"How did the mention of noble kids only make Kimmi-Ka want to go even more?" Aliceia grumbled in defeat, her soreness of losing only heightened as Mya cheered and basked in her win over her sister. As the three made their way through the forest's gravelled path, Kimmi-Ka tightly clung to her sketchbook while having The Eye of Revelation in her hair: put in its small mode and used to tie her hair back into a low ponytail that sprawls over her back.

  "Is sis jelly?" Mya asked teasingly as she picked up her pace and took the lead toward the Lake of Meadows.

  "The correct term would be envy," Kimmi-Ka stated, while matching Mya's speed. Raising an eyebrow, Mya ruffled her own hair as she struggled to wrap her head around how those two words could be different in any way.

  "You sure?" Mya asked puzzledly, unsure how there was even a difference between the two words. Retaining her muted and unwaveringly neutral pouting face, Kimmi-Ka gradually swivelled her head in the younger sister's vague direction, moving so rigidly and robotically she could've been mistaken for a doll.

  "No," Kimmi-Ka retorted swiftly, only confusing Mya further. Briefly peering around to confirm Mya was thoroughly confused, Kimmi-Ka proceeded to book it with her sketchbook in hand, catching the sisters, but mostly Mya, off guard by her sudden running.

  "Ah! She's getting away," Mya announced in realisation of Kimmi-Ka's trickery before frantically rushing after Kimmi-Ka, in a vain effort to catch up. But no matter how fast she ran, the distance between herself and Kimmi-Ka continued to increase by small increments, leaving Aliceia with her mouth agape. Left wondering how people so short could run so fast, the older of the two sisters continued at her relaxed pace, knowing even if she walked, she'd still be the first to get there.

  After the two shorter girls repeatedly missed the opening in the oak tree lines while Aliceia stood beside it, the trio eventually arrived at the Lake of Meadows: a crystal clear lake in a clearing surrounded by colourful flowers of all kinds, even some that shouldn't even be able to grow in the same enviorment. Cheerfully hopping ahead of the duo, Mya triumphantly raised her hands into the air, "Ta-da. We're here."

  "I don't see any nobles here," Kimmi-Ka muttered with minor disappointment. The non-human girl searched every inch of the grassy clearing, hoping the promised nobles were hiding from her or meditating so deeply they turned invisible.

  "Well, it's no surprise; that class of noble kids only show up after nine in the morning," Aliceia explained before hearing a loud thud as Kimmi-Ka face planted into the ground, only avoiding eating the dirt as Mya tossed a picnic blanket under the defeated girl. "Why are you so insistent on seeing those noble kids?"

  "Nobles are prideful dummies who like to show off, so I could figure out how magic works," Kimmi-Ka grumbled weakly, her face still in its neutral formation as she pushed herself to an upright sitting position on the picnic blanket.

  "I know I'm not fond of those kids, but prideful is not the word I'd call them... even if the show off part is spot on," Aliceia grumbled begrudgingly as the distant sound of what sounded like fire sparklers fizzled in the girl's mind. Kimmi-Ka placed a pinkie on her chin, her expression unreadable, not that it was readable normally anyway; she pondered, contemplating how she'd get the noble kids to use their magic against her now, since the tried and true method of easily wounding their prides was off the table.

  Aliceia slightly sighed as she sat down on the picnic blanket herself, feeling a little guilty that she had seemingly upset Kimmi-Ka somehow.

  "Say, sis, do you think that nice old Healer Met-t-t... Met-ta-mi-o," Mya asked cheerfully as Aliceia placed the picnic basket at the centre of its paired blanket, allowing the word-stuck little sister to access the sandwiches stored within.

  Grabbing her own sandwich, Aliceia retorted with, "Well, given she's their teacher, it would be pretty weird for her not to be here with them."

  Kimmi-Ka's metaphorical kitsune ears perked up, catching the word teacher and putting the pieces together. Kimmi-Ka lightly snickered mentally, finding herself in the perfect situation to learn about this world's magic from a professional practitioner. Even if the sketchbook holder's expression remained unchanged, Aliceia sighed a breath of relief at noticing Kimmi-Ka's change in... expression? Demeanor? VIbe? The older sister wasn't entirely sure how to describe how she could tell, but wasn't going to think about it too hard if Kimmi-Ka wasn't upset anymore either way.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "If there's a teacher, that would be even better than just trying to eyeball a bunch of kids' spells," Kimmi-Ka announced in her mind, contemplating how she'd weasel her way into the Spectra lessons.

  "Yeah.. but I hope she doesn't try to bring us into the lesson again, even if Granny Feina wants us to learn it from her friend," Mya grumbled in a pout as her brain began to hurt just from the mere thought of recalling the last lesson for a brief moment. Hearing that just being in the company of the two sisters gave her an in, Kimmi-Ka mentally slumped in begrudging acceptance, glad she'd get what she wanted, but also not happy that she was basically having it handed to her without any effort.

  "Kiwi~?"

  That single word struck at Kimmi-Ka's very core, a fuzzy sensation welling within her body like a bittersweet sucker punch. In tandem with a separate nostalgic feeling mixing in with the fuzziness, the shock that coursed through Kimmi-Ka sent her through a loop, managing to rip her right out of her unshakable and subconscious planning.

  "Sis... where'd all the kiwis go?" Mya whimpered as she traced every inch of the picnic basket's contents with her widening eyes.

  Allowing her annoyance to show on her face, Aliceia pinched Mya on the cheek for asking such a dumb question before stating sternly, "You ate them all on the way here, remember?"

  "Oh yeah, I forgot," Mya mumbled, slightly slurring her words as Aliceia continued pulling at her face. While the two sisters remained locked in their talk about how to divide the picnic supplies, Kimmi-Ka found herself drifting off into her distant memories, completely pushing away any stimuli from the outside world as she fully focused on recalling the memory.

  My-my, Kiwi, what's with the long face? You'll end up turning into that evil variant of Chocolate Cat~

  Gramps, that's how her face always looks, so can you not tease her for her resting face?

  I wasn't referring to her adorable perpetual pout, Lumi

  Then enlighten me, what were you referring to?

  She's bored out of her mind... I think

  Huh? Is that it?

  Given who her pops is, I think her being bored is more dangerous than a seven S-Ranked Dungeon Instances appearing in one spot

  ... ... ...

  Fair point

  But what should I do? She's already read through all those textbooks in Lulu's study, and I wouldn't know the first thing about what to get her next

  And you say Lumios overthinks things; I'm sure as long as it's on a subject she's never seen before, she'd be entertained. Isn't that right, Kiwi?

  Grandfather Zalroth, can you teach me Elemental Blade Work Magic now?

  Gunning straight for the thing you know your pops struggled with to show him up, aey Kiwi?

  ... ... ...Great Grandfather pi ve freu mikul

  What did she say?

  She just called me the best grandfather in the world in Ruenolish, nothing out of the ordinary, obviously

  NO! Kimmi-Ka said Grandpa is a big dummy!