"I see."
Shido responded, making a mental note to visit her later after making Frieren and Rumia met. He wasn't sure if she was simply tired from last night or just too lazy to move around.
While Shido was lost in thought, Tuare noticed someone standing quietly behind him, a beautiful elf girl with silver hair. Surprised, Tuare look at her curiously, wondering who she was and why she was with Shido.
Shido didn't miss Tuare's reaction and spoke up.
"Ah, right, I forgot to introduce you two."
"Frieren, this cute girl here is Tuare. She lives with us."
"N-Nice to meet you, Frieren-san..."
Shido's introduction made Tuare blush and fidget, warmth bubbling in her chest at his praise, though she still didn't forget to greet Frieren politely.
"Tuare, the elf girl beside me is Frieren. She's an old friend of mine— Ow!"
Shido didn't get to finish. A sharp pain shot through his waist, and when he glanced to the side, he couldn't help but let out a wry smile at the culprit.
"You're rude," Frieren said, her expression as calm as ever, but Shido could tell she was displeased by his choice of words.
"W-What's wrong, Shido-san?" Tuare jumped slightly at Shido's sudden yelp, looking at him with concern.
"N-Nothing." Shido took a deep breath, rubbing his waist where Frieren's pinch still tingled. "Anyway, she'll be living with us from now on, so try to get along."
"Nice to meet you." Frieren nodded politely at Tuare.
"Oh…" Tuare was still in a daze, but when she finally snapped out of it and realized they would have another tenant, she looked surprised, wanting to ask Shido more. However, Shido was already heading toward the door leading to the backyard.
"Eh?!"
"I'll go see Rumia first," Shido called out, leaving those words behind as he walked toward the backyard with Frieren following quietly at his side.
....
"…O gentle winds that dance unseen, gather at my call and bring comfort to the air. Let your breath soothe all around you. Gentle Breeze."
Rumia's eyes were closed, hands clasped together as she recited the spell chant. Mana gathered around her, forming a soft green magic circle beneath her feet. A calming breeze stirred, blowing gently in all directions and soothing every living thing it touched.
"You're getting good at controlling your mana, Rumia."
Rumia let out a soft breath, slowly opening her eyes at the sound of the voice of the person that was most important to her other than her sister.
"Shido-san!"
Rumia turned toward the voice, her eyes lighting up when she saw Shido. She quickly got up from the ground and jogged toward him, but as she drew closer, she noticed someone quietly walking beside him.
Rumia slowed her steps, an odd feeling rising in her chest as she looked at the silver-haired elf next to Shido. Strangely, Frieren felt the same, a vague sense of closeness toward the blonde girl before her, though she couldn't quite explain why.
Then, the same thought crossed both of their minds, and they turned to look at Shido, speaking in unison.
"Is she also your summon?" 2x
"..."
Shido fell silent, blinking as he looked at the two girls. He couldn't deny it was impressive how quickly they had identified each other, though, knowing him, it wasn't really that surprising.
"Yes."
Hearing his confirmation, the two girls nodded, thinking the same thing in their heads: 'No wonder.'
"Her name is Frieren, she's a—" Shido paused for a moment, glancing at Frieren from the corner of his eye before continuing, "she's also a summon that I just summoned earlier."
Frieren nodded, satisfied that this time Shido's words didn't annoy her.
"As you may have already guessed, she's also a mage, and a powerful one at that." Shido added.
Rumia's eyes widened in surprise. It was rare for Shido to acknowledge someone as strong, after all. But she quickly accepted it, remembering that most people in this country were simply too weak, and even she herself was stronger than most of them.
But then, Rumia's eyes lit up. Since Frieren was a mage, that meant...
"Yes, she'll be guiding you to become better at magic," Shido said, easily reading what Rumia was thinking.
Shido's confirmation made Rumia happy since she would become better with magic under the person that Shido introduced. If she became stronger, she could help her sister more with her goal, unraveling the secrets of Melgalius' Sky Castle.
"Frieren, I've told you about her earlier," Shido said, turning his gaze toward Frieren. "Her name is Rumia Tingel, and she's the one I want you to teach magic."
"All right. She's a good seedling, and she might even be as talented as my disciple," Frieren replied casually, looking at Rumia with her clear emerald eyes. She scanned Rumia's body and the flow of mana around her, easily seeing the potential within the girl. With proper guidance, this child would become a fine mage in the future.
"Nice to meet you, Frieren-san—no, sensei," Rumia greeted, excitement and nervousness swirling inside her. She had just met Frieren, and the thought of learning magic under her made her heart race.
"You don't need to be so formal," Frieren said, a bit speechless at Rumia's seriousness. She waved her hand lightly. "Just call me by my name."
"T-then, Frieren-san?" Rumia said hesitantly.
"That's better."
"Yes!"
"So, do you want to start tomorrow, or should we begin right now?" Frieren asked calmly.
"Please, let's start now!" Rumia said eagerly, unable to hide her excitement. She wanted to learn as much as she could, as soon as she could.
Frieren nodded, finding Rumia's enthusiasm refreshing. She didn't dislike having such an eager student.
"All right. We'll start with the basics."
"Yes!"
The two began their magic lesson, completely ignoring Shido, who was the one who had introduced them in the first place. Shido's lips twitched as he watched Frieren and Rumia talking intently about magic, paying him no mind. He let out a long sigh, thinking that he wasn't needed here anymore.
"Shido-san, are you okay?" a soft voice asked.
Shido turned to see Tuare, who had just arrived. She glanced at Frieren and Rumia, who were deep in their lesson, before turning her worried eyes back to him.
"Tuare…" Shido looked at her, feeling oddly comforted. At least Tuare was the only one who still cared about him.