Cana stared with a look straight out of an old man squinting at a smartphone on the subway. "Huh? A twin sister? Your family's just the three of you—Mira, Elfman, and you! Where's this fourth one coming from?!"
"We're just as shocked!" Lisanna leaned in, pressing her face next to Lisa's. The two nearly identical faces side by side.
"See? Don't we look alike?"
Cana deadpanned, "=_= It's because you look so alike that it's impossible, okay?"
She eyed Lisa suspiciously, sensing no magical disguise. Could it be real? But the explanation felt too far-fetched. Something was off, though she couldn't pinpoint what. Cana frowned again.
Lisanna grinned. "Hehe, alright, alright. Truth is, she's from another world. Literally fell from the sky."
Cana's expression flattened further. "=_= That's even less believable than the twin story."
She narrowed her eyes, issuing a final warning. "Lisanna, I'm telling you, if you're pulling my leg again, no new comics for a whole year!"
Seeing Cana genuinely annoyed, Lisanna threw up her hands in surrender. "It's true this time! Swear on my life! Ask Roger -bro if you don't believe me—he was there!"
At the mention of Roger , Cana's skepticism eased slightly. She was about to respond when she noticed Lisa hesitantly glancing at her.
"What? Don't tell me Lisanna's lying again!" Cana snapped.
"No!! It's really true!!" Lisanna yelped, terrified of losing her comic privileges.
"Hmph." Cana crossed her arms. "I should tell you the story of the boy who cried wolf sometime."
After a pause, Lisa spoke softly. "The guild I'm from has a Cana too, but she hates alcohol and loves coffee instead."
"What?!" Cana's jaw dropped, as if she'd heard the wildest fairy tale. "Coffee? That bitter stuff? What's so great about that?"
"But now that you mention it…" Cana thought back to earlier moments. "You seem quieter than Lisanna. It was you at the cake shop and the barbecue place, right?"
Lisa nodded with a smile. "Yep. I was surprised to hear you drink. The Cana I know wrinkles her nose at even a whiff of alcohol."
"Alright, enough of that. We should head back to the guild—Mira-nee's waiting," Lisanna said, grabbing Lisa's hand to leave.
"Wait! I'm coming too!" Cana hurried after them.
Lisanna glanced at the food in Cana's hands, puzzled. "Weren't you gonna sunbathe in the garden?"
Cana smirked mischievously. "The sun'll be there tomorrow, but another Lisanna joining the guild? That's a once-in-a-lifetime show!"
Lisanna caught on instantly, mirroring Cana's sly grin. "Right?!"
Lisa thought to herself, == This other me is so lively.
Just then, a slice of cake appeared in front of her, accompanied by Cana's voice. "This cake's amazing. Try it!"
"Oh? No, I'm not hungry—" Lisa tried to decline.
"You don't eat cake just 'cause you're hungry!" Cana insisted, shoving the slice into her hands. "It's perfect right now!"
Unable to refuse, Lisa took it. Under their expectant gazes, she cut a small piece with a fork and cautiously took a bite.
It was unlike any cake she'd ever tasted. The cream melted slowly on her tongue, filling her mouth with rich, sweet milky flavor. The cake was soft and fluffy, like biting into a moist, tender cloud. As she chewed, a subtle sweet-tart strawberry note playfully emerged, perfectly balancing the sweetness, urging her to take another bite.
"Delicious!" Lisa couldn't help but exclaim.
"Told ya!" Cana and Lisanna said in unison, beaming proudly. "This is Magnolia's best cake shop!"
Lisanna leaned in, whispering, "No need to be shy. We all share food here. If you find something tasty, you can share it with everyone too."
Lisa's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded, letting out a tiny "Mhm" like a mosquito's hum.
Seeing her reaction, Lisanna smiled and dug into her own cake.
Cana took a bite of hers, talking as she chewed. "Roger found this place first. He's super picky about food, so if he's a regular, you know it's good! The whole guild swarms these spots, and then the whole town follows. There's even a rumor—" She lowered her voice mysteriously. "They say Roger has magic that brings good fortune. Every shop he eats at ends up booming!"
"Because of that rumor, Magnolia's got tons of new food spots! The bad ones close quick, but the ones that survive are the real deal. Now people come from all over just to eat here!"
The three chatted about food and fun facts as they headed to the guild. Nearing the entrance, Cana, bubbling with excitement, grabbed Lisa and pushed open the guild's heavy doors.
"We're back!!"
"Yo, welcome back!" Wakaba called from the bar, puffing on his pipe and waving casually.
Macao, chatting nearby, turned with a grin. "Cana? Didn't you just leave? What, did you get drunk again and pull 95 slime cards?"
Cana rolled her eyes. "That happened once! And—" She put her hands on her hips, sizing Macao up. "You, who can't even handle a fraction of my drinks, should stick to the kids' table!"
With that, she strutted in, pulling a slightly nervous Lisa along.
Macao scratched his cheek, baffled. "What's with her today? She's extra fiery."
Wakaba blew a smoke ring. "If you drew 'Thanks for Playing' 95 times in a row and everyone kept bringing it up, would you be happy?"
Macao pictured it and winced. "…Fair point."
"I'm back!" Lisanna's voice rang out.
"Oh, welcome back, Lisanna," Macao and Wakaba replied automatically.
"Huh?" They froze, three giant question marks practically popping over their heads. "Lisanna?!"
They whipped around to where Cana had just gone—and saw Lisanna waving with a bright smile. Before they could process it, another nearly identical face appeared.
Lisa stood with her hands behind her back, blinking lightly, a small smile on her lips. "Hi, everyone. Good afternoon."
Wakaba's pipe fell to the floor with a clatter.
The bustling guild seemed to hit a pause button.
Everyone who saw it froze—mugs halted midair, fists paused mid-brawl, mouths gaping in perfect O's.
Time stood still for a second.
Then, the guild erupted like a volcano!
"Two… two Lisannas?!?!"
"Pfft hahaha!" Cana doubled over, laughing so hard tears streamed down her face. "Exactly like I pictured! This is too good!"