[But...]
Under Solitär's persuasion, Fíliya began to hesitate.
Seeing that her words seemed effective, Solitär continued.
[You said it yourself, that you would take me into the human world... Shouldn't you see it through to the end at a time like this? Besides... Aura and Linie should also be very interested in a human gala, right?]
As Solitär spoke, she turned her head and winked at Aura and Linie.
In reality, there was no need for that signal at all, because just as she said, those two were indeed very interested in things like parties.
[A human gala... Is it the kind where you can eat all the delicacies from land and sea until you're full?]
Aura immediately perked up with one hundred and twenty percent enthusiasm.
[Will the gala have apples?]
Linie's desires, compared to Aura's, appeared much smaller.
This child seemed to truly have a soft spot only for apples. Even though Solitär possessed cooking skills that wouldn't lose to a royal court chef, the thing Linie loved to eat most remained the most ordinary apples.
[Apples, huh... That's hard to say.]
Fíliya looked at Linie.
[After all, it is a celebratory gala. On such an occasion, the most common fruits like apples, which can be bought anywhere, might actually not make an appearance.]
[Is that so...]
Linie nodded calmly after hearing Fíliya's explanation. But just as Fíliya was expecting to hear words of refusal from Linie, the girl slowly revealed a smile.
[Then Linie wants to go too.]
Hah?
Hearing this answer, Fíliya felt the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.
...Tsk, I really wasted my affection on you!
[Very good, now it's three against one... Every vote among family members should have equal validity, right?]
Solitär locked eyes with Fíliya very happily, wearing a smile of victory on her face.
[B-But... I don't have clothes I can wear to a gala...]
Miss Fíliya was obviously still struggling.
[I'll make them for you. When we went shopping the day before yesterday, I already noted down several shops that sell fabric.]
[And I can't dance even less!]
[Heh... Who do you think you are talking to? I am the expert on humans, Solitär. Things like dancing, of course, I can teach you too.]
Solitär's face actually displayed that same mischievous grin that was usually Fíliya's trademark.
[Mn, my Magic Imitation should also be able to come in handy... I can help Lady Fíliya!]
Linie's tone, usually as calm as an ancient well, actually held a trace of excitement at this moment.
Tsk... what is going on? Why does it feel like these guys are more proactive than the last?
Fíliya was somewhat at a loss, but under the various instigations of the three, she could only sigh as if accepting her fate.
Then, wearing a dejected expression, she looked toward the Lord.
"Alright... I accept the invitation. We will attend the gala."
"I understand. Thank you very much for accepting the invitation... Later, I will send someone to escort everyone back to the inn. From this moment on, whatever requests you may have, I will do my utmost to satisfy them. I wish everyone a pleasant time in the city... Of course, I must thank you again for your assistance."
The Lord spoke and placed his right hand over his chest, seemingly intending to bow to Fíliya. But just then, Fíliya reached out and interrupted him.
"You've got the wrong person... The one who truly helped you solve the problem isn't me, you know."
As Fíliya spoke, she slowly stepped aside, revealing Aura who was standing diagonally behind her.
Hah?
Seeing this, Aura was instantly stunned, as if she hadn't expected this situation to occur at all.
While Aura's brain was still buzzing, the Lord had already bowed down, paying his respects to her.
"That is true, it was my oversight. Thank you for your assistance, Mage-dono... I have not yet asked for your name?"
"?"
Aura finally snapped out of her dazed state, but she still didn't know what to say.
Thus, she could only cast a pleading look at Fíliya, but she did not receive a response from Miss Fíliya. Fíliya simply gazed at her with calm eyes.
That look contained neither encouragement nor mockery, just quietly waiting for Aura to handle this problem herself.
"I... My name is... [Aura]..."
In the end, Aura could only apprehensively report her name.
"Aura, is it... Then, thank you once again for your assistance, Lady Aura."
The Lord expressed his gratitude to Aura with a solemn face.
After bidding farewell to the local Lord and being escorted back to the inn surrounded by a squad of guards, Miss Aura seemed to finally wake up completely.
"How was it? The taste of being sincerely thanked by someone isn't bad, is it?"
Fíliya sat on her bed, arms crossed over her chest, smiling as she spoke to Aura.
"Mn... It seems pretty good."
Aura nodded.
"See, I told you. Just using your real name is fine; no one will associate you with the Demon Race... Aside from not being able to fool that Frieren, it's no problem for anyone else."
Fíliya added.
"Mn..."
"By the way, why did you actually bring these cups back..."
Fíliya stood up and walked to the table, looking at the full tea set displayed there, finding it somewhat funny.
"Ah? A-At the time I didn't think much of it. Anyway, didn't that Lord say I could take it if I liked it... so I took it."
Aura answered timidly, a blush dyeing her face.
At this moment, Miss Aura truly resembled a green, innocent girl next door. Aside from her flushed, shy expression, the flower crown on her head added quite a few points to her maidenly temperament.
"Heheh..."
Fíliya's gaze slowly shifted to the top of Miss Aura's head.
"To think someone even presented you with a laurel... Tsk tsk, you're quite popular, dear Miss Aura."
Fíliya teased in a sarcastic tone.
"What popularity... Those human soldiers mostly have something wrong with their brains too. It was just helping them kill a demon... yet one by one they crowded around, chattering endlessly... I casually brushed them off with a few words, and as a result, someone ran over to put this flower wreath hat on me."
"That's called cheering and jumping for joy... After all, you did help them a great deal, so they did that because they are grateful in their hearts."
"Hmph..."
After listening to Fíliya's sentence, Aura fell silent and stopped speaking.
"By the way, Aura, you really don't have a single bit of psychological burden... You laid a killing hand on your own kin without mercy."
Fíliya continued to tease Aura with a playful tone. She even stood up excitedly, sat down next to Miss Aura, and then leaned her body sideways, resting her head on Aura's lap.
"!"
Aura felt her heart instantly skip a beat... and then instantly turned her head to look in Solitär's direction.
It's over! I'm going to get hit again! That was what she thought. But for some reason, this time Solitär seemed to give tacit approval, not flying in with a kick to send her into the wall like before.
"I... Didn't I do it all according to what you said... I only killed because you told me to kill... Besides, the Demon Race never had any burden regarding killing their own kind..."
Although Solitär didn't speak, it was visible that Miss Aura's nervous mood had not been alleviated.
"? In other words, you kill whoever I tell you to kill? So obedient."
"Well, otherwise... Right now... Isn't it that... I only have you?"
Miss Aura hemmed and hawed.
"...Is that so."
Aura's words stunned Fíliya. She really hadn't expected Aura to say that; instead, it made her feel a bit embarrassed.
So she sat up straight and reached out to pat Aura's head. This time, she didn't continue saying those teasing words to make Miss Aura embarrassed, but simply and silently soothed Aura's mood.
"You did well this time, so I'll praise you a little."
____
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