"Hey, Sense — just how many years older than me are you, anyway? Every time I ask, you never tell me."
Fíliya spoke up out of nowhere.
Sense blinked, caught off guard — then quickly composed herself and answered.
"If you already know I never tell you, why do you keep asking?"
Yes. Sense had decided to turn the question right back around.
"Mmm... well, it matters a lot how much older the person you like actually is, you know? Is it five years? Ten? Even more? Each one means a different kind of pressure."
Fíliya cupped her cheeks in both hands, her face wearing an expression of longing that was entirely at odds with her age.
Sense blinked again — frozen.
Was Fíliya always this... direct, even as a child?
What on earth was I thinking back then... or did I just assume she was always joking?
And so, in an atmosphere that could only be described as delicate, Sense forced herself through the rest of the porridge until the bowl was clean.
The moment she saw it was finished, Fíliya immediately brightened and gathered up the utensils and the wooden box together with cheerful efficiency.
"Then I won't bother you any longer. I've got things to do — actually, I just got a new idea."
Fíliya said it lightly, already heading toward the front door, and she had just placed her hand on the handle — already about to open it — when Sense moved first.
Strands of hair shot forward and wound themselves around Fíliya's body, stopping her in place.
"Hm?"
Feeling the gentle pull of the strands, Fíliya turned around at once, looking toward Sense with curious eyes.
"Today... could you stay?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Sense's face flushed a deep red — as though she were the little sister desperate for her older sister not to leave.
"Mmm... Sense, you really are strange. Normally it's me who clings to you, and sometimes you even find me annoying. Waking up from one sleep and having your whole personality change like this... No, this is bad. I need to contact the Magic Association right away — there might be residual interference from Mind Control Magic on you!"
Fíliya said it with a completely straight face, then made to turn and bolt out the door.
She was promptly grabbed by Sense's hair and pulled right back.
"I'm fine... It's just — it's been so long since I've seen you."
Sense murmured, biting lightly at her lip.
"But you only slept for two days."
"I know... but... it felt like a very long time in the dream."
Sense continued, defending herself quietly.
"Is that so... Alright, fine. I'll push things back a bit. I'm a kid — the one thing I'm definitely not short on is time. The Association recommended I enroll at the Empire's magic academy, but then said I was a little too young and to come back in a few years... honestly, so boring."
Fíliya grumbled, but she stopped resisting — and instead settled herself quite contentedly into Sense's lap, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"So — I'll keep you company for a few more days? You just finished a really important mission for the Association. They probably won't be assigning you anything new for a while, right?"
"Mm."
Sense gave a small nod.
"Then... will we bathe together?"
Fíliya dipped her head as she said it — but from Sense's angle, the girl was clearly blushing.
"Mm."
"And sleep together? The kind where we hold each other?"
Fíliya lifted her head at once, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Mm..."
Sense nodded again.
And so, evening came quickly — and just as they had agreed, the two of them bathed together, then lay down side by side in bed.
"She really is just a child... the moment her head touched the pillow, she was out."
Sense rolled onto her side, watching the little figure whose eyes had already fallen shut — and found herself quietly charmed.
In that moment, she wanted nothing more than for time to stop here, forever.
As for her original mission — she even felt a sudden, reckless impulse: forget it. Just stay like this... and live this life all over again, together with Fíliya.
But the sense of responsibility stirring in her chest kept Sense tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
The mission... humanity's future...
The weight of it all pressed down on her, suffocating.
How cruel. To let me find a happiness this simple — and then remind me, at every turn, that I am the one who must shatter it with my own hands.
Sense clenched her fist, feeling a heaviness in her chest that she couldn't shake.
At last, almost without thinking, she reached for that magic.
The privilege she had once sought from Serie, the God of Magic.
At this point in time, she was still only a Second-Class Mage — she would not have known this magic yet. But its principles and its method were carved into her memory.
After several attempts, she finally managed to cast it — the magic that let her set aside everything, and simply fall asleep.
— In the days that followed, Sense allowed herself to simply enjoy the quiet. She did not force herself to put the mission first, and at the same time resumed her ordinary work at the Magic Association.
Not yet a First-Class Mage, she naturally had no standing to seek an audience with Serie — but whenever she thought of the fact that Serie was somewhere deep within the Association's halls, her feelings grew unbearably tangled.
A thought had occurred to her.
Should she... tell the Serie of this era that she had come from the future? Seek the help of this timeline's Serie?
But after wavering back and forth, Sense found she still could not bring herself to say it.
Because she was afraid — terrified that if she told this timeline's Serie that Fíliya would one day bring catastrophe upon the entire human world... Serie might act against Fíliya immediately, to eliminate the threat before it could take root.
That was the last thing Sense wanted to see.
And so, reluctantly, she had no choice but to push the mission back to the forefront of her mind.
One day, Sense visited Fíliya's home just as she usually did. She had a key to the place, so there was no need to knock.
Fíliya was sitting by the window with a book in her lap. Hearing that it was Sense, she only glanced up to offer her a smile — then went right back to reading.
This was simply how Fíliya's days went. Beyond her magical research, she had other interests too.
Right now, for instance, she was reading something along the lines of epic biographies — tales of heroes and history.
"Sense... what kind of creatures are Demons, really? The books all say they're monsters, but there are enormous differences between different types of monsters... Hmm. I really do want to catch one and study it properly."
Fíliya said it offhandedly.
Those words made Sense's heart leap straight into her throat.
This is exactly what my mission is about... I need to make Fíliya lose interest in the Demon Race.
Easy enough to say — but how, exactly, am I supposed to do that?
"Demons are nothing but monsters who happen to be able to speak. They're not fundamentally different from any other monster that threatens human lives. Boring, really... Why aren't you doing magic research today?"
Sense redirected the topic stiffly — but that only made Fíliya more intrigued.
"Hm? Sense, have you actually met Demons? Why else would you say they're boring — come on, tell me about them."
Looking into those wide eyes brimming with curiosity, Sense found herself at a complete loss for what to do.
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