"Wirbel... You actually called a beautiful girl a 'monster' in public? Do you have any manners?"
Fíliya casually placed a hand on her waist and sized him up.
"I never expected the three of us to end up in the same group. What a strange twist of fate, wouldn't you say?"
"Tsk... Even if it's fate, it's more like a cursed one. But with you here, it's a huge stroke of luck for the two of us. I have a feeling this time might be a lot easier."
Wirbel gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"Hehe, that's right, Wirbel, you're quite the realist. Your Fíliya sister is not what she used to be, you know."
Fíliya wore a smug expression.
"Heh... Even an idiot can see that."
Wirbel's lips twitched slightly. Though he yearned to retort,
"I'm way older than you, and you don't call me 'brother,' yet you call yourself 'sister'?"
But considering Fíliya would be his most reliable teammate in this test, he chose to keep his mouth shut. After all, for someone who had spent years fighting the Demon Race on the front lines, keen judgment was paramount.
"Fíliya..."
Aira finally had a chance to properly observe Fíliya's changes. After all, until now, she and Wirbel had remained concealed.
"Mm... Don't speak yet, Aira. It's been so long since we've seen each other, wouldn't you like to show some affection?"
"Eh?"
Aira was stunned. She couldn't quite grasp what Fíliya meant by 'show some affection.'
It wasn't until Fíliya opened her arms that she finally reacted, blushing as she walked into Fíliya's embrace.
"Long time no see, Fíliya."
Aira said softly.
"Mm, long time no see."
Fíliya also responded to Aira, then let her go.
Next, she looked at the fierce-looking white-haired boy beside her.
"What? I'll pass on that, but didn't you say you 'despise' me?"
Wirbel was expressionless.
"Huh, you hold a grudge, remembering a comment from two years ago... But your narcissistic habits haven't changed, have they? I never said I wanted to hug you, did I?"
Fíliya tilted her head slightly, her expression teasing.
"Ha? Are you even speaking human? 'Me,' narcissistic? I dare say everyone in this hall combined isn't half as narcissistic as you! Have you learned to turn the tables in the past two years?"
Wirbel retorted sharply. Fortunately, unlike Fíliya, he maintained his composure. Even with an urgent tone, he managed to suppress his volume.
"Alright, alright... Wirbel, you should talk less, too."
Aira stepped in to halt their pointless bickering, then looked back at Fíliya.
"But... Fíliya, how... did you get so strong? How did you manage such training? I thought I had made great progress..."
Aira's tone was tinged with disappointment.
After all, her total mana had grown by nearly half compared to two years ago...
She was already the top student at the magic school, hailed as a 'genius' wherever she went, yet she always felt overshadowed by Fíliya.
After all, two years ago, Fíliya's mana was only one-fifth of hers, but now, even though her own mana had grown to one and a half times, Fíliya's mana subtly surpassed hers.
What kind of unbelievable growth rate was this?
Two years ago, the mana-deficient Fíliya was already stronger than her. Now that Fíliya's mana reserves were robust... just how strong had she truly become?
Aira shook her head. She couldn't fathom it, but she was immensely grateful that she and Fíliya were partners, not competitors.
"Oh, right, Aira, I sent a significant gift to your grandfather. Did he receive it well?"
Fíliya suddenly asked.
She still remembered giving those peculiar mobile golems to Sein, asking him to deliver them to the Association.
And Aira's grandfather, Lernen, was a renowned expert in the field of golems.
"Eh? Oh... those strangely shaped, very ancient golems? The First-Class Mage Sein gave them to our grandfather, and my grandfather was really excited about studying them. It was the first time I saw that kind of... look of research enthusiasm... like when I first learned magic."
Aira said, and couldn't help but laugh. From her words, it was clear that Lernen's expression at the time must have been quite amusing.
"Mm, that's good. I'm not very interested in golems, so it's better to leave them to professionals to unleash their full potential."
Fíliya nodded.
The three then chatted casually for a while until all the mages in the venue had found their teammates. Only then did Genau's voice resound from the main podium.
"Since the teams are all assembled, there's no time to lose. All candidates, follow us without delay."
Genau still used that monotone voice, devoid of all vitality.
"Eh? Why is he on stage again? I thought he was going to remain a recluse."
Fíliya looked in the direction of the main podium and muttered, almost to herself.
"Uh... Fíliya, do you dislike that examiner...? You even made that gesture towards him earlier."
Aira looked at Fíliya with curiosity.
"Not really dislike, but our ideologies clash, so I'm venting my frustration on him... Uh, speaking of which, Genau is somewhat like you, Wirbel."
Fíliya said, glancing at Wirbel.
"Is that so? Then I have to look forward to seeing what kind of test this examiner, who is somewhat like me, will come up with."
Wirbel was clearly intrigued by Fíliya's words, even licking his lips in anticipation.
"Ugh... so disgusting, Wirbel, I beg you, could you please not do that lip-licking thing? If it were a beautiful girl, it would be fine, but a fierce-looking guy like you licking his lips is a horrifying sight for children. Back me up, Aira."
Fíliya covered her stomach with both hands, half-bent over, and made an exaggerated dry-heaving gesture.
Seeing Fíliya's actions, Wirbel immediately clenched his fists, itching to lash out... but he quickly realized that he and Aira together might not be a match for her, so he could only once again choose to ignore Fíliya's remarks.
"Alright, since we're a team again, let's not have these pointless arguments... You see, the crowd is moving. We should hurry and catch up."
In the end, it was Aira who stepped in, dragging the two troublemakers by the arms and rushing them towards the exam site.
___
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