"Do you really not need me to accompany you to Osenfott Manor tonight?"
Luvia, seated beside Shade, asked again. Shade shook his head.
"You should stay here with Siris. Tifa, Miss Swift, and Miss Hailey Aurora will be staying as well. If they really need help, the Witches will call for you."
He held Little Mia in his arms. After lunch at noon, the cat had immediately become sleepy.
"After I return from Osenfott Manor, I might need your help looking after Little Mia. That's quite a demanding job."
Luvia smiled.
"Siris, you called her by name. Yes, in your eyes, taking care of your cat is far more important than dealing with demons."
Hearing sounds from the stage, Shade rose with Luvia and headed over via the side stairs. Seven or eight long brown lacquered tables had been arranged together, with the tables for brewing potions and maintaining Alchemy Items separated from one another.
Miss Hailey Aurora, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was not dressed in her relatively formal ladies' attire today. Instead, she wore a long purple mandrake-patterned dress. Holding that staff, she looked somewhat troubledly at the items on the table.
Three candles lay on the table: silver, gold, and black. Miss Hailey Aurora was discussing with the High-Ring Sorceress beside her—Miss Avril, who had accompanied the Great Witches deep into the heart of the swamp during the Pantanal War—which candle should be used to "light" the staff.
"Different lights will give the staff different enhancement properties. The golden candle strengthens Teacher's control over 'light'; the silver candle grants additional effects against evil and curses; while the black candle expands the range of a spell's influence. Unfortunately, it can only accept one kind of light at a time."
Seeing Shade and Luvia approach, Miss Hailey Aurora explained her predicament.