"Although this is our first meeting, you don't need to be so stiff. Sit down first."
"Yes, Teacher."
"You don't need to call me Teacher. You can call me Larkspur."
"Understood, Teacher."
"Why do you insist on calling me Teacher?"
"The caregivers said it's more polite to address someone who teaches you something that way."
"Magical Girls don't call each other master and disciple. We only call someone with more experience than ourselves 'senior.'"
"Understood! Senior Teacher!"
"...You should just call me Teacher."
The above conversation took place that same afternoon.
At Lin Xiaolu's home—Larkspur's home—while the other two girls were practicing their magic, Larkspur left the living room where they were and brought Bai Jingxuan to the dining room for a one-on-one conversation.
This was Larkspur's first direct conversation with the newcomer, and also the first time she had seen Bai Jingxuan's original appearance.
Unlike her soft and fragile-looking appearance, with her bobbed hair and medical eyepatch, Bai Jingxuan gave off a subtle boyish air once she began to speak.
Perhaps it was her simple, crisp outfit of pants, or the bright gleam in her right eye, or perhaps the subtle steadiness in her manner of speech. In any case, all those qualities combined made it feel as though one were speaking to a quiet, precocious little boy.
Larkspur had thought that, after going through such experiences, the child before her would be more introverted and withdrawn. Yet contrary to her expectations, Bai Jingxuan seemed perfectly normal.
And when that normalcy was paired with her past, it became strangely unsettling.
But clearly, this was not something that could be resolved through discussion right now. For the moment, all she needed to do was gain a simple understanding of Bai Jingxuan herself, as well as her talent as a Magical