--Jeremias, over.


    After telling Eric-kun about the room change, I headed to the magical knights'' training grounds.


    I heard that Tina-san had been selected to join the magical knights during today''s training, so I decided to ask Anne the details of that story.


    In the middle of the night when all the knights had gone to bed, only a few people knew where Anne was.


    Even on the way to the training ground, I heard a few noises.


    It seems that Anne is doing it again today, after all.


    When we arrive at the training ground, there is one person just chanting magic in this large place. Needless to say, it''s Anne, the head of the Order of Magical Knights.


    She has a busy schedule with various tasks from morning to day and even to night.


    There is no time for training.


    That''s why we train in the middle of the night when we would normally have to sleep.


    Anne, if I may say so, is not a genius temperament.


    Of course she is more talented than most people, but she is definitely a person of hard work.


    Despite being busy as a Commander, I have never seen a day when she has missed a training session.


    That''s probably why the Commander of the Order of Magical Knights serves.


    I have been influenced by her and train in my spare time.


    As I approach her, she immediately notices me.


    She doesn''t activate her magic, but she turns around to look at me while controlling her magic power.


    ''''Thank you for all your hard work, Anne.


    Thank you, Yelle.


    You''re more enthusiastic about your training today than usual.


    I knew right away that I was watching from the shadows every day.


    ...I''m not a stalker, okay?　I only stop by on my way to my office.


    ''Do you understand?　I just got a new chunk of talent coming in today. I can''t lose.


    Is that ... you mean Tina?


    Yes, I do.


    She nodded, smiling a little bitterly.


    What did Tina do to make her look like this...what did she do?


    What kind of test did you do?


    ''I only did the usual tests, magic control, release, and magic activation. That''s all I saw.


    Anne continues to talk, remembering the morning.


    Maybe it was her imagination, or maybe her magic control was disrupted.


    ''From what I saw of it, it was a realm that an eighteen-year-old couldn''t reach. I can''t believe that was hardly a magical lesson in that.


    ''Eric you said you taught me but you said you hadn''t taught me for a few years.


    ''Yes, her growth stopped once there. And yet, she has that much power it''s tremendous to say the least. Even if you say her growth has stopped, she will still grow as long as you teach her from now on.


    Anne looks to the left and walks towards it. I follow her.


    ''These are the marks Tina made when she activated her magic.


    ''......　It''s amazing....


    The ground had caved in there.


    It would be about five meters across and three meters deep.


    ''''This is........Tina-san''s intermediate magic power?''''


    Indeed, this would normally be as powerful as advanced magic.


    ''''No, this is a ''small explosion'' (burst), just a lower level of fire magic.


    ''　Are you sure?


    I didn''t think advanced and lower level magic would be almost as powerful...!


    ''''I, and even Viviana can surpass the power of advanced magic with intermediate magic. But it''s a bit difficult for the lower level magic to be as powerful as the higher level magic.


    Anne looks a little frustrated, but she also looks happy.


    ''''I have to admit I was jealous that you''re about ten years younger than I am, and yet you have so much power. But........I was able to reaffirm that there is more potential for magic. Then I just have to work hard to get there.


    Anne said that and started working on her magic control in earnest again.


    That''s what I think is amazing about her.


    No matter how much adversity she faced, she never gave up, and her ambition is the most amazing thing.


    I can assure you that this heart has made her grow.


    But........there is one thing that bothers me.


    ''''Anne, you''re thirty-three years old, so I think it''s a bit of a stretch for you to be five years older than you are...''''


    ''Shut up!　It''s just a bit of a blur!


    Would you call the five-year age difference a bit?


    Come on, that''s enough!　And I''m so young that the world says I''m in my early twenties!


    Do you mean to tell me this yourself?


    Shut up!　That''s why you can''t read the air!


    Is it relevant that you can''t read the air here and now?


    Finally, I pissed Anne off and I left the training ground as I was kicked out.


    ''Haha, I watched you, Jere. That was a nice bloke.


    In the corridor leading to the office, a man emerged from the darkness.


    The Deputy Commander of the Knights--Liberto Corrales.


    The Knights of the Begonia Kingdom, the strongest knight.


    If you put your mind to it, you''re probably capable of taking on more than ten knights at the same time and winning an overwhelming victory.


    ''''Liberto, why are you here?''''


    ''It''s just a walk. I''m finally feeling better, so I''m just taking a night breeze and getting ready for tomorrow.


    ''First of all you must not drink to the point of a hangover.


    ''Ha, that''s a consultation I can''t do. But, well, let''s not go too far today.


    As expected, the vomit from today''s training was hard on him, and he usually has a bottle of whiskey with him, but not now.


    ''How was your day, Eric?　What did you think of the fight?


    I''ve heard that the cause of the vomit was a fierce battle with Eric-kun.


    ''Well that was a bit more than I imagined. I''m competent, I puked and the fight was interrupted, but if I''d done that, I''d be the one who lost.


    ''After all, your ''Suiken'' was no match for me?


    The "Drunken Sword", a move only Liberto can perform.


    It looks like a joke, but it''s very strong.


    It''s hard to read the center of gravity because it''s wobbly, so the opponent doesn''t know where you''re attacking from or how to avoid it.


    ''''Yeah, maybe that''s as good as me in my prime.


    ''　To have you say that much....


    Liberto is quite good at detecting competence.


    If you say that he is as strong as he is in his prime, Eric-kun must really be that good.


    It''s a good thing that he''s still growing. You can''t be too proud of yourself if you''re that talented at such a young age. He didn''t see that. I''m sure he has a lot more ambition.


    ...I see.


    Liberto walks past me, laughing happily.


    ''I''m going to miss the title of the strongest of the Order, I guess I''m going to miss it a bit. Well, it wasn''t my idea, though.


    Then he left me.


    When he was no longer in sight, I too made my way to his office.