"...Sensei, I did it."
I exhaled deeply and slumped back into my chair after saying those words.
The resonance between the baseball and the apple—finally, I succeeded just after noon, as the clock ticked closer to 1 PM.
"L-let's take a lunch break!" Shirayuki-sensei exclaimed.
"...Yeah. Where do we eat?" I asked.
"We'll be eating in the cafeteria," she replied.
...Now, this feels like a proper camp.
After nodding at her, I deactivated the Silveit thread and stood up.
"The cafeteria's on the first floor?" I confirmed.
"Y-yes. Let's go together!" Shirayuki-sensei said, leading the way as I followed her out of the classroom.
After focusing so intently for so long, my throat was parched. I was eager to get some water.
"I-I heard rumors, but Itsuki-kun, you have an impressive amount of magical power, don't you?" she remarked.
"I'm a Seventh Rank," I replied.
"That makes sense... Normally, people can't maintain Silveit for as long as you did," she noted.
I hadn't really thought about it, but now that she mentioned it, maintaining Silveit for three hours of trial and error was no small feat.
It's only possible because of the training I did to increase my magic power. Effort really does pay off in unexpected ways.
But then again, I probably should have realized that as an adult in my past life, not just now.
"Sensei, how much magical power do you have?" I asked, curious.
"M-me? I'm a Second Rank, just normal... Haha..." she said, chuckling nervously.
Seeing her awkward smile, I couldn't help but ask the question that had been on my mind.
"So why did you choose to learn Resonance, Sensei?" I asked.
"Huh?" She blinked, surprised.
"I mean, why didn't you just focus on regular magic like most exorcists? Why take on something like Resonance too?" I clarified.
"Well..."
She looked straight ahead as we walked, gathering her thoughts before continuing.
"I guess... I thought that someone as ordinary as me might become a little bit special."
"...?"
Her reply left me both understanding and confused at the same time, and I tilted my head.
Before I could ask for more details, we arrived at the cafeteria, and the opportunity slipped away.
The cafeteria was set up as a self-serve buffet with dishes laid out in advance. However, since we were late, most of the food was already gone. There wasn't a single other exorcist in the room either.
The cafeteria clock showed 12:50, and outside, I could see my father and the exorcist trainees lined up on the field. They seemed to have already finished their lunch.
While I was spacing out, staring out the window, Shirayuki-sensei handed me a tray.
"N-no way. It's all thanks to your teaching, Sensei."
I quickly denied her statement.
I'm not talented. I've just worked hard because I don't want to die.
And besides, the only reason I managed it in three hours was because Shirayuki-sensei had been guiding me the entire time.
Still, upon hearing my words, Shirayuki-sensei raised her head with a shy smile.
"R-really? I'm glad to hear that. Staying up all night to prepare these lesson notes was worth it."
She blushed slightly, looking both proud and embarrassed.
So, she pulled an all-nighter to prepare this lesson? That's pretty... studious of her.
Wait...
I glanced over at Shirayuki-sensei.
She was small, young, and had a cute, youthful appearance. She could easily be mistaken for a high schooler—maybe even a middle schooler.
But could it be that she actually is that young?
No, judging from what my father and Renji-san said, Shirayuki-sensei is a fully-fledged exorcist.
That means she's an adult... right? At least high school graduate...?
Just how old is Shirayuki-sensei?
"Aren't you going to eat, Itsuki-kun?" she asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Y-yeah, I will," I replied, quickly reaching for my miso soup.
No way I was going to ask a lady her age. That would be rude. Instead, I focused on my meal.
"Oh, by the way, Itsuki-kun, I have some errands to run after lunch for about an hour, so you'll need to study on your own for a bit. Is that okay?"
"Sure, but what kind of errands?" I asked.
Shirayuki-sensei smiled gently.
"I have to attend to the treatment of an exorcist child."
I nodded in understanding.
Ah, of course. That's the real reason she's here at the camp.
"Is it for Aya-chan?" I asked.
"Yes, the daughter of the Shimotsuki family... Wait, you know her!?"
"Y-yeah, she's a friend," I replied.
Hearing this, Shirayuki-sensei paused for a moment, thinking, before speaking again.
"If you already know, then... would you like to observe the session, Itsuki-kun?"
"Huh? Is that okay?"
"Yes. This will be a good chance to see how Resonance is used in practice. Watch closely and learn."
Shirayuki-sensei gave me a serious look as she said this.