"So, what are you going to do now?"
Sense's voice came again, making Fíliya pause.
"What do you mean, 'what am I going to do'?"
She asked back decisively, as Sense's question was rather vague, and she wasn't sure what she was referring to.
"Your hand…"
Sense said, touching Fíliya's golden left arm.
"Oh... this? Don't worry, Sense. This is a contest between me and that Macht... I asked him to turn my hand to gold."
"I'm going to reverse this Gold Transformation right in front of him..."
"Besides, the Association will probably support me, right? If I can really do this, the people of Weise can be saved."
Fíliya said slowly.
"You... you were actually able to communicate normally with Macht?"
Sense said, slightly shocked.
"Hm? Have you never spoken with Macht, Sense? I heard from him that you all deliver supplies to him."
"Delivering supplies is done through a special method. We guardians don't enter the barrier... Our understanding of Macht is still very limited, and we have no idea how he operates. Contacting him rashly would be extremely dangerous..."
"If you've really spoken with him in detail... come back with me for a bit. I need to record the information you've gathered. It's very important to the Continental Magic Association, so I hope you'll cooperate."
"Huh?"
Hearing Sense's words, Fíliya was startled.
"Go back... go... go back where?"
She asked, a little nervously.
"Back to the station, of course. There's a small cabin a dozen or so kilometers from here. It's where I'm staying."
"Just come back with me for a bit so we can make some records."
Phew... Hearing Sense say that, Fíliya let out a small sigh of relief.
She had thought Sense was going to take her back to the City of Magic, and she really didn't want her journey to be cut short like that.
"Mm... alright."
After weighing her options, Fíliya finally agreed.
Seeing this, a smile returned to Sense's face, but it dimmed slightly when she looked at Fíliya's golden arm.
"Why would you do something so dangerous…"
"To reach a higher state, of course... Challenging the magic of a greater demon, don't you find that appealing?"
Fíliya answered without hesitation.
It was only then that Sense realized with surprise that her vexing little sister... had been completely transformed compared to when she first set out.
The Fíliya known for her [Mana Deficiency] had actually become this powerful.
The aura Fíliya now emitted was just like that of a veteran mage; her total mana was abundant and stable, showing no trace of her former [Deficiency].
Although she had always been confident in her sister's talent, Fíliya's transformation still startled Sense.
Is this the result of her... research on the Demon Race...
Sense couldn't help but marvel, but her worry for her sister brought her back to reality.
Her brow furrowed slightly.
"Even so... that kind of reckless contact is too dangerous! What if that Macht hadn't turned your left arm to gold, but had petrified your entire body instead?!!"
"Hmm... Then I guess I'd just have to hope future generations could save me?"
Fíliya touched a finger of her right hand to her lips, answering in a playful tone.
Although Fíliya brushed off the question with a mischievous tone, Sense's point took root in her mind.
She immediately began to ponder... Can the people Macht turned to gold actually [think]?
Hmm... They probably can't, right?
After all, I've already defined that ability myself. It isn't [Gold Transformation], it's [Time Stasis].
So, with everything frozen, it's impossible to think, isn't it?
That was actually a bit dangerous just now.
If my whole body had been turned to gold, there would have been no way for me to interrupt this state of [Time Stasis].
Thankfully, that didn't happen.
Fíliya thought.
......
There was truly no helping Fíliya's [death-seeking spirit].
And... lectures were useless; otherwise, she would have corrected this habit back when Fíliya was a child.
But... perhaps it's precisely because of this spirit that Fíliya is able to improve at a speed beyond my imagination... Sense thought.
"But you can't dispel this magic yet, can you... Are you planning to live with your hand like this?"
Sense continued to ask.
"Well, I'll live with it for a while. I have to say, there's a certain profundity to this magic."
"It will definitely take a lot of time to fully understand it... but I'm confident I can do it."
Fíliya looked at Sense with great confidence, and just as Sense was about to say something else, Fíliya spoke first.
"Mm, it's fine. It's just one arm."
"I've already prepared for the worst-case scenario. When the time comes, I'll just slice it right here, severing the entire scapula along with the arm. It's a simple matter. I can find a good priest to restore the limb afterward."
Fíliya's words left Sense speechless.
She really hated it when Fíliya proposed these plans to mutilate her own body.
Doesn't this girl know that people worry about her?
Sense thought indignantly.
But she also had to admit that Fíliya had a point.
If a person's entire body were turned to gold, it would indeed be irreversible, as the gold-covered parts become completely indestructible.
But if only one arm was transformed, she could be saved using Fíliya's method.
Thinking of this, Sense grew inexplicably angry.
And as her anger simmered, she couldn't help but scrutinize Fíliya, and then she saw it.
Something seemed to be missing from Fíliya's wrist.
So she grabbed Fíliya's wrist and asked, her tone a little unhappy.
"Where's that bracelet."
Bracelet? What bracelet?
Sense's abrupt question made Fíliya pause for a moment, but she quickly recovered and slapped her forehead.
"Oh... that bracelet! Of course I have it with me, look."
As Fíliya spoke, she pulled the obviously expensive sapphire bracelet from an inner pocket of her robe.
After showing it to Sense, Fíliya continued.
"Mmm, I never really got used to wearing bracelets. They jingle around on my wrist, so I just started carrying it in my pocket."
Fíliya thought her explanation was flawless, but to Miss Sense's ears, the words left a sour taste.
This girl, she's actually complaining about my gift...
Sense bit her lip but finally sighed in resignation.
She looked at Fíliya's big, innocent eyes and made a silent decision.
In the future... I should probably give her something that's easier to carry.
Earrings... or maybe... a ring.
___
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