AUTHOR'S NOTES:

EDIT: For some frustrating reason, keeps deleting my cover image for the story and replacing it with my default profile one. Sorry, I can't do anything about it.

Hey everyone, I'm back with the sequel to my previous story. If you haven't read it, you should read "Heroes of Magic" on my profile before getting to this one, it does not hold back any spoilers for it and this story is being written with the expectation one knows the first story.

I'm uploading a batch of the prologue+4 chapters here because it's been a long while since the first installment, and because I highly encourage reading these together given how I've chosen to write and start this story. I feel releasing them in biweekly batches wouldn't pace too well or give the wrong impression of where the story is going between waiting. I understand it's asking for some trust, which I hope I've earned from the previous story, but give the story at least till the 4th chapter before reviewing too deeply. No ETA on when regular updates will resume, but I will be having a fair bit more time to work on this midway into the summer, so I hope there won't be the same release gaps I had on some entries for the first story and it won't take as long to finish.

With her baby brother in one hand and a vacuum in the other, Gin hummed to herself while cleaning the house. It had become such a quick process lately with how her magical abilities continued to improve in the month since Negi and Fate had left. She could even automate some small portions of the housekeeping, like she had dreamed up when first starting to learn the skill.

She wondered when she would see them again, Negi had said it could be several weeks and it wasn't that long yet, but Gin still missed and wanted to see him again. She would have so much to show the mages upon a return visit, especially after the system upgrade the Heroes had received.

The sensation of magic, not like her friends nor that of her new fairy, pricked at Gin's perceptions. Hope briefly flared in her chest, until she got a closer 'look' at it and didn't detect anything like Negi or Fate's presence, where the feeling was instead replaced by curiosity.

Switching the vacuum off with a thought, Gin set the nozzle down, using the now free hand to hold Kintarou even more securely. Cleaning could wait for a minute while she checked this.

Gently rocking her sibling, Gin walked over to her room and opened up the door. Curiously, the saw her fairly, Suzuka Gozen she had been told, floating in front of the door expectantly, holding a letter envelope out for Gin. The little spirit, no bigger than Gin's head, had been granted to her with the Hero system's upgrade. Sonoko had gotten a crow, while Sumi had an egg. Gin definitely had the coolest one, or at least she thought she did. It reminded Gin a lot of a plushie with its chibi features, dressed in a purple kimono with a deep blue, lavender almost, sash and green highlights coming from out the sleeves. Atop its face with shoulder length purple hair, were two cartoonish horns and a matching hat. With both hands holding the letter, the sword it held was sheathed away safely.

"Huh? Whatcha got there?" Intrigued, Gin asked while taking the letter. Inspecting the thin material, a smile grew over her face at seeing Negi's signature across the other side of it. Even if he wasn't visiting yet, he still sent a letter? That was the thoughtfulness she liked about him.

"Thanks!" With a wide grin and nod of appreciation to her fairy, Gin stepped inside her room and sat down on her bed, setting down Kintarou gently beside her while she attended to the letter. Her baby brother seemed as intrigued by the contents as Gin was, her sibling crawling over toward her lap and grabbing toward the envelope.

"Hey, hey, careful." Chuckling at her brother's adorable display, Gin moved the envelope out of reach. "Here, you can read the letter with me!" Using a hand to tousle Kintarou's hair, Gin teased, which seemed to satisfy their want for attention.

Gingerly tearing open the top, Gin found the expected letter inside, folded up neatly for times. Opening it up, the girl started reading the content aloud. "Gin, I've hope you, Washio-san, and Nogi-san have been well. I'm sorry to have to communicate something so important like this and ask you to relay it, but-"

Gin's words died off immediately as she continued, focusing intently on the letter and reading aloud forgotten. Something was wrong, Negi gave off the tone of something serious going on immediately after introductions. And as Gin continued to read, she only felt her nerves grow and her heart plummet at the line. But nothing stuck as bad and caused heaviness in her chest as when Gin read 'I might not come back for a while'. Something must have been bad.

"What the hell does he mean by that…?" Gin muttered with a deep frown as she kept going. Negi said he had a good reason, so what could that reason have be-

Gin's eyes slowly widened till they physically couldn't anymore as she started reading the 'good reason' in question. That was… Definitely a very good reason. From what she recalled of seeing that, if there was anything to be worried about that was it. If something that extreme had happened, who knew how long it might be till it was safe. She completely understood why Negi wouldn't want to risk visiting under those conditions, but that didn't mean Gin wasn't upset to learn the news. She had been looking forward to seeing him again so much.

Her brother's poking fingers drew Gin out of her world and she let out a breath they didn't know had been held. "Ahah… Sorry, guess I got a little distracted and forgot to read for you." Gin, forcing away the unease in her voice, answered Kintarou with a few comforting pats to the head.

Gin sighed deeply before letting out a long exhale. Well, even if she wasn't going to quite share everything with how personal it was, she would have to tell Sumi and Sonoko later. But first, she would have to finish up the housekeeping.

She at least hoped some occasional letters could continue, even if she couldn't write back.

In a small flash of light, an envelope appeared on the bed in a dark, dusty room. The small piece of paper gently floated down till it laid still across the blanket of the made and untouched bed, waiting patiently, expectantly, for someone to come and pick it up, for the person it was addressed to.

But nobody came.