Chapter 386: The Plan Against Frieren
In a meeting hall at the top of a magic tower, sunlight streamed through the glass windows, falling upon the group gathered around a circular table.
There were twelve people from six southern kingdoms, each one an influential figure whose every move could trigger a political earthquake in their respective nations.
Among them were individuals holding key positions in court mage divisions, others who controlled the decision-making power of a kingdom's magic academy, and several who wore the First-Class Mage badges issued by the Continental Magic Association on their chests.
These badges were personally signed by Serie herself, representing the highest honor for a Magician on this continent.
Ironically, at this very moment, they were conspiring against the lineage of the very person who had issued those badges.
"Things are developing a bit too fast. I'm afraid the Magic Association might have already received word."
The speaker was an old man sitting at the foot of the round table. His robes appeared quite simple, but the First-Class Mage badge hung prominently around his neck.
His voice carried clear hesitation, and his eyes were fixed on the magic scroll spread out before him. The content of that scroll was the Immortality Magic runes he had spent thirty years researching without ever managing to decipher.
"What? Do you want to back out now?"
A middle-aged female Magician sitting opposite him let out a short, mocking laugh.
Her gaze fell undisguised upon the association badge on his chest. "A dignified First-Class Mage certified by the Continental Magic Association, participating in a plan against the founder's lineage, and now you get cold feet? This is truly..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but the sarcasm in her unspoken words was sharper than any spoken insult.
The old man's face flushed slightly. He opened his mouth to retort, but any words felt pale and weak the moment he faced the group again.
Even the other two Magicians wearing First-Class badges from the Continental Magic Association lowered their heads in silence.
They had enjoyed the honors and benefits brought by the association, yet now, driven by their desire for Immortality Magic, they were participating in a plan against the Great One. It was truly shameful to speak of.
"If you could have deciphered that rune, we wouldn't have had to resort to such measures," another voice came from the other end of the table.
The speaker was a thin, gaunt old man with white hair and a beard. His eyes were deeply sunken, and a faint aura of decay lingered around him—a sign that his life force was nearing its end.
His remaining lifespan was short, a fact everyone present knew well. It was precisely for this reason that he had become the most fanatical promoter of the entire plan.
"Thirty years," the gaunt man continued. "You've held that rune for thirty years. And the result? Aside from confirming you can't decipher it, what progress have you made?"
The old man gripped his staff tightly. He wanted to say that the complexity of the rune was far beyond imagination, that no one had ever deciphered it in all these years, and that what they were doing was no different from throwing eggs against a rock ...but in the end, he said nothing.
Because he knew these excuses were meaningless.
He was already seventy years old. As a human Magician, this age had already surpassed the limits of most.
He had survived to this day by relying on his insights into Holy Magic and precious herbs he had accidentally obtained in his youth. But now, he too was dying.
If he didn't obtain the complete Immortality Magic, he would turn into a handful of dust within ten years, perhaps even sooner.
So he sat here. Even though he knew what terrifying power God Slayer possessed, he had no choice, just like the other instigators of this plan.
"This plan is only the beginning," the old man sitting at the head of the round table finally spoke.
He was the oldest among them, but also the strongest. He had dabbled in Holy Magic, Elemental Magic, and Life Magic.
Consequently, his fame was immense, earning him extraordinary treatment in any country. Even in the Kingdom of El, the current King would have to personally welcome him.
Unfortunately, he was not immortal and still could not escape the constraints of lifespan.
"Capturing Frieren is only the first step. Regarding that Elf named Ayla, we have also arranged a corresponding plan. As long as we move fast enough, before they can react—"
He didn't finish, but everyone understood the unspoken words.
Over the years, they had conducted deep research into the Magic Association, the God Slayer who stood at the top of the world, and his Elf companion.
In that association, there weren't actually many existences truly worth fearing.
Kurtz himself went without saying; he was a being who had once slain a god, the ancestor and pinnacle of all human Magicians on this continent.
Serie was likewise untouchable. She had lived for over two thousand years and mastered countless ancient magics long lost. Rumor had it she alone could topple kingdoms.
Therefore, they could only target the Magicians within the association.
According to their investigation, among the many Magicians in the Magic Association, there were only two people Kurtz and Serie truly cared about.
One was Flamme—Kurtz's only disciple and Serie's as well. She was another legend among human Magicians, said to possess talent and strength comparable to the legendary Magicians of ancient times.
But Flamme had disappeared five hundred years ago, her fate unknown.
They had consulted countless ancient texts and finally concluded that she was likely dead.
After all, she was human.
No matter how powerful one's magic, a human's lifespan eventually had its limit.
The other was Ayla—the Elf disciple Serie had taken in a thousand years ago.
Elves had no limit to their lifespan. Ayla was still active across the continent, and legends about her could still be heard occasionally.
She was one of the people Lord and Serie truly cared about; there was no doubt about that.
But Ayla was not easy to deal with.
As an Elf, her perception of danger far exceeded that of other races, and her strength was also unfathomable. Although there were no precise records of her battles, being taken as a disciple by Serie and taught for a thousand years said everything.
Therefore, the scale of Magicians deployed on that side was even larger, but they hadn't found a suitable reason yet and hadn't made a move for the time being.
Thus, they locked their target onto Frieren, Flamme's disciple and Serie's grand-disciple.
Judging by her strength as a Magician, although she was powerful, according to the gathered intelligence, she should be far inferior to her teacher and grandmaster.
Furthermore, she had traveled alone for years, barely maintaining contact with the association, making her the perfect choice to start the plan.
As for the Demon by her side—who would have thought that a request originally designed just to create a contact opportunity would become such a perfect excuse due to that Demon's unexpected exposure?
Sheltering a Demon.
With this charge, even if the Magic Association wanted to intervene, they would have to weigh the pressure of public opinion. After all, the hatred between all races and Demons had spanned thousands of years.
"What about that woman Solis from the association?"
Someone raised this question, and the meeting hall fell silent for a moment.
[End of Chapter]