“Whoa! So this is elemental magic, meow~ Mom’s a fire-element mage. That’s so amazing!” Elina exclaimed.

Even though I know how things work on the Phil Continent, seeing magic that can command the elements unfold right in front of me still feels incredible.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Mom’s only Seventh Rank. Your dad’s already Eighth Rank, and one day you’ll awaken an even more powerful light element than mine. There’s nothing to be amazed about.” Alaya explained calmly.

After all, in her eyes, it was only natural that her daughter—so young and already so ambitious—would surpass her one day. And with such a powerful light element, she had an even greater advantage.

“Seventh Rank! Don’t be so modest, Mom. You’re already amazing!” Elina cried enviously.

They probably thought I didn’t know, but I understood what Seventh Rank meant in this world. Ninth Rank mages couldn’t act freely, or the land would be laid to waste. That made Eighth Rank the strength that held a nation together. As long as a country had an Eighth Rank mage, other nations wouldn’t dare attack it lightly. So Eighth Rank mages still served as a deterrent. With Ninth Rank unable to act and Eighth Rank reluctant to fight, Seventh Rank was the highest level that could unleash its full power.

I really did manage to latch onto a powerful backer, meow~

I really wonder how the heroine managed to bring down such a huge empire. It was probably because of some small details Mom and Dad overlooked. But I have to nip those problems in the bud. I can’t let down everyone who trusts me so much!

“All right, all right. What’s there to be jealous of? If you work hard, Elina, you’ll reach this rank someday too~ Now, let’s blow out the candles and eat some cake. If you keep going on about this, Mom’s going to get mad, okay?” Alaya crossed her arms over her chest and reminded her.

“Mm-hmm. Okay.” Elina nodded obediently.

I could tell Mom didn’t want me getting involved with magic and the elements too early. After all, once you get into that stuff, you’re bound to get dragged into conflicts. Maybe Mom just wanted me to enjoy being little a while longer and not have so much pressure on me.

So I understood, but I wouldn’t call her out on it. Having such a gentle mother who cared about me was a rare blessing, meow~

Elina smiled faintly and went over to the cake. She clasped her hands, closed her big eyes, and silently made a wish: I just want the people of the empire and everyone around me to be happy. That’s all I could ever wish for!

Of course, it’d be even better if I could turn back into a boy...

But that’s probably impossible.

After making her wish, Elina sighed, blew out the candles, and pulled them out. Then she smiled and said, “I’ll cut the cake now. Get ready to eat~”

“Yay! Elina cut me a piece of cake herself. I could brag about this for the rest of my life~” Caro giggled behind her hand.

“Is that really necessary? Oh, well. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let it slide. Here’s your cake, Mom.” Elina pouted, picked up the little knife she’d set aside, cut off a huge slice, and handed it to Alaya.

“Ah~ My daughter cut this for me herself. I’m so happy!” Alaya said excitedly as she picked up the cake.

“This one’s for Caro.” Elina cut another big slice and handed it to Caro, though it wasn’t as large as Alaya’s.

“Mm, thank you, Elina.” Caro accepted the cake with a sincere thank-you.

She understood that, as Elina’s mother, Alaya was bound to get a bigger slice. She had nothing to complain about—getting any cake at all was good enough. That was just basic etiquette for a noble, after all.

...