“Even though helping people with the Darkspawn disease is a good deed, Fia made way too big of a scene.
People who don’t know better might think the Elven Kingdom is invading Aurora City.”
Fia had just returned to Claire’s side when Claire looked at her with a mix of surprise and admiration.
“All of that just now was your doing, little Fia?”
“Sort of?”
Hearing Fia confirm it, Claire started eyeing her like she was some kind of strange creature.
“One person acting like an entire army of magic chanters… I guess that’s what you’d expect from an elven princess.
Good thing the magic didn’t spread beyond the plaza, or today’s plan to shop for magic would’ve gone up in smoke.”
Claire gestured with her eyes for Fia to look around.
The street they were on was a good three to four hundred meters from the plaza, but even from that distance, the commotion had drawn out the residents.
People were stepping out of their homes, squinting toward the plaza.
Some were clearly panicked, having just fled from the scene, waving their arms and telling anyone who’d listen about the terrifying things they’d just witnessed.
Fia even caught wind of rumors like “The elves are attacking,” “The front lines lost, so the paladins retreated into the city,” and “The Darkspawn’s next target is Aurora City.”
Talk about over-the-top.
Thankfully, with more and more temple soldiers stepping in, the chaos on the streets quickly settled down.
Fia and Claire then made their way toward the Mage Association.
Led by Claire, they stopped in front of a tall, ancient, and imposing building.
There was no sign that said “Mage Association,” but the glowing crystals and ornate carvings on the spire-topped structure radiated a strong magical aura.
The only downside was the building’s walls gave off a vibe of long-term neglect, and the entrance was eerily quiet with no one coming or going.
Pretty much every major city had a Mage Association.
It was a place where magic chanters could exchange, sell, and buy magical knowledge.
Functionally, it wasn’t much different from the guilds set up by merchants and craftsmen, but because it dealt with magic, its status was way higher than your average guild.
If Fia had to describe it, it was kind of like a magic version of the Adventurer’s Guild, just with a narrower range of services.
“Good morning, Miss Claire.”
“And the young lady with you is?”
They had barely stopped in front of the Mage Association when the two guards at the door greeted them.
Clearly, Claire was a regular here.
“This is my cou—” Claire paused, then corrected herself, “This is my distant cousin.
Due to some circumstances, she’s staying with me for now.
We’re here today to pick out some magic scrolls and crystals for her.”
“I see.
Please, go on in.”
With a respectful gesture, the guards invited Claire and Fia inside.
A blue-toned crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling, and the floor was polished marble.
The interior was bright and spacious, and just standing there gave off a sense of elegance.
But just like Fia had seen from outside, the main hall of the Mage Association was nearly empty—only two or three people were around, and that included the male staff member behind the counter.
“Do you come here often, Claire?” Fia asked in a low voice as they walked.
“I drop by now and then to pawn off valuable things I pick up during my travels.
The clinic needs money for a lot of things, and most of what I do doesn’t pay.
Also, the Mage Association is well-informed, so I come here to keep up with what’s happening across the continent.”
“No wonder the guards recognized you.”
“Miss Claire is one of our best customers.
If it weren’t for her, this little place might’ve shut down already,” the young man behind the counter chimed in with a smile.
“Welcome to the Mage Association, Miss Claire—and the lovely young lady whose name I don’t know.”
Even though she was used to being called cute as the elven princess, being complimented so directly by a stranger still made Fia a little embarrassed.
Apparently, when nobles greeted each other, they were supposed to lift the corners of their skirts, bend their knees slightly, and if needed, offer a hand for the other person to kiss.
She’d have to ask Anastasia to teach her more about that kind of etiquette later.
Even if it was awkward, she had to try.
Graceful manners were part of being an elven princess.
“Her name is Fia, my distant cousin.
We’re here today to pick out some magic for her to study.”
“Oh! So young and already a magic chanter? Are we starting with life magic?”
The clerk looked at Fia with admiration in his eyes.
Life magic referred to small, non-combat spells that were super useful in daily life.
Things like 『Cleanse』 to remove dirt from your body, 『Light』 to illuminate dark places, and 『Dry』 to dry clothes.
Since the incantations were simple and the mana cost was low, magic chanters usually started with life magic to get a feel for mana and elemental resonance.
Only after that would they move on to elemental magic that matched their affinity and decide their future path.
Only geniuses like the elven princess would skip life magic entirely and jump straight into offensive spells.
It was worth noting that most nobles forbade their children from learning life magic.
That was because many apprentices who had just learned life magic had to sell their skills on the street to make a living.
For example, adventurers who needed to travel at night would hire these apprentices to use 『Light』, which was better than a torch, to provide steady illumination for the whole party.
In return, the adventurers would pay them a few iron coins.
Over time, this led to life magic being seen as “low-class,” “tacky,” and “only for poor people.” If a noble used life magic, they’d be considered uncultured.
“What do you think, Fia?” Claire left the choice to her.
Even though her pride made her want to refuse Claire’s money, it seemed like Claire just wanted to enjoy the feeling of being an older sister.
It’d be better not to overthink it.
If Claire thought she was trying to keep her distance, that’d be bad.
“Um… do you have a magic catalog?”
Rather than listen to the clerk explain everything one by one, Fia preferred to look at a catalog.
It was simpler, more direct, and less distracting.
“Sure.
But a lot of the stuff in there is pretty useless—buying it would just be a waste of money.
I’d recommend letting Miss Claire help you pick.
Here, this lists all the magic books, scrolls, and crystals we have in stock.
If you’re looking for magic tools, there’s a separate catalog for that.”
The young clerk handed over a book about a finger thick.
Its edges were yellowed and frayed, clearly well-used.
“Take your time, ladies.
You can sit in the hall and browse at your leisure.”
“Got it, thank you.”
“You’re too polite, Miss Fia.
You’re the guest—I should be thanking you.
A cute girl like you coming to the Mage Association? I couldn’t be happier.
If I weren’t already married, I’d be buying flowers to try and woo you.”
Leaning on the counter with both arms, the young clerk joked.
“Then I’d kick you out without hesitation.
You’re in your twenties and trying to hit on a fourteen-year-old girl?” Claire waved her hand like she was shooing him away.
“Fia, let’s go sit over there.”
“Okay.”
Still flustered by the clerk’s joke, Fia nodded and followed Claire to a corner of the hall to sit down.
