Frilian: This Demon Isn't So Cold

"I'm starving, Vlame." In the room, Celia put down the grimoire in her hand, her tone somewhat complaining.

"It doesn't really matter, you're always like this anyway."

"You're getting more and more audacious, Vlame." Celia took her dinner, her gaze shifting to Carlos. "Not bad, to maintain such stability after compressing magic. Of course, compared to your speed of learning magic, this level doesn't surprise me at all. Carlos, how did you come up with this?"

Upon hearing this, Vlame also stared intently at Carlos, because compressing magic was undoubtedly a genius idea, and something that only a genius among geniuses could do.

Even if an ordinary mage thought of this, it wouldn't be as easy for them to implement it as it was for Carlos.

"It was somewhat by chance. I was in a rather dangerous situation at the time and needed to launch a counterattack quickly, but the speed of casting magic was too slow, so I wondered if I could just launch the magic directly."

Carlos raised his hand in front of his chest, palm facing upward, with pure magic floating within it.

"The results were beyond expectations. Not only did it eliminate the time spent constructing spell formulas, but the power was also considerable, and the speed was quite fast." Carlos shared his experience without reservation. "Later, I wondered, since simply releasing magic power already has such power, what about compressed magic power?"

The pure magic power in the palm of the hand began to converge towards the center, eventually condensing into a spherical mass.

Gazing at the compressed magical energy, Carlos slowly said:

"If I didn't have the ability to control magic with great precision, it would be unrealistic to do this immediately. And the compressed magic did not disappoint me. It not only inherited the previous characteristics, but also further amplified the power that was originally only at an average level, enough to break through the defenses of almost any magic."

"As for compressing and releasing magic power outside the body, that's an extension of my thinking, although I still find it a bit strenuous."

The compressed magic in his palm gradually dissipated under Carlos's control, while Vlame, standing beside him, was still immersed in his words.

"Are there any other demons who know this way of using magic?"

After regaining his composure, Vlame quickly asked, a sense of unprecedented anxiety welling up inside him.

If all demons have now mastered this attack method, it would be a devastating blow to humanity.

Carlos's reply put Vlamé at ease.

"I used it as a trump card, so I was able to see it—"

After a slight pause, Carlos finally gave the answer:

They're all dead.

"Volame, you're in a bit too much of a hurry." Hearing her disciple's anxious question, Celia, who had already finished a piece of meat, looked relaxed. "Just as Carlos just said, attacks that directly release magic power have the drawback of limited power. Only the subsequent compressed magic power attacks need to be taken seriously. And the threshold for controlling magic power in this way is quite high. Even though demons are born magicians, not everyone can use it. In my opinion, it will take at least several hundred years of accumulation."

Although demons, like elves, are long-lived, their average lifespan is not long because they are quite warlike and value strength above all else. Very few demons can live for hundreds of years.

Celia was comforting Volame in this way.

"So, what am I, someone who both pioneers a way of using something and can be learned instantly, compared to that?"

Just as Vlamé was about to respond to his master's words of comfort, Carlos, after listening to Seria's explanation, said rather smugly:

"The term 'genius' doesn't seem to be enough to describe me anymore, haha, this is really frustrating."

Vlame's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but wonder again if this guy was really a demon. How could he utter such vain words that even humans might not have?

"You really are a genius," Celia said approvingly, "but aren't you getting a little too cocky?"

"I am already your disciple." Carlos looked at Celia's calm, still face, which was completely devoid of the laughter he had displayed earlier. "Shouldn't Master be proud of his disciple's discovery?"

"Huh? Is that so?" Celia looked at Volamey.

Vlame nodded, then hesitated and said, "Outside... I'm her junior sister now."

"So you agree." Celia waved her hand, immediately losing interest in the topic. "Carlos, you can leave now."

"You'll sleep in the next room," Vlame added.

Carlos knew that Vlamé had shared a room with Celie to avoid disrupting the hotel's business. Since they were both women, there was no problem. However, he was, after all, a man, so he had to go out and book a separate room.

The hotel had already made all the preparations for them without any prior notice.

He truly lives up to his reputation as Vlamé.

Carlos gained a new understanding of her influence in Tiua and her knowledge of others.

As Carlos entered his room, the smug smile that had been on his face gradually faded, replaced by a somber expression.

Then, I put down my suitcase and took off my clothes.

It had been a long time since he had spent the night in such a reassuring environment; it was truly a luxury.

Carlos continued to precisely control the compression of magic while transferring the heavy suitcase to his back.

He always believed that a mage who couldn't fight in melee was not a good warrior.

Push up, get started!

After a long while, Carlos, feeling increasingly comfortable, let out a long sigh.

It's not because I can't do it anymore, but because there are other things to do.

He took out his diary, whose pages were already somewhat faded, and wrote down his feelings for the day.

Then it's time to sleep; you can't let the fatigue of one day carry over to the next.

Carlos slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

……

The next morning, in the room next to Carlos.

Celia groggily opened her eyes, while Volamey was already in the room studying magic books and writing drafts on paper about the basic theories of magic.

Ancient grimoires present a very high reading barrier for modern humans, and Vlame not only needs to understand them himself, but also needs to summarize them in a way that is as easy for anyone to understand as possible.

Over the years, they have made several trips to Celia's former residence in order to retrieve her old collection of grimoires.

"Doing this again, Vlame?" Celia was indifferent to this kind of behavior that didn't improve herself, and simply mumbled, "I'm going to buy the new magic tomes today, help me comb my hair..."

"don't want."

"Huh?!"