Heyaa... this is the double chapter I promised today, kinda longer than usual chapter but enjoy (>‿◠)✌
I decided to just change the japanese honorofic like "-sama" to just normal one like "lady/lord" since the setting is medieval europa to make it sound better.
Don't forget to vote this fanfic if you like the story. Each vote gives me more motivation to continue writing this story. There will be a bonus chapters for each 50 stones reached (ง︡'-'︠)ง
And I really like reading all your comment, please comment more hehehe~
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In the dark cave near Etwas Mountain, a demon child with light-colored hair, slightly messy, sat on a jagged rock formation, receiving a report from his two demon subordinates who had just returned after being attacked by Aura. His small frame contrasted with the authority he exuded, a presence that commanded respect from those around him.
His black sclera and white eyes gave him a distinctive and somewhat mysterious appearance, unusual for a child his age. Those eyes, sharp and observant, seemed to pierce through the darkness, reflecting the faint light emanating from the distant cave entrance. Unlike other children, he wore a small mask under his nose, partially covering his mouth, which added to his enigmatic aura. The mask was adorned with subtle markings that glowed faintly, a sign of his connection to dark magic.
He donned a simple yet flowing cloak, designed to allow freedom of movement. The cloak, made from a dark, lightweight material, shimmered slightly in the dim light, suggesting an enchantment for protection. It had small, modest shoulder coverings instead of metal pauldrons, a design choice that emphasized agility over brute strength. Underneath, he wore a lighter, dark coat with a hood that had tiny holes to accommodate his growing horns. The horns, though still small, curled slightly, hinting at the power he would one day wield.
Schlacht broke the silence, his youthful voice cutting through the heavy atmosphere. "So, did you manage to kill her?" Despite its high pitch, his tone carried a chilling edge that made his subordinates flinch.
The taller of the two, gaunt and skeletal in appearance, hesitated before speaking. "L-Lord Schlacht, we… failed to kill her." He swallowed hard, his elongated fingers trembling slightly. "A demon is protecting her."
The shorter demon, stockier and more defiant in demeanor, scoffed. "We don't know why that demon is protecting her. She's either from another faction… or worse, colluding with humans. We couldn't figure it out."
"She's too strong," the gaunt demon interjected, his voice trembling. "She used a spell we couldn't block. It penetrated every defense we tried to conjure. Too fast, too precise."
"We barely escaped alive," the stocky demon added, his tone bitter. "If not for our unique magic, we'd be nothing but ash."
Schlacht's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. His mind, however, was racing. 'Failed? A demon protecting her? Why my foresight can't see this? And that spell… Why does it feel so familiar?'
Without betraying his thoughts, Schlacht spoke again, his voice calm but with a dangerous undertone. "What else did you find?"
The gaunt demon straightened slightly, though his unease was palpable. "Yes, Lord Schlacht. We located an elven village nearby. The target had just left the village, carrying Alaric's head in her hands."
The shorter demon's lips curled in disdain. "That fool Alaric. Too consumed by his experiments to understand humans. And then he gets killed by a little human girl—pathetic." He spat the last word, his contempt evident.
Schlacht's gaze flicked to him, sharp as a dagger. "Alaric is dead? Hm." He leaned back slightly, resting his chin on his hand, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "An elven village near Elderschatten Forest… So it's confirmed, then."
'Alaric's death doesn't matter,' he mused to himself. 'But an elven village… This could accelerate my plans.'
After a pause, he asked, "And this demon? Describe her."
The gaunt demon hesitated before replying, as if dredging up the memory caused him physical discomfort. "She has purple hair and eyes. Her hair is styled in two large pigtails tied at the shoulders, with the remaining strands braided into three sections."
Schlacht's eyes darkened, though he kept his expression neutral. His mind churned with silent conversation. [Purple hair, braided pigtails… Do you know her?]
[Aura? No. That's impossible. She isn't supposed to exist yet. Could it really be her? Or someone else imitating her?]
[Could it really be her? Or someone else imitating her?]
[I need to verify it further.]
Schlacht straightened, his voice regaining its cold, commanding edge. "Very well. Since the existence of the elven village has been confirmed, I will instruct Basalt to prepare a force. Kill every last elf until none remain. Leave no survivors." His tone was clinical, devoid of emotion. "As for the demon and the human girl… let them be. For now."
The two demons bowed deeply. "Yes, Lord Schlacht."
As they prepared to leave, Schlacht's gaze lingered on the flickering shadows at the cave's edge. A faint smile ghosted across his lips, though it carried no warmth. 'An elven village near Elderschatten Forest… If it's Frieren the Slayer's village, this could change everything.'
His fingers lightly traced the jagged rock beneath him. 'Eliminate her before she ever becomes a threat, and the Demon King will never fall to the hero party. No loose ends. No hope for the humans or their allies.'
His voice broke the silence, soft and cold, like the whisper of death itself. "A slayer of demons will not rise in this era. Not if I can help it." The light in his eyes dimmed as his thoughts darkened, the cave falling silent once more.
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"Please, don't kill me!"
When Serie brought the dusty and disheveled Aura back to the ancient tree city, Aura clung to her leg, having somehow regained her mobility.
Tears and snot flowed profusely, sticking to Serie's thigh. This was a sight Serie was not accustomed to. Though she originally had no intention of killing, Serie was briefly tempted to simply eradicate this bothersome presence from the world. The idea of erasing this "disgusting tumor" seemed tempting, but she stopped herself.
But then she thought, this tumor is benign and and will not cause any harm.
She raised her hand, intending to cast a destruction spell that would quickly end Aura's pitiful state. However, as she looked down at the demon clinging to her, she hesitated and lowered her hand. Instead, her fingers gently brushed against Aura's head, specifically the nearly broken left horn.
"Does it hurt?"
"Tss... It doesn't hurt." Aura lied, her voice wavering.
"I didn't mean to break your horn, just tell the truth."
"It hurts, it hurts so much!"
"Then why didn't you say so?"
"Why should I?"
Serie exhaled, exasperation tinged with a hint of amusement. "I'll heal you."
Aura's eyes widened. "Why would you heal me?" she asked, suspicion heavy in her voice. "You're an elf. I'm a demon. Isn't this where you finish me off?"
"Because I'm a kind elf."
Aura blinked, confused by the sudden shift in tone. "… Don't lie to me."
Serie tilted her head, an almost playful smile on her lips. "Don't you think I'm kind, Aura?"
"Yes, yes, you're right. Please… please heal my horn."
"But are you a kind demon?"
"..."
"Are you, Aura?"
"I'm not."
Serie nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Good. Now, does your horn still hurt?"
"Why would you help me if I'm not a good demon?"
"Because you are a foolish demon."
'A foolish demon who is so stupid that she can't apply what she has learned even though she finally understands some of the human emotions.'
Serie withdrew her hand once the healing was done. The horn had mended, though the renewed keratin was still soft, the texture uneven. "It's fixed for now," she said, standing. "But you'll need to be careful. If you don't let it set properly, it'll grow crooked."
Serie was proficient in all the world's magic. Though she didn't know the magic of resurrection, her expertise in healing bones was extensive.
"You're not going to kill me?" Aura covered her horns and looked at Serie in surprise.
"Not necessarily."
"…What do you mean?"
"I won't kill you, but someone else might."
"Who?"
"Zanze."
"Why did she want to kill me?"
"Don't you remember what you did when you left?"
"Didn't I just tap Zanze's head to see if she was asleep? I thought she was sleeping soundly. Could it be that she wasn't asleep?"
"She wasn't."
"...oh."
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Even Aura herself didn't know how she survived.
Being blasted off the cliff by Flamme was partly due to Flamme's surprise attack, but also because Aura sensed Serie's sudden appearance.
She truly feared this ancient elf.
Or rather, all demons feared Serie.
If demons pursued the pinnacle of magic, then Serie was the embodiment of that pinnacle. Her very presence represented an apex of magical power that transcended their understanding.
The demons' pursuit of magic can actually be regarded as a kind of belief, but it is certainly a pleasant surprise if the god worshipped by all people in a religion is proven to exist. But if this god worshipped by everyone is full of malice towards the believers' race, then faith will instantly turn into fear.
The more the demons pursue magic, the more they understand Serie power, and the more they realize the depth of fear.
And Aura, as a great demon, and the creator of magical miracles such as "Obedience Magic: Auserlese", felt this grandeur even more in Serie's presence. Just by reading some grimoires by her side and hearing bits of her words, Aura realized that Serie's understanding of magic was entirely different from that of humans and demons.
To her, meeting Serie was like meeting a god.
Even if Serie wanted to kill her, she couldn't muster the thought of resisting... Well... It's not that she didn't resist at all. Aura's tongue was quite poisonous. She could certainly disturb Serie's thoughts before dying.
"Unexpectedly, even defensive magic couldn't block that spell."
The spell Serie used to incapacitate her wasn't sophisticated. It simply used a huge amount of mana to accumulate, forcing the defensive magic to consume an equal amount of mana. Serie's mastery allowed her to amass such vast amounts of mana that even the most formidable defensive spells faltered under the pressure
With Serie's bottomless mana, it was indeed an extremely effective tactic.
Aura had learned a crucial lesson from this encounter. She now understood that sheer mana could be a decisive factor in overcoming even the most resilient of defenses.
The next time she encounters a mage using defensive magic, she can use the same tactics. With her five hundred years of mana, there are very few human mages who can fight against her.
However, if Aura, who has mastered such a deadly move, wants to use it, she must escape from Serie, which is almost impossible.
'Escaping from Serie once was already a miracle. If this old woman catches me again, I probably won't be able to escape her sight for the rest of my life.'
Aura was clearly pessimistic.
The last time she was caught by Serie, Serie had at least given her the position of an assistant, but she did not cherish it and left on her own initiative. She didn't know what cruel fate she would face next.
She only hoped that Serie would retain some humanity or elfnity? And some sympathy for Aura, who has a human appearance, and not let her do work that will tear her apart both physically and mentally.
"Aura, from now on, you will be Zanze's assistant."
'Yeah, you might as well kill me.'
Aura felt uneasy. With Serie's reminder, she finally understood how dangerous it was when she casually hit Zanze on the head during her last escape.
Due to the natural disparity in muscle strength between demons and humans, what was a slight knock for the demons would be a heavy blow enough to break bones for humans.
It was precisely because of the different perception of power that when Aura knocked Zanze unconscious, she did not even think that she was hurting Zanze, and therefore the obedience spell's prohibition didn't activate.
As for how serious Zanze's injuries were, whether he had suffered permanent brain damage, or had simply become a vegetable - Aura, who knew little about human fragility, had no idea.
This made Aura's heart full of regret.
"Goddess, please bless Zanze, let her just die quietly. If she dies, all the faults can't be traced to Aura. Boohoo—"
In the empty great hall, Serie had already left, telling Aura to wait there.
Aura knelt obediently in a corner of the hall made of huge stones, with her back to the main entrance of the hall, motionless. She looked so well-behaved, not like a sinister and cunning demon, but like a small animal that could be raised at will.
This is of course because Aura is kind-hearted.
It's definitely not because Serie said before she left: "If you cause trouble again, I'll pull out your horn and stick a metal hook in your brain to hang you up."
The hall remained still until the faint sound of footsteps broke the silence. The rhythmic tapping echoed, approaching from behind Aura. She stiffened, her senses telling her that the person was small, even shorter than Serie. There was no mistaking the identity of the approaching figure.
Among all the mages Aura knew, there was only one with this body type: Zanze.
The person seemed to notice Aura hiding in the corner and paused, then approached her.
Aura didn't dare move. Her heart raced as scenarios of doom filled her mind.
She closed her eyes, frantically apologizing to Zanze in her mind.
'Zanze, please just die quietly. As long as you can't seek revenge, it's fine—'
'Zanze, please just die quietly—'
'Zanze, please die…'
'Please die…'
The footsteps stopped a few paces behind her, and then Zanze's voice broke through the tension, calm but curious. "Aura, is your horn injured again?"
Aura flinched at the question, her eyes snapping open in panic. She hadn't noticed the asymmetry of her horns, but Zanze clearly had. The smaller mage took a step closer, her gaze zeroing in on the left horn, slightly misaligned and showing signs of past damage.
Before Aura could react, Zanze's hand reached out and gripped her left horn. Aura froze, her breath catching in her throat.
'It's over,' she thought, despair washing over her. 'It's going to be broken. Again.'
For demons, horns were more than mere body parts—they were symbols of their dignity, their pride. A broken horn was a mark of disgrace, a scar that would forever invite scorn.
'It's over, it's going to be broken.'
Aura's heart cried out in despair. The importance of horns to the demons was similar to their dignity to humans, and a demon whose horns were broken would always be looked down upon.
'Aura was about to become an incomplete demon. Boohoo…'
But instead of the expected snap of bone, Aura felt a strange sensation—gentleness. Zanze's hand was steady as she pulled out a roll of bandages. Carefully, almost tenderly, the human began wrapping the damaged horn, the fabric stretched taut between the two horns to stabilize the fractured one. Zanze adjusted the alignment with meticulous care. When she was finished, she tied the bandage securely, ensuring it would hold fast.
"Keep this bandage tight," Zanze instructed. "Your horn is still growing. The misaligned horn should correct itself in a few days."
Aura blinked in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Huh?"
Zanze raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You… like me?" Aura asked, her voice uncharacteristically small.
Zanze hesitated, then shrugged lightly. "A little," she admitted. "Mostly because I unintentionally took credit for your work."
"What credit?" Aura tilted her head, confused.
"The promotion of human magic that Lady Serie mentioned has nothing to do with me."
"But it has nothing to do with me either."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Zanze stared into Aura's unwavering eyes, recognizing the demon's steadfast nature. Despite the tumultuous circumstances, it was clear that Aura was not one to admit to errors, even when they led to unintended advancements in human magic. It was a classic move from Aura, never one to easily concede or accept blame.
'Typical Aura style.'
She compromised a bit:
"We both have bandages wrapped around our heads, so we're even."
"Why do you have bandages on your head too?"
"I don't know who hit me from behind in the middle of the night. Isn't that terrible, Aura?"
"Who hit you? That's so pitiful."
"You don't know?"
"I have no idea."
"..."
'Refusing to admit it, another typical Aura trait.'
Zanze rolled her eyes and decided not to pursue the past conflict anymore. She was here for the work handover. Although she had an idea to promote magic among all mankind, it was just an idea after all. It would take some time before it could be put into practice.
But Lady Serie said this wouldn't take long.
However, whether this "not long" was from a human or an elf's perspective was unknown.
Zanze hates demons, but at least for the future where everyone can become a mage, she is willing to give up her prejudice and get along well with Aura.
As long as she didn't mind the past mistakes of this demon.
As long as Aura cooperated…
"From now on, we are in a superior-subordinate relationship." Zanze declared, extending her hand to Aura, inviting her to shake it.
Aura stared at the hand that Zanze extended to her in confusion, as if she didn't understand the meaning of this etiquette, and tilted her head:
"Oh, that hasn't changed. Zanze has always been my slave."
"..." The veins on Zanze's forehead were exposed. She was known for her good temper among human mages, which was probably why Lady Serie let her be responsible for the contact with Aura.
She glared at Aura maliciously:
"Do you know that Lady Serie has given me the power over your life and death?"
"Please feel free to order Aura to do anything—"
Aura put her head under Zanze's hand, pushed it upwards, and touched Zanze's palm, as obedient as a harmless cat.
"This is a handshake... Whatever, it's the same." Zanze muttered, rolling her eyes.
Non-violent non-cooperation—so typical of Aura.
Even Zanze, who has always been known as a good girl, couldn't help but want to bully the purple-haired demon.