Frilian: This Demon Isn't So Cold

"Don't worry, someone's here." Vlame looked towards the door, where a knock came at just the right moment.

Upon opening the door, one found Hedin, the magician who was standing next to Alden.

"Excuse me." Herting's gaze swept over the people present, lingering on Carlos for a moment before she spoke, "I'm here to find out the details of yesterday."

Then, Carlos was naturally surrounded by onlookers.

He didn't hide anything and told them everything that happened yesterday, from the initial exchange of gifts to the sudden attack he encountered when entering the city, and everything that followed.

Strangely, even though it happened to him just yesterday, Carlos felt as if it had been a long time ago, as if he were looking down on himself from the perspective of an onlooker.

However, when he said that he had turned Sylvia into gold, he felt a tremor in his heart, but the feeling was fleeting, like an illusion.

"I understand." Heting nodded, without saying whether he believed it or not. "What the city lord means is that what happened here cannot be kept secret. People from above will be sent here to investigate soon, so please lay low for the time being. Of course, we will keep the identity of the demons strictly confidential, so please rest assured."

Although the traces of the gold have disappeared and remain only in the memories of some residents, the appearance of the human-shaped gold figure on the road yesterday has undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.

Moreover, those who died outside the city also need an explanation.

These are all things that need to be addressed.

"I understand, but can the city lord really solve this problem? If you need help, please be sure to say so." Vlame did not refuse, but also wanted to do something more.

"No problem, we can handle it ourselves," Hedin said. "But you need to hurry. Also, the person who turned into gold needs to be concealed so they can't see him."

That's simple; just hide it with magic.

Afterwards, Vlame spoke with Hedin about the local students, and only after the handover was completed did Hedin leave.

"Should we sneak away through the main entrance, avoiding the crowd, or should I just take you away by flying?"

After Herding left, Carlos gave her two options.

In the end, they still have to run away.

"There are more and more people outside, let's fly." Vlamé sensed the density of the crowd downstairs at the hotel. "Everyone, pack your things, it's time to go."

Carlos and Frilian returned to their respective rooms.

"Do you regret bringing him along?" Celia asked Vlamé, of course, since she didn't have to pack her own luggage.

"I don't know," Vlame said as she put the scattered clothes into her suitcase. "By the way, Master, was the future you saw really accurate?"

"They say the future is ever-changing." Celia waved her hand. After what had just happened, she seemed to understand why she had seen that scene back then.

Moreover, there was something else Celia didn't tell them: the future she saw didn't just contain those two figures...

This is truly incredible.

But even now, Celia cannot imagine how the future she sees will arrive.

At least, she didn't think she could do that.

Magic is a world of imagination; she only saw the future, but had no way of knowing how that future would be realized.

"An uncertain future?" Vlame neatly folded the last piece of clothing. "Then we need to work even harder."

Before long, they gathered at the window, and Carlos naturally took all the luggage into his hands.

"Is it still the same as before?" he asked.

After all, using [flying magic] with them means a lot of things. Frilian once made a fuss about this and only allowed Celie to carry her while flying.

"Since Vlame and I have already decided to trust you, what do you think?" Celia seemed completely unburdened, it was hard to tell whether she genuinely trusted him or had some kind of countermeasure in hand.

However, Carlos was slightly moved.

Was I trusted like this all along?

He silently remembered this.

Even without emotional feedback, as long as doing this allows him to continue as before, he will want to maintain it.

Carlos looked at Frilian.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that..." Feeling pressured by the sudden gaze.

Previously, she only sensed this from Carlos when they were sparring together. At other times, she would treat him as a normal human being, since she couldn't feel any difference.

But now, this indifference, so akin to that of a true demon, made Frilian acutely aware of the gap in their strength and the immense divide between them as species.

"I just wanted to ask for your opinion." Carlos seemed to realize the pressure he was putting on the other person, and shifted his gaze slightly. "Is it the same as theirs?"

"...Would you be disappointed if I refused?" Frilian asked softly.

"I don't know," Carlos said readily. "I'm just asking."

"Then let me get closer to my master..." Frillian didn't answer directly, but said this instead.

"Understood." Carlos nodded.

"Even if you're very close to me, I won't be the first to save you when an accident happens," Celia reminded Frillian.

"Nothing will happen!" Frillie retorted.

They left through the hotel window.

Because their figures were concealed by magic, no one in the city, except for the mages who had learned to detect magical power, knew that a group of people had just left.

"Where to?" Carlos asked, controlling the flight altitude to avoid going too high and making them worry about his purpose.

He used to do this, only occasionally taking some people to very high places to see the scenery.

"Let's move south," Vlame said after a moment's thought. "It's best to avoid meeting anyone from the capital right now."

"Their magical skills and combat prowess may not necessarily surpass ours." Carlos led them south, "I believe it's not impossible for Master to become the emperor of a unified empire."

"I have no interest in being an emperor." Celia looked down at the scenery below, enjoying the morning breeze.

"Senior brother, do you think we should do this?" Vlame asked, while analyzing the [flight magic] that had been cast on him.

This was something they had discussed beforehand. Vlame felt that humanity should take to the skies, and Carlos wanted them to learn [flight magic]. They hit it off and reached a consensus.

"I don't know, it depends on you guys." Carlos turned to look at Celia. "If I could, I'd even like to take my master with me and go kill the Demon King."

"Hmm?" Celia, who had been admiring the scenery, suddenly looked at him, now having a new understanding of his audacity. "So, who do you think is stronger, me or the Demon King?"

"I don't know, but I think killing the Demon King sooner would be a good thing for humanity." Carlos said calmly. "I told my junior sister about the Demon King's purpose before; he's just a madman."