After-story: Former Townsman A Teaches Wind Magic

"Allen, good morning."

"Morning, Ana."

When I woke up, the warmth of the person I cherished most was right there beside me. We exchanged greetings; it was the moment I truly realized just how happy I was.

"Ah, I mean... Good morning, Allen."

"Good morning, Ana."

After a brief morning kiss, we climbed out of bed and began our morning routines. Ana headed to the dressing room to change, leaving us separated for a short while.

Regarding that speech of hers—the one she insisted on fixing herself—it seemed that changing a tone of voice one had been comfortable with for years was no easy feat. Whenever she let her guard down like this, she immediately slipped back into her old way of talking.

Personally, I thought both versions of Ana were wonderful, so I was happy to let her do as she pleased. However, Ana herself was determined to return to a more "ladylike" register.

It was hard to believe two weeks had already passed since our wedding. The performance by Melissa and Jerome during the wedding parade seemed to have dealt a massive shock not only to the citizens but to the leaders of every nation.

The people spoke with unbridled joy about having obtained the protection of a Dragon. In contrast, the foreign heads of state had all returned home with pale faces.

The power balance was already completely broken because of me, and now that an even more symbolic military force had been added to the mix, they were likely worrying themselves sick.

Under normal circumstances, they might have considered assassinating me, but trying to assassinate a Sky Dragon was an exercise in futility. Furthermore, it was only natural for them to assume that if they laid a finger on me—the person perceived to have the Sky Dragon's protection—retaliation would be swift and certain. I had become someone they couldn't touch on a whim.

I doubted the Empire, in particular, would ever think of making a move again after that first disastrous attack.

Once Ana had finished changing into a beautiful dress, I escorted her toward the dining hall. Normally, we wouldn't need to be so formal for breakfast, but she was helping me train since I still wasn't accustomed to the etiquette of noble society.

"Good morning. You two certainly are close."

"Good morning, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Older brother-in-law... and Mother."

For the record, this way of addressing everyone was part of my own speech correction. Even though my mother never appeared in official settings, I would be required to call her "Mother" when the occasion arose. Like Ana, I was currently undergoing a bit of "rehabilitation" in the vocabulary department.

"Being that close, I suppose we can expect grandchildren soon."

"Oh, hush, dear. It’s only been two weeks. You shouldn't rush them."

"Hm. I suppose you're right."

"Father..."

With that sort of harmless banter out of the way, we finished breakfast and went our separate ways to begin our respective duties.

I was still assisting my father-in-law and brother-in-law with government affairs, but lately, they had started showing me the figures for the entire country. The plan was for us to eventually manage a territory under the Ducal House with Ana as the head of the family, so this served as my apprenticeship.

However, the wedding display had been so impactful that even my father-in-law seemed to be struggling with how to maintain the political balance. Both in terms of military might and popularity among the commoners, our presence was simply too large. If they granted us a fief in a sensitive location, it might create unnecessary tension with neighboring countries; yet, if they sent us too far into the sticks, it would invite rumors that we’d been demoted.

Administration is a field where my past-life knowledge is almost entirely useless, so I'd honestly prefer a post that isn't too complicated.

Once the morning's office work concluded, the afternoon was free. I had promised to practice magic with Ana today.

When I arrived at the training grounds, Ana was already waiting for me, having changed into more practical, mobile clothing.

"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"

"No... ahem. No, I only just arrived myself."

"I see."

It was a trivial interaction, but I found her so incredibly cute that I couldn't stop a smile from tugging at the corners of my mouth.

"W-What is it?"

"Nothing. I just thought we looked like a fresh young couple, and I found myself thinking you were even lovelier than usual."

"Wha—! Th-That... U-Using a surprise attack like that is cowardly!"

Ana protested while turning bright red. Watching her get flustered and revert to her old tone was, as expected, adorable.

"Yeah, you really are cute."

When I said that and pulled her into a gentle hug, she hugged me back and whispered a tiny "Idiot."

"Mana. Mana, the source of all things. Gather in my hand and become wind."

I used Wind Magic, chanting for the first time in a while. A pleasant breeze blew from my hand, swaying Ana's long hair.

"I see. So the basic structure of the chant remains the same."

"Yeah. Now it's just a matter of practice."

"Then, let me try. Mana. Mana, the source of all things. Gather in my hand and become wind."

Along with Ana’s melodic chant, magical power surged into her hand. In the next instant, a violent gale roared through the area.

"Whoa!"

"Ah! Allen! Are you all right?!"

"Y-Yeah. It was just a gust of wind. I'm fine."

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm sorry."

"It's just because it's your first time. Control is the hard part. Why don't we try using much less mana?"

"Right. I understand."

Ana tried to activate the Wind Magic again, but another tremendous blast of air erupted.

No, no... why is it getting stronger when she’s supposed to be holding back?

Wait, I get it. With a Mana stat at an impossible S-rank, trying to use a rudimentary Wind Magic spell might actually be harder because of the lack of precision. The Holy Ice Magic Ana usually used was essentially "cheat-tier" magic; it likely required massive dumps of mana by default. If she applied that same sense of scale to a simple breeze, she’d end up with a hurricane every time.

I pondered this while bracing myself against the storm Ana had conjured.

We practiced Wind Magic thoroughly until evening, and Ana eventually succeeded in producing a gentle breeze.

"How's that? This seems right, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, that’s perfect. Is it really that much harder than Holy Ice Magic?"

"I think so. I suspect my Holy Ice Magic relies heavily on my Skills. Since I don't actually have the Wind Magic Skill, that gap in assistance becomes obvious. Beyond that, the amount of mana required for this is so small that it took me a while to find the right 'setting' for it."

"Makes sense. But I think you've got the hang of it now, right?"

"Yes. Does this mean I can finally fly Allen's Glider?"

"Hmm, almost. Next, you need to learn how to change the wind speed on the fly. Like this."

I demonstrated by creating a soft breeze, gradually intensifying it, then immediately dropping it back down to a whisper.

"Mm. This... looks quite difficult."

"It is. But it's getting dark, and I don't want you catching a cold, so let's head back."

"...I suppose you're right. Allen, thank you for today."

"Don't mention it. I'm looking forward to flying with you, Ana."

"Yes, as am I."

Arm in arm, we made our way back to our room.