Chapter 44: “Even Though I’d Like To”

For the first time, Leah found herself working alongside a student in her laboratory.

It was… a strangely wonderful experience for her.

“—Based on my understanding, that’s about all there is to know about Blood-Red Mint. Its uses for witches are as I described. As a solvent, I’ve heard of it being used, but you’ll need to test that yourself.”

“You’ve explained it in far more detail than most students could. That’s impressive.”

Leah nodded in approval.

“It seems my mother didn’t use this when she performed Warmth Amidst the Elements. But that’s a good thing—it proves that Blood-Red Mint does lower the skill threshold. Improving ancient magic to make it more accessible is part of a witch’s duty.”

—If only there were something to suppress the overwhelming positive effects of Blood-Red Mint.

Leah’s heart had been racing non-stop, and she couldn’t help but wish for a solution.

“By the way, I keep hearing this thump, thump, thump sound in this room. Any idea what it is, Leah?”

“T-That… that’s my heartbeat!”

“Your heart can beat that strongly?!”

“Don’t underestimate the powerful heart of a witch!”

“Alright, time for the first trial of Warmth Amidst the Elements. With this little coin, we’re bound to succeed!”

With four days left until the competition, Leah and Will prepared thoroughly and began their first trial…

What awaited them was…

An imperfect success.

While the genuine witch’s coin did ignite the solvent, for some reason, the solvent began bubbling uncontrollably, like an overfilled boiling pot. Sticky liquid spilled everywhere.

Will and Leah, fearing an explosion, hid behind a blast shield a meter away, observing cautiously.

“Miss Leah, does this happen often?”

“Explosions? Yes. But not this specifically.”

“Why do explosions happen so often?!”

“Analyzing the energy stability, this was actually pretty successful. I might’ve just added too much water. You know how soup overflows when there’s too much water? Same concept.”

In the end, Leah used her traditional ice armor to retrieve the coin from the large flask.

—

With three days left until the competition, Leah and Will prepared thoroughly and began their second trial…

What awaited them was…

A success that didn’t seem like one.

The two of them stood around the large beaker, peering inside like they were watching ants, staring at the coin.

“Miss Leah, I don’t feel any heat. Are you sure the magic is active?”

“It is. I just dipped my finger in earlier, and it was warm. But I can’t activate it a second time—it might shut everything down, or worse, disable the lab’s entire magical power supply. Don’t ask how I know that.”

“So, how do you know that?”

“…Uh… this probably means there wasn’t enough catalyst on the coin. It activated, but the effect was weak. Let’s shut it down. Will, could you grab the lamp oil from under the table?”

“Sure… wait, why did the lights go out?”

In the end, Leah and Will, illuminated by an old-fashioned kerosene lamp, sat across from each other, taking notes on the experiment results.

—

With two days left until the competition, Leah and Will prepared thoroughly and began their third trial…

What awaited them was…

A major success!

“The gentle breeze once carried the warmth of the earth.”

“The snow once blanketed the brightness of the sky.”

“The ice once sealed the ocean’s embrace.”

“Here, with this mortal vessel, I return warmth to life, heat to nature, and vitality to the soul.”

“This is Warmth Amidst the Elements—”

With Leah’s final chant, her raised finger fell, and her magical circuits surged at full speed…

Finally, before their eyes, the deep blue solvent was ignited by the coin.

The once-blue liquid slowly transformed into a semi-fluid state, somewhere between liquid and solid, with the coin glowing like a flame at its center.

Its temperature was incredibly high. Despite the small size of the beaker, the heat it generated instantly raised the room’s temperature by several degrees, making the summer air feel stifling.

“Miss Leah, this is pretty amazing… it’s really hot.”

“Hah… mm… phew… yes, and… and as long as I don’t chant again, it can maintain this state… releasing heat… for a very long time… phew… many ancient fire magic tools that require prolonged high-temperature heating are based on this principle…”

Will helped Leah sit down beside the beaker.

“You’re not looking too great.”

“This is actually much better than the first time I used your coin. I’ve adapted quite a bit over the past few days… phew… I’m recovering quickly. I should be fine for the competition.”

Leah, her head slightly dizzy, rested her arms on the table, listening to her own heartbeat.

It was racing.

But…

Having completed this, she was confident the competition would go smoothly. After all, few people could replicate the ancient magic described in the books.

Thinking this, Leah smiled genuinely.

“Miss Leah, this is your reward for being honest and straightforward.”

Will seized the opportunity to sit beside her. Between them, the deep blue semi-fluid of Warmth Amidst the Elements burned brightly in the beaker.

The coin’s flame reflected off Will’s glasses, creating a faint glare.

Leah, feeling a bit dazed, leaned on her arms and looked at Will, her ears catching his slow, deliberate words.

“Look at this flame—it’s so beautiful, so dazzling, so powerful. It seems capable of melting any ice, thawing any snow, and lighting the final candle in the coldest wind.”

“It’s yours now. While I may have helped a little, this is something you earned through your own efforts.”

“So, Miss Leah…”

He removed his glasses, perhaps because they had been smudged by the earlier work.

The red and blue reflections of Warmth Amidst the Elements danced on his glasses, casting a glow into his deep blue eyes.

“You need to be like this flame—burning brightly, with the passion to claim everything you desire. Hold it tightly, and with your light, dominate his every gaze.”

Leah saw her reflection in his illuminated eyes.

Her golden hair became the light in his eyes.

Dominate his…

Every gaze…

For some reason, Leah thought about Will over the past few days.

When they hid behind the blast shield, avoiding the bubbling solvent, Will was watching her.

When the kerosene lamp lit up the dark lab, Will was watching her.

When the red and blue flames of Warmth Amidst the Elements burned brightly, Will was watching her.

Leah’s heartbeat, which had just calmed down, began racing again.

“!?”

She jolted upright from the table.

Startling Will, who quickly put his glasses back on.

“What’s wrong with you?!”

“N-Nothing, it’s just… just my heart racing again. Today was a success! Will, tomorrow we’ll organize everything, and then we’ll be ready for the competition!”

To hide her strange emotions, Leah quickly changed the subject.

So…

On the day of the competition, would he be in the audience, watching her?

—

With one day left until the competition, Leah and Will finished preparing all the materials, ran one final trial, and planned to rest early to prepare for the next day.

The competition would start before sunrise, around 5 AM.

This was because dawn was the coldest time of day, making it easier to measure the heating effects of fire magic. Additionally, the lack of sunlight enhanced the visual impact of the magic.

However, the event would last until about 9 AM, including the award ceremony.

“Um, Will… even though it’s so… so early… before dawn, could… could you come watch… watch our competition?”

Leah delivered what she thought was her boldest confession yet!

But…

“Miss Leah. Even though I’d really like to, but…”

“…My practical exam is scheduled for tomorrow morning.”

“Huh?”

“Huh??”

“Huh???”