Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 14

To Teacher, From Vanessa 14

Vanessa felt bad for only talking about herself and not listening to him during the few days they met. But apparently, he didn’t mind.

“It’s a secret.”

A playful answer came back.

Vanessa stared at him for a moment, but he subtly avoided her gaze.

“How can that be? I told you everything I experienced at the Academy! I even told you about the literature class!”

“Then you should have set conditions. One story for you, one story for me, like that.”

She was speechless at his cheeky reply. Vanessa felt like something had been stolen, but she changed her mind after looking at the book.

If she had asked Jenien about Word magic, she would have gotten the answer, ‘Isn’t it just doing it?’ (Jenien’s response implies a lack of theoretical understanding or patience for explaining the magic).

“It’s a bit unfair that you’re not telling me anything… but Gid, stay and play longer. I’ve had a lot of fun these past two days.”

Gid blinked, surprised by her honest words.

He wasn’t used to such honesty because he was always surrounded by people who hid their true feelings behind masks….

So, without realizing it, he blurted out an equally honest answer.

“I want to as well. I don’t think I’ve ever disliked work as much as I do these days.”

Vanessa giggled at Gid’s gloomy voice.

“I want to graduate from the Academy quickly… is work that uninteresting?”

“It varies from person to person. Didn’t you like Academy life? Why do you want to graduate?”

“It’s a secret?”

Vanessa smiled as Gid looked speechless. Vanessa just hummed, teasing him, and finally spoke after a moment.

“I want to give back to the people I’m grateful for. I feel bad that I can only receive right now.”

Gid quietly stared at Vanessa’s profile. Her wavy hair partially hid her flushed cheeks, pink with embarrassment.

“I sound too idealistic, right?”

Vanessa was rambling, trying to explain her feelings, but Gid just laughed.

“No. I think Vanessa’s patron will be very happy. The protégé they chose is so thoughtful.”

Vanessa thought it would be nice if that were the case. If her teacher was proud of her, there was nothing better than that.

Of course, she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

At that moment, moisture suddenly appeared on the bookshelf.

“Uh.”

Even though there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, a light drizzle began to fall.

Fortunately, the two were already in the shade, and thanks to the dense trees, they only needed to move their feet back a little.

Vanessa and Gid silently watched the raindrops falling in the dazzling sunlight.

In the silence, only the sound of water droplets falling on the leaves was clear. Patting, colliding, and flowing down to wet the ground.

Vanessa glanced at Gid. Water splashed on his tousled golden hair, making it sparkle like jewels.

He was quietly looking at the rain, then turned his head as if he felt her gaze.

Vanessa smiled brightly as her eyes met his. Gid seemed surprised for a moment, but soon smiled back.

Whether it was a passing shower, the rain stopped quickly, but the sunlight shining through the leaves was dazzling again.

It was a summer day that seemed unforgettable.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Two days later, Gid prepared to leave again, as suddenly as he had appeared. Vanessa felt a sense of regret, as if she were parting with someone she had known for a long time.

Gid smiled as he saw Vanessa unable to hide her disappointment.

“Take care, Vanessa. Are you coming back here next vacation?”

“I don’t know.”

She had no choice but to answer like this because she didn’t know what her patron teacher had arranged. Gid quietly bent down to meet her eyes.

A large hand, covered by a glove, was extended.

Vanessa also reached out and shook his hand. The man, leaving a faint smile, disappeared as if melting into the air.

After Gid left, she tried sailing the boat alone again, but it wasn’t as fun as it had been with him.

Vanessa sat alone under the shade of a tree and practiced magic again. The feeling that Gid had taught her suited Vanessa very well, and she made a lot of progress.

Sometimes, when Jenien ridiculed her for only doing basic Word magic, a temperamental burst of magic would shatter the window, but, well… it was okay.

She wanted to thank Gid, but when she thought about it, she hadn’t even asked for his Honir number [a communication device, like a magical phone], so she couldn’t.

After Gid visited, Jenien also became very busy – Gid must have asked him for something – and Vanessa became a little gloomy.

But she soon recovered.

Because the report card arrived from the Academy.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

To Teacher.

I am enclosing my report card. I am so proud of myself, but I don’t know how you will feel.

I thought I was dreaming the moment I opened the envelope with trembling hands, hiding in the corner of the front yard.

To be honest, I thought I would get good grades in Professor Marina’s history class, or in Professor Afer and Professor Guido’s magic classes.

But I didn’t expect to get such high scores in Professor Elin’s engineering class or Professor Bombalow’s math class.

I wonder if everyone has overestimated my efforts too much.

Unfortunately, some liberal arts classes and literature classes are a bit lacking in scores. I’ll try harder in the 4th grade!

Ah, I’m so nervous that my handwriting keeps shaking. But it’s a very pleasant tremor.

Thanks to Gid, the friend I met last time, I’ve made a little progress in magic. He gave me an interesting clue. So I’m doing quite well with basic Word magic!

But I still don’t know the conditions. Sometimes magic manifests on its own.

Last time, the magic that manifested on its own shattered a window, and this time it shattered a can machine [vending machine] in one side of the yard.

I thought it was okay because it was already half broken, but Jenien didn’t.

“Hey!”

“Uh-oh.”

“Aaaaaaagh!”

The size of one’s innate magical power and talent are important for Word magic.

The size of magical power, talent, and knowing the conditions are necessary for large-scale magic.

I still don’t know the conditions, but the scale of the magic that appears is not that small. Jenien said I was strange too.

“What the hell did you do!”

“I didn’t do anything?”

“Oh, I’m going crazy.”

Jenien grumbled, tearing at his beard, but I didn’t do anything in particular. But the power appears strongly and then weakly, so I don’t know what I satisfied, or when.

“Still, it’s a bit strange. Do you want to participate in the research? I’m going to split your head open, but I’ll put it back right away.”

“No, thanks.”

I got letters from Lina and Chevati.

Lina says she misses me a lot, her report card is terrible, and she hates the vacation going by so quickly. And she wrote that if I wanted, she hoped I would visit her house even for the last week of vacation.

But Lina probably got the highest scores in math and finance classes too. She’s such a drama queen.

Chevati is at a resort near the beach, but she’s stuck in the study. Her family pours sand on her to get her to rest, but she runs away. She hates her brother bothering her so much. She’s busy studying for next year’s classes in advance?

And she’s happy to be going to the 4th grade with me! She must have passed the 3rd grade advancement exam wonderfully.

Surprisingly, I also got a letter from Evan, but I don’t know how he found out my Honir’s connection number.

Most of it was about how he’s also in the 4th grade, so let’s have fun.

He got scolded by his father. He should have stepped up and beat those boys first. He said to tell me he was sorry, but I replied that I had already received enough apologies.

Anyway, I just hope you like the report card.

You have to reply this time!

Looking only at the Honir entrance from today,

From Vanessa Rose.

To Vanessa Rose.

It is a report card to be proud of. And I am also proud of Vanessa.

The professors did not overestimate Vanessa’s efforts; because she had the skills to do so, she received these scores. Congratulations, Vanessa Rose.

I think the literature score is better than I thought. Professor Elliot certainly seems to be a person who can embrace ideas different from his own.

All that’s left is to enjoy. I enjoyed the cookies you sent with tea.

I’m sending you a small gift in return.

From Teacher.

To the very generous teacher,

Thank you for saying my literature score is okay.

I only sent a few homemade cookies, but shouldn’t too much be returned? I don’t think I can even wear such a pretty pin because it’s too precious.

Thank you, Teacher. I’m going to put it on the window and watch it shine in the light.

I’m back in the dormitory now. Jenien is leaving the house, so I came out a little early.

I was thinking of visiting Lina’s house, but I didn’t want to leave without telling you, so I just came back to the Academy.

“Where are you going?”

“Border.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you know anything but questions!”

“Yes! Why?”

Jenien was furious, but I kept circling around him and drawing question marks, so he told me with a look of giving up. It’s fun to tease him.

“The proportion of chimeras among the monsters is too high these days. It’s artificial, so I was asked to investigate, you imp.”

“By whom?”

Jenien seemed to be answering through gritted teeth.

“There is! Now pack your bags!”

As I packed my bags, I felt like I would miss the front yard and the small room on the second floor, which I had grown fond of. And the study I used to sneak into every day. So I left a note.

‘The room where Vanessa Rose stayed for a while.’

‘The study where Vanessa Rose sneaked in.’

I put some of the cake and cookies I made in the underground food storage.

‘Eat only twice a week! -Vanessa’

Jenien was just standing there with one piece of clothing to put on and a wooden stick like a club. He muttered something when I came out, and that was enough.

The mansion sank into the ground, and the front yard was neatly folded into a small pile of dirt.

Then he looked at the air and got angry and said this.

“She’s a stupid little kid, but compared to the age she started learning, she’s pretty good, okay, cough, cough!”

Then Jenien ran away. He’s such a shy person.

“I’ll come visit next time!”

“Don’t come!”

Jenien has a harsh tone, but he’s a good person with a lot of affection. That’s why you’ve been friends with him for so long, right?

The way to Nimrod’s train station was too short. I think I’ll miss the can machines set up in front of each house and the stone path without a single shade.

Bamberg is like my hometown, and Nimrod is like my hometown. What should I do!

It’s still a long way off, but I think I’ll be really sad when I graduate from Bamberg Academy and leave.

I feel like this even when leaving Nimrod, where I’ve only lived for a little over a month.

I’m feeling emotional today,

From Vanessa Rose.

p.s The reason why the content is a bit short is because this letter was written on the train. The train was quiet, and I wanted to send the letter when my memories of Nimrod were most vivid!