[That’s all, you two.] [Are there any question?]

One time, in some room, a red-headed woman was trying to teach two girls that somehow looks still very young.

[Umm... Lady Hilda...?]

[Yes?] [Do you have something in your mind, Chris?]

It was Hildegarde, back when she was still barely managed to summon her own familiar, as well as the two new witches whom was still learning things, Christine and Rosalinda.

[I was wondering ever since the start....] [Lady Hilda was supposed to be a Frontier Unit, right?] [But why aren’t you doing any Frontier-related things like what you’ve teach us?]

Such question that came out easily from her innocent mouth somehow puts them in an awkward situation.

[YA! CHRIS YOU IDIOT!!] [THAT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD’VE SAID LIGHTLY!!]

[Oho~?] [So you’re saying that I’m so pitiful that you can’t ask me that kind of question, Rosa~?] Hilda suddenly feels pricked by Rosa’s claim.

[Ah, no no!] [That wasn’t my intention, but...!]

[Well it’s not that surprising actually....]

Hilda was somehow signalling something with her eye toward somewhere. Then suddenly something was rolling from the side of the room into Hilda’s side. It then transformed into some kind of stone doll.

[[Ah...!]]

[Well, when you have a familiar like him, you’re bound to get looked down a lot by other people.]

[Wait, that doesn’t make sense!] Chris somehow getting worked up upon the fact that the Familiar Hildegarde has was only a golem. [Lady Hilda, you were supposed to be one of the very few witches whom are capable of completing their quota in such a short amount of time, right?!] [There’s no way that it’s your familiar!] [Your mana quality are also considered the highest purity among others!!]

[Just believe it, Chris.] [I had my own strategy to be able to finish my own quota quickly, but not to obtain more than the needed ones.]

Hildegarde then start explaining her own strategy to the two witches’ apprentice, of how she didn’t use her own familiar to defend herself, by using herself as a bait to pull some monster toward some location, then let her own familiar, Hougo, to finish everything all by itself.

[But the cost of such strategy is quite dangerous considering it’s me and this kid’s body that were at stake, so everytime I gain some profit, I quickly spend it for his maintenance.] [That’s why I decided to do this, becoming an instructor.] [Elder Endrossa also saw it fitting for me to become one, starting to teach you two as my own very first apprentice.]

The two apprentices can only stay silent in her answer as the instructor can only show her bitter smile for letting her newly appointed apprentices seeing another side of her.

[Lady Hilda....] [YOU’RE SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!]

[Huh?] Hilda confused at her own apprentice’s reaction.

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[Rosa?] [What are you saying?]

[YOU’RE THE BEST WITCHES I’VE EVER MET!!] [I MEAN, EVERY OTHER WITCH I’VE EVER MET ALWAYS SAYING THAT “MANA QUALITY IS IMPORTANT” OR “YOUR FAMILIAR IS THE ONE THAT DECIDE YOUR RANK” OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!] [I REALLY HATE THAT!!] [BUT LADY HILDA! YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN’T RELY ON THOSE THINGS AND INSTEAD TRYING YOUR BEST TO BECOME THE BEST WITHOUT IT!] [I... I THINK I LOVE YOU, LADY HILDA!!!]

*PLAKK!!!

[Ow~!] Rosa was suddenly being hit by a paper fan out of nowhere in the head by Hilda.

[Don’t get too worked up there, girl.] [Some of the things those people saying aren’t far from the truth either.] [I only wishes to be useful after all.]

[But...!]

[I also agree with Rosalinda here, Lady Hilda.] [To achieve something that no other witches could do, I’d rather following your footsteps and working hard to achieve my dream than to leave everything up to fate... to let my own familiar decide my future...!]

[*sigh*....] [You two sure are something....] [Listen, I’m teaching you here not to become someone that comes behind me.] [I want you to be something better than me and contribute more for our village, our home.]

[Still, for me... no, for us, you’re the only true witch we’ll ever approve!]

[I ALSO AGREED!]

*PLAKK! *PLAKK!!!

[[Ouch!]]

[I’m grateful for your concern.] [But still, you can’t just hope to learn everything from me.] [Even I have some mistakes here and there, and it’s the job of the other instructor to fill it up in my place.] [So don’t just learn from me, try to learn everything else from other.]

[O... okay!] The two answer simultaneously.

[... Wait a minute, you two.] [Don’t make it look like you two are my subordinate or something.]

[We would be delighted if you make us into one, Lady Hilda!]

*PLAKK!!

Hilda slap Chris again with the paper fan in her reaction of Chris’ declaration.

[Don’t joke on me like that!]

[We’re not, Lady Hilda!]

[You... both are really...!]

***

[So that’s how you got both of such obedient subordinate like that....]

[Like I’m telling you, they’re not my subordinate!]

At some point, Hilda was in the middle of retelling Yohn the story of her past, regarding of how at some point, Rosalinda and Christine keeps tailing her from the back.

[So that’s why you’ve been desperate to find a way to improve yourself.]

[Yeah....] [I’m not really into the concept of becoming the best witches nor becoming one of the Apostles.] [But I can’t really betray the expectation of those two.]

[I see.]

But the two of them actually wasn’t just leisurely conversating. Somehow Hilda was in the middle of tinkering with some kind of device while Yohn observe everything.

[Still, I’m kinda surprised that humans were able to create these kind of things.]

[I’m far more surprised that that Black Knight possesed such equipment all by himself.]

[I kinda agreed with that.] [Not to mention he can actually use it to any kind of situation at a perfect time.] [But for now, that’s less of my concern now.]

Hilda start to focus her entire concentration onto the device in front of her.

[You really sure that with this, Hougo can actually use magic?]

[Well technically yes.] [But the formula needed to unleash the magic itself must be engraved perfectly as well as including where does this device going to absorb the mana needed.] [In Vram’s case, I’m guessing each time he opened the ‘pocket’, at that time, the mana consumption had already begin.]

[So not only it enables him to use magic, but to control when and how to unleash it, right?]

[Yup.]

[Hmm....]

Hildegarde pondering for a moment then start to have quite a sinister smile on her face.

[Can I equip more than 2 of this device onto Hougo?]

[Wha?!?] [Well... It’s not impossible....] [But the strain of equipping so many of these is quite risky....]

[Well I think Hougo can handle it just fine, right~?]

As if answering his master’s hope, Hougo somehow jumping up and down lightly.

[But are you sure about it...?] [You not trying to play with my body and instead asking me about my past as a price for your knowledge....]

[For someone like you, I kinda prefer to know more about you than just to play around.]

[*sigh* You’re one sly mouse.]

[Eheheheh~]

[I guess I should kick up a notch and quickly finish this Rune Core so that me and Hougo can return back to the frontline!]

And with that, she was deep focused into creating the device to make Hougo stronger than before, while without realizing it yet herself later, she would create a strongest familiar that nobody could predict, something that even the Elder Witch found its strength unfathomable.