It was nearly a week later that Alice and Eric finally found themselves outside of the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, a moderately wide and well maintained road beneath their feet. The grade was even, and the route was made of hard-packed dirt, making the path they tread one of little difficulty.

Surrounding them, a significant retinue of dolls hovered in formation, far more than Alice typically traveled with.

That was not to say that there was any particular danger; this area was known for being relatively peaceful, bar the occasional troublesome fairy (and the recurring duels between immortals).

However, a certain dollmaker was taking no chances. With the recent attack still fresh in her mind, she was in no mood to be lax on security.

Shanghai floated high above, the apparent commander of the little legion.

Should she be utilizing this much magic? Perhaps not, but she could feel that her mana reserves had already recovered somewhat. They were not 100%, nor were they even 50%, but they were enough.

A spot of good news was that her body had physically recovered. It did not pain her to move anymore, and for that she was grateful. However…

Alice glanced sideways at her companion. She had been consciously adjusting her walking speed in order to keep pace with him. Something twisted slightly in her chest at the sight of him.

Eric limped along next to her at a relatively steady pace. His expression was neutral, but every so often a grimace would flash across his face.

In his hand was a walking cane, provided by Eientei as a supplement to his recovery. It was an item that he was currently getting good use out of.

'Haha, now I really am like an old man,' he had said when the cane was presented. Apparently, he'd been compared to one before.

Yes, despite the emotionally rocky first day, Eric seemed to be handling his recovery fairly well, and the injury itself he was taking in stride. He'd had no shortage of good-natured jokes on the subject and had a generally upbeat outlook.

However, it appeared that his initial levity had faded, and now he was merely managing.

…

After hearing yet another grunt of poorly concealed pain, Alice stopped walking. Seeing her come to a sudden halt, Eric stopped, too.

Her eyes met his. "Eric, perhaps we should switch to flying for now. It may do your leg some good to take the weight off of it," she gently, yet firmly suggested.

He leaned heavily on his cane and sighed.. "I… Yeah, that's probably a good idea." After taking a few long, steadying breaths, he spoke again. "But, between your dolls and flying, wouldn't that be straining your magic too much? Eirin said you should be taking it easy…"

Ah, there he went, worrying about her again. Even though she was in a far better state than he, that was still his first concern.

Why must it be so difficult for him to consider his own well-being? She thought with equal parts appreciation and exasperation.

Alice did her best to give him a placating smile. "You need not worry. The simple acts of flying and utilizing my dolls as sentries are only minor energy expenditures."

She looked to the distance. "Aside from that, it would only be for a short time. We're approaching our destination."

Indeed, the Human Village neared. A certain few rooftops, as well as a couple stonework watchtowers, were visible on the horizon.

Eric sighed again. "Alright, I trust you on that. Nobody knows your limits better than yourself, after all."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, I don't know how long I'll be able to fly. So, sorry in advance if I can't make it all the way there."

…

As it turned out, he did, in fact, have the ability to fly the rest of the way without trouble.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

After making it inside, instead of checking up on the state of his café, Eric chose to simply lounge in one of the booths, gazing through the adjacent window.

There would be time for all of that later.

At present, he found himself deep in contemplation.

While it was good to be home, there was far too much to think about. His thoughts, as was the tendency lately, were mainly centered around Alice.

Or rather, it was what Alice had said, mere minutes ago, as they stood outside of Tradition's End.

…

…

…

"Once your leg has recovered, what would you think about developing a proper foundation in magic?" Alice asked, broaching the subject seemingly out of nowhere.

Wait… What?

"With my assistance, I'm certain you would… Well…" she trailed off, looking slightly uncertain.

Eric's mind was still trying to process the initial question, caught off guard by the suddenness of it.

Magic…

Alice… wanted to teach him magic? Was he hearing that correctly?

He cocked his head to the side as he stared at her.

…Was she really willing to do that for him? He'd… never had someone offer to teach him before.

Perhaps she'd interpreted his moment of disbelief for genuine apprehension, because she quickly followed up with, "You do not need to answer right away. Just… Please give it some thought. A strong grasp of basic spells and combat fundamentals would… go a long way towards keeping you safe."

She looked… rather demure for some reason.

Eric nodded in response. He was definitely interested, but…

Maybe it was a good idea to think it over? It'd give Alice some more time to think about it, too. Surely such a thing would only burden her.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll definitely think about it. I've always wanted to learn more magic."

He really wanted to express more excitement about it, but between his current pain and utter surprise, he felt as though he wasn't in the best state to commit to such a leap.

Alice visibly relaxed at his assertion of interest. "Please let me know as soon as you come to a decision. It is not my intent to pressure you, but in light of recent events, I cannot recommend it enough."

Eric could not help but smile at just how earnest her expression was. "For sure."

For a moment, they stood in companionable silence. Then, Eric sighed, and his expression fell.

"I… guess this is goodbye for now?"

Alice appeared to have sobered as well. "Yes, it appears so…"

Sure, it had only been about a week since the attack, but to him it had felt far longer. It felt like they'd gone through so much... It was the most time that he'd ever spent with her.

…How do you say goodbye to someone after you nearly died together? He… almost didn't want to…

"At least… until one of us has fully healed…" She trailed off again.

"Heh. That'll probably be you, then. Doc said it might be a few weeks on this bum leg of mine."

There was another thought creeping in, too. What if she gets attacked again on the way home?

He shouldn't have been worried. She was the strong one, after all. But that did little to quell the uneasy thoughts. The mental image of her on the ground surrounded by blood would surely haunt him for a while.

…

Before he could convince himself otherwise, he reached out and took her free hand in his own.

"Please… Um, please stay safe on your way home," he said, giving her hand a meaningful squeeze.

Despite the warm blush clearly spreading across her face, Alice did not shy away. Instead, she gave him a gentle, yet resolute look.

"I promise."

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

She could scarcely believe that she'd asked that of him. She was getting ahead of herself, truly.

Alice just… wanted to see him protected. Humans were… fragile, and she couldn't always be there if something went wrong.

Teaching him magic wasn't the only possible solution, but that is what her instinct had told her to do. The more he had to defend himself with, the less she would need to worry.

But, just how would he respond? Was he aware of the significance?

There was, indeed, a great deal of weight behind what would initially appear to be a simple offer.

In magic, a bond between teacher and student was considered sacred; a covenant (though not in the true, ritualistic sense) that neither party should dare to take lightly.

A student must choose their mentor well. One who was poor at educating or otherwise incompatible had the potential to put the student at a disadvantage that could take years, if not decades to recover from.

And the teacher… The teacher must only take on a student that they truly see potential in. Anything less would have been a waste for both parties, and there was nothing crueler than nurturing a dream that would end halfway through.

The teacher must also be competent in both instructing and performing. One who is adept at magic does not automatically make for a strong mentor. One who excels at lecturing must also be adept enough to demonstrate that which was being taught.

Alice held no reservations about Eric's potential.

He'd already demonstrated that he was capable of performing some basics, as well as an intermediate defensive barrier when the situation called for it.

Though, if she was to be brutally honest, he wasn't exactly a prodigy. However, with the proper training, she could see the form of a competent magic wielder taking shape within him.

The true uncertainty, however, came in regards to her own ability to perform in the teaching role.

It wasn't that she doubted her own mastery of magic.

Just…

…

She'd… never had a student before.

It was one thing to imagine how such an arrangement would go. It was another thing entirely to actually put it into practice. She simply had no experience.

And, as loathe as she was to admit it, there were potentially better options for Eric to learn magic in Gensokyo.

Keine, being an accredited school teacher, had far more experience than her and likely had the aptitude for magic necessary for at least basic spells.

Patchouli was decades her senior, a master of the Wu Xing magics, and had an incredible font of knowledge in the form of her library.

Even… Even that damned spirit had apparently made for a superb mentor, if the way Marisa admired her indicated anything.

Although… the mere thought of Mima was enough to make Alice shudder.

…

But, at least… At least she and Eric were already familiar with one another. They had a dynamic that they could work with. That counted for something, right?

Would it translate well? Would they simply butt heads the entire time? Would it needlessly complicate the growing relationship between them?

That was, to quote Marisa, 'a whole 'nother can of worms.'

To her, it seemed as though, without any forcing, their relationship had already begun to drift beyond what would be considered a simple friendship.

As hesitant as she was at first, Alice now found that she really didn't mind this development.

The more she thought about it and the longer they spent together, the fewer reservations she harbored.

It had been all too sudden when Remilia revealed that the Red String of Fate was connecting them, resulting in a confusing mix of elation and anxiety.

Now? Well, it was an idea that she found herself rather looking forward to.

Would her offer of tutelage delay the possibility of further romantic development between them? Perhaps she was overthinking now, but she certainly hoped not.

…Ultimately, it was his decision to make. She had already made the offer, and she had no intention of retracting it.

…

This was going to be a long week.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Three days after his return, Tradition's End was once again approaching a sense of normalcy.

The cafe had been closed for over a week. Now that it was open for business again, the morning crowd had increased in size, eager to return to their roost.

That meant there was more work to do.

He brewed. He poured. He plated. He handed it off. He twisted. He turned. He stepped. He-

Eric stumbled, nearly dropping the small plate that held a cheese danish. He managed to catch himself, saving both the plate and the pastry, muttering a quiet "damn" under his breath.

Sekibanki could tell from a distance that he wasn't quite okay. He normally didn't make mistakes like that, and she could tell that he was gritting his teeth.

That leg of his is really messing with him, huh?

She knew that he was attacked by youkai, but she hadn't gotten many details about it. Though, when she saw him using the cane as if it was an extra leg, it didn't take much to put two and two together.

As glad as she was that her boss was alive and that she had a steady income again, Sekibanki couldn't help but wonder if he'd come back too soon.

"You good?" she said as she passed by him, holding a short stack of empty dishes.

Eric sighed, leaning his weight onto the counter in front of him. "Yeah, I just stepped wrong. I guess I'm still getting used to this."

Sekibanki nodded. "If you need a break, take a break. Can't have you keeling over on us, boss."

He let out something between a chuckle and a sigh. "And let our poor customers starve?"

Sekibanki shrugged. "They'll starve anyway if you drop their food."

Eric hummed, not quite in agreement. "Yeah, just… I'll be fine. I can handle it."

"Okay, boss."

She let him be. There was more work to do anyway.

…

Thankfully, the rest of the workday passed without incident.

It was near the end of the closing duties that Eric came up to her, as he usually did.

Though, this time there was a lack of overly-exaggerated affirmation. In its place was a man sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck while leaning on his cane.

"Thanks, Sekibanki, for all the help today. I, well… I literally couldn't have done it without you."

"...No problem, boss."

Really, it was no problem. She was just doing her job like she normally did. It was what she was hired for.

She readily accepted the envelope containing her pay that Eric had handed to her. It felt… heavier than usual.

As if anticipating her question before she even asked it, Eric explained. "I put a little extra in there this time. Y'know, to make up for the café being closed for so long."

Sekibanki… was never great at responding to generosity. She glanced away as she adjusted the collar of her cloak.

"Thanks…"

After that, a bit of an awkward silence fell over them. She wanted to ask a question, but was this really a good time?

Well, better now than never.

"You never did say what happened to your leg."

Sekibanki knew, of course, basically what happened. Still, she wanted to hear it straight from the source.

Eric flinched slightly at that, looking momentarily uncomfortable. "It's, ah, well… I guess it's not really a long story."

He moved to sit down at a table, and Sekibanki occupied the seat across from him.

Eric gestured vaguely before sighing. "I… got attacked by youkai in the Forest of Magic."

Her brows furrowed slightly. "You went there alone?"

"No, I, uh, was with a friend." He sighed again. "Basically, we got attacked, and she defeated them all. However, we were both badly injured and bleeding. Some- ah… Somebody happened to be passing by and brought us both to Eientei."

A simple question left Sekibanki's lips. "Who?"

He folded his hands together and stared at them. "I don't know who it was. I passed out from blood loss before they showed up."

"The doctors at Eientei…" he continued. "They patched us up, gave me some medicine and a cane, and now I've got a few weeks until I can walk like normal again."

"That's rough." There really wasn't much for her to say.

"Yeah…"

…

Then, a thought occurred to her. "That friend of yours, is it Mystia?"

It was his turn to furrow his brows. "Uh, no? Her name's Alice. Why?"

The pieces were clicking together in her mind now. "Mystia brought you to Eientei."

She'd said it with such certainty that it seemed to surprise Eric. "What? How do you know?"

"I heard from a friend that Mystia was there when you were attacked. If she wasn't the friend you were with, then she must have been the one to show up later."

It was the longest string of words she'd said in a while, but Sekibanki was pleased with her own deduction skills.

Mystery solved.

"I… wow… I never would have guessed." A small smile formed on his face. "I'll have to pay her a visit sometime."

Sekibanki leaned back in her chair, satisfied with their short conversation.

…

It was probably time for her to head out, anyway.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Eric hadn't moved since Sekibanki left. Instead, he had laid his head down on the table in front of him and rested his eyes.

The day had taken a lot out of him. It was difficult enough to deal with his leg under normal circumstances, but adding in the fast-paced demands of his day job had almost been too much.

Even without any weight on it, he could still feel a dull ache throb through the limb.

He'd still lock up before going upstairs to rest, but for the moment, he was perfectly fine to remain seated.

*Thud*

Well, he was fine to remain seated. The combination of a solid thud and the sound of his front door essentially slamming open quickly caught his attention.

He moved to stand up, using his cane as leverage.

"Oi! City boy! I heard ya nearly kicked the bucket, ze!"

Oh, he definitely recognized that voice. And that long blonde hair. And that oddly curved broom. And that enchanted hat.

"What's up with the ol' walking stick? Don't tell me arthritis has already got your number!"

Marisa Kirisame has arrived.

~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~

POV: You are now within Marisa's sphere of influence. You are now subject to bombastic entrances.

It's Chapter 11~ It's... actually about the same length as last chapter. Around 3k-ish words is just where I can feasibly write and edit in two weeks right now.

Truthfully, I had more planned, but I had to cut Marisa's little visit until next chapter. I don't think I could have done it justice with the time allotted. That being said, next chapter may have a big development~

So, in regards to mentors in magic... I don't recall much being mentioned about it in-universe, besides Mima and Marisa. (Yes, I did just say the 'M' word) I think that the teacher-student thing would be one that has a lot of weight to it, not something to offer lightly.

Now, Eric is not going to become an overpowered character just because he might learn some stuff. However, if he's going to keep doing stuff like visiting Alice's house, he's gonna need something. He's been lucky so far, simple as that. That, and I feel that Alice would probably want to give him a decent shot at not dying to things.

I've been experimenting with POV's other than Eric and Alice. We've had a taste of Mystia back in Chapter 8, and now Sekibanki. I might keep trying it out as more story gets written. Third person selective omniscient is kinda fun.

Thanks for reading! Review if you want! Have a good day!

~~~~~~Reviews~~~~~~

Samuel9919: TY! Glad that their development is coming across well enough, even when it's not necessarily fluff.