Bashara was overjoyed—her son Jili had returned home early. When Sophie walked in, she saw the young man standing in the living room. Hearing the door, Jili turned around—and to everyone's surprise, his rugged face flushed bright red.
*"Damn it, Mom! Why did she have to tell me all about Fairy Sophie? And then push me to pursue her! 'You're not getting any younger,' she says—as if someone this beautiful would even glance my way, especially with so many suitors! Now I can't even look at her without blushing!"* Jili mentally scolded himself for his reaction.
"Well, well," Libor teased, grinning. "If it isn't Captain Jili, blushing like a maiden! In all our years as friends, I've never seen you turn red. Did Auntie play matchmaker again? Who's the lucky girl this time?"
Sophie burst out laughing. *Libor sounds just like my snarky girlfriends back home—just with a deeper voice and a ridiculously handsome face.*
Noticing Jili's discomfort, she stepped forward and extended her hand. "Hi! I'm Sophie."
Jili looked startled but quickly recovered, bowing gracefully to press a kiss to her knuckles. "An honor, Miss Sophie. I'm Jili."
Now it was Sophie's turn to flush crimson. She'd only meant to shake hands—apparently, that wasn't a thing here. Kissing a lady's hand seemed to be noble etiquette.
"Dinner's ready!" Bashara announced, saving Sophie from further embarrassment. "You must be starving after skipping lunch! Jili brought back puff pastries from Kasina City, so I made kadada stew—perfect with the pastries! Come try it!"
Too hungry to care about decorum, Sophie dug in with unladylike enthusiasm.
"Mom! Save some for me!" Charles barged in, eyeing the food greedily.
Sophie ignored him, too busy savoring the flavors. *This is incredible! I have to learn how to make this before we leave.*
The others watched the mother-son food battle with amusement. Bashara beamed with pride; Libor smirked, accustomed to Sophie's quirks; and Jili gaped—*This is the graceful fairy my mother described?!*
"Slow down! There's plenty!" Bashara chuckled.
After licking her plate clean, Sophie patted her flat stomach contentedly. *This body's amazing—eats like a horse but never gains weight!*
Within an hour, she'd mastered kadada stew (though not as perfectly as Bashara). Charles and Xiao Bai cheered—this meant more delicious meals ahead!
---
The next morning, Sophie's little family set off for Kasina City with Jili and Libor.
*What's this place like?* Sophie wondered eagerly.
Beyond the towering gates, bustling streets brimmed with merchants hawking unfamiliar trinkets, snacks, and gadgets. Sophie itched to explore but forced herself to focus—she needed a plan.
Though she only knew Jili and Libor here, relying on them wasn't sustainable. Time to find a job!
"I won't stay with you," she told them. "Just help me find decent work—anything but hard labor!"
Libor drew a blank—he'd only interacted with humans to "collect samples." But Jili's eyes lit up. "Peter Magic Academy is hiring civilian instructors! You know magic, right? Plus, all Kasina's gifted children study there—perfect for Charles too!"
*Magic teacher?* Sophie panicked. *My skills are barely passable!* Then she glanced at Charles and grinned. *I've got an idea.*
"Take me there!" She dragged a blushing Jili along, barely waving goodbye to Libor.
Peter Magic Academy resembled Hogwarts—only grander. With Jili's help, Sophie met Nash, the Archmage in charge of hiring.
"Archmage Nash," she said smoothly, pushing Charles forward. "This is my son. Everything he knows, I taught him. Charles, show him Chain Fireburst!"
The flawless intermediate spell dazzled everyone.
A single demonstration earned Sophie the job.
Watching them leave, Nash marveled, "To think such talent came from this young woman! We've found a gem!"
Whether that "gem" was genuine or fool's gold remained to be seen.
Clutching thick textbooks in the fire magic department, Sophie grinned. *"Hah! 'History of Magic' alone could fill a whole semester! If students complain, I'll just have Charles demo some spells. Easy!"*
Confident and eager, she headed to her first class—blissfully unaware that every school has its troublemakers.
**Will Sophie survive her first day teaching?**