In an instant, three months had passed. Damian had been busy creating numerous warriors, drawing inspiration from the Ten Thousand Immortals of the Achaemenid Empire, renowned as the emperor's best warriors in history.
To travel to where Frieren wanted to go, there was no need to waste much time. They traveled thousands of kilometers in just a few hours on a dragon Damian himself had created.
"Is this the place, right?" Damian was confused about where they should go, but the magic waves in this area indicated it was the right place.
Frieren didn't respond immediately; she remembered the first time she appeared before Serie, and it wasn't a meeting she recalls with pleasant results. "This is the location; it may not have changed much, but I still remember."
Upon knowing it was here, Damian waved his hand, and the shadow beneath his feet grew so large that it swallowed the dragon completely, which was motionless on the ground.
As they entered the structure, which resembled more of a cave, the surroundings fell silent.
Even Damian became more alert due to this fact, but Frieren seemed calm, so he didn't panic.
There was no one in the hallway; they could expect some traps, but there was none of that.
Frieren was calm, but still, Damian wasn't someone to trust just because someone else was calm.
"It seems she has cleared the way for us."
"For being the center of continental magic, this is very solitary. If it were me, there would be a thousand magical traps." Damian analyzed the structure of this building as they walked inside.
But after a few more minutes of walking, they reached the door, where, curiously, there was a person.
"She's waiting for you."
Damian approached Frieren and murmured, "I told you someone would give us some sort of welcome."
"Whatever, let's get this over with."
When they entered, the surroundings of the grand illuminated hall were filled with books that Damian estimated were magical.
But his focus wasn't on the books; his eyes were fixed on that little elf, who was the most powerful being Damian had ever been in the presence of.
"Frieren…"
Damian looked at the figure towering over everyone else. Serie is an elf with golden hair and golden eyes. As an elf, she has large, pointed ears and a youthful appearance, despite being even older than Frieren, by her own words. Serie wears her hair loose, except for four portions tied at the base. Her bangs, framing her face, are also tied at the bottom. She wears a loose white blouse with a green brooch and white shorts. She has two anklets or wraps on her ankles.
"So Flamme is dead." Serie ignored Damian's eyes as she looked at the scroll in Frieren's hand.
Damian looked around with great curiosity. He wanted to touch those books, but he knew bad things would happen. For now, he let Frieren have a deep conversation about many things.
She seemed to have been here before, so the place wasn't a surprise to her, but Damian did want to clear up all doubts about many things.
"And you?" Serie looked at Damian, wanting to know more about him.
"I am Damian Williams."
"Name a spell you desire."
Damian smiled, didn't think too hard about what he wanted, and said, "I want one that allows me to have avatars of myself; the things I want to do are too many to be just myself."
"Then let me ask you a question: why do you study magic?" Serie stood up and walked towards Damian.
"To kill my enemies, of course. Magic is so diverse that it can be used in all aspects of life, but that would take away the human meaning of existence and death. That's why magic should only be used for killing; there's nothing more to it."
"Incredible... Fascinating! You, I want you to be my student."
Damian wasn't excited about this; he looked at Frieren, who seemed indifferent, and said, "Are you stronger than me?"
"As a mage, you should know that strength is not the only thing that matters, but you certainly ask for obvious reasons." Serie wasn't bothered by Damian's way of speaking.
Damian nodded, believing this woman could kill the Demon King, but like many, her existence didn't matter to him; it was clear that everyone had their motives.
"Just answer my question."
"There are many ways to defeat you; sealing you is one of them. Do you want to be sealed for about five hundred years?"
Damian shook his head, looked at Serie, and said, "Do you have any students alive?"
"Some, but many have died now."
"Then how do we perform the ritual? Do I have to kiss your feet?"
"That's disgusting..."
Serie looked into Damian's eyes, not showing many emotions. "You're strange, but it doesn't matter; this is the book you wanted."
Damian took a small book in his hands; only after observing it could he learn the spell by inscribing it into his magical book that flew around him.
"That's much more interesting, so that's the book." Serie reached out to touch the book flying over Damian's shoulder, but to her surprise, she couldn't touch it.
Damian took a step back. He never thought this book could be seen by anyone else. "Can you see the book?"
"I can see that book." Serie returned to her seat; she looked at Frieren and said, "Surely she can see it too."