She really is a beautiful girl-just a little "small" / Reines: Please don't make things even more complicated!

To Reines, this was like running into the final boss wandering around while she was still grinding levels in a game.

"Nice to meet you. I am Reines El-Melloi Archisorte." Reines bowed respectfully to her.

"I know you. The previous El-Melloi once asked me to do a bit of work for him," Touko said.

"The previous one? Kischur?"

"Ah, that's right." Touko looked at Irena beside her.

Compared to Reines, Touko seemed far more interested in Irena.

"So you're that 'wild' witch who caused such a stir before?"

"Hello, I'm Irena, Irena the Ashen Witch." Irena greeted her as well.

"Please don't mind her, Miss Aozaki. Irena is still an outsider. She doesn't even understand what the concept of a witch is. My brother is still teaching her about the world of magecraft..." Reines hurriedly explained.

Aozaki Touko looked at Reines, then at Irena, deep in thought.

"Indeed, she doesn't have much to do with the First Magician... but..."

Aozaki Touko knew Alice Kuonji and was familiar with witches.

So Irena was not that kind of witch.

"...But this nature..."

The trick the other party had used earlier was also difficult to explain with magecraft in the usual sense.

It was the mana of the Greater Source lending a hand.

As though it had voluntarily gathered around her...?

But why had no one else noticed?

No, even she herself had not sensed anything wrong from the start. It was only after Irena "increased the output" that Touko noticed the discrepancy through comparison.

"I see, cognitive interference on this level..."

However, before they could speak any further, cheers erupted from the depths of the hall.

"—Looks like the Gold Princess has made her entrance."

Author's Note:

Some translations render Mayo as Maio, but Mayo is more common, so I'll use