Aura found it very strange.
She didn't understand what this human in front of her was doing.
This gesture of placing a hand on her forehead and rubbing it back and forth—was it some kind of ritual? Or perhaps... the opening stance for some bizarre magic?
At this thought, Aura's eyes widened, and she warily leaped two meters back.
"?"
Fíliya looked at Solitär, her gaze seeming to ask.
"What is she doing?"
But Solitär could only shake her head helplessly.
Expecting her to decipher Aura's train of thought was asking a bit too much.
So, Fíliya could only turn her gaze to Aura.
"Your condition is more serious than I thought, Aura... I wonder if a 'Magic to Increase Intelligence' even exists in this world."
Fíliya wore an expression of deep contemplation.
"I am not stupid! You, on the other hand, why were you making that gesture at me? Are you trying to harm the great Lady Aura?"
Aura said with a wary expression.
"Hah? What reason would I have to harm you? If I really wanted to deal with you, I wouldn't have needed to stop Solitär when she was getting angry."
...Oh, right.
The realization dawned on Aura belatedly.
In other words, her reaction was, perhaps, just a little over the top?
Aura tried to feign composure, but her slightly flushed cheeks completely betrayed her inner thoughts.
"Hmph. Fine, Lady Aura has misjudged you."
Although Aura conceded verbally, her expression showed not the slightest hint of apology.
But this was good enough. It was a breakthrough, from zero to one.
So, Fíliya chuckled and beckoned Aura over. Only when Aura was standing right in front of her did she speak.
"Mm-hmm, it's good that you know you were wrong. Since you're actively admitting your mistake, I'll give you a little reward. Open your mouth."
As Fíliya spoke, she casually picked up a small pastry from the table.
"What for..."
Aura was hesitant, but she did as she was told, slowly opening her mouth.
Miss Fíliya gently placed the pastry into Aura's mouth.
A flicker of astonishment crossed Aura's eyes, but she immediately began to chew.
"Mmph... What is this? This counts as a reward? Humans are so strange. And this thing doesn't even taste good."
Uh-oh.
The moment those words left Aura's mouth, Miss Fíliya began to hold a moment of silence for the fool.
Meanwhile, Miss Aura seemed completely unaware of how dangerous her statement was.
It wasn't until Solitär sent her flying seven or eight meters with a kick, causing her to crash into a bookshelf and spill the animal carcasses preserved in jars all over the floor, that Aura realized she had been attacked.
Aura shakily climbed to her feet, clutching her clearly red and swollen cheek, her eyes filled with disbelief. Solitär's kick had landed squarely on her face. So even though Aura was a Great Demon who had lived for five hundred years... her opponent was Solitär, who had lived for a millennium. When that foot connected with her face, Aura had no time to mount any defense, as she wasn't the type who excelled in one-on-one combat to begin with.
"Solitär, are you insane? Why did you hit me?! It was just a piece of human food!"
Yikes...
Miss Fíliya was astonished by Aura's stubbornness. Even at this point, how did she still dare to talk back?
So stubborn, yet so cowardly. What a contradiction you are, Aura.
"Aura, there's a limit to not being able to read the room. If you don't want to get hit again, I think you'd better surrender."
Miss Fíliya offered a kind reminder.
...This human was right.
Aura swallowed a mouthful of bloody saliva as countless scenarios of her own execution by Solitär flashed through her mind.
She could see it clearly: Solitär was already preparing her next attack. Aura knew she had to react quickly.
Fine. Lady Aura's guiding principle in this world is simple: cowardice. It's just surrendering, isn't it? With Solitär like this, what else can I do but kneel before you?
With a flying leap, Aura slid on her knees right up to Solitär and wrapped both arms around her thigh.
"I was wrong! I was wrong! I don't know where I went wrong, but I was still wrong! Please, Solitär, don't kill me!! If you forgive me, I'll do anything!"
Beautiful.
Miss Fíliya praised her internally.
She truly appreciated Miss Aura's ugly struggle for survival.
So, she also spoke up.
"Solitär? See, Aura seems quite sincere. Why not let her off just this once?"
"Hmph. If you say so, Fíliya."
Solitär lowered her attack stance and shook the heap from her leg.
Thank heavens.
Miss Aura's face was filled with the relief of having survived a disaster. She couldn't be bothered to dwell on why her desperate pleas seemed less effective than a single casual word from Fíliya.
In any case, all that mattered was that she was safe. And, in that moment, she learned the name of the human before her from Solitär's own lips for the first time.
"Fíliya." Very well. Lady Aura would not forget this name.
After the cheerful little interlude, the three of them returned to their respective chairs.
As for the mess made by Miss Aura's body a short distance away... well, Fíliya and Solitär certainly weren't going to deal with it. Someone would clean it up later. Yes, the kind of someone who would have to, whether she wanted to or not.
"Aura, I have a third reason for you to give up on attacking human cities. Do you want to hear it?"
It was Fíliya who spoke first again.
"Hah? I don't want to. I've already given up. If it's really as you say—that humans not only have invincible allies, but also have the potential to produce monsters stronger than the Hero—then what's the point of fighting... Life is hard. This grudge... Lady Aura will just have to let it go..."
Aura said unhappily, but when she saw Fíliya's displeased expression, she felt she might have said something wrong again.
What's going on? It's one thing to habitually curry favor with Solitär, but why would I care about this human's mood?
She didn't understand, but she spoke anyway.
"Fine, fine, I want to hear it! I want to hear it, alright?!"
"Mm, very good. The third reason is that even if everything I said before didn't count... even if humans couldn't produce someone stronger than the Hero, and that 'god of magic' absolutely didn't intervene, you would still fail."
...Aura was already giving in to despair. Yes, yes, I get it. I, Aura, am useless. I can't accomplish anything, right?
But she was still a little curious as to why she would fail even under those circumstances.
Fíliya chuckled lightly and said.
"Because your Magic of Obedience (Auserlese) isn't invincible. As far as I know, there are at least two other people in this world that the Magic of Obedience cannot handle."
"One is the elven mage from the Hero's party, Frieren. As for the other..."
As Fíliya said this, a very mysterious expression appeared on her face, which only piqued Aura's curiosity further. She pressed on.
"Who's the other one?"
"Far away in the heavens, yet right before your eyes, Aura."
______
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