Unlike her previous appearances as a fairy doll, this was the first time Emerald revealed her Magical Girl form in front of Emerald Sparrow.
Although she claims to have lived for many years, judging by her appearance, Emerald seems to be just a young girl, about half a head taller than Emerald Sparrow, with a slim but well-proportioned figure and pale, smooth skin that showed no traces of aging.
Emerald Sparrow had seen Golden Green Cat's Eye, another Gemstone Scepter, who always appeared noble and imposing, giving off the vibe of a Supreme. In comparison, Emerald had a much softer temperament, whether it was her light green hair tied into a single braid resting on her shoulders or her sleepy grass-green round eyes, none gave off a dominant aura.
At that moment, she wore a seemingly ruqun-style top with no sleeves and a pale aqua color. The loose blouse was cinched at the waist with a wide belt. Her skirt was a short one, reaching mid-thigh, and was double-layered: the inner layer gold and the outer black-green. The outer layer was adorned with gold thread embroidery of cloud patterns, which looked quite elegant. Most impressively, she wore an outer garment over her shoulders that, at first glance, looked like a cape but on closer inspection resembled an enlarged horseman's coat: oversized and very long in a deep green color with various colored patterns, and white fabric lining the lapel embroidered with dark blue regular patterns. With her arms spread out, letting the coat's hem fall to her calves, she looked like a peacock with its feathers displayed.
Playful yet lazy, with a touch of opulence like a noble young lady.
This was the first impression Emerald gave in this attire.
Although Emerald Sparrow had generally sensed through their previous interactions that Emerald was not a very serious person, seeing her in person still revealed some surprising discrepancies from the image she had in mind.
"Humph, before meeting me, you must have imagined me as a disheveled mad scientist, always wearing a white lab coat and with a bird's nest for hair, right?"
Without responding, Emerald Sparrow let Emerald continue the conversation, somewhat proudly saying, "Unfortunately for you, I happen to be a very self-conscious beauty. When I dress up, I look like a real stunner."
"So, if you don't dress up, you're a mad scientist?" Emerald Sparrow pointed out the flaw in her statement very directly.
"Sometimes, maintaining silence is a strategy in social interactions, youngster."
Emerald quickly lowered her eyelids, displaying a 'nothing I can do about it' expression: "If Affinity could be expressed with a number, that comment just now would have made the Chief's Affinity towards you decrease by 5 points."
"That sounds like something a teenager would say today," commented Emerald Sparrow.
"I'm only 17 this year, which is why I care so much about looking good." Emerald again spread out her coat, like a peacock in breeding season always looking for an opportunity to show its plumage, "Adding a 'Chief looks really beautiful' now could recover some of the lost Affinity."
"What base system?" asked Emerald Sparrow.
"Base system? You mean Affinity?" Emerald blinked, "It's based on a Hundred System."
"No, I meant to ask about your age."
Emerald seemed like she wanted to say something but then just paused briefly before smiling somewhat demurely: "Yes, yes, you guessed right, it's indeed a Hundred System. Since you're so clever, there's a reward, Affinity has increased."
It seems even guessing a Hundred System was an underestimate.
Emerald Sparrow couldn't help but conclude.
However, she did not unravel this right now; her previous questions still somewhat fell within the boundaries of idle talk, and probing whether this "17" was based on a Thousand-base system would seem provocative, so she decisively moved on from the topic.
"Thank you for lightening the mood, I feel much better now. So, how do we handle the matter we previously agreed upon?"
Taking a deep breath, Emerald Sparrow spoke again: "Is there any preliminary work I need to do?"
"Talking about healing? Oh that, in principle, we could start now."
Emerald continued, stretching out two forefingers and forming an 'X' in front of herself, "But you know, 'in principle' means 'not practically possible'."
"Insufficient Affinity, access temporarily unavailable, youngster."
Once again mimicking a peacock's display, Emerald fluttered her sleeves: "You need to increase the Chief's Affinity to unlock the relevant items, like you could compliment my coat right now."
"…Oh, your coat looks nice," said Emerald Sparrow impassively.
"Such perfunctory praise... But seeing as you're rarely willing to compliment me, I'll add 1 point to the Affinity." Emerald nodded, "Still not enough, though. Anything else you'd like to say?"
"Your hair accessory is pretty," stated Emerald Sparrow rather helplessly.
"Hmm, another point," Emerald contently touched the step-shake by her temple.
"Your lipstick looks effective."
"Pointing out my pride and joy, 2 points."
"…The hairstyle suits you."
"One point, barely acceptable."
"How much more do we need?" Emerald Sparrow couldn't help but ask.
"About 20 points, I would say," Emerald crossed her arms, appearing quite pleased, "It's a Hundred System, say a few more things."
Emerald Sparrow was left speechless, sighing deeply after a long while, and squinting her eyes she added, "Your dress is beautiful."