Frieren: Understand Humans, Aura!

Before Sheila could say anything else, Aura suddenly thought of something, whipping her head around to ask:

"Wait, the banquet is free?"

"Free!"

"Let's go!"

Aura took the lead, striding toward the carriage waiting at the entrance of the Magic Association branch.

Sheila was left standing there with her hand still outstretched, staring in stunned silence. Her mind had been preoccupied with how to convince Aura that attending the banquet was a matter of giving face to Graf Konrad. She hadn't expected that simply the promise of free food and drink would be enough to lure Aura in.

Lowering her hand, Sheila's gaze darkened further.

The respect she had initially felt for Aura, due to her mysterious origins from Kribi, vanished in an instant and was replaced with disdain.

She had thought that the new director from Kribi would be someone remarkable—someone capable of changing the stagnant state of Hohenburg. And to think she had actually harbored hope… How laughable.

Sheila watched as Aura waved from the distant carriage, urging her to hurry up and get in, her expression filled with contempt.

Even if this girl came from Kribi, she was clearly some countryside mage, getting excited just because of a free feast. What an unsophisticated display. No doubt the nobles would have an easy time manipulating her.

But perhaps that wasn't so bad.

Sheila wasn't sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed, but whatever it was, it rose and fell in her chest before fading away.

Everything staying the same was fine with her, anyway—she was used to it.

At least this new director was weak and easy to deal with. She wouldn't be like the last one, who had come to Hohenburg with grand ambitions, only to cause trouble and ultimately abandon everything halfway through. So many promising changes had ended up amounting to nothing in the end.

—The fall from hope to despair was far more painful than simply never hoping at all.

——————————

Graf Konrad's estate was alight with a warm, golden glow, the chandeliers casting rippling patterns across the polished marble floors.

The air hummed with music, a symphony of string instruments and flutes weaving through the laughter and chatter of the noble guests. Servants glided through the hall, balancing silver trays laden with roasted meats, glazed vegetables, and decadent pastries, their uniforms crisp and movements precise.

In the grand ballroom below, young nobles twirled in elegant waltzes, their tailored suits and flowing gowns swirling like colorful blossoms in motion.

Every so often, a burst of laughter rose above the melody as aristocrats exchanged pleasantries, their voices carrying the practiced ease of those accustomed to luxury.

Overlooking the grand hall, on a raised balcony, there was a semi-open dining area where a long mahogany table was arranged with fine crystal goblets, intricate silverware, and an abundance of food—succulent roasted game, steaming fresh bread, jewel-like fruits gleaming under the candlelight. The scent of seasoned meats and spiced wine permeated the space, mingling with the faint aroma of beeswax and burning wood from the hearth.

At the head of the table sat Graf Konrad himself, a man of commanding presence draped in deep crimson robes trimmed with gold. His dark, neatly combed hair framed a face lined with years of careful governance, and his eyes scrutinized the newest guest of honor.

Beside him sat a much rounder figure, a rotund mage slouched in a well-cushioned wheelchair. His robes strained against his bulk, and his plump fingers absently traced the rim of his goblet as he observed the scene with small, calculating eyes.

Sheila, standing at Aura's side, gestured toward the man.

"This is Barret, the vice-director of the Mage Association's Hohenburg branch," she explained in a measured tone. "He has been managing affairs in the absence of a formal director."

Barret chuckled, a deep, wheezing sound that made his jowls tremble. "But now that you've arrived, Miss Aura, all that authority falls to you. It is a great relief, truly. I have long awaited your arrival."

His voice was thick with the smoothness of someone skilled in courtly etiquette, the kind of man who maneuvered with words rather than action. As he reached for his goblet, raising it in a polished gesture of goodwill, he turned toward Aura with an ingratiating smile.

Before he could speak another word—

Aura plucked the goblet straight from his fingers.

With a fluid motion, she tipped it back and downed the entire contents in a single, uninterrupted gulp.

Gulp— Gulp, gulp—

The deep red liquid disappeared in seconds.

Barret blinked. His fingers, still curled as if holding the goblet, trembled slightly before lowering to the table.

The conversation stilled for a moment.

Aura, however, was entirely unbothered. Without hesitation, she reached for the nearest platter, grabbing a whole roasted fowl with her bare hands. With a sharp crunch, she bit directly through the bones, chewing with a precision that was somehow both meticulous and utterly animalistic.

Within moments, the bird was gone.

Then another.

And another.

She tore through five roasted chickens in rapid succession, licking her fingers clean before moving on. A plate of boiled potatoes sat within reach, and she didn't bother peeling them—she simply popped them whole into her mouth, one after another.

Halfway through, one lodged uncomfortably in her throat.

She didn't cough.

She didn't choke.

She just grabbed the nearest bottle of wine—unopened—and bit straight through the glass.

Crunch.

Shards of bottle clinked against the table as rich red wine spilled down her throat, washing the stubborn potato down effortlessly. The liquid dribbled at the corner of her mouth, but Aura wiped it away with the back of her hand, not even sparing a glance at the stunned expressions surrounding her.

Barret had gone completely still. His face, which had been carefully set into a diplomatic smile, had frozen in place. His goblet-less fingers twitched slightly as if grasping at the remnants of his composure.

Even the Graf, who had been watching with silent intrigue, raised an eyebrow.

Sheila, standing just behind Aura, fought the urge to bury her face in her hands.

'Miss Aura… Could you at least try to act refined?!'

But despite the sheer brutality of her appetite, there was something unnervingly precise about Aura's actions. Her space remained oddly clean—every plate she emptied was neatly stacked, every bottle drained was placed in a perfect row. There were no discarded bones, no careless spills, no remnants left behind.

It was not the chaotic mess of a glutton.

It was the meticulous efficiency of a predator.

"Haha—"

Konrad, feeling somewhat out of place amidst the carnage, could do nothing but poke absently at the broccoli on his plate, cutting it into smaller and smaller pieces as he waited for the next course to arrive. He forced a laugh, his voice tinged with nervous amusement

"Miss Aura, in one so young, a hearty appetite is only natural—a sign of growth and boundless potential!" He gestured grandly, as if trying to turn the moment into something dignified. "As expected of a distinguished talent from Kribi—radiating youthful vigor—truly remarkable, truly exceptional!"

Across the table, Barret watched the scene in stunned silence.

He shifted his gaze from Aura to Graf Konrad, then back to Aura, then to the remains of what had once been an extravagant feast.

Where exactly was Graf Konrad seeing "youthful potential" in this display?

To Barret, Aura didn't resemble a promising young mage—she looked like the reincarnation of some ancient, gluttonous beast, a monster in human form devouring everything in sight.

"Hic— My apologies—"

Aura was halfway through her meal when she felt a little full and finally put down the knife and fork in her hand - in fact, they were just for show, Aura could finish everything with her teeth.

She brought a hand to her mouth in a perfunctory attempt at etiquette, then gave an apologetic smile.

With a casual wave of her hand, she dismissed Konrad's flattery.

"Compared to you, Graf, I'm not young at all."

Konrad's eyebrows rose, his curiosity piqued. "Not young? If I may ask, how old is Miss Aura?"

Aura reached for her wineglass, took a small sip, and answered without hesitation.

"Five hundred."

A beat of silence.

Then, Konrad burst into laughter.

"Haha! Miss Aura, you have quite the sense of humor~~!"

The nobles seated around the table, always eager to follow their host's lead, quickly joined in, their polite laughter rippling through the hall.

Aura tilted her head slightly.

Had she said something amusing?

She had spoken the truth.

Even if she accounted for the longer lifespans of certain mages, Konrad's age likely didn't even reach a fraction of hers. Yet no one here seemed to take her words seriously.

Did she not look like an older demon?

She observed them more closely.

Had none of them noticed the mana she was radiating? She wasn't even making an effort to suppress it.

In the borderlands, where mages were more accustomed to the presence of demons, people would have already collapsed in terror just from being near her. And yet, here, in this estate filled with nobles and scholars, not a single one of them had sensed it.

Konrad, still chuckling, swirled the wine in his glass and leaned forward. "This is my first time meeting a mage from Kribi," he mused. "I've heard much about the city. They say Kribi is revered as the City of Magic, where second-class mages are commonplace, first-class mages walk the streets, and even Grand Mages can be seen by common folk."

Aura, snapping out of her thoughts, gave a small nod. "That part's not far from the truth. You see Grand Mages all the time. Sometimes they even treat people to free cake at cafés—"

"Haha, Miss Aura, you are truly amusing~~!"

This time, it was Barret who laughed.

Back when he still had both legs, he had visited Kribi himself. Forget first-class mages—those only showed up for important events.

And Grand Mages? Those were like mythical creatures, appearing once in a blue moon.

As if someone could just casually receive an invitation to dine with a Grand Mage! What kind of connections did this little mage from Kribi think she had?

This little mage from Kribi is really funny~

Barret finished laughing, and it was Konrad's turn to continue his questions.

Sipping his wine, he feigned a casual tone.

"I've heard that mages who pass the exams in Kribi are generally stronger than those from other cities. Miss Aura, may I ask—what level did you reach in Kribi's mage examinations?"

"I don't know."

"…Could it be that Miss Aura has not passed the exams? Even just the basic third-class mage certification… Ah, please don't misunderstand, I mean no offense. I'm simply surprised."

"It's not that I didn't pass. I never took the exam."

Aura thought about it. She had always been seated at the top of the examination hall, watching others take the test. She had never experienced it as a test-taker herself.

As for her magical level among humans?

She didn't know.

And she didn't need to.