◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇
Belano was confused.
She was sitting at the living room table after dinner, enjoying a cup of Charun's tea.
Elina sze was sitting across from her, nominally doing the same, but for some reason
she was sitting completely still, holding the Hi Izuran teacup without taking a drink.
Plus, her eyes had been focused on Belano for a while now.
Sh-She isn't looking at my face, though… Belano thought. She's looking at something
lower than that, I think… Distressed, she took a sip of tea, only to see Elina sze's eyes
flicker slightly, moving to follow the cup. W-Wait… Belano thought. Is it just me, or are
her eyes moving every time my hands are…? Unable to tell what Elina sze could possibly
be thinking, Belano could do nothing but sit there as her confusion mounted.
"Oh, Belano," Flio said, stepping up beside her and interrupting her thoughts. "How's
the new magic ring treating you?"
Belano, as it happened, was born with only a small amount of magic power in her body.
In order to increase her volume of magic, Flio had designed a training regimen for her
that involved wearing a number of magic rings of his own creation. Even as they spoke,
the fingers of both her hands were covered in an astonishing number of gems—only
her thumbs were free of such decoration.
"A-Ah!" Belano said. "W-Well, I did feel a little unwell at first, but I think I've mostly
gotten used to it…"
"The new one should increases your magic power further above what you're used to,"
Flio said, smiling as usual. "Keep it up, but don't push yourself past your limits, okay?"
"Th-Thank you very much…" said Belano. "I'll do my best…"
Belano idolized Flio as something of a surrogate for the father and older brother she
lost in the war with the Dark Army. Needless to say, receiving such words of praise and
encouragement from him put a great big smile on Belano's face.
Elina sze watched the exchange with conflict in her eyes. All those rings Miss Belano is
wearing… she thought, keeping her expression completely neutral as she stared at the
rings on Belano's fingers. I know they're only training to help her increase her magic
reserves—intellectually, I know that… Elina sze clenched her teeth together tight in an
unconscious gesture of frustration. But even if it's only for training… it makes me just
miserably jealous to see her receive new rings from papa so often!
To Elina sze, who loved her father more than anything in the world, it would be simply
impossible for her not to envy Belano for the rings Flio gifted her on a regular basis.
I could ask for help with my own training… Elina sze thought. But there's no need to
increase my magic reserves at all, is there…? I wonder… Is there any way I could convince
papa to give me rings like that?