A Villainess Should Be Strong

"Really? What is it?" Estelle asked in excitement.

Frey calmed her emotions down as she began to explain.

"Haah. Let us put it this way. Since using the bow as an instrument would not work for you.. Then we can just turn it around. Use your magic as the instrument, and the bow as your power. Work your way around that thing. Make it so that you are using the bow, and not your magic," Frey brought up her suggestion.

Estelle frowned as she tried to make sense of Frey's words.

"...Like distracting myself from my magic?" she interpreted the Witch's speech.

"Precisely. Otherwise, you will spend too much thought on your magic, which will lead to a negative impact. Of course, that is if we are talking about using the bow. If it is about normal usage, your magic is preferable. Straight to the point and without any unnecessary elements,"

After her worries were confirmed, Estelle now had a different question.

"So.. it's really not because of my magic? And it's not a negative impact?" Estelle blinked repeatedly, questioning the Witch.

"Did Alex not tell you? Ehh, he became so mean~ He must be jealous of you," Frey giggled. "Of course not. Not a single negative quality is brought up by your magic. It's just that we have to make a few accommodations for your style," she added.

"That is.. a huge relief," Estelle sighed.

She thought that she was a lost cause and was prepared to return to Alynthi and possibly fail her path.

"In fact, you might have already found out about this, but our magic is similar to the Goddess. We are trying to follow her ways, and not the opposite. If I had to say something..." Frey grinned, making Estelle tilt her head in confusion.

"It would be that you and the Goddess is very similar. I don't know what exactly causes it. If we take this fact into account, the thing I just told you to do.. it's akin to the Goddess' analogy. The way you are trying to perform the style.. Is misaligned. It's not that you are trying to become something else, it's that you are already this 'something else'. It can easily be fixed, you don't have any problems with your fundamentals,"

Frey talked in such a philosophical manner that Estelle found it hard to keep up with her meaning.

"I.. see," Estelle awkwardly agreed to whatever Frey spouted to avoid any more confusion.

"That aside, why don't you try applying the method right here and now? Perhaps you might even make instant progress?" Frey suggested.

"I will do that," Estelle heaved a long sigh, preparing herself for the challenge.

She channeled her magic, but she let it flow naturally inside her. She did not focus too much on the subject. Before, she tried her hardest to put her focus on her magic as to maximize its effects.

Who would have thought that the thing she was supposed to do was the exact opposite?

She felt the wind brew around her, but she did not have any intentions on paying heed to the change. Her mind was solely focused on the Moonlight Bow and its elements.

She let her stream of thoughts calm down, and let the magic roam freely. Not controlling it, not trying to focus on it, but instead, relaxing and visualizing the bow inside her head.

Then, it happened.

She felt a tug on her bow. Her hold was disrupted by an object. A thin object.

Unfortunately, it disappeared immediately.

However, that did not prevent Estelle from panicking because she had never achieved this much progress. In her previous tries, not even once did she manage to make anything appear out of the bow.

But this time, she achieved a little success. A small victory.

"I think I felt it. It was unstable, but I felt something," Estelle broke into a large smile. "It was the string, right? Did you see it? The string? Did it pop up for you too?"

Sparks of happiness bloomed inside her heart as she expressed her emotions.

"Of course, of course. I saw it clearly. You succeeded, although not until the end. Now, since you have gotten the feeling down, do you think you could take it by yourself from now on?" Frey asked.

"En. I think I should be fine. Thank you so much for your input," Estelle was very happy with the result she got.

The actual answer was so simple, but when she thought about it, Estelle knew that she would not have figured it out on her own when the due date for the challenge was tomorrow.

She would have still stayed stuck reading indoors, with little to no progress. Failure. She was about to become a failure, but Frey pulled her up from that.

"Words can't express how thankful I am. If it wasn't for your interval, I would've not gotten to this point," Estelle bowed politely.

However, instead of responding to her statement, Frey was in her own little world.

Her mind was in a different place. She spaced out and gazed to the sky.

"Even so.. I genuinely think that.." Frey grumbled.

"Hm?" Confused, Estelle wondered what Frey was thinking about that she displayed such an annoyed expression.

"The fact that Alex, the kid, did not tell you that reading won't do you any justice meant that he purposely set you up. That damned rascal, he knew that I was hiding inside this place all along! He obviously wanted you to meet me on your own. This unwanted visit, I will make him pay for it one day," Frey ranted in a grumpy manner.

Estelle furrowed her brows.

She began to raise doubts within her heart. Was that truly the case? Was Aleksei's intentions by bringing her here not to let her read, but instead to let Frey teach her in his stead?

Before she dwelled further on those doubts, she apologized.

"Ah.. did I trouble you, perhaps? I am really sorry," Estelle remembered that Frey was passing by and did not directly approach her.

Estelle was the one to approach the woman with her missions.

Frey did not have to help her, but she deliberately spent her time to be Estelle's aid and think for her.

Even though she was technically in the position of Aleksei's student right now, it still did not feel completely right.

Frey widened her eyes.

"No, no, no. It is not your fault, sweet child. Do not fret. Alex will pay for everything, alright? You are the victim anyway," Frey assured her.

"But still..." Estelle mumbled.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Since we have gotten what we wanted.. let us get out of this space for now, shall we?" Frey said.

Estelle nodded in agreement, following closely behind Frey.

She took one last glance at the astounding space and stepped out of the room.

Outside, her gaze was suddenly met with Aleksei's warm ones.

Shocked, Estelle furrowed her brows, confirming that it was really Aleksei.

The man was right there, in his full glory. After disappearing to who knows where, he came back all of a sudden.

And somehow, he waited outside the space for Estelle and Frey to come back.

Didn't that mean that he knew all along?

That all of this would happen? That she would enter the space with Frey?

"You.. Alek- I mean.. master," She almost slipped again because she saw him so near. She forgot that Frey was still standing right beside her for a moment.

She had slipped twice in front of Frey. There was no way she wouldn't be suspicious.

"Ahh.. I am really tired of this act, you know? Sweet child, you don't have to continue this.. master-student play in front of me. I can see right through your devise," Frey pointed at the two of them with glaring eyes.

"That..." Estelle pursed her lips, in a loss on what to do.

"I am really curious though.. what is your true identity?" Frey gave her a meaningful smirk as her fingers trailed around Estelle's chin. "I don't doubt that Aleksei took you in as his disciple. But, there is no way that Alex will pick up a random child and put them under his influence.. You are a very special child, aren't you?"

"Teacher, quit with the jokes. She has important things to do, right? Surely you gave her the answer right away. After all, you would not be willing to spin and twist around the answer meaninglessly," Aleksei cut her off and dragged Estelle behind him.

Hearing Aleksei address Frey was still a bit shocking, even though Estelle had learned of their relationship prior to this reveal. She still could not bring herself to imagine the scene that Frey mentioned before. That Aleksei actually came up to her and personally asked her to be his teacher.

"Ao? You are actually being protective over the girl," Frey laughed, making Aleksei's expression sour even more.