Astraia's POV
"Hehehe~ Seems like he's having a good time down there!" I giggle, watching Ryuk struggle against his mother's "gentle" training. Honestly, the boy's expressions alone are worth the divine front-row seat.
But enough about that! Eternis is coming up next month! The grand celestial alignment, the moment when time flows just a little more loosely… and this year, I've decided to have some fun.
This time, I won't just sit back and watch. Oh no, no, no! I'm tweaking the timeline—just a tiny bit. Nothing too drastic! Just a few… surprises here and there.
"Be ready, Ryuk," I smirk, stretching my arms as divine energy hums around me. "Before you even turn four and officially become an adventurer, I'll make sure you get enough of a warm-up for what I have planned! Hahaha!"
Ah, being a goddess is so much fun~
...
"Achoo!!"
I sniffle, rubbing my nose. "Ahh… who's thinking about me?"
Wait. What if I actually got sick?!
I glance around, paranoid. No way… after all that divine talk of being 'blessed' by the Goddess of Nature, am I seriously catching a cold from my mother's insane water magic?!
Did Mom's magic surpass the goddess's protection? Is this the start of a new power struggle between divine beings?! If so, somebody SAVE ME!!!
Huh…? Wait a second… Eternis is just a few days away?!
No. No, no, no—go away, horrible memories! I don't need a traumatic flashback today!!
I shake my head aggressively. Not again. Last year's Eternis was already a nightmare, and now it's back for round two?!
But on the bright side… I'M FINALLY FREE FROM TRAINING!!!
Wind magic with Dad—done. Fire magic with Meiroth—done. Light and water magic with Mom—traumatizingly done. Even Beoward finished drilling earth magic into my head for defense.
And now, at last… it's time.
My heart races with excitement. My hands tremble. My soul sings.
For what, you ask?
For my beloved, kind, cute, veloput—uhm, pretty teacher!
The one and only Lexi, master mage of nature and spirit magic! One of the best women from my past life!
Finally, after all this suffering, I get to see my angel of wisdom again!
"Ryuk... Ryuk..."
Ah, here it comes!
Mom's calling me—this is it! She's finally going to ask if I need a teacher! Haha, yes, bring me my Lexi! My beautiful, wise, and perfect teacher!!
"Ryuk, dear, our training is done, so now about your other two magic elements… We need to hire you a new teacher, I guess."
OH YES! MOM, YOU GENIUS!
Finally! A good decision! A moment of brilliance!
"How about we ask your dad if he can hire someone?"
...
Wait.
WAIT.
No, no, no, no, no—Mom, you're so close! Just say Lexi! Say Lexi!!
"Yes, Mom, please do!" I say, forcing the most innocent smile I can.
Please, for the love of all things holy, let this lead me to Lexi.
"Is this the Blackfyre residence?" the postman asks at the door.
"Ah, yes..." Mom steps forward to take the letter.
I peek from behind her, curiosity burning inside me. Who could it be from?
She opens the letter, her eyes scanning the contents, and then—
"Oh! It's from Lexi! My old friend!"
OH MY GOD.
NO WAY.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE UNIVERSE IS NOT SCREWING ME OVER??
Lexi?! My dear, beautiful, wise, and OP teacher from my past life?!
HA! TAKE THAT, AKITO! YOUR PEACEFUL EARTH LIFE CAN'T COMPARE TO MY MOMENT OF VICTORY!!
I can already imagine it—calm and graceful lessons, no drowning, no sword beatings, no "accidental" fire explosions! Just pure, refined magic training with someone who actually knows what they're doing!
I clutch my tiny fists in excitement.
Lexi, my salvation—you have arrived.
With all the innocence I could muster, I tilted my head and asked, "Who is Lexi, Mom? What does the letter say?"
Mom smiled warmly, completely unaware of the inner festival happening in my mind. "Oh, yes! Lexi is my old friend, Ryuk. You know, she's very talented!"
Oh yeah, Mom, I know! I KNOW!!
"She was the topper of the entire magic academy," Mom continued proudly.
Of course, she was! Not only was she the best in magic, but also the best teacher in my past life! Finally, FINALLY, I will be trained by someone who doesn't believe 'near-death' equals 'learning'!
Mom began reading the letter aloud:
"Dear Maria,
I hope you and your family are doing well. I'm coming to your kingdom for some business, and since I was already visiting, I thought I should see your little ones as well!
Love,
Lexi."
I almost collapsed on the spot.
Lexi, you absolute angel of mercy. You have no idea how desperately I need you in my life right now. Please, PLEASE save me from this battle-hardened, child-torturing family.
Finally! A normal training session awaits me!
Oh my god, Lexi is coming here!!!! I need to prepare for her arrival—it's been so long since I last saw her!!
"Haha, yeah, me too. Last time I saw her was in my last life," I mutter under my breath, barely containing my excitement.
Mom suddenly claps her hands together. "Oh, wait, Ryuk! Did you know? Lexi also specializes in spirit and nature magic! No one would be better than her to teach you those elements!"
OH MY GOD.
IS THIS A DREAM!?!? MY FATE IS REALLY LISTENING TO ME FOR THE FIRST TIME!?!?
I can barely keep myself from breaking into a victory dance. Somebody, if this is a dream, please don't wake me up! Oh, my dear life, you have finally listened to me!
Finally, after all the suffering, after all the near-death "training" sessions, after all the drowning, slashing, and rock-throwing—my time has come. I might actually get a proper teacher!!!