I began to give Yuishia lectures about magic twice a week.
She has the highest aptitude for the water element followed by fire and earth. The ones that she sucked at were wind, light, and dark.
That being said, I still continued to teach her about them to build her knowledge up, while I had her repeatedly practice the other magic elements she was good at facing the sea.
And in the house——
"I brought a new magic book, Yuishia. Do you wanna read it?"
"Plus snacks, too! Let's all eat together!"
"Y-Yes! It's really incredible! There are so many books I want to read! And sweets, too..... This must be paradise!"
"You're exaggerating. Though I would like to hear your impression of it later."
"I will! There are many things I want to talk about!"
I had been sharing with her the books that I either bought during my free time and bookstore tours or brought with me when I temporarily went back to visit our home at the <Empty Wilderness> together with Teto.
I couldn't find anyone to talk to about the books I read since Teto wasn’t the type to read books, so I thought I found a good book friend through Yuishia.
She has also been helping out in preparing meals or managing housework as she continued to live with us. Everything in the <Empty Wilderness> was done by Baretta and the other service dolls so I rarely got to do anything there, and the bond between us was different from what I had with Selene, so I also am quite delighted to have her company.
She had quite a tough time casting magic in the beginning, but gradually she began to get the gist of magic's relevance to everyday life and now she has reached the point where she could use magic for washing clothes or controlling the fire strength of the stove without messing up.
Although she failed at using different life magic in an attempt to mimic me, she could now at least use two elements together.
As for Teto and mine's work as adventurers, we, like usual, undertook the unpopular requests while avoiding any long-term ones as much as possible though there were occasionally times when we had to stay out. However, the floating island that we were waiting for showed no signs of appearing as the days passed.
Just like this, five years passed by as we lived with Yuishia----
"Haaaa----<Ice Lance>! Sweep!"
We were currently in a dungeon located on the outskirts of the Lovile Kingdom ---- Yuishia held her wand and conjured multiple ice spears to defeat a monster.
And the freshly impaled monster was a Cockatrice, a C-rank monster. As its final struggle, it tried to turn its intense paralyzing gaze at her, though a pity it fell short against her <Body Strengthening>'s magic resistance.
"I leveled up! Chise-san, Teto-san! Now my mana is 20,000 units!"
"Oh, good for you. If it’s just magic power, I think it's already comparable to a court magician."
"Congratulations-nanodesu!"
Although not on par with us, her mana reserve has increased a lot thanks to her eating the <Mysterious Nut> frequently. She has also improved herself in magic through continuous training.
She has also acquired the water magic skill with her improvement in it and now, her water magic is at level 5.
Moreover, as she improved in her magic skills, she appeared to gain more self-confidence, and her once meek disposition gave way to a more buoyant and lively demeanor.
With the increase in her mana reserve, the growth of her body also slowed down, however, the <Slow Aging> skill, the precursor to <Immortality>, has yet to appear, which has caused me to think that individual differences also play a role as to when one could get these skills.
"I was just a low-ranking magician before, but I've now become a first-class magician through and through! I think becoming a court sorcerer isn't far off if I continue to work hard like this!"
Teto and I gave her our congratulations as she excitedly talked about her dream, though Kuro looked somewhat shocked.
The magic clan has its own hierarchy, starting with apprentices and progressing to third, second, and first class, with recognition as a full-fledged magician at the rank of first class.
Moreover, every year there was a recruitment test for court magicians that the nation arranged for those who had reached the rank of a first-class magician. If you passed the recruitment test, you could officially become a court magician.
<Nya-Nya!>
"Woah!? Ku-Kuro-san! What's wrong!?"
Kuro knocked his paw at Yuishia's cheeks as she was explaining all this.
Lately, Kuro has been acting like a big brother to her, as if advising her "Don't get too cocky".
Kuro has grown to the size of a fully-grown cat by absorbing our magical energy over the past year, and Yuishia's shoulder has become his usual place to perch on.
"But looking back at that time, you've really grown up."
"Oh, come on, I'm still nothing compared to Chise-san and Teto-san!"
Yuisia remained modest as always, but she has truly grown into an impressive person.
She has polished her magic skills, grown taller, and became even more lovely. And above all, her breasts have grown larger.
Although hers wasn't as big as Teto's, who sported huge breasts with a baby face, her well-shaped breasts were exerting their presence by pushing up her robe. I couldn't help but feel envious...
(Maybe I should have helped her increase her mana reserve right at the beginning and pulled her as a similar small-breast companion...)
As the devil's whisper echoed in my mind, suggesting that I should have really led her down the same path of acquiring the <Immortality> skill before she grew up, Teto and Yuishia tilted their heads, sensing the disquieting atmosphere exuding from me.
"What's wrong, Chise-san?"
"......No, nothing. Anyway, let's go home for today."
"Let's go back and have a delicious meal!"
We left the dungeon as we only came here for Yuishia's training by making her fight monsters, and stopped by the guild on the way.
We had been living together for five years, but she had yet to know that we were A-rank adventurers. In fact, I was now enjoying this little bit of game wondering how long we could keep it a secret from her.
"Hello, Yuishia-chan. How was it today?"
"I went to the dungeon with Chise-san and Teto-san and gathered lots of materials!"
Yuishia faced the receptionist she has become acquainted with from the inland guild that was closer to the dungeon and showed her today's spoil.
We have left everything related to the counter to her and while we were known as skilled adventurers here, they didn't know our exact rank. The only ones who knew of our true rank in the Lovile Kingdom were just the guild master Zerrich and the sub-master Sharil of the harbor-side guild.
"Alright, we've confirmed the delivery of the materials. Thank you, as always. This way, the clients won't pressure us."
"I'm sorry, that you have been facing trouble from people of my clan......"
The request this time was to collect materials for magic potions such as power enhancement potions used by the Suzurland clan. She has been doing such requests by occasionally partying with me, Teto, or the other adventurers.
For the past five years, whenever there were menial tasks that Yuisha could accomplish with her magic, Teto and I would accompany her to the guild and show her the request where we taught her how to make money with magic by showing her the ropes, then making her actually try it.
Aside from that, she has also learned <Potioneering> and received requests related to the magic clans.
As a result, she has sufficiently learned how to earn well which was her initial purpose.
However, the time we spent with her was so unexpectedly fun that we lost the chance to end the relationship, and it just continued on like this. Time passed like this while we waited for Kuro's home, the floating island, to rear its head in vain.
"It's really a life-saver that your reputation among adventurers is good, Yuishia-san!"
"Y-You jest! I'm just a nuisance to their party, you know!"
We watched her modest exchange with the receptionist with a smile.
"Chise-san, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Good job and congratulations. You earned three silver coins today."
When I said so, Yuishia showed a clueless expression at first for a moment and then she flashed a faint smile.
"Now that you said that, that was the goal in the beginning, wasn't it? Magic was so fun that I completely forgot about it."
"We have to celebrate together!"
"Let's buy yummy things on our way then!"
It was already a foregone matter for her at this point, however, it was a matter worth celebrating in my opinion.
"Are you sure? Well, I believe the merchant ship from the south should have docked yesterday, so maybe let's try the south's delicacy today!"
"Alright, then let's head for the marketplace."
With the plan decided, the three of us headed to the familiar market and bought Yuishia's favorite food while looking around for other interesting stuff.
Just then, I saw a carriage dashing towards the harbor. I had an instinctive feeling that it was going too fast the moment I saw the carriage. And it didn't take long for my intuition to become a reality.
"Cry Mama. Mamaaaa!"
The market was a crowded place. A lost child, separated from their mother who came to shop, was walking around unsteadily and eventually walked into the route of that carriage.
It was already too late for the carriage to stop as it was dashing down on a sloping road at breakneck speed. In fact, the coachman panicked and hurriedly tried to avoid the child but ended up flipping the carriage, causing it to fall over.
"Let's go, Teto."
"Yes-nanodesu!"
Teto and I immediately ran to the scene.
The child that was walking around looking for their mother froze up on the spot upon noticing the carriage.
"----<Psychokinesis>!"
"----<Earth-Bind>-nanodesu!"
I, with my telekinesis magic, and Teto, by manipulating the ground in the marketplace, managed to stop the sliding carriage.
The sliding carriage was closer to the place where a lot of people were, so we had to be a bit forceful in our attempt to stop it as gently as possible.
"Yuishia, go call the guards and the adventurer's guild staff. I'll take care of the injured."
"Alright, I'll be quick."
I busied myself with healing the injured as Yuishia rushed to the guard station.
The lost child, who had jumped in front of the carriage, had apparently safely united with the mother who rushed here after hearing the commotion.
"Thank you very much! How can I ever thank you enough?"
"All that matters is the child is fine. Please be careful from now on."
I looked around the market while smiling at the mother and child pair and found there was no other injured person.
On the other hand, the coachman who was thrown off the carriage due to inertia, and the horse that fell suffered some major injuries like fractures and the like. Teto pulled out the robe-wearing men from the toppled carriage while I was healing the injured.
"Majou-sama~ everyone inside the carriage is unharmed~"
"You lot! Don't think you'll escape unscathed after pulling such violence against me, a court sorcerer!"
“Sigh I know, I know. I will hear what you have to say later, so wait for a while."
Even as I was busy healing the arm of the coachman and the leg of the fallen horse with recovery magic, the man who claimed to be a court sorcerer continued to shout non-stop.
"Due to you plebeians, I lost the research materials that I had ordered from the south! And I'm telling you, none of them are items plebs like you can afford at all!"
"But I'm not in the wrong here, though. It's entirely your fault, running a carriage so fast without paying any heed to others. I just stopped it to prevent further damage from this accident."
"You think your sophistry will be able to save you? Your actions constitute an act of harm to the nobility!"
This was why dealing with such a pompous man was a pain, I thought as the man declared loudly.
At those words, Teto stepped forward to protect us, seeing the frightened state of the girl that had jumped out in front of the carriage and her mother who was embracing her, and enquired.
"Majou-sama, are we going to kill him?"
"Calm down, Teto. We're not going to kill anyone."
We stood there on the spot to protect the mother, the child, and the incident place while wishing for the quick arrival of the guards.
The people around in the marketplace were giving us concerned glances, though only from a distance. Apparently, they didn't want to face a noble head-on. Meanwhile, one of the court sorcerer's followers was glaring at us intently.
I felt a tremor of mana in the man's eyes, though it felt different from the usual application of the <Body Strengthening> magic to gather mana in the eyes, like a skill.
(Appraisal magic...... no, not magic. Seems like a unique skill related to the magic eye category?)
The man, I didn't know what he found looking at me—, I mean, us, he immediately slipped to the side of a man claiming to be a court sorcerer and whispered something into his ear. The man who was having a furious expression until now suddenly adopted a creepy, grinning look upon hearing that.
"I see. Alright...... You plebs. Your wand, your bag, oh and that cat of yours, leave them behind and I will ignore this transgression of yours."
"Haaaa?"
For a second, I didn't understand what he meant when he pompously said so, causing me to inadvertently slip out a confused voice.
However, the man continued to speak, not noticing our perplexed reaction.
"It is more fitting for a person of noble status like myself to carry the wand and bag. And that cat, though it is hiding its true form, is most likely a young monster. Bringing such a filthy creature into town is unforgivable. We will dispose of it properly and make effective use of its corpse!"
If he was eyeing my <Magic Wand - Hisui>, or magic bag, I could forgive him for that. After all, while both have been proven to be great in their performance, and I had also grown fond of them after using them for so long, they were just tools in the end.
However, Kuro was undoubtedly our irreplaceable family.
"Well, what have you decided? You know I'm being magnanimous here, ready to overlook your sin of attacking a nobility and also unauthorized breeding of a monster."
"I refuse. I would never sell my family."
"Teto is with Majou-sama! Kuro is our precious family!"
<Nyaa~>
When I firmly refused, both Teto and Kuro raised their voices in agreement.
"Chise-san! I've called the guards and guild officials."
And just then, Yuishia came at the right time with the guards and guild officials who stood between us and the court sorcerer group.
As they investigated the actual scene and collected the statement of both sides, the court sorcerer accused us of attacking them, an aristocrat, and bringing in monsters illegally.
The guild officials who knew us well hesitated, but the brave civilian defended us. As for Kuro, he was the beloved idol of both the guild officials and guards and was pampered a lot by them, so none of them believed their claim.
On the other hand, the court magician was apparently affiliated with the Suzurland Clan whose notoriousness is known to everyone, so their accusation was claimed to be a desperate excuse and he and his group were led to the guard station.
The cause of the disturbance, the mother and her child who had jumped in front of the carriage were left off with a stern warning. Finally, we were also released, as our behavior was already known to them.
"Sigh That was one wild experience we were caught up in. Anyway, let's go back."
"Teto is tired of all this. Majou-sama, Teto wants your care later-nanodesu!"
"......Thank you for your hard work, Chise-san, Teto-san."
Yuishia passed her appreciation-filled words.
That day, we used the ingredients we bought to make her favorite dish.
