"Well then, can you let me see that magic you've grasped?"
Solitär asked out of curiosity.
"Mmm... No, this magic is too dangerous."
Fíliya shook her head with a solemn expression. She dared not easily attempt to use a power she couldn't fully control yet. After all... the effect of this magic was [Disintegration of All Things].
"Is that so."
A trace of disappointment emerged in Solitär's eyes. As a scholar who loved research, she was naturally curious about what kind of power Fíliya had mastered, but she also understood Fíliya's concerns, so she didn't say anything more.
"However, there is still something very interesting I can share with you."
Seeing that Solitär seemed a bit down, Fíliya immediately tossed out a new topic.
"Hmm?"
"Mmm... You should have noticed it too. My mana growth speed is a bit too fast... To be honest, I was also shocked when I confirmed this."
"The starting point was the instant I used that magic. Since then, the mana inside my body seems to have been activated, spontaneously forming a strange cycle."
"The effect caused by this cycle is... they—my mana—will forever remain in an [Active] state. This has raised the speed at which I mobilize my mana to a whole new level."
"Mmm, to put it bluntly, my casting speed has become faster again... And it doesn't stop there. Because the mana is automatically circulating infinitely, so... this is equivalent to me engaging in passive meditation."
"In other words, even if I do nothing now, my mana will grow automatically... Even if I just eat, sleep, and space out every day, my mana growth speed is faster than when I used to meditate diligently."
Fíliya spoke with a tone of helplessness, and even shook her head.
"Sigh, this feeling of getting something for nothing is sometimes quite distressing for me. How can mana that grows out of thin air be compared to power gained through painstaking cultivation? Solitär, don't you agree?"
Fíliya's tone gradually became somewhat punchable, and Solitär was obviously genuinely irritated by her.
Solitär reached out directly and pinched the soft flesh on Fíliya's cheek.
"Apologize. Apologize right now! Apologize to all those mages who cultivate diligently!"
Solitär said fiercely.
"? Did I do something to wrong them?"
Fíliya tried to remain stubborn, but Solitär added a bit more force to her hand.
"Hiss!... Okay, okay, I was wrong! I shouldn't have postured! It's my fault for acting innocent after getting a bargain!"
Fíliya began to chicken out and repeatedly begged for mercy.
"Hmph."
Seeing Fíliya admit her mistake, Solitär finally let go of her, but immediately seemed to regret it slightly, so she rubbed the red spot on Fíliya's face.
"So, what do you plan to do next?"
"Nothing special. Just rest normally first. At least I need to complete all the preparations before we set off."
"Hmm?"
Now Solitär was a bit confused again. In her view, Fíliya was a person with very clear goals; once she had a plan, she would implement it immediately. Yet this time, she had uncharacteristically calmed down?
"No, my impatient bad habit isn't that easily cured. However, the place I'm preparing to go to this time is very dangerous. Even for us, we must make sufficient preparations."
" Preparing to go... go where?"
"Heheh..."
Fíliya crossed her arms over her chest, her expression unfathomable.
"The Empire. And specifically, the most bustling central region of The Empire. We are going to settle down there for a while."
"..."
Solitär was stunned. She truly hadn't expected that the [Journey] Fíliya spoke of would start with such a difficulty level right off the bat.
"But..."
Just as she wanted to say something, Fíliya interrupted her directly.
"Relax. Whatever you can think of, Solitär, I have considered... However, it has to be this way to be exciting. I just want to take a few members of the Demon Race and openly enter the central region of The Empire."
"Only in that country, which possesses the densest magical atmosphere and the strongest magical prowess, can I verify if my [Magic to Disguise as a Human] is capable of passing off the fake as the real."
Solitär fell silent. If she thought about it rationally, The Empire was definitely not a good choice. The risk was too high.
But... if she really believed in Fíliya, should she discard a bit of rationality at the appropriate time?
"Then we should at least ask for Aura's opinion, right?"
Solitär suddenly said.
"Huh? You would actually consider Aura?"
Fíliya looked at Solitär with a shocked face.
"..."
Solitär's gaze was slightly evasive. She just planned to push Aura out to take the bullet, hoping that fellow Aura would say something to refuse.
"Mmm, alright. Indeed, we should ask for her opinion."
...So Fíliya quickly called Aura in and told Aura of her plans.
"How about it, Aura? Do you dare go to The Empire?"
After speaking, Fíliya immediately looked at Aura with a provocative gaze.
"Hah? What is there not to dare? You all think I, Lady Aura, am a wimp? I have to prove today that I'm actually very brave! Isn't it just The Empire? Look at how much it has declined; what is there to be afraid of?"
Upon hearing this, Aura patted her chest directly, revealing a face full of confidence.
Solitär instantly covered her face with her hand, wearing an expression that said she couldn't bear to look.
She had counted on Aura being a bit cowardly and not agreeing to it. She didn't expect that this fellow, who had been a coward all her life, would suddenly become brave at a time like this.
"Very good!"
Fíliya, pleasantly surprised, high-fived Miss Aura.
Clap. Clap.
"How about it? Solitär, do you have anything else to say?"
Fíliya looked toward Solitär.
"Nothing more to say... Do as you please."
Solitär spoke, sighing deeply.
"Then... how long do you need to [Prepare]? That magic of yours that disguises us as humans isn't that easy for the Demon Race to master."
After sighing, Solitär immediately raised a realistic problem.
"Mmm, I've considered this point too... No matter what height you demons grow to, it is very difficult to learn this magic on your own. After all... you have no way to imagine the image of yourselves [Becoming Human]. So even though the structure isn't complex, it is very hard for the Demon Race to learn."
"Fortunately, I have already prepared a solution. I have already transferred your portion to you, Solitär. Next, I just need to relearn the [Magic to Disguise as a Human] twice, and then transfer this magic to Aura and Linie respectively once... Mmm, after all, I created this magic, so even if I transfer it away, relearning it is very fast. No need to worry about this point."
After saying these words, Fíliya's face brimmed with a confident smile. At this moment, she rejoiced greatly that she had learned this [Transfer Magic] from Serie. After all, having used it just slightly once, she immediately felt the benefits of this magic.
And hearing Fíliya speak like this, Solitär completely gave up.
Since this fellow planned to go to such lengths, what else could she do?
She could only let her have her way.