章 32: Entering Frieren Village
"Sibele, this is the one who taught me magic."
The tall, golden-haired elf, dressed in white with her bare, snowy back exposed, turned around at the sound. She diverted her attention from the moldy, yellowed grimorie in her hand and glanced over at Aura.
Sibele's gaze lingered briefly on Aura's prominent horns for a moment before shifting away.
"So this is the demon who taught you magic."
The tall elf Sibele once again focused her attention on the moldy grimorie in her hand.
She frowned slightly, obviously the moldy grimorie in front of her gave her more headaches than the fact that Frieren brought back a demon friend.
Even Aura, who was ready to escape at any time, was surprised:
"Uh, why so indifferent?" Aura asked, puzzled by the lack of concern.
"It's not the first time I've heard Frieren mention it." Sibele responded, not looking up from her book.
"Does Frieren mention me often?"
"Yes, quite often."
"Isn't that strange?"
"Very strange, indeed."
"Then why..."
"Frieren is also a strange elf. It's normal for her to have a strange friend."
Sibele spread out the grimorie. In the only place in the yard where the sun shone, there were many withered and yellowed grimorie placed there. Some of them were very old and had wormholes in them. It was unknown how many years old these ancient books were.
There were some relatively intact ones on the other side, and looking through the open doors and windows in the courtyard, there were even more piled in that small house.
'—This is an elf mage with knowledge.'
Aura quickly concluded.
In a race like the elves, who have long lifespan, as long as they live to a certain age, even if their magical talent limits their mana growth. This deep well of knowledge often elevates their understanding of magic to a masterful level, regardless of their raw magical power.
She opened her mouth but couldn't think of anything to say.
The mana surging in the body and the defensive spells that had been prepared were all wasted by the calmness of this old elf.
"Sibele, what are you looking for?"
Frieren noticed Sibele's actions as she rummaged through the dark little study, moving bookshelves and tossing books of all sizes around.
"Looking for a grimorie."
"Very important?"
"It's very important and needs regular maintenance. I clearly remember putting it here."
"It's quite dark inside."
"Yes, it is."
"I've completed my magical training, Sibele."
"Have you finished your magic training? Then could you cast an illumination spell for me, Frieren?"
Aura noticed Frieren's eager movements.
'Have you finished your magic training?'
'That would mean her success rate for casting spells was over ninety percent, sufficient for everyday use.'
The elf seemed eager to demonstrate her newfound skills, likely wanting to impress the elders and neighbors in the elven homeland and introduce Aura, her magic teacher, with a display of her achievements.
Tiny sparks of light flickered at the tip of Frieren's wooden staff.
Aura looked at the mana flowing in the light, which was very characteristic of the demon race, and suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart.
'Does our spells even have an illumination spell?'
Whoosh!!!
Then, with a sudden burst, the room was filled with an intense, blinding light, as if dozens of suns had exploded simultaneously. The brilliance was overwhelming, lacking heat but possessing a searing brightness that made it impossible to look directly at.
"Aaaaaahhh!!"
A sharp, painful scream echoed from the house, with faint cries of "My eyes!" and "I can't see!" ringing out.
Aura quickly closed her eyes, then covered Frieren's eyes with her hands, pulling her away and turning her around to avoid the blinding "illumination spell."
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Did my illumination spell work?"
"Very successfully."
"I told them Aura's magic system could be compatible with elf magic, and they didn't believe me—"
"Well, that's their fault, not yours, Frieren."
"But... Aura, why do I hear Sibele screaming?"
"Cover your ears and you won't hear anything."
"I can't hear anything now."
"Let's go, let's go to the next place."
Frieren, whose ears were covered by Aura, was pushed away from here.
After walking a good distance and confirming that Frieren was no longer concerned about the effects of the "illumination spell," Aura finally released her fingers from Frieren's ears.
"Phew—"
She let out a long breath.
Although the accident just now had nothing to do with her, Aura.
But who can guarantee that the stupid and unreasonable Frieren will not blame her for this? In the previous life, didn't Frieren take her anger out on her because of Himmel's death?
She didn't do anything to Himmel, just mentioned it in the passing.
Frieren forced her to commit suicide to apologize.
It was completely unreasonable!
Now she was forced to accompany Frieren around the elf village, watching her use the magic she had taught. If something went wrong, she might be blamed. There was nothing worse than this.
"Let's go, Aura."
Frieren, the small white-haired elf, took Aura's hand, and in a flash, the purple demon disappeared into the forest.
——
Frieren led Aura through layers of trees, passing numerous bare stumps, some new and some old, with fresh sprouts growing at their bases. The air was filled with the earthy scent of freshly cut wood, mingling with the natural fragrance of the forest.
This area was likely the wood supply zone for the village, a place where trees were carefully harvested for building houses and gathering daily firewood. The landscape bore the marks of regular use, yet also of respectful stewardship, with young trees and new growth scattered among the stumps.
As they walked along the muddy path, the rhythmic sound of chopping axes gradually became audible from behind the lush green bushes. The noise grew louder with each step, a steady cadence that echoed through the forest.
Chop, chop—
Frieren skillfully led the way, taking several twists and turns, navigating the forest with the ease of someone deeply familiar with its layout. Finally, they arrived at a clearing where the sound come from.
Aura saw a male elf wearing a linen short shirt and a well-dressed upper body but lacking any intimidating presence.
Just like the previous Sibele, they both have the appearance of adult humans, so they must be elves who have lived for a long time.—certainly older than Frieren.
"Berdewin, I brought a friend back with me, she's a demon!"
"A demon, huh."
The male elf, Berdewin, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the coarse cloth around his neck, then turned to look at Aura. After a brief glance, he resumed chopping wood with a cold expression.
"Why such a lukewarm reaction?"
This time it was not Aura who asked the question, but Frieren.
'Hey, it turns out that you elves can also realize that your emotions are too indifferent and abnormal!'
Aura thought, somewhat amused. She had always believed that elves were so accustomed to their stoic demeanor that they didn't even notice how it might come across to others.
'These elves have very long lifespan but have given up emotions. I'm afraid that even before they die, their paralyzed faces will not change at all.'
'——They are completely different from humans and are not fun to kill.'
"This isn't the first time you've said that." The male elf named Berdewin turned sideways, planted his axe on the ground, and straightened his back.
He stared silently at the half-cut dead tree in front of him, his shoulders trembling slightly. He lowered his head, as if thinking about why the wood was so hard.
'Not a very strong elf'—Aura concluded instantly.
She had initially assumed that Berdewin's quiet demeanor and physical presence hinted at hidden strength, possibly marking him as a warrior—a relic from a time when humans and elves had to rely on physical prowess before the widespread mastery of magic.
In this world, humans were not the first race to develop magic. There was a gap of several hundred years—perhaps even thousands—between the time when demons first harnessed magic and when humans and elves began to learn it.
How did humans contend with their natural enemies, the demons, during this period?
With warriors.
Unlike the systematic nature of magic, warriors are a mysterious phenomenon, fighting with willpower, physical strength, and skill, capable of matching powerful mages.
However, Aura does not take warriors seriously. Her Auserlese is the nemesis of such reckless men who only fight with brute force.
Yet, the mature-looking elf before her didn't fit the mold of a warrior.
'Just a woodcutter.'
As Berdewin glanced at Aura, she was also observing the male elf.
Aura's body was tense. She thought that this powerful elf with no mana would be her biggest enemy. After all, at this distance, her magic would not be fully unleashed before she would be killed by any ordinary warrior at close range, and she would not have time to escape at all.
But upon closer inspection, the physical fitness of this adult elf can only be considered average. It is much stronger than adult humans, but not as strong as the demons who are naturally muscular.
This village is very weak.
Aura narrowed her eyes, the dark mana between her fingers seemed to overflow again, and she began to have evil thoughts in her mind.
But a pair of small hands grasped her horns from behind.
All of Aura's scheming thoughts vanished.
——————
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