After the two briefly discussed some issues concerning the magic arrays used in the Magic Airship, Avita suddenly asked, "By the way, Akali, now that you've finished your report, are you planning to head home in the next couple of days?"
Akali paused, then realized what she meant.
"Right, besides handing in my report, I came to ask when you were planning to go back. Want to travel together? I'm thinking of leaving tomorrow."
"I haven't decided yet." Avita shook her head. "But I definitely can't leave tomorrow. There's still a pile of work to do at the Magic Research Institute, and development of the Magic Airship is at its most critical stage. I'm afraid that if I go home for the New Year, I'll forget some things by the time I return."
"How could you?" Akali immediately replied. "We study this stuff every day. How could you forget it all just by spending less than a month celebrating the New Year? You're selling yourself short."
"Anyway... even though the guild is giving us a long holiday this time, I'm not planning to leave that early. Maybe... I simply won't go home."
"Huh? You're not going home?" Akali froze. "But it's the New Year! You're not even going home for that? Your parents will definitely be angry if they find out."
Avita smiled. "I only said I wasn't going home. I never said I wasn't going to celebrate the New Year with my parents."
Akali looked baffled. "What do you mean?"
"I'm considering bringing them here from my hometown to spend the New Year in Bunta City," Avita replied. "Winters in the north are terribly cold, and conditions back home are nowhere near as good as they are here. Even with a Magic Air Conditioner, it still isn't as comfortable