The Lorehs left the restaurant in substantially higher spirits than before, even going so far as to link their arms with Aida.

  "The noodles really were quite good, weren't they?" Ray was asking as they somehow managed to traverse the narrow, winding alley streets as a three-person unit.

  "Oh yes, I can see why Kenny recommended them," Meg agreed. "I wonder how he even knows where to find these hidden gems."

  They had finally reached the main street, where they didn't have to cling so closely together; however, her parents refused to release her arms.

  "Perhaps one day, once you become a renowned Poison Healer specialist, we will be able to dine at the Lucky Envelope as a family," Ray joked as they passed a classy-looking building.

  Two employees, dressed in crisp high-collared uniforms, flanked the pair of heavy wooden double doors. Above the arched entryway was a heavy wooden sign inscribed with the words "The Lucky Envelope" in elegant script, inlaid with gold.

  "Don't put that kind of pressure on her," Meg chastised Ray. "Besides, I doubt they have food more delicious than what Kenny can make."

  "You're right, he sets a very high bar," Ray said amicably. They absentmindedly released Aida's arms as they drifted to the side, walking single-file so they could allow several well-dressed individuals to pass them. Aida noticed the individuals didn't even glance their way, or change their pathing so that they weren't walking in the middle of the walkway.

  If that's what the clientele of the Lucky Envelope are like...

  Sure enough, they were greeted by the employees stationed outside the restaurant, who opened the double doors with an impressive level of synchronization.

  "Aida, what's wrong?" Meg had returned to Aida's side, looking at her with concern. "Did you see someone?"

  "No, sorry." Aida turned back to follow her mother, but stopped short as she noticed a stately girl dressed in an elegant dress and coat watching her. "...Hey, Lara."

  Meg peered quizzically at the individual before quickly taking a step back, as if to concede her space to the newcomer.

  "Hello, Aida." Lara stepped forward, inclining her head politely. Her dark blue hair was done up in an elegant bun, and her heavy earrings gleamed with the movement. "I didn't expect us to run into each other so soon."

  "Same here," Aida said cautiously. Lara was dressed just as well as the people who had entered the Lucky Envelope, though unlike the other patrons, she glanced at Meg and Ray, who had returned and was watching their exchange warily. "You look like you're heading somewhere, so..."

  Giving Lara a quick nod, Aida slipped past the girl, scooping Meg's arm along the way to hurry her along.

  "Aida." Despite the commanding tone, which would ordinarily be enough to make her want to ignore it, something in Lara's voice made Aida pause. She probed at the other girl's mana, but she was just as controlled as she normally was.

  She’s not unhinged enough to break decorum and cause a fight on the streets; especially not dressed like that. Praying that her assessment was accurate, Aida turned to her mother with a comforting smile.

  "I'll meet you back home," Aida said to her parents, who looked at her with concern. She nodded with an assurance she didn’t quite feel, trying to alleviate their worry. "Don't worry, Lara's a classmate. She won't do anything to me."

  "All right… we'll get going first, try and get an audience with the Bolys," Ray said, patting Aida's shoulder reassuringly. "I'll see you later tonight."

  "Let us know if anything is wrong," Meg said, smoothing Aida's hair down before gripping her shoulder tightly. "We'll get going now."

  Aida watched her parents hurry away, gathering herself before she turned back to Lara.

  She couldn't help but notice the contrast between Lara's elegant apparel and the worn clothes that had been on her parents' bodies. Lara's coat had intricate designs embroidered along her sleeves and collar, and the creases in her shoulders made it look brand new. Meanwhile, Aida self-consciously shifted her stance, so that she could block Lara's view of the frayed collars and hems on her parents' retreating backs.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "What's up?"

  Aida had prepared herself for a cutting remark or two, maybe something about what she was wearing now that they were no longer in uniform.

  She wasn't expecting Lara to look at her wearily.

  "You're right, I do have somewhere to be." Lara fell silent, her gaze vacant, as if she was looking at something beyond Aida's shoulder.

  She waited patiently, her hand folded lightly over the wand in her bag. Lara’s demeanor didn’t seem like she was considering picking a fight out in public, but her behavior was extremely odd.

  Finally, Lara closed her eyes, as if she was bracing herself to say something. "Cherish your relationships."

  Aida blinked. "What?"

  Lara nodded at Aida. "I'll be going now."

  "Wait, what are you talking about?" Lara ignored Aida's question, continuing to walk at a sedate, unhurried pace towards the Lucky Envelope, where the employees bowed as they opened the door for her.

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  Aida had been tempted to wait outside the Lucky Envelope for Lara to emerge so that she could demand an explanation for the cryptic message from the girl who had, up until now, seemed to resent her existence.

  However, after ten minutes of leaning against a pillar, out of sight of the Lucky Envelope's watchful greeters, she convinced herself she couldn't stay. Logic reasoned that she didn't know how long Lara was going to be, and even though she didn't have any other plans for the rest of the day, her pride backed up her brain to leave.

  After all, if Lara came out after several hours and noticed Aida was still hanging around waiting for an explanation, the power dynamic would indisputably be tilted in Lara's favor. After nearly a year of forging her own independence, Aida had no intention of jeopardizing that reputation. Lingering about like a supplicant who didn’t value her own time was not how she wanted to start her adult life.

  That was why Aida had settled herself on a nearby rooftop, which looked quite similar to the rooftop where the Lorehs lived—although it was used for storage instead of a living area—where she had a good vantage point of the Lucky Envelope's entrance, but still had cover in the form of stacked crates so the people on the ground couldn't easily notice her when she peeked over the edge.

  She didn't quite know what her plan for confronting Lara was when she finally came out, but the girl's demeanor was much too suspicious to ignore.

  In the meantime, people-watching from the roof was quite an interesting pastime. The Lucky Envelope was definitely the primary establishment in the area serving wealthy clientele, and the other businesses in the general area tended to reflect that: meticulously polished business fronts, gleaming items placed for display, shop proprietors and customers who never allowed themselves to rush their purchases or sales.

  After nearly two hours of juggling a small ball of water—Aida took the opportunity to train the Mana Blast-Cycle skill Ezra had taught her, which she was pleased to see was much easier than before—she finally felt a familiar wave of pressure roll through the air. Letting the water splash harmlessly to the ground, Aida peered over the edge, collecting all of her mana into her body so the mana practitioners below her wouldn't sense her.

  Jasper Riolt had stepped out of the Lucky Envelope, followed by Lara. He had on a casual smirk, and he reached out to open the door of a sleek gunmetal golem that had rolled up to the entrance of the restaurant. Unlike the open-air wagons that the public transport golems were, this one had a roof, looking more like a vintage car than a magical form of transport; with how Jasper offered his hand to Lara, it was clearly a personal vehicle.

  Lara accepted Jasper's hand, allowing him to hand her up into the carriage before he climbed in after her. Despite her inscrutable expression, she didn't seem nearly as relaxed as Ezra's older brother.

  What did they talk about?

  Aida dared to send a small tendril of mana towards the vehicle, trying to get a clearer sense of the occupants' moods, but before she could focus her senses beyond the curtains that covered the windows, the golem drove off smoothly—the cabin hovered over three metal balls, completely unaffected by the small bumps in the road the balls rolled over.

  Her heart in her throat, Aida had a decision to make: should she go home now? Lara was clearly out of her reach today, with the golem moving quite quickly through the crowded street.

  Seeing the two of them together, it was clear Lara’s appointment at the Lucky Envelope was with Jasper, which wasn't surprising. She had agreed to his job offer just yesterday, after all. And the girl objectively didn't need any sympathy from Aida. If she needed help, Aida wouldn't have been able to provide anything that she couldn't do herself, given that her mana control and combat skills were better than Aida's, and she also was from a rival family; Aida could provide literally nothing.

  Still, the withdrawn expression Lara had unwittingly displayed before she walked into the Lucky Envelope concerned Aida enough to make her think twice before walking away.

  Aida glanced up at the sun, high in the sky. She still had plenty of time before her parents expected to see her at home; and she could always abort if she lost them, or ran low on mana.

  Besides, this would be a good excuse to get to know Buddington Town a bit, to help with her cover story as a Buddington native.

  Furthermore, she hadn't been able to fully test her abilities in a real-world setting, so to speak. What better time to squeeze in some extra training, without any major life-altering consequences?

  Biting her lip to keep the excitement from spilling over her face, she tightened the straps of her bag before sending a surge of mana throughout her body.