The Power of the Saint is All Around (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 5.1

Things Associated with Summer 1

ONE AFTERNOON, I had neither lessons nor ­urgent work to attend to, so I headed to the Royal Magi Assembly’s training grounds to practice.

“It’s summer now, right?” I asked Aira between drills. We’d happened to meet each other there.

Aira gave me a wry smile. “I believe so, yes.”

“But it doesn’t look like it at all.”

The training grounds had no roof, and the bright sun shone upon them. The sun was bright, which just made it all the more clear that it was indeed the middle of the hottest season. However, I didn’t get the impression that it was actually summer—because all the mages were wearing the same kind of robes they always wore.

According to Aira, their robes were actually made of a light material appropriate for the weather. However, they reached all the way to their ankles and looked like they had to be excessively hot—more the kind of thing you’d wear in spring or fall. Despite their clothes, Aira and the other mages focused on their drills with a nonchalant air.

The reason for this was simple. All of them possessed an object that had been enchanted. I habitually used a similar thing myself—the necklace I wore. Whenever I put it on, I could coolly withstand even the heat of high summer, so I never parted with it.

Perhaps it only seems hot, but it isn’t actually that bad today? I wondered as I took off the necklace. I was immediately assaulted by the heat. It was less humid than Japan, but I would surely break out in a sweat soon if I let the sun keep beating down on me.

“Did it feel that bad?” Aira asked.

“Yup. It really is summer.”

Maybe everybody’s outfits had fooled me, but the body didn’t lie—it was summer, all right. Aira giggled as I silently put the necklace back on.

“Wearing enchanted items really does eliminate the sense of the seasons, doesn’t it?” Aira said. “Along with the outfits, I mean.”

“Mm-hmm. And there’s hardly anything here that’s associated with summer.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Like how just about the only thing we have in this world are watermelons. There aren’t any summer festivals or fireworks or anyone walking around wearing yukata.”

My examples made Aira remember with a gasp. “Oh! Yeah, you’re right.”

Most of the things we associated with summer in Japan just didn’t exist in this world. Because of that, it was even harder to feel that it was truly the hottest season of the year.

“Hello, Lady Sei.” I turned to the person who suddenly greeted me and found myself facing the grand magus.

Is he here for training as well? I wondered. “Hello.”

Yuri hadn’t heard the particulars of our conversation, but he had caught an unfamiliar word, so he was curious to learn more. He dispensed with the greetings right then and there and immediately asked, “What were you two just talking about?”

I gave a brief explanation of seasonal associations from our original world. 

Yuri nodded his head in understanding. “As it turns out, we do actually have fireworks in this world.”

“You do?” I had assumed they just didn’t exist, as I had never once seen them since my summoning.

“Indeed. We use them to send signals to people who are far away,” Yuri explained. He walked a little bit away to cast a spell. When he raised his palm into the air, a ball of fire burst forth from it and shot into the sky. Once it reached a certain height, it exploded.

It was a genuine firework.

“Something like this?” Yuri asked.

“Yes! Like that! Exactly like that!!” I couldn’t help getting excited. It had been so long since I had last seen one.

Aira was just as worked up and let out a shout of joy. The firework had been hard to see because it was still bright out, and it had been only the one color, but it had indeed been a firework.

“That was incredible! Thank you!”

Aira and I welcomed Yuri back with applause.

“No need to thank me.”

“If you wouldn’t mind doing that again, I would love to see it at night,” I said.

“Why at night?”

“Back in our world, fireworks were something you watched at night. That way you could see them clearly. They came in all kinds of colors and were wonderfully pretty.”

“Ah, I see. Then let’s try this again some night in the future. I’ll practice casting ones with more color.”

“Thank you!”

Thus Yuri went to practice recreating the kinds of fireworks we had enjoyed back in Japan. He was so willing to do anything when it was related to magic. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from him.

Yuri didn’t say when the next time would be, though. However, I had confidence that it wouldn’t take him long to figure these fireworks out. My heart beat with anticipation as I dreamed of seeing them once more.