Chapter 187 - History Book

Faustina felt dizzy, quite abnormally so. Time to time her vision would spin and then she would lose track of where she was going. She almost tripped several times, which made walking difficult than it originally was. It was a good thing Anakin was there. 

"Here," Anakin held onto her forearm and then guided her to walk. It naturally evoked glances from several students. Faustina was garnering enough attention as it is already, so this kind of thing made the students notice them more. However, this was Anakin Disfiegro. One look from him made the students avert their gazes.

Besides… who would romanticize this? Faustina was clearly not in a good shape.

"Are you alright?" Anakin asked.

"I'm fine." Faustina murmured.

They took the stairs. Anakin, at times like this, wished he brought back his staff. Without a medium to transfer his mana to magic, he was practically powerless. Only royals who are able to use the Opus are the ones who can use magic without the aid of a scepter, staff, or a wand.

They walked to the halls of the dorm. The dorm was akin to a noble castle, except it seemed to be more on the classic side. Anakin glanced at Faustina, who chuckled out of nowhere.

"Is there something wrong?"

Faustina shook her head. 

"No," she exclaimed. "It's just that, I never thought we'd be friends."

Anakin was thinking the same thing as well. Who would have thought, really? But then again, he had only targeted her because that was what 'that' man wanted. But it was still wrong. He was still wrong. There was no way he could justify his actions.

He received so much scolding from the teachers after the Armillas Ceremony, after all.

**

"You were supposed to fail."

"F-fail…" Anakin murmured as the teachers surrounded him. He was in the office of the schoolmistress. 

"But we decided not to." Said Professor Miketsukami. "Instead of failing you, we decided to keep you to Ianua VI."

"Th-then… I—I can stay?"

"You will be closely monitored, so mind your own actions."

Anakin thinned his lips.

"But why? I tried to frame a student. I used underhanded tricks."

"Oh? It's a good thing you're aware of your actions." Professor Yoan said. "But do not overflatter yourself. We teachers wanted to fail you so bad."

Professor Lotus made a face, as if to disagree.

"—it was the schoolmistress who enabled you to stay at the academy."

"S-schoolmistress Anastacia Unsterblich…" Anakin exclaimed as he stared at the woman sitting in a throne-like chair. She gave him a smile. 

"I'm… not worthy of such thing…"

The schoolmistress smiled. 

"Initially we wanted to fail you, Disfiegro boy. But you had shown bravery and you have changed by the end of the exam." The schoolmistress articulates. "How can I fail a student who was led on the right path by the firefly?"

**

"I wonder why, as well." Anakin exclaimed. "But that doesn't mean I will let you take the first Ianua spot."

Faustina smiled.

They finally reached the division of each wing. Anakin worriedly stared at Faustina, who was still looking pale.

"Can you go by yourself? We can call Michelle…"

"No," Faustina forced a smile. "I'll be alright. I'll get going now, Lord Anakin."

Faustina then turned around, but before she could leave…

"Anakin."

Faustina stopped, and then turned towards Anakin.

"Call me Anakin." He says, and then averted his gaze. "Friends aren't supposed to call each other 'Lord' and 'Lady', right…? As per commoner principles."

Faustina blinked several times before she burst into peals of laughter. Even though she was feeling quite pained, she still felt lighthearted.

"Alright…" Faustina smiles. "You can call me Faustina as well, Anakin."

Anakin then met Faustina's eyes. 

That erratic beating on his chest again. Why is he feeling like this? She just called him by his name, but he felt as if his heart would burst. It felt weird for Anakin, which made his cheeks momentarily red.

"N-now then, F…Faustina," Anakin gulped, and then he mustered all his strength to smile (which inevitably looked like a half grimace), "I'll be taking my leave. Take care and rest."

Faustina nodded, and then waved her hand as she had gone first. 

Anakin dr.a.p.ed a hand around his chest.

What a peculiar feeling, indeed.

**

Faustina went straight to the bed the moment she got to her room. She pressed her palm on her forehead to check for her temperature. "I don't seem to have any fever…" Faustina murmured.

"But my head still hurts… It wasn't like this earlier."

Her head had ached in the middle of eating breakfast. Faustina sauntered towards her baggage, which was packed by Maddie. She had already arranged her clothes, but her items were still inside the luggage. Faustina opened the luggage to retrieve her old duffel. In that old duffel was one of the potions she had brewed and medicine Eula taught her to make.

Faustina found herself smiling inadvertently.

That was right… she was a Witch's apprentice. She used to be one. 

"A mountain witch and her adopted apprentice." Faustina murmured as she retrieved the medicine she was looking for. She then opened the vial and went to drink it straight. It was bitter, but Eula had trained her to endure the taste of these bitter medicines. She was used to it more than she was to good-tasting medications.

Faustina sauntered towards her bed, where the book she borrowed from Anakin—lied atop. Faustina sat onto the mattress and then stared. It was a purple-colored book that seemed to be taken care of very well. 

"As expected of a magic academy, huh…"

Faustina picked the book and then placed it to her lap.

'History of Magierstadt—est. xxxx'

Faustina blinked.

"This was just… recently."

It was the history of Magierstadt about the past twenty years.

If Faustina's calculations were right, then Eula and Magierstadt are encompassed and supposed to be in this book. Faustina gulped as she opened the history book, skimming its contents; she then flipped a random page, which then presented a painted image.

A girl's face, with hair as luminous as sun and fire; and a boy, whose black hair was noticeably complimenting his ruby-colored eyes which stared at the girl—appeared before Faustina. 

She blinked as she sees the title below it.

"You Are My Spring"

By Eulalia Fortunatorum and Jonathan Unsterblich

Faustina parted her lips.

"You… are my spring…?"

**

♪♪ ♪ ♫ ♪

"You are my spring, such a blooming chrysanthemum,

You are my spring, my full petal bloom.

You are my spring, there is no winter any more

There will be sunshine, you won't be cold anymore."

♪♪ ♪ ♫ ♪

"You are my spring… sunshine in the meadows

Pale lilies amongst the flowers…

The white snow is now melting to the greens…

You are my spring, blooming as you've ever been."

♪♪ ♪ ♫ ♪

"Hush now, there will be no winter

The sun's warmth will keep you safe from the monsters

Winter's blizzards will not haunt you, my baby

Spring has come now to help you…"

♪♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ … ♪♪ ♪ ♫ ♪

Faustina bit her lips. These were exactly the lyrics of the song Eulalia had sung often. She would always associate spring to her. Faustina felt her heartbeat growing louder and louder as she stares at the book longer. 

The Forsaken and Eula had written this together.

Why?

Faustina flipped onto the next page.

"The inspiration"

Faustina gulped as she sees lengthy paragraphs that were written by hand and were magically imprinted to the book.

"Eula's handwriting…"

'My inspiration for this song is my dream about a certain small child that is struggling to survive in the winter. She is small and fragile, and I just felt the need to protect her. I think it symbolizes the weak—or that child—we mages must protect. And I felt as if we, as mages, are obliged to provide them spring when winter comes.'

Faustina blinked. Along the way, the handwriting changed. The wordings also became ore intricate as well.

'Eula and I have actually dreamt of the same thing when we were sleeping under The Tree. It was an odd dream, really; about a girl with big, brown eyes and black hair. She was freezing on the snow, and there was nothing else we could do but watch her. Whether it was a work of magic, or our playful imagination—we were not certain. What was important is that both of us felt the need to protect that child. 

So, I wrote it.

I composed half of the lines, and Eula the other half. 

We decided to tribute this to the incoming mages. We should act as people who will bring spring to winter. Help those who are in trouble.

Become the song that someone had longed to hear.

Become the spring.

Jonathan Unsterblich & Eulalia Fortunatorum.

**

Faustina felt uncontrollable tears dripping down to her cheeks.

Eula had written that song with Jonathan. Even if she was only reading the lines, it was as if though they were talking to her.

'A girl with big, brown eyes and black hair.' 

'What was important is that both of us felt the need to protect that child.'

Faustina couldn't help but feel as if it was her. 

As if it was her the song they dedicated to.

"Eula…" Faustina murmured as beads of tears drip to the book. "Just who am I… and who are the both of you to me…?"

Faustina quietly sobbed.

"What is the truth, Eula?"