After dining with the sisters, Daisy and Darcy, Daisy began pestering Ryan to tutor her in water magic. Just as Ryan was about to acquiesce, Darcy could no longer stand by and watch, pulling Daisy away to start washing the dishes. Ryan looked around and, realizing that his tasks for the day were nearly complete, yawned and retired to his room.
Within the quarters of the butler, Ryan lay on the bed which Old Lamb had occupied just the day before his passing; however, Ryan felt no discomfort. Lying even on the shattered remains of a comrade in battle was nothing out of the ordinary for him. He was quite satisfied with his day's work as a butler, assisting with the children and other minor matters, well-supported by the two maids, causing him scarcely any fatigue.
Ryan, who had been disconnected from society for a solid decade due to his knightly duties, contemplated the daunting prospect of surviving independently in the city, despite the augmented memories of his other life. As Ryan lay there, he attentively listened to the faint noises amidst the stillness outside before slowly closing his eyes.
As night fell, the door to Naneli's chamber quietly opened. Her petite figure tiptoed through the darkness, eventually reaching the dining table. She silently pulled out a chair and sat down, making no sound throughout the process. Surveying her spacious surroundings, Naneli exhaled softly and extended her right hand, her blue eyes shimmering under the moonlight's reflection. Whispering an incantation, she sensed something being absorbed into her body, feeling a warm current flow through her.
Suddenly, a faint halo of yellow light radiated from Naneli's hand, and a small flame flickered into existence amidst the darkness, trying valiantly to fend off the encroaching shadows as if it might extinguish at any moment. Nevertheless, a look of delight appeared on Naneli's face, albeit briefly, as the flame eventually succumbed to the darkness and faded away. "Still a failure," she muttered, her joy fading with the flame.
Naneli made a few more attempts at summoning the flame, each ending in failure, before she ultimately gave up. Alone in the dark silence, she bowed her head in contemplation over the tabletop. "Miss, who taught you this magic? A teacher from Alcott Academy?" At that moment, a voice emerged.
Startled, Naneli jerked her head up and looked towards the source of the voice, resembling a frightened kitten. Seeing Ryan standing not far, smiling gently at her. Naneli's cheeks flushed as she murmured, "You... when did you...?" Her voice betrayed her panic. After all, choosing such a quiet hour to practice magic alone, intent on secrecy, suggested a desire to avoid observation.
Ryan, stroking his chin, responded, "I've been here since your third last attempt at casting the spell. Did I frighten you? My apologies." After exchanging glances with Ryan for a moment, Naneli's demeanor calmed, her tone returning to its usual chill: "As you can see, I was merely practicing magic. It has nothing to do with you, and I would appreciate if you could forget everything you've just seen."
It seemed that our young mistress still carried a trace of haughtiness. Regarding Naneli's chilliness, Ryan perceived it more as a facade, seemingly intended to create distance and desperately conceal something. Despite Naneli's evident effacement, Ryan did not respond but simply raised his hand. As Naneli looked on, puzzled, a bright flame emerged in Ryan's palm, dispelling the darkness and reflecting in Naneli's eyes.
Touching on such magic, Ryan gently explained, "I have some knowledge of this type of magic as well, perhaps I could be of assistance to you." Monitoring Naneli's expressions closely, she observed Ryan's flame for a moment before attempting to speak, only to swallow her words, her cheeks burning. After a beat, she whispered, "Rolin..."
"Rolin?" Ryan inquired, puzzled. "My magic teacher, Rolin Wenz, a renowned mage in Atria City..." Naneli mumbled, her demure tone and blushing cheeks underscoring her shyness, answering Ryan's initial question while hinting at accepting his offer to teach her. Despite her reluctance to directly request help with her magic, given her recent attempts to send Ryan away and her shy nature, it became evident. Does our young mistress seem a bit haughty?
Ryan had detected something significant within Naneli. Regarding the ineffective teaching methods of her mage instructor, it was noticeable during Naneli's attempts at casting spells that the approach was not tailored to her. Everyone's magical aptitude is different, and the same manner of spellcasting cannot be applied universally. Although Naneli was naturally inclined toward magic, it was apparent that the instructor used a uniform approach with all students, which was ineffective for Naneli.
To verify, Ryan inquired, "Among the students of your instructor, how many fail to learn magic?" "Two-thirds," Naneli answered, more cooperatively than before. It became apparent—Naneli truly desired to master magic, confirming an issue with the instructor's methods. Nonetheless, there remained a third of the students who could cast spells, which seemed an unusually high success rate; likely, many of these adept students might possess inherent talent or had learned through self-study.