To think that Miss Aura would consider it from this angle... Fíliya found her words both surprising and amusing.
"It's alright, come on. I'll be quick. It won't hurt a bit."
A wicked smile hung on Miss Fíliya's face.
"Don't come near me while saying such awful things! Besides, can you please explain what situation has arisen that makes it absolutely necessary to cut off my horns?"
Aura tried her best to remain calm. This ability to articulate her thoughts so precisely while looking so aggrieved made Miss Fíliya see her in a new light.
Well now, she's gotten more than just a little bit smarter since she first arrived. This is all thanks to my and Solitär's excellent tutelage.
"Alright."
Miss Fíliya finally lowered the handsaw in her hands.
She then explained to Aura that she and Solitär had agreed to venture deep into the Northern Plateau, and even to go take a look at the Golden Land.
...
"Look, Aura, you've been cooped up here for a long time, right? You must want to get out and see the world. And besides, out in the wild, you won't have to do any tedious chores... This is a good thing for you."
Aura looked at the human before her with a suspicious expression.
She certainly thought the idea of leaving this abandoned shipyard and going on a trip was quite good.
Unlike Solitär, she wasn't afraid of being exposed to human sight. She figured that although humans had long known of her, she had been missing for decades.
And in all those years, she hadn't done anything wicked. Even the corpse puppets she had initially brought to Solitär's place to put on a show were from her old stock. Decades could change many things; perhaps the humans who knew of her, Aura the Guillotine, were mostly dead by now... Even if some remained, surely no one would be foolish enough to actively seek out and challenge one of the Seven Sages of Destruction to a deathmatch, right? Wouldn't it be better for everyone to just pretend they didn't see each other?
Just staying alive was already difficult enough. Under Fíliya's "education," Aura had long lost her ambition to conquer humanity; now, she just wanted to cling to life in this world for as long as possible.
Aura really wanted to go out for a stroll. Plus, her few subordinates still had no news of her...
They were underlings she had casually subdued with force when she first crawled out of the gutter. Was there any real loyalty to speak of?
On this point, Aura was very unsure.
Those three low-level demons might have long forgotten their Lady Aura and pledged allegiance to someone else.
Even if that did happen... Hmm, it seems it wouldn't really affect me anyway?
Aura quickly snapped out of her thoughts.
"Going to see the Golden Land is fine, I want to go too. It's been a long time since I saw Macht. I have to go and properly mock him for being trapped in that big box, looking so pathetic."
Aura's face was filled with a smile, as if she could already picture herself standing before Macht.
"Mhm, since you agree, Aura, I'll continue then."
As Fíliya spoke, she raised her handsaw again.
"Wait... are you crazy?! Why on earth do you have to saw off my horns? If it's just about not being discovered by humans, Solitär and I can just keep Mana Detection active at all times, can't we? I think you're just jealous of my magnificent horns and deliberately want to ruin them."
Aura shot Fíliya another glare.
"No, that was my initial thought, but I've changed my mind now. I simply want to see what you'd look like with two giant, round bald spots on your head."
Fíliya said with a serious expression.
"So you're dropping the act! I knew you were up to no good! What did I ever do to offend you...? Just yesterday you were praising my progress."
Aura hugged her head with both hands, her body curled up as she squatted in the corner of the bed. Seeing this pitiful sight, Fíliya found it exceptionally enjoyable.
The two remained at a standoff for quite a while. During this time, Fíliya tried to make a move on Aura several times, but Aura managed to defend herself each time.
It wasn't until they heard Solitär call out that it was time to eat that Fíliya casually tossed the saw aside and walked directly toward her, leaving Miss Aura alone and disheveled on the bed.
Even Aura understood in that moment.
That girl Fíliya never actually intended to saw off her horns from the very beginning. Everything that had just happened was a form of entertainment, an activity done "for the sake of relieving boredom."
That girl was deliberately scaring her for her own amusement!
Having figured this out, Aura was so angry her teeth hitched. She then flopped onto the bed like a pile of mud.
"Fíliya... you just wait. Everything you're doing to me now, I will return in kind. I just need to get my magic back, and then wait for a chance when Solitär isn't by your side. I'll strike decisively. I'll use a sneak attack, in a way that you won't even have time to react. So much for a 'noble spirit'; I see you don't have one either... Hmph, when that time comes, it'll be your turn to serve Lady Aura tea and water. And then every morning, I'll come and harass you mercilessly! No, not just in the morning, I won't let you rest at night either. You'll obediently become Lady Aura's bed-warming maid! If our roles were reversed, I'd show you the true meaning of cruelty!"
After reveling in this satisfying thought, Aura slowly got up and, following the drifting aroma, started heading towards the food.
...
The trio of one human and two demons was nothing if not efficient. After finishing breakfast, they immediately set out on their journey.
But they hadn't gone far, maybe twenty or thirty kilometers at most, when Aura stopped in her tracks.
"Um..."
Aura began, then hesitated.
"If you have something to say, spit it out."
Solitär urged.
"Mmm... I think I've detected the mana of my subordinates... Can I go and give them some instructions?"
Aura asked guiltily.
...
Solitär said nothing about this because she had also detected it long ago. There was the mana of other demons nearby, but it was so pitifully weak to her that she estimated it was about the same level as Miss Fíliya's currently. She could sense it was a very young little one.
So her subordinates are at this level? Aura, you've really fallen on hard times.
Solitär remained silent, but she made no effort to hide the contemptuous look she gave Aura.
Er... Aura naturally noticed this and scratched her head in embarrassment.
She couldn't help it. She had just crawled out of a gutter, and in her rush for revenge, she had thought that randomly grabbing three subordinates would suffice as "startup capital"... As it turned out, her grand enterprise of vengeance ended before it even began, making the existence of these three subordinates a bit awkward.
Huh? That's not right.
Aura suddenly realized that she hadn't detected the mana of three subordinates.
Right now, she could only sense the mana belonging to Linie. The other two... Aura still couldn't find their mana, even after extending her perception range by several more kilometers.
What's going on? I should go take a look first.
Aura thought to herself. And so, she led Fíliya and Solitär in Linie's direction.
_____
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