions and slowly brushed his hand against the grass, letting each blade slip across his fingers carefully.
"It has Anima too."
Grub focused. He didn't know what he was supposed to feel. But he tried anyway.
"Every action you take produces Anima," Luthiel continued. "Speaking. Moving. Thinking and feeling."
"Those are all expressions of your soul… and each one uses a small amount of Anima."
"The technique you saw Master Morrigan use," she said, "was simply control. Control over the flow of Anima that already exists."
Her tone shifted slightly. "But not all Anima is equal."
Grub's brow furrowed faintly.
"Some are born with more," she said. " Others with less."
"That doesn't mean one person is more 'real' than another… or that their soul matters more.
it simply means their body and soul produce energy differently."
"In other words, some are simply more efficient." The wind brushed against them again.
"Now," she continued, her voice softening again, "there is a difference between creatures… and what we call 'beings.' "
Grub listened closely.
"Beings—like you and me—have refined Anima," she said. "It is stable and structured."
"That's what allows for deeper thought. It is why we feel so much emotion and sense of identity."
Her hand gently reached out, taking his.
"Creatures… beasts… their Anima is wild," she said. "It is kind of unstable. Driven more by instinct than thought."
She shifted slightly closer.
"And then, there are Fortes."
"A Forte," she explained, "is the unique way someone's Anima manifests.
It is how they shape it. How they use it."
Her fingers tightened slightly around his hand.
"For example… if someone has a Forte related to fire… they can create flames using their Anima."
Grub's mind immediately latched onto that. He definitely remembered seeing a Lacert who likely had a similar ability.
"Some Fortes are unique," she continued. "Some are common. Some are passed down."
"Anima connects the body and the soul… so it can be inherited." She tilted her head slightly. "Even in cases where people aren't related by blood."
"A strong bond can influence it. Many parents who are not related to their child find their child has their Forte. It is not uncommon," she said. "Especially in children… before their Anima stabilizes."
She let go of his hand.
"Most people have one Forte," she added. "Some have none."
A small, quiet chuckle left her. "And some—like me—have more."
Grub opened his eyes. She was smiling.
"Though, I am a special case," she said lightly.
Then she stood up suddenly. "Well… that's the basic idea," she said. "Anima is everywhere. It's part of everything."
She extended her hand toward him. Grub stared at it for a moment. Then took it. She pulled him to his feet with surprising ease.
"But," she added with a small grin, "I didn't actually teach you anything yet. That was just the explanation."
She clasped her hands behind her back.
"It would be nice to do this again," she said. "Maybe with Master too. She could teach you much more than I can."
She thought for a moment. "…Honestly, I need to train more too," she admitted. "I've been slacking."
Then she looked at him again. "Did you understand it?"
Grub didn't respond immediately. He was already deep in concentration. His notebook was open, his pen moving rapidly as he scribbled down everything she had said, his focus completely locked in.
Information. New information. Useful information.
He wasn't going to forget a single word. Luthiel watched him for a moment with a light smile on her face. After a few seconds, Grub snapped the notebook shut. He nodded once. Then, without looking at her, he said flatly,
"…Thank you."
Luthiel's smile softened. Then suddenly— "Ah!"
She stiffened slightly. "I need to get to school!"
Grub blinked. She turned toward him, bright and cheerful again. "Do you want to come with me?"
Grub stared at her.
School? He didn't even know how old he was. Was it appropriate? Did that matter here?
…Maybe not. Learning, though?
That mattered. So he nodded.
"Sure."
Luthiel beamed. Then immediately started running.
"Let's go!"
Grub sighed.
"Wait—wait, wait, wait," he called out, following after her. "You have school here?"
"Of course!" she replied, skipping ahead. "Though most of us don't go for very long," she added. "But Master insists I do."
She glanced back at him. "So whenever I'm not training with her… or avoiding her training…" she said with a small laugh, "I go."
She spun lightly as she walked. "I felt like going today anyway."
Then she smiled at him. "Especially with you."
Grub exhaled.
Of course.
He followed behind her as she skipped down the road, her steps light, almost carefree. His mind, however, was anything but.
So much new Information had been revealed and confirmed for him.
Anima. Fortes. He learned a whole lot just from that short lesson.
He just hoped that today wouldn't be a report day.
Because if it was, he didn't have much to give that they didn't already know of, he assumed.
Still…As he walked after her, one thought settled quietly in his mind.
Today…was a good day to learn. And he intended to make the most of it.