Chapter 342: Development and Changes Over a Millennium
After settling Solis in the association's underground area, filled with powerful barriers, Flamme felt a great weight lift from her heart.
The subsequent research and analysis would be a long process, so there was no need to rush it. She thought of Olivia, who had volunteered to stay, and couldn't help but feel a little excited.
After all, the other party was the last Skywing Clan member on this continent, and also a partner of Teacher Kurtz, who had once fought alongside him to slay gods and save the world. Now that she was finally willing to leave the heavenly kingdom and step onto the ground, Flamme could better understand her.
She found her apprentice, Frieren, and suggested to Olivia, "Senior Olivia, how about we take a stroll through the streets of the capital? Let's see what human cities are like now."
Olivia's eyes flickered upon hearing this, then she nodded. "Okay."
Anyway, I'll be staying at the Magic Association for the foreseeable future, which will give me a good chance to observe the human race's development and change over the years.
Frieren didn't say anything; she was more concerned about Olivia next to her teacher.
Not only was she extremely beautiful, but the magical aura around her was also incredibly terrifying. More importantly, she had a pair of large wings on her back, which looked as if they had grown naturally from her. Even the aloof Frieren couldn't help but feel a little curious.
Especially after everyone stepped out of the Magic Association's gates, sunlight shone on Olivia's wings, making each feather emit a soft halo.
Frieren could no longer contain her curiosity. She tugged at Flamme's sleeve and whispered, "Teacher, is she using a new flight magic? But I can't sense any fluctuations in her magic at all."
Flamme smiled, amused by the question, but considering Frieren's age, she probably didn't know about the Skywing race, a race that only existed in legends. So she explained,
"Frieren, this is not a magical effect. Senior Olivia is a member of the legendary Skywing race, and the wings on her back are something she was born with."
She paused, her voice taking on a reverent tone. "She was an extraordinary being, one of the heroes who fought alongside Master Kurtz and Master Serie a thousand years ago, ultimately slaying the false god!"
"Slay the gods..." Frieren murmured, a hint of respect appearing in her gaze as she looked at Olivia.
No wonder the aura emanating from that person was so terrifying; it turned out she was Lord Kurtz's former companion. That made sense.
However, upon hearing Flamme mention killing a god, Olivia's expression shifted slightly, and her eyes betrayed a complex emotion.
She turned her head slightly to avoid Frieren's gaze. "That's all in the past. There's no need to mention it again."
After all, the god they had killed was inextricably linked to the Goddess of Life, whom their Skywing Clan worshipped, and the goddess had even taken over the Goddess of Life's body.
Therefore, Olivia was unwilling to talk to others about her past.
Flamme sensed Olivia's reluctance to discuss the matter and couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
She had originally hoped to take this opportunity to hear more details about Kurtz's heroic deeds from Olivia, a firsthand witness, since hearing stories from different perspectives always brought new discoveries.
But seeing Olivia's obvious resistance, she quickly changed the subject. "I know a dessert shop that's really good. Let's go check it out!"
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As soon as the three of them stepped onto the street, they became the center of attention almost immediately.
Flamme was initially confused. In the past, when she went out alone or with Frieren, she would attract some attention because of her identity as a member of the Magic Association, but never like today, when almost the entire street was staring at them.
It wasn't until she noticed the curious, even incredulous gazes of passersby, mostly focused on Olivia, that she realized what was going on.
The problem lay in Olivia's enormous, white wings.
For Flamme, who was used to being with Olivia, those wings were perhaps just part of Olivia's racial characteristics.
However, for ordinary people in the capital and even many well-informed adventurers, the Skywing Clan was simply a mythical creature, and many people didn't even know about this race.
Therefore, it was no surprise that Olivia's sudden appearance on the street caused quite a stir.
"Look! That person has wings!"
"Is it a magical artifact? Or some kind of disguise?"
"So beautiful, like an angel from legends!"
A murmur of conversation arose, and upon seeing this, Flamme quickly pulled Olivia and Frieren into a relatively quiet alleyway nearby.
"Senior Olivia," Flamme said somewhat embarrassedly, "um...your wings are too conspicuous. Is there any way to temporarily hide them?"
Olivia looked slightly embarrassed. "These wings are part of my body, just like your arms. They can't be retracted or dissipated at will like magic."
At this moment, Frieren suddenly asked a rather strange question. "Olivia-senpai, how do you usually sleep?"
Frieren dared not imagine how uncomfortable it would be to lie on the bed with such large wings.
In response to Frieren's question, Olivia patiently explained, "When resting, the wings can shrink to a certain extent, but it won't have any effect."
After she finished speaking, she had a slight thought, and the pair of huge, pure white wings on her back slowly shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye, until they were only the length of her forearm and obediently draped over her back.
"This is it!" Flamme's eyes lit up, and she immediately came up with a solution.
She found a cloak and handed it to Olivia. "Senior, put this on. It should cover your wings after you shrink them!"
Olivia took the cloak and put it on, then carefully tucked her shrunken wings under it.
From the outside, apart from her still tall and outstanding figure, there was no obvious difference between her and ordinary people.
"That should solve everything." Flamme nodded in satisfaction.
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The group returned to the main street.
Sure enough, although the three female companions, all of whom were beautiful and had great temperament, still attracted some attention, the stares were no longer as intense as before, as if they were watching rare animals.
They strolled through the bustling streets, through the market, past restaurants, watching the street performers' amazing acrobatic shows and the diverse crowds, while Olivia observed everything around her with quiet intensity.
She couldn't help but exclaim, "Humans are truly a race that seems like a miracle."
She recalled the scene a thousand years ago, when most humans were scattered across the continent in tribes, struggling to survive on the edge of life, facing monsters, natural disasters, and a lack of resources, living from day to day.
The flame of civilization had been faint and flickering.
"I remember that a thousand years ago, this land looked completely different from what it is today," Olivia told the two people beside her. "Back then, it was hard to imagine that they could build such a large and prosperous civilization in such a short period of time."
Her gaze swept over the pedestrians and shops on both sides of the street, and she continued, "I'm afraid even the land of elves and the land of dwarves can't compare to even half the prosperity of human cities today."
As Flamme listened to Olivia's reflections, a complex mix of emotions welled up within her.
Although she didn't know exactly how difficult the human condition had been a thousand years ago, she could easily imagine it.
So she replied, "Yes, human life is short, but that's precisely why we yearn to create as much value as possible in the limited time we have. This is the cornerstone of the miracles that humanity has created today."
[End of Chapter]