The Hero and the Mage

Without bothering to finish her breakfast, Kirishima Shiro quickly got to her feet.

She pulled the door open and ran straight into Hoshino Sakio standing outside.

“Good morning, Kirishima!”

As she spoke, Hoshino Sakio looked curiously into the living room.

Everything seemed normal.

Florna was inside eating breakfast as well—it looked like she’d worried for nothing.

Noticing Sakio glancing repeatedly toward Florna, Kirishima Shiro asked, “Good morning.

Hoshino, are you here to see Florna?”

“Not really… well, sort of,” Hoshino Sakio quickly corrected herself, stammering a little as she explained.

“I haven’t seen Florna in a long time either.”

Last time, she’d even regretted leaving in such a hurry, without properly getting closer to Florna.

“That’s great then!”

Not seeing each other for a full two days really did count as a long time.

Kirishima Shiro was genuinely happy about it.

At least with Sakio here, things between her and Florna wouldn’t feel so awkward anymore.

The sudden lift in her tone immediately drew a puzzled look from Hoshino Sakio.

“Uh, I mean—why not come in and have breakfast together?

Florna made quite a lot.”

With a light, eager mood, Kirishima Shiro invited Hoshino Sakio inside.

The more unwelcome Sakio had been last time, the more she hoped she would come in now.

“Thank you.”

Hoshino Sakio entered the living room a little stiffly and sat down beside Florna.

Seeing Sakio move closer, Florna felt uneasy inside.

She wasn’t sure whether the Delicious effect was still active.

If Sakio suddenly leaned over and slurped her in front of Kirishima Shiro, she would absolutely explode!

Fortunately, after a tense moment, Hoshino Sakio showed no strange behavior.

She only occasionally glanced in Florna’s direction.

Florna let out a long sigh of relief.

“Looks like the effect has worn off.”

Hoshino Sakio’s eyes lit up.

“This is delicious!”

Though it looked like an utterly ordinary breakfast, the moment it touched her tongue, it carried an especially enticing aroma.

It made her—someone who’d already eaten—want to have a few more bites.

Kirishima Shiro raised both hands in agreement.

“Right?

I only realized today that Florna’s cooking is this good.”

Quietly watching Shiro and Sakio chat while eating breakfast, Florna suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with the scene.

Once upon a time, the hero’s party had also started with just three people.

Back then, they too had sat together like this, eating breakfast.

The conditions weren’t as good as they were now, but it had felt just as warm.

“It’s a shame.

After the subjugation ended, everyone went off to handle their own affairs.

Only someone like me—a retired person with nothing to do—still reminisces about the past.”

Florna laughed at herself inwardly.

She wondered if they were all eating properly these days.

…

On a wooden rack against the wall sat an assortment of strange containers.

A mage stood in front of an alchemy cauldron, muttering to herself.

“Star-Year Powder, Shadowleaf of the Nether, Alfred’s Root, Elixir of Life…

My Elixir of Life?!”

Various materials leapt into the cauldron along invisible trajectories, the liquid inside glowing softly.

Then, the absence of one ingredient broke the rhythm.

The cauldron began to rumble violently as black smoke billowed out.

Pushing open a window and dispersing the smoke with wind magic, Abigail’s face darkened ominously.

“Cough, cough—don’t let me find out who stole my Elixir of Life!”

In five days, it would be time to submit her potion.

This was a matter of whether she could graduate—and someone just had to mess with her now.

Stealing from me?

They must be tired of living!

“And what happens if you do find them?”

A hand suddenly appeared out of thin air, poking Abigail’s puffed-up cheek and sending ripples through space.

“Obviously, I’d strip them naked, force-feed them an aphrodisiac, and hang them at the entrance of Tia Magic Academy as a public example.”

“That’s terrifying.

Then I guess I’d better not get caught.

Before that, let me borrow something from you to soak in alcohol.”

With a small twitch, Abigail felt a sudden chill below, as if something had been stolen.

Seeing the hand about to withdraw, Abigail clutched her skirt and shouted through gritted teeth.

“Mu Kongyi, you perverted panty-stealing hero!”

That familiar spatial ability and shameless tone—how could she mistake it?

She pulled a short staff from her sleeve, chanting an incantation as she tore open a rift in space.

On the other side, Mu Kongyi was holding a triangular piece of clothing, about to stuff it into a wine jug.

“Give that back!”

In her panic, Abigail summoned several mage hands and used a grappling spell, dragging Mu Kongyi out of subspace.

But a hero wouldn’t be caught so easily.

With a few movements, Mu Kongyi broke free from the mage hands.

After a chaotic struggle, the triangular garment was finally reclaimed by a panting Abigail.

“Was that really necessary?

Really?”

Mu Kongyi looked at the giant golem restraining her.

“I just came to borrow some alcohol.

Is this how you treat guests?”

“Only you could say something so shameless with a straight face.”

Clearly, Abigail was already used to Mu Kongyi’s nonsense.

She patted the golem.

“Put her down.”

The golem knelt on one knee, lowering Mu Kongyi and releasing her in front of Abigail.

Even so, Abigail still had to tilt her head up to meet Mu Kongyi’s eyes.

“Little Abby, you still haven’t grown taller after all this time,” Mu Kongyi said, trying hard to suppress her laughter.

“I’m a halfling.

If I did grow taller, that would be weird.”

Halflings generally stood around 1.2 meters tall.

Someone like Abigail, who reached 1.35 meters, was already considered outstanding among her people.

She dragged over a chair and stacked several books on top.

Now it was Mu Kongyi’s turn to look up at her.

Mu Kongyi laughed.

“Looks like you do care about your height.”

“So why are you here?”

Mu Kongyi was a master at getting under people’s skin.

Abigail didn’t bother arguing about height and got straight to the point.

“Can’t I come see you if there’s nothing going on?” Mu Kongyi turned her head aside.

“If there’s nothing going on, then no, you can’t.

I’m busy.

And aren’t you busy too?”

After the Demon King’s surrender, the hero had to travel among the major powers to mediate conflicts.

By all rights, Mu Kongyi should’ve been attending the king’s morning banquet.

“Busy.

Being busy is good,” Mu Kongyi’s tone shifted.

“So I left a clone there and slipped out.

You have no idea how annoying those nobles are.”

“Of course I know.

Otherwise, why do you think I chose to study here instead of becoming a court mage?”

It was all because she couldn’t stand the scheming and intrigue of nobles.

After confirming that the Elixir of Life was intact, Abigail continued.

“But that still doesn’t justify you stealing my brew.”

Mu Kongyi argued, “It’s not stealing.

It’s borrowing.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“I’m hungry.

Do you have anything to eat, Abigail?”

“Don’t change the subject.

No food.

Potions, however, are unlimited.”

“Then forget it.

I’m afraid you’ll feed me an aphrodisiac.”

At that, Abigail rolled her eyes.

If she actually fed an aphrodisiac to this copper-skinned hero, she’d probably be executed on the spot.

Mu Kongyi only ever restrained herself a little when Florna was around.