A week passed, and one day, Aina was relaxing in her room after class was dismissed early. With no training scheduled with Sein that day, she decided to take a walk through Melody City, notifying File about her whereabouts. File assured her that he would watch over her from a distance but wouldn't disturb her free time.
As Aina strolled around the city, she spotted a white-haired feline lady. Her scent was soothing, and her cute little cat ears and tail were intoxicating. She wore a black jacket over a sleeveless shirt. Judging by her appearance, Aina thought she looked like a knight or perhaps an assassin.
Aina slowly walked toward her, but as she approached, the woman noticed Aina's presence and turned around with a shocked expression. Aina was also taken aback by the woman's beauty.
"Uh… I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be a creep; I just thought your perfume smelled good," Aina apologized.
The woman looked stunned for a moment, not saying a single word, and then suddenly ran off, disappearing into the crowd.
"What? Did I say something bad?" Aina wondered aloud.
File contacted her through telepathy. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Uh, I just met a beautiful white-haired fox or cat lady. Her perfume smells amazing. I wanted to ask her about it, but I guess I spooked her," Aina explained.
"Hmm…" said File, contemplating.
"Uh, File? Are you alright?" Aina asked.
"Yeah, it's just that I don't see anyone who fits your description. I see no one with white hair," File replied.
"What do you mean? Where are you?" Aina asked.
As they conversed telepathically, File answered, "I'm up here, above the building on your left."
When Aina gazed up at the top of the building, she spotted File.
"You were there the whole time?" Aina exclaimed.
"Yes, I told you I'd follow you from a distance so you could have a peaceful shopping experience. After all, I would attract more attention than you," File said.
"Wow, you are as famous as an artist, aren't you?" Aina teased.
"Of course! I'm 'Mrs. Worldwide,' after all," File joked.
"But anyway, didn't you see anyone at all? Or at least the person I was talking to?" Aina pressed.
"I can assure you, Aina, I keep my eyes on you. The last thing I saw was you stopping to speak to thin air," File clarified.
"You mean I was hallucinating?" Aina asked incredulously.
"I don't know; you might just be tired," File suggested.
"On the contrary, I'm full of energy! I really want to pick a fight with someone to be fair," Aina replied enthusiastically.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy there, little Zachary! You're starting to look a lot like Zack," said File with a chuckle.
The two exchanged small laughs through their telepathy. Though Aina still wondered who she had seen earlier, she tried not to dwell on it, wanting to spend her afternoon in peace.
She went to a nearby restaurant and ordered a meal, which turned out to be surprisingly large for her small frame. Afterward, she decided to visit the mall to look for some new clothes, where she encountered Arieta, who was also shopping alone. Aina decided to accompany her.
"Arieta," Aina greeted as she approached.
"Oh, Princess Aina!" Arieta responded, blushing.
"Just call me Aina. What are you doing?" Aina asked.
"Oh, nothing much. I'm just looking for a new dress," Arieta said.
"Can I accompany you?" Aina offered.
Arieta nodded, showing a small smile, clearly indicating that she didn't have many friends due to her introverted personality.
"Oh, anyway, Arieta, what are your plans after the academy? You've already passed, so where are you going next?" Aina asked.
"Well, I think I'll be a paladin too, like my mom," Arieta replied.
"Ah, I see. By the way, have you seen a beautiful tall lady with white hair and cat ears?" Aina inquired.
"Uh, nope. There are many other beastmen here, but beastmen rarely have white hair unless it's a case of being albino, as far as I know," Arieta explained.
"So she's an albino? But wait, her skin looked natural," Aina mumbled.
"Uh, is something wrong?" Arieta asked, curious.
"Ah, don't worry. It's nothing. I just met a beautiful lady like that before. Her scent was so good; I've never smelled a perfume like that. I wanted to ask what perfume she was using but didn't get the chance," Aina said.
"I see. Why don't we go to a perfume shop then? I know a good place with tons of perfume variations," Arieta suggested.
Aina agreed to go to the perfume shop. After browsing for about an hour, she finally found the one she had been looking for.
"This is the one I'm looking for!" Aina exclaimed.
She gave a small sniff to Arieta, who was also surprised. The scent was pleasing and calming, bringing about a strange familiar sensation.
"Wow, this is really great! I never knew something like this existed," Arieta said.
Aina bought the perfume, and additionally, Arieta also made a purchase. Both fell in love with the scent.
Suddenly, File walked into the perfume store.
"Mr. File?" Arieta exclaimed, shocked.
"Uh, File? Do you want to buy a perfume too?" Aina asked calmly.
The store owner was surprised to see such a legendary figure enter his shop and immediately instructed all of his workers to serve File.
"Don't worry; I already know what I'm going to pick. But can I see the perfume these two bought?" File requested.
The store owner then brought out the last bottle of that particular perfume.
"This is a rare perfume, Sir File. It originally comes from Kashima," he informed.
"Kishigata village, to be precise, right?" File asked.
"Y-yes, that's right. How did you… oh, I'm sorry. Of course, you know it, sir. But unfortunately, there haven't been any shipments of this type of perfume in the last five years," the store owner added.
"I'll take this one too, and can you wrap it as a gift?" File requested.
"Gasp! File, do you have a girlfriend?" Aina asked, her eyes wide with intrigue.
"What? No, I just want to give this as an offering," File replied.
"An offering?" Aina asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, kind of. Don't worry about it," File said dismissively.
"Oh, Mr. may I ask if anyone frequently buys this perfume?" Aina inquired.
"Let me think… nope, the last time someone bought this was about two years ago, during the festival—some envoy from Kashima, if I remember correctly," said the store owner.
"Ah, I see. Thanks!" Aina replied after making her payment.
Once Aina, File, and Arieta left the store, File noticed something was off.
"What's wrong? You seem a little off today," he said to Aina.
"Ah, it's nothing. I was just wondering if I was hallucinating," Aina confessed.
"Don't think too much about it. Maybe it was someone cosplaying? Some cosplayer artists can be like that; she might have thought you were her fan," Arieta suggested.
"Yeah, I guess. So anyway, where do you want to go, Arieta?" Aina asked.
"Hm… I'm not really hungry, but I think I want to try some ice cream," Arieta replied.
"Well, you girls go ahead. I have some business to attend to," File said, separating from the group.
As Aina and Arieta enjoyed their ice cream, Aina struck up a conversation.
"So, Arieta, mind if I ask you something?" Aina began.
"Sure, what's on your mind?" Arieta responded.
"It's just that I was wondering why you're always so quiet at home. Elena told me you rarely speak for the last six months," Aina said.
"Uh, no, it's nothing," Arieta replied.
Aina put on a sad face. "I'm not bothering you, right? I'm sorry," she said, bowing her head slightly.
"What! No, no, no, it's not like that," Arieta quickly reassured her.
"Then what's wrong?" Aina asked.
"It's just… I think I want to focus on my own growth," Arieta admitted.
"Well, why don't you join me and Ms. Sein? We train together," Aina suggested.
Arieta hesitated for a moment. "I guess I'll ask Mom about it," she said.
"Don't worry, it will be fun! After all, if you have a problem you can't solve, you should get help from others," Aina encouraged her.
"Thanks, maybe you're right. On my own, I can only go so far," Arieta acknowledged.
After the two finished their ice cream, they each went their separate ways. Arieta returned to the Eleison family mansion, while Aina headed back to her dormitory.
There, she met Golsiera, who had just finished teaching her students. After exchanging greetings, Aina went directly to her room.
She then took her new perfume and sprayed it on her clothes, inhaling its soothing scent. "Wow, this is so soothing! No wonder why File said it would make an offering," Aina remarked.