Chapter 89 — The Form of Magic Power
Early the next morning.
When Elias led Robin out of the village, even the village roosters stopped crowing.
Villagers peeked through narrow cracks in their windows, watching the two with trembling nerves.
Robin alone was already bad enough—a monster, after all.
But now she had brought back another one: pale-faced, sharp-eyed, and radiating danger at a glance!
Only after the two disappeared beyond the village did the villagers finally dare to open their windows and stick their heads out.
"Damn it…"
"That Robin brat, now that she's found a kind of her own, she actually dares to walk straight through the village!"
"We have to find a chance to teach her a lesson—when she's alone!"
The two arrived at a pond deep within the forest.
When teaching magic, one usually begins with a simple experiment—such as lighting dry grass.
But considering Robin's fear of fire, Elias decided to start with water instead.
"Robin, look at the pond."
"Extend your right index finger."
"Imagine a small droplet of water slowly separating from the surface."
"O… okay."
Robin pointed at the pond.
—BOOM!!
A colossal column of water shot straight into the sky!
Elias calmly activated a Rain-Repelling Spell as the torrent rained down.
—SPLASH!!
[Localized rainfall detected on the island today.]
Elias fell into thought.
"…Let's try something else."
He pointed at a mango tree nearby.
"Robin, see that cluster of mangoes?"
"Focus on the branch."
"Imagine an invisible blade cutting it cleanly."
"An invisible blade, right?"
"I'll try."
—BOOM!!
The mango tree vanished.
All that remained before them was a lonely tree stump.
Elias was speechless.
At this rate, the entire island would be erased.
"…We need somewhere more open."
The two moved to a seaside cliff.
Below them, the ocean lay calm and undisturbed.
"Robin, magic is rooted in imagination."
"You can't control your power because you can't imagine the form of magic."
"The… form of magic?"
"Yes."
Elias raised his hand slightly, feeling the air.
"For example, the essence of wind is moving air. You can't see it—but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
"Our magic power is the same. Like air."
"Using magic is like fanning the air with your hand to create wind."
"The key lies in strength and speed—both of which are determined by your mind."
Robin listened in silence, deep in thought.
Compared to summoning water droplets or cutting down a tree out of thin air,
the simple act of fanning the air was far easier for her to grasp.
"…I think I understand."
She closed her eyes, imagining the gentle sensation of a breeze brushing past her skin.
Then she raised her hand—
—whoosh~
As the light wind passed Elias's ear, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Robin," he said softly,
"you did it."
Before she realized it, seven days had passed.
Robin Green could now precisely control both the strength and direction of the wind,
enough to make a cluster of mangoes sway gently on a distant tree.
Elias couldn't help but marvel.
To reach this level in just seven days…
This girl truly possessed exceptional talent.
So he decided to take things one step further.
"Robin," he said,
"now you'll change the form of the wind and cut down that mango cluster."
Robin thought carefully.
"What should I imagine?"
"A sickle? Or an axe?"
"As long as it's sharp enough."
Robin closed her eyes, calmed her breathing,
and silently shaped the image of a sickle in her mind.
She opened her eyes and aimed at the branch.
—shh~
With a simple motion of her hand, the mangoes were severed by an invisible blade and fell.
"I… I actually did it?!"
She stared at her hands in disbelief.
"I could never imagine this before…
that wind could take the form of a blade."
Suddenly, Robin grabbed Elias's hand, her eyes shimmering.
"Elias…"
"Then… can I turn my dead parents, and Little White,
into living forms as well?"
Elias froze.
An unfamiliar emotion stirred within him, leaving his gaze hollow and his thoughts stalled.
Unable to answer, he relied on instinct—
and lied.
"…Maybe."
"Really?!"
Robin lit up instantly, as if she could already see her lost family standing before her.
"Then I'll work harder! Day and night—no matter what—it'll be worth it!"
From that day on, Robin trained tirelessly,
leaving early and returning late, practicing on the seaside cliffs.
Elias, suddenly with time to spare, began exploring the island's caves and ruins.
The villagers had grown accustomed to it—
whenever the two appeared, they hid without hesitation.
Until one day.
Elias could no longer remember how many caves he had entered and left empty-handed.
But as he stepped out of one cavern—
three men with vicious expressions blocked his path.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
A furious shout rang out.
The two sides sized each other up.
The three men were dark-skinned, wielding machetes,
their rough clothes stained with long-dried blood.
If Elias wasn't mistaken—
these were the real pirates.
The pirates' expressions grew feral as they stared at him.
"That weird outfit of yours—did you loot it from the cave?"
"Damn brat!"
"Don't you know everything in these waters belongs to us pirates?!"
Elias remained expressionless.
If that was true…
then their base must be full of treasure.
—swish!
A machete was raised, pointing straight at him.
"Strip off your clothes, kid! Or I'll—"
"I want to join."
Elias spoke calmly.
"Besides these clothes, I have plenty of valuables.
I can offer them all to you."
"…Huh?"
On the ship headed for the pirates' hideout,
the three pirates laughed and chatted with Elias.
Each of them held a gemstone, lifting it toward the sun in admiration.
They had once been Elias's travel bribes for city guards.
Now, they served a new purpose.
"Brother, you're generous!"
"I've never seen gems this beautiful!"
"Our island needs young, rich men like you!"
Elias said nothing.
He stood silently at the bow, watching the pirate island draw closer.
Meanwhile, back at the seaside cliff—
Robin attempted, for the eighteenth time, to turn a dead ant back into a living creature.
As expected, she failed.
"…Ah…"
She lay on her back, staring up at the sky.
"It's harder than I thought…"
"After so many tries, I can't even revive a single ant.
How could I ever bring back my parents… or Little White?"
"—Help!!"
A sudden cry rang out from the forest nearby.
Robin sprang to her feet.
"Someone's calling for help?!"
She rushed toward the sound, darting into the trees.
Hearing movement ahead, she instinctively hid in the bushes.
Through the leaves, she saw a village child clinging to a tree, sobbing.
Below him, a massive wild boar was violently ramming the trunk!
"…Damn it… at this rate—"
Then—
She heard movement in the bushes beside her.
She recognized the freckles on the boy's face.
The same boy who had once driven a harpoon into her stomach on the beach.