Inside the City of Magic, Äußerst.
A light-green figure moved quickly through the crowd.
Upon noticing the young woman, the surrounding crowd reacted with a shared expression of terror.
A voice suddenly erupted.
"Fíliya's back!"
And so, the once-crowded street began to empty at an astonishing rate. Within a few breaths, hardly a soul was left.
The stall owners, who had nowhere to run, could only glare at Fíliya with disgust.
As if to say, 'Don't you dare ruin my business.'
"Pfft... Everyone's the same as ever, so enthusiastic to see me."
Fíliya chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Alright, alright, I won't affect anyone's business... I'll be on my way."
Facing the shopkeepers' disgusted glares, Fíliya spread her hands, shook her head in mock resignation, and started walking again.
As for why she was so 'popular' in the City of Magic, it was naturally because whenever she developed some new and interesting magic, her neighbors were usually the unlucky ones... Of course, she always cleaned up her mess and compensated them afterward.
However, over time, she had become a nuisance to all. After all, who could stand being subjected to bizarre magic on a daily basis?
"Sigh, maybe I should stop experimenting at home."
Fíliya walked on, ignoring the looks people gave her, as if she were the plague itself.
To be so admired abroad, only to be despised the moment she returned home—the contrast was a feeling she found... rather exhilarating.
She paused briefly as she passed by her own home.
She saw that the flowers and plants she kept on her windowsill were still alive and well, and her door hadn't been splashed with paint or anything. She was deeply moved.
"See? Everyone still likes me. They didn't even trash my house while I was away."
she thought with a grin.
Then, she began walking towards the Continental Magic Association, growing happier as the iconic building loomed larger in her view.
"Miss Sense, my dear Miss Sense, I'm coming to get you."
...
Inside the Continental Magic Association, her reception was clearly much better. Many of the low-ranking mages at the reception desk greeted her politely when she entered.
Fíliya finished reporting the details of her mission at the front desk and then headed upstairs.
Her official job at the Association was that of a librarian, but she had no intention of returning to her post just yet.
If the first thing she did after returning wasn't to pester Sense, the quality of her life would plummet.
Soon, she was standing before the office door of Sense, the First-Class Mage.
Clearly, she had no intention of knocking. After taking a deep breath, she slowly pushed the door open.
...
Sunlight filtered through the high arched window, casting the patterns of the stained glass onto the wooden desk. The room was filled with the characteristic scent of paper, mingled with the faint fragrance of marigolds.
The first thing she saw was, naturally, the figure she was so eager to meet.
Normally, the phrase 'hair like a waterfall' is an exaggeration for a girl's beautiful locks, but for Sense, it was an unusually fitting description. After all, the first impression this girl gave was often that of her long, ash-brown hair that reached all the way to her ankles.
Fíliya saw Sense looking at her with a slightly weary expression, her right hand resting casually on a thick, gilt-covered book in front of her.
"Ahem... I'm back."
Fíliya cleared her throat. All the countless pranks she had prepared were completely forgotten the moment she met Sense's gaze.
"Mm, you've worked hard."
Sense nodded calmly.
"Eh? That's it? This was my first time on a long-distance mission, you know! I was fighting for my life against the Demon Race... and that's all I get? So cold."
Fíliya leaned over Sense's desk, propping herself up on her hands with a displeased look.
"Then what would you like me to do?"
Sense tilted her head in confusion.
"Can't you even praise me a little? It feels like you don't care about me at all."
Hearing Fíliya's words, Sense thought for a moment, then looked back at her and began to speak in a completely emotionless tone.
"Wow, Fíliya is so amazing. Is that sufficient?"
"Hmph... fine, you pass."
Hearing the utterly perfunctory, monotone delivery, Fíliya immediately broke into a smile again.
"That's enough?"
Now it was Sense's turn to be confused by Fíliya's reaction.
"Hee hee~ But my dear Miss Sense prepared a gift for me, so I have no choice but to forgive you. Come on, bring it out."
Fíliya said with a light laugh, craning her neck to try and see what Sense was hiding within her mass of hair.
"You... How did you know?"
Finally, a crack appeared in Sense's perfect poker face.
"Because your expression is unnatural compared to usual, Sense."
Unnatural? Sense was completely baffled. She didn't think her behavior was any different than usual, but... this girl had seen right through her.
"You say that as if you know me so well."
Sense pouted, slightly annoyed.
"Obviously, I do know you well. Now, stop denying it and let me see what you've hidden."
And so, Sense could only helplessly use her hair to place the small wooden box she had been hiding onto the desk.
With lightning speed, Fíliya snatched the wooden box, an action that naturally earned her an eye-roll from Miss Sense.
"I was going to give it to you anyway. I don't know what you're in such a rush for."
Miss Sense thought helplessly.
Fíliya opened the wooden box and froze.
Inside was a sapphire bracelet, a string of multi-faceted, diamond-shaped gems of graduating size, with the largest stone hanging in the center as a charm. The gems were a light blue, their soft luster making it seem as if ocean waves were trapped within the crystals.
"Mmm... This looks very expensive. Are all First-Class Mages this rich?"
Fíliya held the bracelet in her hand, turning it over for a good while before finally putting it on. Hmm, even the size was a perfect fit. She couldn't help but wonder if Sense had secretly measured her wrist while she was sleeping.
One could tell from Miss Fíliya's usual appearance that she wasn't fond of wearing jewelry, but since it was a gift from Sense, she could make an exception.
"By the way, why give me this?"
Having finally admired the bracelet to her heart's content, Fíliya shifted her gaze back to Sense.
"I heard it from someone... They said if I gave you something fragile, it might teach you to behave."
Sense's tone was as calm as ever, but her slightly darting eyes betrayed her true feelings.
______
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