Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 2

[DracoOmega]

>"You're a kind woman, Alisaie. It seems a shame that you've ended up shackled to the preservation of this... family legacy. If you'll forgive me my presumption."

[Oldmansour]

>"You're a kind woman, Alisaie. It seems a shame that you've ended up shackled to the preservation of this... family legacy. If you'll forgive me my presumption."

>Your own kindness makes the doctor fidget a little. "Well... it isn't all bad. Dragons are very intelligent people, and nice, too. ... Some of them, anyway."
>Poppy asks, "Are dragons the only thing you can summon?"
>"No, but I specialize in it. Every summoner has one particular area that comes more easily to them than others. Mine just happens to be dragons." Her smile waves a little. "And that's been a sore point among my family as well."

[DracoOmega]

>"Because you can summon them when those with more ambition can't?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Because you can summon them when those with more ambition can't?"

>Alisaie winces again, like one who's said something they probably ought not to have. "No... Well, not only that. It's... less difficult for me than it is for others."

[DracoOmega]

>"I do hope they don't begrudge you too much for this."

[Oldmansour]

>"I do hope they don't begrudge you too much for this."

>Alisaie visibly hesitates. She doesn't answer, but the look in her eyes when she lowers her head speaks volumes.

[DracoOmega]

>Frustrated sigh
>"How incredibly petty. To demand you study what they want you to, and then begrudge you for succeeding too well at it? You deserve better. Patchy, too. The way her parents tried to stifle and dictate her life ate her up inside, you know."

[Oldmansour]

>Frustrated sigh
>"How incredibly petty. To demand you study what they want you to, and then begrudge you for succeeding too well at it? You deserve better. Patchy, too. The way her parents tried to stifle and dictate her life ate her up inside, you know."

>As if she were ashamed of herself, Alisaie answers, "Yes. I knew."

[DracoOmega]

>"She is a brilliant, studious woman. And kinder than she likes to let on most of the time. You know, she summoned a dragon of her own, last night. Well, it was a whelp, and it was also an accident - she said it should have been impossible, but was already searching books for answers."
>Small sigh
>"Since what happened to her this morning, I've wondered if that was some facet of her link to the Champion of Water manifesting itself, before either of us knew it existed."

[Oldmansour]

>"She is a brilliant, studious woman. And kinder than she likes to let on most of the time. You know, she summoned a dragon of her own, last night. Well, it was a whelp, and it was also an accident - she said it should have been impossible, but was already searching books for answers."
>Small sigh
>"Since what happened to her this morning, I've wondered if that was some facet of her link to the Champion of Water manifesting itself, before either of us knew it existed."

>"She... Well, she's never done anything like that before, at least as far as I know. Not that I was up to date on her studies at the best of times." she adds in a quieter voice.

[DracoOmega]

>"But it doesn't surprise you that she was practicing magic against explicit orders, then?"

[Oldmansour]

>"But it doesn't surprise you that she was practicing magic against explicit orders, then?"

>Alisaie doesn't answer for several seconds, and when she does, she doesn't meet your eyes. "I.. had hoped that she'd be stronger than me."

[DracoOmega]

>"...to defy her family attempts to dictate her life's path?"

[Oldmansour]

>"...to defy her family attempts to dictate her life's path?"

>The meek woman nods.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, regardless of what your family wanted from you, you're still a doctor now, aren't you?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, regardless of what your family wanted from you, you're still a doctor now, aren't you?"

>"I consider myself a doctor before anything else."

[DracoOmega]

>"Then it doesn't sound like they were entirely able to keep you from your own path either, were they?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Then it doesn't sound like they were entirely able to keep you from your own path either, were they?"

>"Well you see, she wasn't there. My sister and her husband moved to Mayoiga about.... 19 years ago now. We're from Francais, originally. I stayed there."

[DracoOmega]

>"So you got out by virtue of them leaving first, is what you're saying?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I suppose you could say that. It's my sister that holds the power over our generation. With her following her own path out here, I was able to regain my position at the hospital I worked. I don't know why she suddenly moved halfway across the globe, but she did. And I was relieved."

[DracoOmega]

>"Regained? So had you already been a doctor, and were pressured to resign?"
>"I apologize if I'm prying."

[Oldmansour]

>"Regained? So had you already been a doctor, and were pressured to resign?"
>"I apologize if I'm prying."

>"Essentially, you are correct. I still practiced medicine now and then, but my first responsibility was to the family and my magical studies."
>"Or so Madame Knowledge said." Poppy speculates. Alisaie answers with a nod.

[DracoOmega]

>"And did she ever show half as much of that responsibility to you as she expected in return?"

[Oldmansour]

>"And did she ever show half as much of that responsibility to you as she expected in return?"

>"I beg your pardon?"

[DracoOmega]

>"She said you owed it to your family to devote yourself to the study of magic, yes? What consideration did your family give you in return? Family responsibilities are a two-way street."

[Oldmansour]

>"She said you owed it to your family to devote yourself to the study of magic, yes? What consideration did your family give you in return? Family responsibilities are a two-way street."

>Alisaie's face is that of a woman who doesn't seem to know how to answer.

[DracoOmega]

>Give her another moment or two, and if she still does not reply: "I'm sorry; I've made you feel uncomfortable."

[Oldmansour]

>Give her another moment or two, and if she still does not reply: "I'm sorry; I've made you feel uncomfortable."

>"It's just... I've never thought in those terms before." she replies quietly. "The reality is, I was always sort of the black sheep of our generation. Our magical traditions just weren't as important to me as they were my siblings. My sister felt that it was time for me to attend those responsiblities."

[DracoOmega]

>"'Responsibilities'. Who is it that you owed, and why? How were any of their lives worse-off because you choose to live your own? There are few careers that do more good for the world than doctors. I've... often thought about studying medicine myself, you know."

[Oldmansour]

>"'Responsibilities'. Who is it that you owed, and why? How were any of their lives worse-off because you choose to live your own? There are few careers that do more good for the world than doctors. I've... often thought about studying medicine myself, you know."

>That brightens Alisaie's disposition noticably. "Well, I think I can say with little hesitation that you have the one thing that I think is the most important thing for any doctor to have. Care for the sake of others. That's where it starts, Lotus."