...
I was in a partial rush to arrive at the Residential Area 3, since the mage seemed to have a short fuse, judging by the letter. I knew my way around town fairly well, and thankfully, the inn was situated not too far away. A notable distance, but it wasn't that bad. To the open public, I probably appeared to be an ordinary, but busy young adult/civilian, hurrying to my workplace. In my own opinion, the physical facade was very buy-able.
A certain amount of time had passed before I was standing in front of the house with the red roof, as the magician described in the note. In comparison to the other buildings in the neighbourhood, this one was larger than average. It was a wizard running the place after all, so it made sense that someone wielding such powers would be a bit better off. Wouldn't the authorities have figured out this witchcraft already? Or was he/she just as stealthy as I was? How interesting.
Five knocks, pause, two knocks. I was hoping that I recalled the instructions correctly. In my defense, I only had a brief look at the piece of paper before its self-destruction.
Knock knock knock knock knock.
Knock knock.
I tapped my foot on the pavement as I waited for a reply, and/or for the door to open.
With a few sounds of clicking and turning, the gateway slid with a loud, audible creaking noise. A adolescent girl in her mid-teens revealed herself with a grin spread across her face. The most noticeable feature was her hairstyle. She had purple strands that were tied into two, and long bangs that concealed her right eye.
"Hmm. Your disguise this time isn't half bad, Rena." she giggled.
I couldn't help but to feel even the slightest offense at her statement. With a fast recovery, I slowly nodded. "Yeah, alright. But, please refrain from using my name out here. We're not even inside yet." I sighed.
Absconding a little to the side, she gave me a thumbs up. "Mm, yeah. Well, step in, and make yourself at home. By the way, my name is Aisha."
I closed the door behind me, and followed Aisha as she headed over to the couch to sit. It did seem quite normal, the household I mean. There were actually legitimate pieces of furniture around, and no sightings of magical utilities. To the other people in the vicinity, such as the little boy, this was high class. However, in comparison to the actual wealthy ones, this was trash. The difference was far too much, and that was a solid fact.
The witch began to speak once more. "Now, I have a proposal to make--"
"No. Not until you explain everything to me. The answers you were hiding." I interrupted.
"Oh? Haha, I guess that's only fair~ And here I thought I would've gotten this done easily. But, the key you are searching for is very simple and straightforward: it is magic! There are a limited number of magicians around Elrios, and they are indeed, quite rare! To find an exceptionally skilled mage, such as myself, is a one in a lifetime opportunity! Do you have any idea how fortunate you are, because I was the one who was seeking you, instead of vice-versa? Be honoured!"
I blinked. Aisha was rather noisy, and could definitely run that mouth of hers. She was also getting a tiny bit arrogant, with that master mage speech.
Rolling my eyes, I shot back at her. "Care to elaborate? 'It is magic' isn't a good enough answer, Miss Witch."
"'Miss Witch'?! Excuse me, you sneaky assassin?! That's not how you address the best magician in the entire world! Know your manners, sheesh! Witches are different from magicians, you know!"
"Oh, really? Then, I apologize. Now, will you elucidate more?" I smiled.
"Ugh, fine!" she snarled.
Aisha was the hotheaded type of person, without a doubt. But, although it may be hard to believe, I could tell that this was a blossoming of a long-lasting friendship, even if it operated oddly.
...
---[CHAPTER 2 - FRIENDSHIP? : END]---