Miss Danist finally parted ways with the three beneath Belinder Big Ben. It was only four in the afternoon. Though it was already late summer, the sky was still bright at this hour.
Shade watched Miss Danist vanish alone into the crowd, then heard the blonde witch in the purple skirt say:
"She seemed very disappointed."
Fiona added:
"Perhaps she realized she could not compare to you, Teacher Feilianna. But that lady needn't compare herself to you. You are not from the same spacetime, and in this era, she reached the Thirteenth Ring through her own efforts alone. That is already remarkable."
Miss Feliana shook her head and teasingly looked at Shade.
"What disappointed her was probably not just that."
As they spoke, the three crossed the square and prepared to return to Belinder Manor.
"Shade, I noticed something quite interesting. When we were in the Clock Tower just now, you never called that Daniste 'teacher.'"
"Because you are the only one I call Teacher."
Fiona covered her mouth and laughed, while Miss Feliana curled her lips into a smile as she inspected Shade with feigned seriousness.
"You needn't use your ability to sweet-talk witches on me, do you?"
The Red Dragon Young Lady laughed even harder. Shade looked somewhat embarrassed, yet did not know how to explain himself. The blonde lady therefore linked her arm through his and asked with a smile:
"Since there is still some time before dinner, why not accompany us for a stroll in the city?"
"Of course. No problem."
The three walked away. Fiona, who was slightly behind them, keenly noticed that Teacher Feilianna had ultimately not said anything like, "Actually, you can call her Teacher too."
"Mm-hm, write that down, write that down."
The Red Dragon Young Lady said this to herself, delighted