And so, during the subsequent interview session, the other examinees were surprised to notice one thing: when they walked into the atrium of the Imperial Palace, they could clearly see Fíliya standing dutifully behind Serie, looking completely well-behaved.
However, obviously no one dared to gossip at a time like this.
...
Under the scrutiny of Serie and Fíliya, Kanne stood ramrod straight, looking as if she didn't even dare to breathe.
"This one is obviously a no-go, right? Look at how scared she is just seeing me; this child is hopeless."
As Serie spoke, she turned her head to exchange a glance with Fíliya, as if seeking Fíliya's opinion.
"Mmh, she indeed lacks a bit of polish, but I wouldn't say she's hopeless, right?" Fíliya chimed in casually.
"It is hopeless. Someone who is terrified the moment they see an opponent stronger than themselves cannot become a First-Class Mage."
"Then I can only reserve my opinion," Fíliya said with a shrug.
"Is that so? Then it is a failure. You may go."
Serie issued the order directly to Kanne.
Kanne was naturally bewildered. She had never expected that after going through two rounds of testing, she would be eliminated in this final round after just a casual glance... This was truly hard for people to accept.
However, Kanne was not without self-awareness. She knew very well that she had received varying degrees of care in both rounds of the test to be able to pass... She was still far from reaching the standard where she could [stand on her own].
Thus, Kanne could only take a deep, silent breath, then stepped forward a few paces and arrived in front of Fíliya.
"Um, returning this to you."
Wearing a solemn expression, Kanne handed the book [Fíliya's Water Magic] back to Fíliya.
"Oh? Not planning to keep it?"
Fíliya raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly a bit surprised, but she didn't say much more and simply took the grimoire back.
"Mmh, I have memorized all of it. Of course, I can't use it freely yet; I need to spend a little more time," Kanne said, scratching the back of her head with some embarrassment.
"In that case, you must practice more in the future."
"Mmh..."
Kanne nodded, yet she showed no intention of leaving.
"Hmm? Are you planning to stick around and not leave?" Fíliya asked proactively upon seeing this.
"Um... You, Miss Fíliya, could you be my teacher?!"
After taking a deep breath, Kanne finally asked the question that had troubled her for a long time. Although it was strange to ask someone not much older than herself to be her master, she still wanted to do it.
"No."
Unfortunately, Miss Fíliya rejected her expressionlessly, without even a shred of hesitation.
"Eh... M-May I ask the reason for the refusal?" Kanne asked timidly.
"...Because you are too weak. If you want to be my disciple, at least become a First-Class Mage first."
Fíliya's emotions remained completely unfluctuating.
But for Miss Kanne, that was enough. And so, she secretly made up her mind that in the new round of testing three years from now, she would definitely become a First-Class Mage.
Eventually, watching Kanne's retreating figure disappear into the atrium, Serie couldn't help but shoot a doubtful glance at Fíliya.
"Do you truly believe that child has potential? I still feel she cannot become a First-Class Mage."
"Heh heh, Serie, this is a sign that you don't understand the human heart... Let me tell you a truth about humanity."
"[Do not look down on anyone who works hard]."
Fíliya looked at Serie with an enigmatic expression, but Serie merely let out a disdainful sound—
"Tch."
Next to come for the audience was Denken. The moment Serie saw Denken, she immediately revealed a look of distaste.
"Imperial Court Mage Denken, is it? You have wisdom to spare, abundant experience, and your magic level is not bad. Furthermore, you can bring out sufficient cruelty when the occasion calls for it... It is a pity, you are too old now... I have no interest in dregs that have already burned out. Failure. You may go."
"..."
Denken voiced no objection to this; he simply stood his ground and did not choose to leave.
"Sigh... Serie, even though you are a fellow who has lived for who knows how long, it seems that something like [an eye for talent] is not something that can be honed by time."
Fíliya rested her hands on Serie's shoulders. While kneading Serie's shoulders with gentle force, she slowly voiced her own view.
"Hmm? Is there something wrong with what I said?" Serie asked in return.
"Why don't you take another careful look?"
Fíliya said nothing more. Instead, she sandwiched Serie's cheeks between the palms of her hands and, slightly forcefully, turned her face to point directly at Denken.
"..."
Serie was slightly startled in her heart. After all... Fíliya was the first fellow who dared to commit such an act of [impudence] against her.
But she didn't say much, and her attention quickly focused on Denken.
"Wait..."
Serie seemed to finally realize something.
"Denken, when you saw me, you considered how to fight me... didn't you?"
Serie probed with some disbelief.
"Just for an instant... Only for an instant, and I abandoned it immediately," Denken said honestly.
"Very good... Very good..."
Serie's tone was immediately dyed with delight. For her, a mage who still possessed the desire to fight after [facing her terror] directly was a rare talent.
"You pass. Apologies, my eyes failed me. You have indeed not burned out yet."
Serie admitted her mistake quite frankly, then allowed Denken to pass the test.
...Wait until Denken had left, a cheeky grin immediately surged onto Fíliya's face.
"Do you have nothing to say to me? Like 'thank you' or something? If I hadn't reminded you, you would have missed a talent, you know?"
"Tsk, no... By the way, didn't Sense teach you to have manners when meeting me? You disrespectful thing."
Serie rolled her eyes directly at Fíliya, but this was only on the surface. In her heart, she was actually becoming more and more satisfied with this young human girl.
After all... whether it was Lernen or Sense and the others, they were all far too [reverent] toward her; conversely, when she was with this unreliable lass Fíliya, she could let down many of her airs and become incredibly relaxed.
...
Very quickly, Miss Edel also appeared here.
"Failure... I intended to say that, but Fíliya, you surely have something to say to me, right?"
Serie turned directly to look at Fíliya.
"Mmh, Edel's level can undoubtedly be ranked as a First-Class Mage; you can certainly understand this too, Serie... As for her lack of combat power, I feel that can be solved by [Companions]."
"Is that so... Then she passes."
Serie said no more and agreed directly to Fíliya's proposal. This surprised Edel somewhat, so she hurriedly cast a grateful look at Fíliya before tactfully withdrawing with great delight.
"Since you mentioned [Companions], that child's safety will be your responsibility from now on."
Once Edel had withdrawn, Serie immediately looked at Fíliya with a mischievous smirk.
"Eh? But I refuse. I have too many things to do in the future... I really can't bring her along."
Fíliya shook her head helplessly.
"Oh? You arbitrarily barged into someone's world, and in the end, you want to dump them and ignore them? You really are a heartless and willful fellow."
"Mmh... I didn't say I'd ignore her completely, did I? If there's a chance, I will still protect her. But with so many First-Class Mages in our Magic Association, there's no need to bind Edel to my side, right?"
"Heh... Do you know what this behavior of yours is called when judged by human standards?"
Serie seemed to have found a good opportunity to mouth off at Fíliya, so she appeared exceptionally excited at this moment.
"What is it?"
It was unclear if Fíliya truly didn't understand or if she was pretending.
"To sum it up in one phrase, you really are a [bad thing]."
____
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