Since I had managed to become close enough to be called her Sworn Friend, I figured I should take the opportunity to learn more about her people. I asked Amel several questions about the Winged Race.
"I see... So there are a lot of Winged Race people in the Arclesia Empire."
"Indeed. We are a people who loathe being bound to the earth. Only the peaks that pierce the heavens are fit to be our dwellings."
"So you live on high-altitude mountains and the like."
"Precisely. Though, perhaps freedom comes with a price. Our people tend to be somewhat insular, so we don't often mingle with other races. Well, it's not like we're totally isolated, but..."
By this point, I’d grown used to the way she spoke and could more or less grasp what she was trying to say. She used convoluted phrasing every now and then, but I could usually infer her meaning from the context and the general nuance of the conversation. It wasn't actually that difficult.
"Sworn Friend, you live in the Sinfonia Royal Capital, don't you?"
"Yeah. I have a house in the Central District, so please do come visit if you ever have the chance."
"Really?! I'll be there! I'll totally go! ...Ahem. Since it is an invitation from my Sworn Friend, there is no reason for me to decline."
As a side note, I’d also started to notice the patterns for when Amel’s true personality peeked through. It generally seemed to happen in three situations: when she got incredibly excited, when she was caught off guard by something unexpected, or when she felt a bit anxious.
While I was enjoying our conversation, Amel suddenly began glancing around restlessly, a look of unease on her face.
I tilted my head, wondering if something was wrong, but then her expression shifted to one of dead seriousness. She reached into her pocket and pulled out an accessory-like item adorned with a black feather, holding it out toward me.
"What's this?"
"Consider it a Proof of the Bond between us. Please, I want you to have it."
"Thank you. Is this feather from you, Amel?"
"Yes. For the Winged Race, gifting an ornament made from one's own feathers is the ultimate sign of trust."
I honestly had no idea how I’d racked up enough affection in such a short time to receive their highest token of trust, but it would have been rude to turn her down when she’d gone to the trouble of offering it. I accepted the feather ornament.
"Thank you for such a wonderful gift."
"Hmph... It is a trivial thing when compared to our Eternal Friendship. I may not have fully regained my memories from the time before my birth, but our bond remains unshakable."
'Eternal' usually implies something that spans from the distant past into the infinite future. And that bit about 'memories from before birth'... combined with her chuunibyo tendencies and the way she called me 'Sworn Friend'...
Was I just imagining things, or was she acting like we were best friends in a past life?
Even if I did have a past life, I doubted I was born in this world, so the chances of me knowing Amel back then were practically zero. Still, there was no point in nitpicking her delusions. If it made her happy, I figured it was fine.
"I see. Maybe we really did make some sort of sacred vow in our previous lives."
"?! Sworn Friend...!"
She looked incredibly happy. Her eyes were sparkling with delight, as if she were thinking, 'I knew it!'
Maybe I’d made a mistake. Judging by her earlier behavior, I’d gotten the impression that Amel herself suspected her 'past life' talk was a bit far-fetched. That would explain why she’d looked so anxious before presenting the feather ornament.
But now that I’d seemingly affirmed the idea, she looked convinced that we both felt the same way—that we were truly fated to meet again across lifetimes.
The 'correct' answer probably would have been something a bit more non-committal, like "If you say so, maybe that's the case."
My careless remark caused her affection—which was already through the roof—to skyrocket even further. Amel pulled her chair right next to mine, so close our shoulders were touching, and spoke with an expression of pure, unbridled excitement.
"Sworn Friend! Sworn Friend! We have traveled through time to find each other once more! Let us talk of many things—I want to know everything about the 'you' of this era!"
"Ah, sure..."
She was so overjoyed that she looked like the happiest person in the world. I could almost see the phantom image of a dog tail wagging behind her so hard it might snap off.
It was entirely my own fault, but I had a feeling she wasn't going to let me go for a long time. I resigned myself to the situation and began answering the rapid-fire questions she threw my way.
Serious-senpai: "A conversational blunder leads to an explosive increase in affection? Seriously, someone do something about this Flag King..."