[Well, that was then, and this is now. I'm training you right now, you know? You've spent decades living a leisurely life, so I'm afraid you don't have a shred of combat memory left. I have to make you rediscover the feeling of fighting others now, to avoid you suffering a big loss later.]
Fíliya spoke with a solemn expression, as if she were truly considering Aura's best interests.
[I still don't want to! I am a Mage, so why should I give up my advantages and use something I'm not good at to fight a Warrior... In a head-on, one-on-one situation, and at such close range, only using Ordinary Attack Magic? Are you trying to get me killed?]
Aura spoke, pouting and glaring at Fíliya in unhappiness.
[Not at all. Look at me, aren't I handling it with ease?]
Fíliya tilted her head slightly and asked in return.
[Then you should teach me that High-Speed Movement Magic of yours! Aren't you relying on that to maneuver around Warriors too?!]
Aura spoke, puffing up her cheeks in anger.
[Eh? Teaching you is fine, we can find a time for that... It's just that I express doubt regarding whether your intellect is capable of learning it. This is very hard to learn, you know? I can't bear to just 'Transfer' it to you; you'll have to try and see if you can learn it yourself.]
[Can you stop always beating around the bush to call me stupid?!]
[Shocking truth... When did I ever beat around the bush? I have always been stating it explicitly, haven't I?]
[You! I can't be bothered to argue with you!]
Aura clenched her fists in rage and simply stopped talking.
Meanwhile, that Demon General, Terrance, arrived beneath the tower once again.
Having been thoroughly teased by Fíliya, he surprisingly showed no signs of anger. He simply began charging up a certain martial technique again, seemingly intending to shatter the city gate in one go.
[Look, the situation is critical. Aura, hurry up!]
Fíliya urged her, then spoke again.
[Wu... actually, I can understand your feelings. After all, in the traditional sense, Warriors always counter Mages... Making a Mage fight a Warrior in close-quarters single combat really is making things too difficult for you... Did you think I would say that?!]
In the first half of the sentence, Aura actually thought this fellow had recovered a shred of conscience, but she hadn't expected she was just teasing her again.
[Stop kidding yourself. Warriors? Bullshit Warriors! Saying that every class has its own strengths and weaknesses, that there are counter relationships between classes... Let that kind of nonsense go to hell! We Mages are existences that reign supreme over all other classes! Any other Warriors, Heroes, Priests, or Assassins are only fit to lick our shoes! Go, Aura! Go prove the gold-standard quality of us Mages!]
Fíliya spoke, waving her hand grandly to point out the path forward for Aura... although that target was currently directly beneath them.
"Tsk... You say it so nicely, but in the end, aren't you just dumping the problem on someone else... Ahhh, so annoying, I'll go, alright!"
Aura ruthlessly scratched her hair twice, then jumped down from the tower with great reluctance.
After watching Aura leap down from the tower, Fíliya immediately lost interest in the battle situation below... or rather, she hadn't planned to pay attention to it from the start.
She simply turned to look at Lord Warren Bunir.
"Lord Warren, come to think of it, I'm a bit thirsty. Do you have anything to drink here?"
Fíliya asked casually. This attitude, as if she were just chatting idly, startled the Lord once again.
This was a manifestation of Fíliya's extreme trust in her companions... at least, that was how the Lord interpreted it.
Thus, he hurriedly replied.
"Of course, I will arrange it for you immediately."
So, Fíliya took Solitär and Linie and followed the Lord to a room that resembled a parlor.
Not long after they sat down, someone brought drinks to Fíliya. However, looking at the liquid in the bottle gleaming with a purplish-red luster, Fíliya immediately furrowed her brows.
Because clearly, the drink the Lord had prepared for them was wine.
"This is our local specialty, [Hummelie]. I wonder if Lady Fíliya has heard of it?"
The Lord smiled lightly, raising his goblet to look at Fíliya.
"[Hummelie]? It sounds more like a person's name."
Before Fíliya could speak, it was Solitär who spoke up, showing a rare curiosity. After all, she liked various human arts and crafts.
"Because this wine is named after that girl... However, thinking about it now, Hummelie should have reached the age to be called 'Granny', right? Mn... I remember the story goes like this. A winery on the verge of bankruptcy, where the owner tried to use 'Maiden Foot-Stomped Must' as a gimmick for a final gamble. And the maiden responsible for stomping the grapes for the wine was this Hummelie... The later development was quite cliché. In short, it was a massive success. I even heard that the wine stomped by Hummelie's feet was more fragrant and mellow than that stomped by other maidens... Of course, I personally express deep skepticism about this."
Fíliya briefly finished telling the story, then postured by raising her goblet to observe the wine inside.
"That is exactly right. I didn't expect you to have heard this story as well... And I can prove to you that the legend is true, you know? Before Hummelie retired, the flavor of [Hummelie] could be said to be on a whole other level. Nowadays... although it is still a famous wine known far and wide, it is indeed inferior to the quality stomped out by Hummelie back then."
The Lord replied with a light smile.
This answer aroused a thick curiosity in Fíliya.
She hadn't expected the legend to actually be true. Was the grape must stomped by Hummelie herself really of better quality than that stomped by other maidens?
Was it because Hummelie's feet had a bacterial flora that could promote a unique flavor in the wine's fermentation? Or did this maiden receive the blessing of some [God of Wine]?
Wu, but on this land, aside from that certain [Goddess] who is elusive and rarely seen, I haven't seemingly heard of other deities...
Forget it, who can explain these things clearly anyway? Besides... this isn't a field Fíliya cares much about.
Abandoning the idea of getting to the bottom of it, Fíliya turned her head and saw Solitär observing her with great interest.
"Mn?"
Fíliya tilted her head slightly, sending a question mark toward Solitär.
[Don't you find it interesting? You clearly can't touch a drop of alcohol, yet you are very familiar with many stories and legends about wine.]
[So that's what you were thinking about... Mn, isn't that very normal? I've always been very curious about wine... After all, wine can be said to be an indispensable seasoning in various legendary stories... Heroes have wine when they set out, they have wine when singing high in triumph, they have wine when accompanied by close friends, and even when trapped in desperate straits and full of sorrow, they fantasize about having one last sip of wine. So I've always yearned for wine... But it wasn't until I actually drank it that I realized it wasn't that great... Of course, mainly because I simply can't drink it.]
Fíliya spoke, then lowered her head as if somewhat helpless.
____
New Story: Junji Ito: I Shall Smash Hellstar Remina
✅ Access up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Receive exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan