Night finally fell upon the Magic City.
As the moon rose, the two mages from the age of myths finally ceased their activities, so as not to disturb everyone's rest.
Be that as it may, outside the city lay a thousand leagues of scorched earth. Terrifying rifts, forest fires, landslides, and meteor craters stretched to the horizon. Anyone visiting in a few days would likely think some heavenly retribution had occurred.
Fortunately, slight tremors soon followed, and a verdant magical energy drifted through the night sky. Wherever it passed, grass and trees grew, and all things were revived.
It was Serie's magic, repairing the land and even ingeniously creating a sea of flowers.
On the other side was Frieren's Sorcery: Gravity Well. Under its absolute power, rifts were pieced together and mountains were cleared of rubble, making the path smooth and unobstructed.
It was a good thing she hadn't used it during their spar; otherwise, the consequences would have been unforeseeable.
Responsible for both the damage and the repairs.
The two mages from the age of myths finally showed some professional integrity, which allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. Otherwise, it seemed like they would have fought on forever, and the cataclysm would have absolutely destroyed the city.
"How terrifying. They fought for an entire day, yet they still have the energy to continue with the repairs!"
The crowd was already numb with shock.
So they weren't even serious at that level? The notion of them going all-out was out of the question. It was nothing more than a casual spar; the energy consumed was likely less than what they were now spending on repairs.
Their physical stamina and total mana reserves were off the charts, reaching a height unattainable even by imagination.
In their understanding, only an unreasonable curse could stand against them, but neither had used any indecipherable type of magic. They could only guess.
"We'll be heading back first." Barke said his farewell and turned hastily.
Zanne gave a cold warning, "Have you thought this through? You'd better do your homework tonight to avoid making a fool of yourselves."
Her tone was clearly that of a mentor scolding her students.
However, the Empire's special envoys could no longer be bothered with such trifles; their urgent priority was to return and discuss countermeasures. Their original plan of using both carrot and stick was no longer viable. At most, they could try a good cop, bad cop approach to test the waters.
It was nothing more than a few conventional methods, with little room for clever maneuvering. They had to be cautious.
Carol said gravely, "Your Excellency, court mage, did you feel it? Serie originally had an air of maturity, even one of laissez-faire, but her temperament has changed…"
"That's what makes it troublesome."
On the other hand, he now had a better understanding of Frieren's style. This old monster, estimated to have lived for over a thousand years, still possessed the heart of a young person.
At critical moments, she would never be stingy about displaying her military might, making it inconvenient to even probe her. What a headache of a mission.
At this moment, Barke just wanted to get back quickly; after all, Lordran might not remain quiet either.
The remaining group from the headquarters went to tidy up their respective rooms.
Although protected by layers of barriers, the vibrations conducted through the earth's crust were unavoidable. Many bottles and jars were still shattered, leaving a mess on the floor.
One of the reasons the two presidents hadn't returned was likely that they were waiting for things to be cleaned up. Otherwise, they would have to witness a scene that looked like it had been wrecked by a husky.
Those two…
Zanne and Flamme, sharing the same thought, couldn't help but sigh. Oh well, they were used to their masters' styles.
They shouldered the responsibility, directing the repair work and giving the place a thorough cleaning. Under the night sky, their lamplit hustle and bustle echoed the restoration on the horizon.
Everyone had their own tasks, and it was far from time to rest.
The big cleanup lasted until the latter half of the night.
Later, they didn't even know what happened; they were so busy they just fell asleep.
Ultimately, the tidal waves of energy from mages of the mythical age were never a trivial matter. The more sensitive a mage was, the more clearly they could perceive it, which in turn made them more tense and exhausted.
So, everyone collapsed into sleep, not caring whether they were on a bed or not, as long as they could enter the land of dreams.
Dawn.
Feeling the warmth of the sun, Flamme slowly opened her eyes, then jolted fully awake. She remembered collapsing on the floor in a deep sleep, so how did she suddenly end up on a long bench?
Upon closer inspection, she found a few long silver hairs on her.
Normally, she was very alert even in her sleep; any movement would trigger a series of spell reactions. But in her master's presence, she felt too safe and didn't react at all.
This was good, too. It was rare to get so much sleep since coming to the Magic Association.
She looked up and saw it was already noon.
Spreading out her perception, she found that most of the city was still sound asleep. After such a major event, everyone was willing to relax for a while.
The Magic City was fast-paced enough; it was nice to take a break once in a while.
"How did you sleep last night?"
Frieren's voice was heard as she handed over some dessert and water, something to eat before an uncertain lunchtime.
The gurgling of her stomach made Flamme blush, and she hurriedly took the food and began to wolf it down, nodding in agreement.
"I rested very well and didn't dream... I've been traumatized by dreams ever since that time in Ahren."
"That's good. Looking at everyone, they'll probably sleep for a while longer."
"What did you and the President talk about yesterday, Master?"
"Let her tell you herself."
The two looked towards the golden-haired elf walking from the inner palace garden carrying a water jug. She seemed to be draped in dew, glittering brightly, and even offered a smile—not the kind filled with anticipation for mischief, but a simple greeting.
She sat down on the ground without ceremony and repeated the promise she had made to Frieren: to aid in the growth and prosperity of the elven race in the future.
It was vague, so vague that at first, it sounded like a joke.
But no one would underestimate a pact between two elves. A promise between members of the world's longest-lived race was enough to witness the end of the world. The short-lived races needn't worry about it.
"However, I can't head to Elf Town right away, as there's much to deal with here. I must at least wait until the Empire's recruitment issue is resolved."
"That's for the best. We wouldn't want those self-righteous fools to interpret our departure as a sign that negotiations are possible."
Whether it was Frieren or Serie, the meaning behind their words was clear:
Rejection.
The reason they hadn't made a final decision before was because they were unsure of the other president's attitude, not out of any concern for the Empire. Now that they both understood the other's aversion to the recruitment, there was no problem. They were in perfect agreement.
"That's good. After I give my formal reply to Lord Barke, I plan to return to the village for a while. It's been a long time since I've rested. What do you say? Will the President grant me leave?"
"Of course. Talented people should have a proper work-life balance."
"And the untalented?"
"Then they should hurry up and make up for it with diligence!"
The three exchanged a smile, then went their separate ways to wake the mages sleeping strewn about, bringing the headquarters back to life.
Sleepiness gradually dissipated as a new day arrived. The entire Magic Association headquarters still had a somewhat disheveled atmosphere, but everyone was beaming with joy, feeling as though a new chapter of history was unfolding.
Although this was a response to the Empire's recruitment, on a longer timescale, it was a struggle for independence.
If possible, they too would prefer not to be hindered by all sorts of trivial matters.
Soon, people finished tidying up, and the main management of the association gathered in the meeting room in the inner palace garden.
To call it a hall was a stretch; it was more in Serie's style to just put out a long table and call it a day.
She announced solemnly, "We are going to reject the Empire."
As expected.
As Serie, seated at the head of the long table, made the official announcement, everyone nodded in agreement. They then looked to her opposite.
What had Vice-President Frieren done to make their lazy master so proactive?
Nearly everyone present was her apprentice, considered the first generation of association elders, and they knew their elder's troublesome personality well.
Once the Empire was deemed not worth her time, she wouldn't even offer an opinion.
But now she was willing to hold a meeting just to inform them? For someone who had always been so spontaneous, this was considered very formal.
Therefore, Serie must have followed someone's advice, and only a person of equal skill could sway the decision of the Progenitor of Magic.
"The association is only just getting started."
The silver-haired girl said gravely, "Although the Empire claims to be interested in our channels, training, and resources, we've only been operating for a very short time."
"To put it bluntly, they won't offer a good price even if we accept their recruitment."
"The reason they haven't mentioned that you're too fledgling is to save it for the negotiation table to drive down the price after you've accepted their vassalage."
With the branch divisions where her own prestige was deeply rooted, Frieren would speak of ideals, passionately detailing the stakes and stressing that fighting the demon race was what mattered.
This approach wouldn't work with the headquarters' upper echelons. They held high positions and were well-versed in the ways of the world; it was better to present facts and reason with them.
As expected, everyone nodded thoughtfully.
"Therefore, we unanimously agree that the continued development of the association is what's important. We must proceed at the current pace and not allow any disruptive factors to interfere."
Serie added in a timely manner, her words a final verdict that set the tone for the whole affair.
Her clear stance was crucial. She had to mobilize a firm will, to let her apprentices know that they shouldn't expect the Empire's current offer to materialize.
Strength comes from within, and it was far too early to pledge allegiance to anyone.
"Furthermore, I have one more important matter to share with you all."
The silver-haired girl raised her hands, and a ball of magic rose from each, showing the unmistakable traces of curse magic.
What?
Could that golden energy and miraculous illusion be...
It was unbelievable, until Frieren finally announced seriously:
"Diagold and Paradise-Guiding have been fully analyzed. They are no longer curses."
It was an earth-shattering statement. In fact, from the moment she used them, two curses had vanished from the world.
Because they were theoretically impossible to analyze, they could not be passed down, remaining unique from beginning to end.
Of course, some magic remains a curse even if an exception is made.
For instance, Serie had mastered magic learned from its original user, but besides herself and that dead fellow, no one else could use it.
It was still equivalent to a curse, with little difference in the end. The term mainly described its exaggerated difficulty.
"They are very dangerous and very difficult to learn, so I will not release the most core, critical formulas. However, I can teach you all some of their simpler effects."
"For example, briefly creating a golden shield with immutable properties, or using mental protection to weaken similar attacks against oneself…"
What Frieren said offhandedly was already subversive enough.
In any case, it was magic derived from curses; its rank and performance couldn't be poor.
"Vice-President, can we learn it?"
"Of course, everyone can. This will be the theme of my lectures at the association for the next few days."
"I heard that you announced the techniques for Deflection Magic at the Fort of the North Wind branch. That was already very impressive, and now you bring another bombshell... Is this to counter the Empire's methods?"
The silver-haired girl nodded.
There was nothing to hide. She wanted them to know that the association's resources were unfathomable, and that releasing even a fraction of them was enough to change the world.
The crowd looked shocked, unable to imagine the power of this combination of moves.
Let's not forget, the deterrent power of these two spells was immense.
To be sure, everyone knew Frieren was stronger than the Seven Sages. Her world-renowned Sorcery: Gravity Well and soul magic were famous for their destructive power, but they hadn't felt the pain themselves.
In terms of fearsome reputation, neither could compare to Diagold, whose appearance signified decay.
Her mastery of it symbolized a transfer of that deterrent force; Diagold had not disappeared with Macht's fall.
It would only become stronger.
They believed that a master who had perfected the art of magical research to its zenith was capable of elevating a curse to a new level.
They also believed the Empire would absolutely not take this lightly. They looked forward to the reaction of those fellows; they would certainly have to change their strategy again.
"What are you waiting for?" Serie urged impatiently, "The sooner, the better."
"Alright, let's head to the lecture hall now."
"Also, do you need a temporary teaching assistant to help with demonstrations? I guarantee I know curses and won't be easily ensnared, no problem even after several repetitions."
"That would be perfect." Frieren then looked at the red-haired girl and instructed, "I'm leaving the blackboard notes to you, Flamme."
"No problem."
The group went straight from the meeting room to the academy district, which was structured like a series of theaters, built to accommodate the largest-scale lectures, some even with seating for ten thousand.
In fact, her appeal was enough to draw a crowd of thousands, emptying the streets.
The moment the title was written on the massive blackboard, people were already flocking to it. For mages, it was an absolute festival of blessings:
"Curse Research: An Analysis of Diagold and Paradise-Guiding Magic"
Especially since the lineup of professors was top-tier.
The publicly acknowledged genius of research, Frieren, needed no introduction.
Flamme, who often partnered with her master, was also of exceptional merit and had made a name for herself at the branch. This was a rare reunion for them.
What was completely unexpected was that Serie was also participating, she who usually kept to herself.
The impression people had of the Progenitor of Magic was that she disliked public appearances, and even rejected public teaching.
She was a talent-supremacist.
Yet today, she was willing to take the stage publicly, which was a statement in itself. Of course, people didn't have time to think too deeply before the main event began.
Frieren handed a manuscript to her apprentice. The latter, sitting on a high stool, read it for a moment and then, following the rhythm of the lecture, began to annotate with neat and clear handwriting.
"Let's start with the basics. I will now demonstrate the mechanism—"
Hey!
With a snap of her fingers, the entire grand lecture hall was suddenly situated in a sea of flowers.
How was that possible? The visuals were one thing, but why could they smell the fragrance? Were their other senses also being deceived? Some people touched the flowers and found they swayed, and could even be plucked.
"Could it be she suddenly activated Magic to Create a Flower Field!"
Everything was frighteningly real; it was hard to believe it was an illusion. Inconceivable.
"Don't be surprised. Use the formulas Flamme is writing on the blackboard to perform mental protection and anti-illusion techniques."
"However, Serie and I will attempt to break through your defenses."
"This is why I'm using transference magic to give you information on the basic formulas, to help you grasp them quickly."
"—The talented will comprehend it themselves; the untalented will wait to have it instilled."
Serie finally revealed her trademark scornful expression.
In her view, being unable to comprehend it on one's own was, of course, a humiliation. Since their potential was limited anyway, it was better to just force-feed them.
For the mages, this was all good news.
They never imagined that today's lecture would actually be a battle of offense and defense!
_____
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