Magical Assessment

"Oh, I didn't know the birds could look so beautiful. Come, Lumia. Let's check it out," the girl on the left clapped her hands in realization.

She knew if they continued jabbing at Meliora, it would only lead to their disgrace.

"Haha... Yes, yes, I remember. Yes, let's talk it out," the girl on the left laughed dryly, her gaze still fixed on Meliora.

Even if the latter was wearing a veil, she could still feel the intensity of the fire brewing inside Meliora's gaze.

They should have sat tight when the other girl was disgraced at the line.

Meliora, still leaning back against the chair, observed these girls that she called "white flowers." Because she had played the beginning part of the game several times, she knew how to deal with them.

They scurried away, but Meliora could not help but remember the word "outcast."

Even in her past life, they had called her that. She was casted out by her family and then by friends. That was likely the very reason she felt like she would just stick to her games and nothing else.

[Don't take their words to heart, Master,] Crucifix said, trying to prevent Meliora from breaking down. She felt touched; of all people, it just had to be a robot who knew her heart best.

Kaid, who sat in the tree watching all this, let out a chuckle, the glint in his eyes still as bright as ever.

"She even knows how to defend herself in such situations. It was the best decision I made in my life coming here," he sighed contentedly while nodding his head softly.

He didn't know that others had noticed him and were whispering, calling him a pervert, but he really didn't care since his eyes were fixed on Meliora.

Soon, Meliora was called, so she stepped onto the podium and inserted her hand inside a glass ball. There was some purple flame burning inside, but it was just a little.

Meliora was excited, thinking it would burn her a little, but then it didn't. It just tickled her fingers and made her flush.

The flame did nothing at all, and the host for this section just stared at her warily.

"No magic," he suddenly declared, and Meliora withdrew her hands and clapped for herself, drowning out the gasps and whispers in the background.

'How is she going to win if she doesn't have a single talent for magic?' This was what they kept discussing in the background.

But it didn't really move Meliora. She turned around and walked down from the podium, letting the other lady climb up.

The host was surprised and yet intrigued. He did sense something, but he couldn't pin it down. She definitely didn't have magic, but she had something else.

He wanted to ask her these questions, but he had to finish what was assigned to him.

"Master, don't mind their words; they are just doing it to spite you." Lucie, with her expressionless face, suddenly said, her tone lacking any emotion.

"I don't care about that, Lucie. What I do care about is how you learned 'fuck off' so fast," Meliora chuckled as she turned around while walking and flashed Lucie a wink.

"Master, be careful, or you will bump into someone," Lucie advised Meliora with what could count as a worried expression.

The latter rolled her eyes and had no choice but to turn back around and face the road. There was really nobody standing or walking in front of her, but she decided it was best not to bump into another fly too.

She thought the place would be boring, but Meliora was glad that those persistent flies gave her a good show.

Meliora soon spotted a seat in the garden, a good spot where no one would disturb their peace. After all, the magical assessment was not over yet.

"So now sit, and tell me how you learned such a wicked phrase," Meliora patted the space on either side of her while looking at Ashtarte and Lucie with curious excitement written all over her face.

"Master, we can't join you to sit. That would be disrespectful to the royal family, so please let me stand as your royal servant," Lucie said with narrowed eyes and thinned lips. She didn't even look like she was pleading.

[Maybe it's because she was raised in her house, where everyone is cold to each other,] Crucifix had a point, and it made Meliora furrow her brows in deep thought. 'Maybe we would dig deeper later on.'

[It's not a nice idea to peek into people's pasts, Master,] Crucifix warned, but Meliora rolled her eyes.

"You always peek into my past; why are you defending her?!" She slapped a hand over her mouth when she realized she had said it out loud.

Ashtarte gave her a hard glare, and Lucie raised an eyebrow, confused, while she glanced around to check if there was someone nearby. Meliora was sweating buckets, so she decided to drift to something else.

"The flies here are disturbing. Come on, forget the rules of this stupid empire and sit with me." She nervously patted the spaces on both sides of her and waited for them to move.

They hesitated for a while and decided to obey since it was her command. Once they sat, Meliora clapped her hands.

"Alright, Lucie, now tell me about the word you used on those other flies." She grinned as she turned to Lucie, who stood ramrod straight.

She didn't have the posture of a commoner but that of a noble, which only made Meliora more curious to know about Lucie.

"I heard you use it on Sir Kaid when he took off with you. You shouted 'Fuck off,' and also when we were leaving the palace, you said 'Goodbye, suckers,' with your fingers like that. Maybe that's when I learned it," Lucie explained with a straight face.

Meliora and Ashtarte blinked in surprise and even forgot to breathe for a second.

"She learned it that fast?!"

"What do they mean?!"

But they were thinking different things. Meliora could not believe that Lucie had this amazing skill where she could learn things quickly. She was a brain genius like me.

[You were a brain genius, not anymore,] Crucifix cut in, silencing Meliora, who clenched her fists in anger and gritted her teeth. Fury gleamed in her eyes, but she decided not to say anything.

On the other hand, Ashtarte had never heard that word before, "sucker" and "fucker." She felt like asking Meliora, but then she put it in the back of her mind. When they arrive at the Arcania Empire, she would ask.

"You are really good, Lucie!" Meliora beamed as she suddenly clasped Lucie's hands, shaking them with pure excitement. A crimson flush spread across Lucie's cheeks, but it made her look weird rather than cute because she wasn't smiling.

It looked like a lol with a bland emoji face whenever Meliora saw Lucie blushing, but she still found it cute because it reminded her of Crucifix.

"You are having a lot of fun." Kaid suddenly decided to interrupt. He had been eavesdropping ever since, and he also wanted to ask her what those words meant.

How did she learn them? He cleared his throat and waited for her to stop glaring at him with daggers in her eyes.

"How do you know it was fun when you weren't here?" Meliora snarled at him as she clenched her fists, and Kaid shrugged.

"I have been watching everything," he decided to come clean, but he didn't point out where he had been or how much he had seen of the whole situation.

Meliora squinted her eyes suspiciously but decided not to say anything to him because he was pissing her off.

"So what brings you here, Sir Kaid?" she slurred, a sigh breaking the sentence at the end, and Kaid was shocked.

He really didn't understand this woman at all.

"Don't you have something else to finish at this time?" he asked while tapping his chin. Meliora jerked at the sound of that but still couldn't pinpoint what else was left.

Kaid decided he was going to tease her, so he leaned in and whispered into her ear while Meliora was absentmindedly thinking.

"Don't you have to get your tag?" he whispered, but he never anticipated what Meliora would do next.

The resounding slap echoed in the garden. Lucie and Ashtarte gasped in unison while Meliora widened her eyes in fright and shock.

"...."

"...."