Matou Sakura.
A rare talent in the field of magecraft, even highly praised as a "magus in the making" by Zelretch.
If she were part of the Clock Tower or any other prestigious magus family, she would undoubtedly be nurtured with great effort, and they would eagerly impart all their knowledge and accumulated wisdom to her.
But that was not the case with the Matou family. Sakura's life could only be described as ordinary.
She would wake up ordinarily, practice in the morning ordinarily, attend school ordinarily, finish her school day ordinarily, participate in club activities ordinarily, do her homework ordinarily, attend her evening lessons ordinarily, and then rest and sleep ordinarily.
If you had to point out something different, it would be that Sakura's morning exercises and evening lessons weren't regular fitness routines, but rather martial arts and magecraft training.
Aside from that, there was no difference between Sakura and an ordinary middle school student.
No backstabbing or scheming among magi, no cutthroat jungle law of the mystical world—just plain and simple living.
"Such a waste of talent!"
"This will hinder her development!"
"They're ruining her!"
Sakura had heard these opinions more than once and had even asked her brother why he hadn't taken her to the Clock Tower.
The answer she received was that it wasn't the right time, and there was no need.
It wasn't the right time because Sakura was still young and immature, and Shinji himself wasn't powerful enough yet to ensure her safety.
There was no need because Sakura had no shortage of excellent teachers. The inheritance crystal left behind by Scathach, Aozaki Touko, Justeaze, and even occasional appearances by Zelretch were more than enough for Sakura at this stage.
After all, Sakura wasn't following the broad, scholarly path like Shinji. She only needed to master the Rune arts. There was no need for her to be distracted by the wider, chaotic world of magecraft. Once she had fully absorbed the legacy left by Scathach, she could then go to the Clock Tower to broaden her horizons. There would still be time to refine her abilities further using the wisdom of others.
Moreover, she could stay at home and safeguard their shared residence. As long as someone was waiting at home, it would give everyone who was busy outside the motivation to keep going.
In this regard, Sakura listened to her brother the most. Whatever Shinji said, she would do, feeling at ease with his guidance.
No matter how dazzling the outside world was, Sakura remained content in the small city of western Japan, never venturing far, living a routine and almost unchanging life.
Today was no different.
She woke up at 6:00 AM, washed up quickly, and then went to the backyard to practice two sets of self-defense techniques for women. After fully warming up her body, she meditated following Scathach's teachings until 7:00 AM.
Afterward, she had breakfast with her family and saw off her foster parents, who were busy reviewing the day's schedule.
Since there were no club activities today, Sakura moved more leisurely.
She wasn't in a rush, nor did she feel pressed for time.
Perhaps spending so much time with Touko and Justeaze—both beings who had transcended the limitations of normal life—had influenced her. Sakura's temperament had become surprisingly calm.
Those who liked her said she had the grace of a classic Yamato Nadeshiko, while those who didn't said she acted too old for her age, more like an elderly woman than a young person.
Though Sakura had beauty, a good figure, a refined aura, and a gentle personality, no one could be universally liked.
The qualities someone admired about her might be the very qualities others disliked.
Some of it came down to personal taste, while some was simply jealousy.
For instance, at this very moment—
During lunch break, a boy had called Sakura up to the school rooftop, where, with a mixture of excitement and shyness, he confessed:
"Matou Sakura, I like you. Please go out with me."
Sakura, half troubled and half apologetic, lowered her head.
"Thank you for your feelings, but I'm sorry, I can't accept."
"Wh-why not?"
The boy was visibly crushed.
"Because… I already have someone I like. So, I'm sorry."
With that, Sakura ran off the rooftop, out of the boy's sight. She was no longer the late-blooming girl she once was; she now knew how to handle such situations with grace.
As she made her way back to the classroom, she could hear students gossiping along the way.
"Another one?"
"Who was it this time?"
"I think I saw the captain of the basketball team head up there earlier?"
"Wow, he's a popular guy—great at basketball, good-looking, and rich. What more could she want?"
"Who knows? I can never figure out what she's thinking."
"Maybe she's just trying to raise her value by rejecting all these guys."
Sakura had heard such rumors many times before and no longer paid them any mind.
After all, both her brother and sister had told her:
—"Only the mediocre aren't envied."
—"They're jealous of you. Jealous of how talented and adorable you are. Of course, those ordinary, talentless people would be envious."
—"You don't need to take it to heart. Just focus on being your best self. Show them the gap between you and them, and let them be jealous all they want."
—"I love seeing those useless people gnash their teeth behind your back, knowing they can't do a thing about it."
In this regard, her brother and sister were surprisingly in sync, despite always seeming to be at odds.
When she returned to the classroom, her female friends gathered around her, their conversations carrying the same familiar tone.
"How many is that now?"
"Ninth? Tenth? I've lost count."
"You've had the tall and handsome ones, the cute and shy ones, older and younger—what more could you possibly want?"
"I… I already have someone I like," Sakura said quietly.
"Come on, you say that every time we ask, but we've never seen this person you supposedly like."
"It's true! He's just… really busy and doesn't spend much time in Fuyuki."
"Don't tell me it's your dad. That doesn't count."
"Of course not! You've all met my father."
"Then who is it?"
"Hehe…"
Sakura giggled softly and whispered to her friends, sharing the kind of secrets only girls do, until the lunch break ended.
There weren't many classes in the afternoon. However, Sakura usually stayed at school later than most because club activities took up a lot of time, and she often stayed behind to clean up.
Some people thought this was foolish, but Sakura didn't mind. To her, it was a way to improve her housekeeping skills—just like how, even though her family had servants, she still insisted on cooking herself. And even though Shinji always gave notice before returning home, she still cleaned his room daily.
She did this because she wanted her brother to always return to a clean and tidy room, and to always be able to enjoy a delicious meal when he got home.
These were her commitments, and she wouldn't give them up for anything.
Her foster mother, Elsa, once said it was foolish, but Sakura had smiled and replied:
"You're the one who taught me, Mother. You said to become someone he can't live without, to make him develop habits. That way, no matter where he goes, he'll never forget you."
"You little fox."
Elsa playfully poked Sakura's forehead, and the girl flashed a mischievous smile before running into Shinji's room, where she sat by his favorite window seat, softly speaking.
"Big brother, I had a great day today too. This morning…"
Sometimes she spoke to the phone, sometimes to the empty room.
Every time, it was the same opening and every time, it ended the same way.
"Big brother, I'll be waiting for you to come home."
One day, two days, three days...
One year, two years, three years...
Waiting silently.