Chapter 23

Wednesday is the most peaceful day of the festival so far. Predictably, Katherine wakes me up way too early. She then hurries me along as quickly as possible and has us out and ready to practice magic by 9 a.m. I guide her through the finer points of mana control and help her rehearse the debutant-level spells from all three of her magical books. By noon she has them completely mastered. We then go out to lunch. After lunch, we return to practicing magic. This time we attempt the novice-level spells. She burns through them like no mage has ever done before. Her success prompts me to ask whether or not her father was a great mage to which she responds, “Maybe.” Realizing that she doesn’t want to tell me about her father, I drop the issue altogether. Once we finish practicing magic, we share a few slow dances in the square, have a three-course meal at a five-star restaurant, and then retire to the inn peacefully.

Thursday is equally as pleasant. I start the day off by coaxing Katherine into letting me have an extra hour of sleep. Afterwards, we have a quick breakfast before we take the Steampunk locomotive two hours south to Arpeggio Academy. From the school’s receptionist, I learn of an Altruist class professor who can oversee Katherine’s entrance exam into the mage class. When we find the professor, she turns out to be such a kind soul that she agrees to examine Katherine on short notice. The professor also summons an assembly of her Altruists friends. They take Katherine behind closed doors and administer tests to her while I wait patiently outside. When the doors open, Katherine flies out and jumps into my arms jubilantly. She passed the test. The other Altruists congratulate me on my fine apprentice and even ask if I want to join them. I politely accept their praise, not mentioning that Katherine is not really my apprentice, but their offer to join them I decline. We then leave the Altruists on good terms and return to Magali. Once there, we invite Wilmette to join us in a congratulatory dinner for Katherine. We share a stupendous meal together filled with laughter and good conversation. Once the meal is over, we depart from Wilmette and retreat to our inn room.

I’m very proud of Katherine for her achievement. Technically, with her being a unique-class Altruist mage, she’s now a higher-ranking mage than me. But only technically. I can sleep soundly tonight knowing that in the morning, she will still be the one calling me “Master” and not vice-versa.