The next morning, Takson woke at his usual time, but instead of starting his warm-up exercises, he went to my room. He was just about to knock when my voice came from within.
"Notice: Enter, Takson. I am aware of your presence."
Right, he thought. She always knows where I am. Knocking is pointless. He pushed the door open.
I was sitting on the edge of the bed, my back to him, staring out the window. The early morning sun streamed in, bathing my form in a soft, gentle light. My violet-blue hair seemed to sparkle. For a moment, he thought my skin itself was reflecting the light, like polished glass.
There was no scent in the room, save for the faint smell of old wood. My body produced no odor, a fact he had long ago attributed to my "angelic" nature.
I sat there, perfectly still, like a lifeless doll. He knew this was just my normal state of being.
"Query: What is the matter?" I asked, turning to face him, my amber eyes fixing on his. The familiar, unchanging emptiness in my gaze was, strangely, a source of comfort for him.
Click.
He walked into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Teacher, I have to ask," Takson began, his voice serious. "Why are we staying in this city? Before, even if there were monsters or demons nearby, you always dealt with them immediately. You never waste time."
I knew this question was coming. I saw no reason to hide the truth from him.
"Projection: In the near future, this city will be invaded by demons," I stated. "The probability of it being completely destroyed, with minimal survivors, is exceedingly high."
"What?! That's... horrible!" He didn't doubt my words for a second. His trust in me was absolute. His question hadn't been one of suspicion, but of simple curiosity.
"Conclusion: Therefore, I have chosen to remain and assist the city in confronting this crisis."
"I see." Understanding dawned on his face. He, more than anyone, knew what a demon invasion meant. He had seen the prosperity of this city, the life in its streets. The thought of it becoming another hell of blood and fire... it was unimaginable.
I saw the resolve harden in his eyes, the familiar flicker of hatred for demonkind resurfacing.
"Addendum: The number of demons in this invasion will be greater than the force that attacked your hometown."
"Right," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Then we need to warn the city lord, mobilize the garrison."
"Negative," I replied, cutting him off. "Informing the local authorities would be an inefficient use of resources."
"Huh? Why?"
"Justification: To the people of this city, we are strangers. Commoners. The probability of the city lord, a nobleman, believing our unsubstantiated claims is approximately 1%."
Takson's face fell as he realized I was right. He trusted me, but why would anyone else? My teacher was a being of pure logic; she wouldn't waste time on a plan with such a low chance of success. Still, a part of him felt they had to at least tryto warn them.
"Conclusion," I continued, "a warning is unnecessary. We will simply intercept the demon army outside the city walls, within visual range of the sentries. That will serve as a sufficient alert."
Anyone else would have scoffed at the idea of one person stopping an entire army. But Takson knew my power. In his eyes, I was an angel, a divine being. If I chose to act, everything would be alright.
Still, the thought of giving a warning nagged at him.
"Reminder: I will not interfere with your decisions, so long as you do not come to regret them," I said, my voice even.
His footsteps faltered. "Haha, guess I can't hide anything from you, Teacher," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks for understanding. I'll be right back."
He gave me a quick wave and headed off in the direction of the lord's manor.
After my apprentice had gone, I turned my attention back to the small objects in my hand.
Beep, beep, beep...
The light on the small device in Flamme's hand began to flash. A moment later, a shimmering golden portal opened in front of her. The little girl's jaw dropped, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and delight.
Two figures stepped through. It was Stell and Takson.
Flamme immediately noticed that Takson looked... sullen. Dejected, even. Ignoring him, she ran towards Stell, her arms open as if to give her a hug. Takson didn't stop her. Stell didn't move. But Flamme stopped just short, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Stell-neechan, what kind of magic is that? It's so cool!"
Stell didn't answer the question. "Query: Why did you summon me?"
As she spoke, her sensors were already scanning the area. They were in a field just outside the city. It was a place frequently patrolled by adventurers and guards; there were no monsters nearby. The girl is smarter than she looks, Stell thought.
"You told me to press the button if I wanted to see you, didn't you?" Flamme replied, puffing out her cheeks.
"Affirmative. I did not forget our agreement."
"Then it's all good! Come on, I want to show you something neat!" Flamme grabbed Stell's hand and started pulling her deeper into the woods. Takson followed silently behind, watching his teacher and the little girl with a thoughtful expression.
Flamme led them through the trees to a small, hidden pond, surrounded by a field of wildflowers. She immediately began weaving some of them into a flower crown. Takson, realizing this had nothing to do with him, found a clear spot and began his daily training exercises.
Stell watched the girl, a genuine, heartfelt smile on her face as she worked. She already considers me a friend? she wondered. So this is what Flamme was like as a child...
"Query: Flamme..."
"Yeah, what is it, Stell-neechan?" Flamme looked up from her work. She saw Stell's eyes, as cold and emotionless as ever. But she wasn't afraid. She had a feeling, a deep intuition, that beneath that icy exterior, her new friend wasn't as cold as she seemed.
"...Do you like magic?"
….
"Whoa, look, Stell-neechan!"
A small ball of fire hovered in the palm of Flamme's hand. She proudly held it out for Stell to see, like a student desperate for praise.
A faint glow emanated from Stell's eyes, but Flamme, in her excitement, didn't notice.
"Affirmative," Stell stated. "Your proficiency with the 'Fireball' spell has reached the required standard. You have successfully mastered this magic."
Praise from Stell filled Flamme with a deep sense of joy. Her parents had taught her the basics of magic before, even showing her her favorite spell, the "Spell to Make a Flower Field."
….
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