Immediately after bringing Edel back to their previous position, Fíliya shouted towards Wirbel.
"I've reached an agreement with Miss Edel here, so from now on, the six of us will be traveling together."
Upon hearing this, Wirbel's expression showed some hesitation.
"I don't really get what you mean. What benefit is there for us in allying with such a weak team? I don't peg you for the type of bleeding heart who protects the weak."
"Heh, that just shows you don't know me well enough, Little Wirbel. Mm, anyway, I've already decided. Who's in favor, and who opposes?"
As Fíliya spoke, she looked toward Miss Edel.
"Eh? I actually don't object..." Edel said.
Consequently, Wirbel could only let out a dissatisfied click of his tongue before nodding and withdrawing his staff. He had clearly adopted a "you have the bigger fist, so you make the rules" attitude.
"Excellent. That's a happy decision made. Now then, regarding these remaining two little... uh, uncles? I haven't asked for your names yet, have I?"
Fíliya looked at the remaining two individuals who had been subdued by Wirbel with a face full of curiosity. She had originally intended to call them "brothers," but upon closer inspection, she realized with a start that these two seemed unsuitable for the title of "brother" in every aspect.
"Uh... I don't think I've reached the age to be called 'Uncle' yet..."
"Yeah, do we look that old?"
The two somewhat plain-looking men voiced minor complaints.
"The bald one is Blei, and the one with the mustache is Dünste."
Miss Edel stepped forward at this moment to introduce her companions to Fíliya.
"Mm, okay, I've committed it to memory."
Fíliya nodded after listening, but her expression was truly far too convincing—in the sense that everyone present silently muttered the same thought in their hearts:
This person probably didn't remember a thing.
The six of them walked together for a stretch of the journey. Naturally, they did not see a single trace of a Stille along the way.
Miss Edel's stamina was obviously not very good, so the group chose a clearing to rest for a while. Not long after sitting down, Edel let out a soft complaint.
"What is going on... we could still encounter a Stille every now and then yesterday... we just didn't have the ability to catch them... But ever since we met you guys, we haven't seen a single Stille..."
Edel's expression was full of confusion.
In response, Fíliya nodded in strong agreement, then pointed in Wirbel's direction.
"Maybe we really have caught some bad luck. See that guy? You need to stay far away from him, otherwise, the infection will only deepen."
Fíliya clearly had no intention of lowering her volume while teasing Wirbel, so Wirbel heard it loud and clear, causing him to involuntarily shout out.
"Hey, you over there... at least don't let me hear you when you're badmouthing people, okay?"
Wirbel glared viciously at them, but Fíliya simply ignored him.
"But speaking of which, Edel, your luck doesn't seem that great either. You specialize in Mental Magic and have no combat power, yet you were assigned two teammates with equally weak capabilities."
Fíliya continued to chat up Edel.
"Uh..."
Upon hearing Fíliya so bluntly point out their lack of strength, the two plain-faced men seemed to want to argue something. However, they soon drooped their heads like two wilted eggplants, letting them hang low.
"Please don't say that... If Blei and Dünste hadn't been protecting me the whole time, I might not have even made it here. So, I am already very grateful to them."
Miss Edel spoke with some emotion, and her words obviously moved the two plain-faced men deeply.
"Oh? Stepping forward to speak up for your partners? Edel, you really are a good kid, just like Ehre."
As Fíliya spoke, she reached out her hand and ruthlessly rubbed Miss Edel's head.
"Tsk... don't touch... hiss... are you petting me or clawing me... I said it hurts! Stop pulling my hair!"
Miss Edel issued a solemn protest against Fíliya's sudden harassment.
The few men witnessing this scene could only choose to selectively ignore it. Fortunately, the kind-hearted Miss Ehre chose to step forward at this time.
"Fíliya... stop messing around. It's almost noon, and there's only half a day left before the test ends. We still have nothing to show for it; we should be hurrying to think of a strategy..."
Ehre said while grabbing Fíliya's wrist.
"Mm, true."
Fíliya obediently withdrew her hand.
Although the physical harassment had ceased, Fíliya obviously had no intention of giving up on chatting with Edel, so she continued to speak.
"Edel, don't you think this Second-Class Mage test is very problematic?"
"Of course I think there's a problem with this test! You know, magic is ever-changing; not every mage is good at fighting... yet the Magic Association only tests combat ability... Although... my combat power isn't bad either. If it's one-on-one against a mage, basically no one can resist my mind control... I just can't fight monsters!"
"As it turns out, this test just happened to be 'Catch the Monster.' I am completely helpless against monsters, things that possess only basic intelligence but no wisdom or sea of consciousness! If they tested anything else, even a one-on-one duel in an arena, I think I would still be very strong."
Miss Edel spoke with righteous indignation, even waving her small fist in the air.
But Fíliya quickly pointed out the flaw in her words.
"Really? Judging from just now, Edel, your Mental Magic seems to rely heavily on the two conditions of 'Touch' and 'Sight'... If it were really a one-on-one in an arena, you could be easily countered, you know? With that frail combat power of yours, people wouldn't even need to get close to you. They could just close their eyes and finish you off relying solely on Mana Detection."
Fíliya's words caused Miss Edel's arrogant expression to instantly freeze. She then resentfully sat back down beside Fíliya, her expression showing a hint of blame.
"You... you fellow, can't you leave me a little dignity?"
Edel sighed helplessly. She was naturally aware of her own shortcomings. If her mind control were truly that convenient, she would have long since gone to rob other teams instead of engaging in a battle of wits and courage with the Stille at the edge of this forest.
She was certainly confident in her magic. If someone were to press their skin against hers without any defenses, like Fíliya had done before, her Mental Magic could display its greatest effect. But... such opportunities were not always available. A normal person would never give her the chance to get close.
___
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