Frilian: This Demon Isn't So Cold

This is a protracted battle.

The battle ended with Carlos using the [Dispelling Magic].

Sunlight dappled the ground, and Vlame lay there, panting heavily. She looked at Carlos standing beside her, a mixture of helplessness and relief in her eyes.

"Scattering magic directly outwards, that's truly a genius move... Could you help me lift my head? It's pressing on my hair, it hurts a bit."

With his magic almost completely depleted and his body exhausted from the battle, Vlamé was now completely powerless and unable to move.

Although they managed to hold out for a long time with [Dispelling Magic], they ultimately lacked the ability to deliver a decisive blow.

Upon hearing this, Carlos gently lifted her up slightly using [Flight Magic].

Vlame chuckled softly at this and continued, "But surely you didn't wait until I was practically dead to make your move?"

"I'm sorry, actually I held back many times along the way. After all, this experience of walking on the edge of death is very valuable, and I didn't want to deprive you of it." Carlos remembered that something similar had happened before, but they had resolved it themselves that time, unlike this one.

Vlame forced a smile. "How could I possibly complain about you when I hear you say it's for my own good?"

"Really?" Carlos just thought it would be better to do it this way.

"Let's go back."

"..."

Carlos hesitated for a moment, but finally chose to continue using [Flight Magic] to transport Vlamem to his side, and then followed his movements.

"I'm sorry, but doing this makes it sound like I'm treating you like merchandise," Carlos said, bowing slightly.

He felt he should keep a certain distance from her.

"It's okay, I don't dislike it."

Vlame had no strength left except to speak, but when they reached the vicinity of the village, Carlos put her down.

"Can you walk?" Carlos asked. "You can't reveal your [flight magic] to others. You'd better figure it out quickly in the future."

Otherwise, seeing such obvious [flying magic] would immediately reveal that he is a demon.

"I understand, but let me lean on it for a bit now."

Vlamed struggled to support himself with his hands, then stood up and put his hand on his shoulder as the two slowly moved toward the village.

Carlos shared the good news with the villagers, but as for evidence, since monsters disappear as magic upon death, there was really no proof.

The villagers were overjoyed. A few of the bolder ones went to scout the way, and after they returned and confirmed that the road was safe, many of them set off on their shopping trip.

"You must treat us well today!"

"Yeah yeah!"

Seemingly feeling embarrassed, some of the villagers decided to slaughter some of their chickens and ducks to use for today's feast.

"What do you mean? Are we going?"

After greeting the enthusiastic villagers at the door, Frilian looked at the people inside the house.

There were no beds in the cabin, so they were using sleeping bags from their luggage, and Vlamé was currently lying in one to recover his strength.

This was the first time Frilian had ever seen her master like this. When Vlame was helped back by Carlos, she was quite startled, and the golden leaf in her hand immediately lost its appeal.

"Of course I'll go, I've put in so much effort," Vlame replied softly, her strength not yet fully recovered.

"I don't care." Carlos was looking at Sylvia's face.

Frilian looked at Celia, who gave her a look.

When did I become the team's diplomatic envoy?

Frillie thought to herself, troubled.

An eerie silence fell over the room.

After a long while, unable to discern anything from Sylvia's expression, Carlos looked at Frilian.

"come over."

"What's wrong?" Frillie's little face immediately showed a look of vigilance. "Let me make this clear beforehand, I'm not your punching bag! And don't you dare touch my head!"

"It's just to let you experience the [Magic of Turning Everything into Gold] more fully." Carlos rubbed his temples, not minding her impolite words. "I can turn parts of your body into gold and then undo it. After repeating this process, the research results should be much better than you just observing that leaf all the time."

"Is that so..."

Realizing she had misunderstood, Frillie walked over.

Then, his entire left hand was turned into gold.

Celia found it amusing and came closer, touching Frillie's golden hand.

"Can you still feel it?" Celia asked.

"That's all." Frillie said with a sullen face. "Could you narrow down the scope a bit? It's not very convenient for me to conduct my research like this..."

With only the shoulders movable, it's quite difficult to put your arms in front of your eyes.

Frillie thought this was very inconvenient.

"I'll give it a try," Carlos said expressionlessly, while the gold on Frilian's arm gradually faded.

"How amazing!" Frillie exclaimed.

"I asked you to investigate, not to say things like 'how amazing!'" Carlos said softly. "So, any leads?"

"Not at all, but I did learn one thing."

"What?"

"In the realm of magic, the demon race is probably several eras ahead of humanity; in fact, it could be said that they use completely different kinds of magic."

"Can I take this as your declaration of giving up?"

"No, that's not it!" Frillie pouted, seeking Celia's opinion. "I mean, this magic is so ingenious, what do you think, Grandmaster?"

"However, if it's just about breaking magic, then it can be done even without understanding the principles," Celia said. "Besides, you have Carlos to perform repeatedly in front of you, which is your unique advantage."

Frillie thought she was just talking without understanding the situation.

Even after Carlos did this, he still couldn't find a clue.

So, Frillie pouted again to express her anger.

"How about this?" Carlos thought of another method, "I'll make a copy of my memories of this magic for you."

"Oh?" Celia asked with interest, "You even know this kind of magic?"

The ability to precisely copy and transfer memories is something only a genius can do.

"I don't think it's a big deal to draw inferences from one instance to another," Carlos said casually.

Frillie, caught between them, trembled.

Is this the world of the big shots? It's terrifying...

"How is it? Should it be okay?" Carlos asked. "If it takes too long, I won't be able to stay by your side for you to study indefinitely."

Upon hearing this, Frillie paused for a moment.

Beside him, Vlame, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "Is it related to Sylvie?"

"Yes, we can't just place our hopes on the monks. I want to find and study the magic that can save her." Carlos nodded, looking down at Sylvia. "Actually, I don't know if I like her or not. I just feel that I have to do this."

"I see... I wonder if you've considered that this doesn't conflict with our original goal."

After a moment of slight distraction, Vlame said softly, "I think the wisdom of the collective can always help you."