“Ahaha...”
“Excuse me.”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
I found myself sharing a table with the three of them—Amelia, Rebecca-senpai, and Ariane.
The seating was arranged so that Lise sat directly next to me, while the other three sat across from us.
How should I put this? The air felt strangely heavy. Was I just imagining the immense pressure radiating from across the table?
Eventually, everyone’s orders were served.
“Now then. My, my, what a beautiful display of friendship.”
Lise’s voice was as monotone as ever, yet I had the feeling her expression was softening just a fraction.
“Shall we introduce ourselves? Since it’s my first time meeting two of you.”
Lise subtly deployed a barrier to prevent our conversation from leaking to the surroundings. Using magic in the city was technically prohibited, but the underlying rule was simply that one shouldn’t get caught. Her use of it here was likely covered by a tacit understanding.
“I am one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers. The Sorcerer of Fiction, Lieselotte Eden. You may simply call me Lise.”
The others followed suit, starting with Amelia.
“I’m Amelia Rose. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I am Ariane Algren.”
Finally, it was Rebecca-senpai’s turn.
“We’ve met before, but I am Rebecca Bradley.”
“Ah, Rebecca, yes. We spoke briefly the other day. And then we have Amelia and Ariane. Good. I’ve committed your names to memory.”
Lise pointed at each of them as she confirmed their names.
I had heard before that Lise was actually quite poor at remembering names. She could memorize the complex compositions of magic codes in an instant, and she possessed something akin to a photographic memory for academic matters, but names were a different story.
Having to explicitly confirm them like this must have been quite an ordeal for her. The fact that she was making the effort suggested she was growing in her own way.
We were both kindred spirits, in a sense—people wandering through life.
In the midst of that journey, she was trying to move forward, starting with her appearance. Witnessing her change made me feel as happy as if the progress were my own.
“If I may ask...” Rebecca-senpai began, her eyes narrowing as she stared fixedly at Lise. “Your appearance is quite different from the last time we met. Has there been some change in your state of mind?”
Lise lowered the hand holding her teacup and uttered something truly outrageous.
“There is only one reason a woman changes herself, wouldn't you say?”
“...? And that would be?”
Rebecca-senpai looked blank for a moment, but in the next second, the air in the cafe completely froze.
“Because I met him. Ray White, that is.”
With those words, Lise clung to my arm and rested her head on my right shoulder.
I hadn't expected such a bold move, so even I was caught off guard.
“Wait...!?”
“Fufu. Sorry. But I see... I think I understand the general dynamic here now. Human emotions really are fascinating.”
When I looked straight ahead, Amelia’s expression had turned grim, while Rebecca-senpai was wearing a radiant smile for some reason. That smile looked twenty percent more brilliant than usual, but there was no mistaking the overwhelming pressure behind it.
On the other hand, Ariane had a hand to her forehead and was muttering, “I see. So that’s how it is...”
It was an instantaneous clash of wills, yet I couldn't fully grasp the complexity of the situation. As I suspected, the interpersonal relationships of women were beyond my understanding. I decided I would have to consult Master about this at a later date.
“Well then. It’s not good for an old woman to overstay her welcome. I think I’ll take Amelia Rose and excuse myself.”
“Eh!? M-Me?” Amelia let out a startled cry.
Lise was likely going to act on the request I had made earlier right away.
“The Butterfly Effect. You haven’t brought it under your complete control yet, have you?”
“T-That’s...”
“I’ll give you some special instruction. As a fellow sorcerer who interferes with causality.”
“Um... is that really okay?”
“Yes. I made a special promise with Ray. It seems he’ll be the one footing the bill.”
““Heeh...””
Now it wasn't just Amelia; Rebecca-senpai was also glaring intensely at me. Ugh... having the two of them do it at once was quite a burden.
“Then, shall we go?”
“Eh? Right now?” Amelia looked utterly stunned.
“Of course. Training should be immediate.”
“Um, well... I thought I might be a little tired today, or something...”
“Hahaha. Such logic doesn't work on me. Besides, I know. You’ve been focusing heavily on Physical Reinforcement until now, haven't you? Today, we’ll be focusing on your magic. It’ll be fine.”
“I-I don’t think it’ll be fine at all.”
“...You’re being awfully noisy, so let’s just go.”
“Wa... Wait!!?”
Lise pulled out her wallet, left a generous amount of money on the table, and then effortlessly hoisted Amelia onto her shoulder. Contrary to her slender appearance, she possessed considerable strength.
“I’ll leave the rest of the bill to you.”
“U-Uwaaaaaaaaahn! Why does this always happen to meeeeeeeeeeeee!!”
Amelia’s scream was a sound I had grown quite accustomed to, but hearing it gave me a strange sense of comfort.
After finishing our food, the rest of us headed outside and prepared to part ways.
“Well then, I shall take my leave here,” Rebecca-senpai said with a polite bow. She then leaned in and whispered something into Ariane’s ear. “I’ll see you both at the Academy.”
We watched her as she turned on her heel and walked away with a brisk, elegant stride.
“Ariane. What did she say to you?”
“N-No... Ray, it is better that you do not know...”
“Is that so?”
It wasn't my imagination that Ariane's face had turned slightly pale.
“Right!” Ariane slapped her own cheeks with her palms and spoke up in her usual energetic voice. “Ray! Let us head to my home!”
“The main Algren estate?”
“Yes! We made a promise before the Cultural Festival, didn't we?”
“Right. I have the time today. I’d be honored to visit.”
“Of course!”
And so, we began walking from the Central District toward the Noble District in the South District.
Come to think of it, since Ariane attended a different academy, we didn’t meet very often. Our first meeting was back when I was cross-dressing, but even that felt nostalgic now.
“Ray, you really are... that, aren't you?”
“‘That’?”
“You have such interesting people around you.”
“...Do I?”
“Yes. Many very charming people gather near you.”
“I see. But the same could be said for you, Ariane. You’re also quite charming yourself.”
When I complimented her back, Ariane’s cheeks turned a rare shade of vermilion.
“I-I see... so this is how it works...”
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No! As a maiden, my health management is impeccable!” Ariane puffed out her ample chest and gave a toothy grin; she truly was full of charm.
Given her personality, I believed she was the type of person who naturally drew people to her.
“Even so, it seems many of the Seven Grand Sorcerers are quite eccentric.”
“...You think so?”
“Well, it seems the person in question is unaware of it themselves.”
“I consider myself to be relatively normal, though...”
“Every eccentric person says that. Besides, Lieselotte-san seemed a bit mischievous, as if she were teasing those two.”
“I suppose you’re right. She didn't seem like that kind of person before, but it seems she’s undergone various changes in her state of mind.”
“Is it really alright to leave Amelia with her?”
My own acquaintance with Lise was fairly short, but my intuition told me that she was someone worthy of trust.
“Yeah. I’m sure she’ll be a great help. Besides, I’ll be the one personally guiding you, Ariane.”
“Truly!!?” Her voice suddenly jumped an octave. Was it really something to be that happy about? “To be guided by the strongest existence among the Seven Grand Sorcerers... I am truly delighted!”
Being hit with such honest feelings made me feel a little embarrassed as well.
“The honor is mine. I’m going to work you to the bone.”
“Ranger, sir!”
And so, we continued our walk toward the House Algren estate.