The spring of Adriana's fifth year arrived.
"You'll never catch me, Ado!"
"Wait, Baru!"
"Riana-chan, come over here!"
Adriana was playing with her milk-siblings: Baru, Humund, and Rolora.
The three of them were the biological children of the women who had served as Adriana's wet nurses. Since they were all the same age, the four of them often spent their days playing together.
Shuuki watched them from a distance, his eyes softening with affection. It seemed they were currently in the middle of a game of tag.
"Roro-chan, I caught you!"
"Aww, I got caught again!"
Small and nimble Baru; chubby but fast Humund; gentle Rolora; and bright Adriana—they all lived together like true brothers and sisters.
"...It’s almost time, I suppose."
Watching Adriana, Shuuki felt that they had reached a significant milestone.
"What is it, Father?"
"What’s up, Mister?"
"Did you need us for something, Mister?"
"Is there something you need, Mister?"
One day, Shuuki gathered the four children together.
Even the Magus Shuuki Tsetse was simply "Mister" to the local children.
"I thought I would test your magical aptitude today."
"Really?! Can I use magic too?"
"I wonder if I can use magic too?"
"Can I become a magi?"
"I hope I can use magic..."
"We're going to find out, that's why we're testing you."
"Yeah! Check us, hurry!"
Adriana and her friends were brimming with curiosity.
Shuuki immediately set out to examine their magical aptitude.
"Trace."
It was a spell that allowed the caster to examine the flow of mana. Of course, the one who cast it was not Shuuki, but his first disciple, Liebeslau.
"Hmm. Unfortunately, Baru and Humund have no aptitude for magic."
"Aww..."
"Cheh!"
Disappointed, the two boys ran off to play elsewhere.
"Rolora, you have a little aptitude. If you work hard, you might be able to use beginner-level magic someday."
"Yay!"
"And as for Lady Adriana... hmm..."
"What's wrong?"
"What is it, Liebeslau?"
Shuuki's face paled, fearing something might be wrong with his beloved daughter.
"No, Master, it is not bad news. On the contrary, it is wonderful."
"What do you mean?"
"Lady Adriana's mana levels are already equivalent to those of an adult."
"Riana-chan, that's amazing!"
It was indeed excellent news.
"What? Truly that much...!"
Shuuki fell into thought. Perhaps this girl, Adriana, would be the one to finally complete the Craft Magic that his late wife had once pursued.
By this era, thanks to Shuuki's efforts as he traveled through various kingdoms, the field of "Craft Magic" had achieved a tentative formation across the continent and was becoming established as a recognized discipline.
Magi who called themselves "magi craftsmen" were appearing here and there, and their existence was becoming more recognized with each passing day.
Despite the progress of the times, Shuuki was not yet satisfied.
The promise he had made to his late wife had not yet been fulfilled.
But now, here stood a magical genius who bore that very same name: Adriana.
While he was overjoyed, he also felt a spark of anxiety.
He wondered if he would be able to nurture this talent properly, allowing it to grow straight and true without becoming warped.
"Look, Father, I did it!"
The Light spell glowed brightly in her palm.
"Okay, watch this... Thunder!"
A bolt of lightning discharged from her fingertips.
Adriana had mastered the foundations of magic in the blink of an eye.
"That's amazing, Ado!"
"Lady Adriana, that was magnificent!"
Currently teaching magic to Adriana was Carla, one of the senior members among the female disciples.
"Now, let's try Fireball next. We shall begin by understanding the nature of what 'burning' actually entails."
"I know that! Um, 'oxygen' in the air and 'fuel' combine together to burn!"
"...Yes, that is exactly right. However, magical fire does not utilize 'fuel.' To begin with, the fact that 'nothing is actually burning' is what makes fire-attribute magic so difficult—"
After listening to Carla's explanation, Adriana tried the beginner-level fire-attribute spell.
"Fireball!"
A ball of fire shot from Adriana's palm, traveling about twenty meters before vanishing.
"A-Adriana! T-That's incredible!!"
"Ehehe, Father, praise me!"
"Ado, you're a genius!"
Even as he praised her, Shuuki felt a sense of worry.
Adriana was truly a genius. He wondered how he should raise her to ensure she didn't become conceited.
For Shuuki, who was raising a child for the first time, this was a difficult challenge.
"Ufufu."
When Shuuki stroked her head, Adriana narrowed her eyes happily.
(...It comes down to love, then.)
Shuuki resolved to raise Adriana with every ounce of affection he possessed.
"It's so sweet! Delicious!"
"Hahaha, is it? That's good."
Adriana was eating bread spread with honey.
Thanks to Shuuki's advice, beekeeping had been introduced to the area.
This land, which was lush with flowers like Chinese milk vetch and white clover, was an ideal location for apiaries.
Following this, beekeeping would become a flourishing industry in the Leonard Kingdom, but that is a story for another time; Shuuki simply wanted his beloved daughter to have something delicious to eat.
And then there was the daily magic training.
"Master, Lady Adriana is truly extraordinary. Soon, someone like me will have nothing left to teach her."
Carla was astounded. Adriana was fast becoming a magic user who could put any adult to shame.
"Is that so?"
Shuuki worried that if she only became skilled in magic, it wouldn't be for her ultimate benefit.
So, what should he do?
"...It’s about time."
He wanted to show Adriana the wide world.
Furthermore, he felt the need to spread Craft Magic even further across the land.
Having made up his mind, Shuuki decided it was time to set out on a journey.
On June 1, 2345, Shuuki prepared to depart Shaia Village—which had now grown into Shaia Town—where he had spent the last five years.
"Master, I'm coming with you!"
"Teacher, I wanted to learn so much more from you..."
"Adriana, stay healthy!"
Naturally, the Magus Shuuki Tsetse was loved and respected by the people.
But even more than that, Adriana was adored by everyone in the town.
In particular...
"Addy, take care."
"Ado, make sure you study hard."
"Ana, come back and visit us."
The three women who had shared their breast milk with Adriana thought of her as their own daughter.
At the same time...
"Ado, stay well!"
"Adriana, you have to come back and see us, okay?"
"Riana-chan, we'll see each other again, right? I'm going to study really, really hard!"
The children of those women—Adriana's milk-siblings—bid her a tearful farewell.
"Yeah, I'm sure we'll see each other again someday! I'll come see you!"
The party departed with a caravan of five newly built carriages.
Adriana kept her eyes fixed on Shaia Town until it finally disappeared from view.