Chapter 339: A New Mission
In the corner of the restaurant, time seemed to slow down between master and apprentice.
"But this should be very difficult, right? And Master Serie wouldn't agree to it," Frieren suddenly spoke up.
"Yes, indeed very difficult," Flamme nodded in agreement.
She knew Master Serie well. The elf was a staunch believer in the primacy of magical talent.
Meaning, magic was special, and only those with talent could learn it.
Although under Master Rhodes's influence over the years, Serie wasn't overly paranoid in this regard, her foundational concepts wouldn't change easily.
Actually, Flamme really wanted to relax the Magic Association's recruitment conditions to include ordinary people. But she never dared to say it, fearing Master Serie might settle old and new scores together and expel her from the sect.
"However, I will work hard. I believe Master Rhodes will definitely understand my wish."
Flamme believed in Master Rhodes. Just as he taught magic to the human race back then, he must also harbor the idea of expanding magic so ordinary people could learn it too.
"Mn. I will help too," Frieren clumsily expressed her support.
If Master Flamme hadn't fulfilled this wish by the day her life ended, Frieren would continue it for her, even if it meant incurring Lady Serie's displeasure.
Hearing Frieren say this, Flamme continued stroking her soft silver hair. Feeling the steady breathing of the little one in her arms and the determination in her words, the corners of Flamme's mouth curled up uncontrollably.
Thinking of the future where Frieren would inherit her will, with even a tiny possibility of changing humanity's inherent perception of magic, Flamme began to look forward to it immensely, her whole mood warming up.
Just as this warmth was about to overflow, a gentle and familiar voice sounded beside them without warning.
"It seems... I came at a bit of a bad time?" Rhodes's voice carried a hint of teasing.
Flamme's body stiffened instantly. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Almost reflexively, she released her arms around Frieren and sat up straight somewhat hastily. A blush flashed imperceptibly across her face as she tried to look calm toward the source of the voice.
Frieren was a bit confused.
Master Flamme smelled very nice; she wanted to smell it a bit longer. Why did she let go so suddenly?
She turned around. At some point, Rhodes had appeared silently behind them, wearing his usual faint smile, looking at the two of them with interest.
"Master!" Flamme spoke somewhat awkwardly, her tone carrying a hint of embarrassment at being teased. "Do not make such jokes."
Teacher clearly knew her feelings, yet he teased her like this. Truly wicked.
Frieren also greeted him flatly, "Lord Rhodes."
Her expression didn't change much, but her eyes widened slightly, clearly showing some surprise.
After all, she hadn't sensed any magical aura at all. But since Lord Rhodes could appear behind them so suddenly, he must have used short-range spatial teleportation magic. One could imagine how profound his attainments in Spatial Magic were.
Rhodes smiled and didn't continue teasing. He switched to business. "Alright, let's talk business. There is something I might need your help with, Flamme. A trip."
Hearing Rhodes needed her, Flamme immediately put away all distracting thoughts. Her expression became serious, and she nodded almost without thinking. "Okay, Master. I will go now."
Seeing her eager appearance, Rhodes couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. "You... I haven't even said what it is, yet you agree so readily."
Flamme realized she had overreacted. Her cheeks heated up slightly, but she insisted, "Whatever it is, I am willing to do it."
Rhodes stopped teasing her and his expression became slightly more serious. "I just received a message from Olivia in the Heavenly Kingdom. Using the wide-range perception of the kingdom, she seems to have captured traces of Carlo."
"Carlo?!" Flamme's heart tightened violently.
Although she had a premonition, hearing the news that he was indeed still alive made her mood complicated.
"He... really is still alive," Flamme muttered to herself. Then she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and looked up at Rhodes. "Master, what do you need me to do? Confirm his situation, or...?"
She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear: bring him back, or dispose of him directly.
Rhodes shook his head. "The information Olivia sent is relatively vague, but one thing is clear. She not only found Carlo but also sensed a... strange existence beside him."
"Strange existence?" Flamme asked curiously. Frieren also cast a look of attention.
Anything Rhodes called strange was definitely not ordinary.
Rhodes nodded. "A demon."
"A demon?" Both Flamme and Frieren showed puzzled expressions.
If it were an ordinary demon, Olivia could easily dispose of it with a wave of her hand. Why send a special message?
"Just a mere demon," Flamme voiced her doubt. "Couldn't Senior Olivia handle it easily? Is there something special about that demon, or is it very strong? Does she find it troublesome?"
"Troublesome isn't the word," Rhodes explained, a meaningful arc curling at the corner of his mouth. "According to Olivia's description, the state of that demon is indeed somewhat rare. Specifically, I cannot explain in detail. Perhaps you will understand when you see it with your own eyes."
He looked at Flamme and issued the command: "Flamme, your mission is to go to the coordinates Olivia indicated, find that demon, and bring her back safely. Note: bring her back safely."
Flamme nodded immediately. "I understand, Master. I will bring her back to the Association intact." She paused, then asked about Carlo. "Then... what about Carlo? Do I need to—"
Rhodes waved his hand. "Let nature take its course; let him go. Our target is that demon."
Since Master Rhodes had made the decision, Flamme naturally had no objections. She nodded. "Yes, Master."
However, after agreeing, she couldn't help but think of Alvin and the others still dealing with watchers on the streets of the capital. Hesitation appeared on her face. "Master, what about Alvin and the others? I was responsible for watching over their safety. If I leave..."
Rhodes seemed to have considered this long ago. "Relax. I will watch over them personally. I won't let anything really happen to them. Besides, I will construct a directional teleportation spell for you, sending you near the coordinates Olivia provided. It won't take too much time."
Hearing that Rhodes would not only take over the safety of Alvin's group but also personally construct a teleportation array for her, the last trace of concern in Flamme's heart vanished.
"I understand. I will go prepare immediately!"
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 200 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you