It was more or less the same information Miliardel had disclosed.
However, the letter detailed a series of benefits offered by the Empire, including special privileges for Mages of the Mythic Age.
And privileges for Flamme, the rapidly rising genius sorceress...
A single glance was enough.
Frieren couldn't be bothered to read it. After all, privilege implies obligation. Having always acted freely, she was ill-suited for and unwilling to be drawn into court intrigue. They were all a troublesome bunch, best kept at a distance.
It held a certain allure for the young, which was why Flamme had relayed the information while also seeking her master's opinion for reference.
The recruitment efforts were likely intense.
Ostensibly, one line of approach was the Empire's attempt to woo and absorb the Continental Magic Association as a whole.
Covertly, another line involved negotiations with individual members.
What was discussed openly was often just the tip of the iceberg. The backroom dealings, trades, and compromises were where the real decisions were made, and ultimately, these small decisions would influence the bigger picture.
Flamme, caught in this tide, still lacked experience and didn't know how to judge the situation. Fortunately, she knew to rely on Serie, Frieren, and other dependable colleagues and seniors. For now, she was demurring and delaying, taking things one step at a time.
A moment later, Frieren put the letter away. Vien had also recovered, and the two quickly made their way to his noble estate.
The two took their seats in the reception hall.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're seeking my opinion on the Empire's proposal?"
As expected, the silver-haired girl nodded. Good, that was Flamme for you, brilliant as ever. Even when unable to make a judgment amidst such turmoil, she knew to first rely on the insight of her seniors.
That child was always so well-behaved, sensible, and composed.
However, Vien honestly didn't think the vice-chairwoman could offer much valuable input. This one had just woken up, and the other chairwoman couldn't care less about human politics. Waiting was the best method.
But an elf's 'waiting' is a lifetime for an ordinary person, far too long to be of much reference to humans.
"What are your thoughts, Vice-Chairwoman?"
"I can't make the decision for her. Besides, I believe Flamme's talents will shine wherever she goes; she won't be limited by her environment."
"No, what she truly means is that she wants to rely on her master. Whatever her master chooses, she will choose."
"I, of course, choose the Magic Association."
"Then that settles it."
Vien wasn't surprised by this answer in the slightest. With Frieren's personality, she would never get along with the Empire. The frightening thing would be if some chaos erupted. So, it was best to keep their distance. Truthfully, he thought the Empire's attempt to recruit this Mage of the Mythic Age was an unwise move.
Unless one was specifically trying to curry favor or provoke her, no one in their right mind would think the two sides could get along.
"I must formally decline, but I hear they're showing signs of shifting the conflict to target the elven race. What do you think?"
"Barke is skilled in political maneuvering; that is indeed his style. But you shouldn't be so quick to draw lines between friend and foe. Such a move is likely meant to leave room for negotiation... although you don't seem like someone who would appreciate that."
"The one who initiated the trouble is now using it as a bargaining chip. That's not appropriate."
Frieren's voice was utterly frigid.
So what if she understood the meaning? If Serie weren't the one in charge of the Association, forcing her to rely on her decisions, she would have already given the Empire's special envoy a piece of her mind.
Can you read my expression? If you can't, you'll get a fist.
Vien, who had just taken a sip of tea, immediately began to cough violently. The change in the silver-haired girl's aura was completely undisguised; even a single leaked wisp was enough to crush a great sorcerer into pulp. This was no idle threat.
He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Barke is a decent person, he's just carrying out the king's orders, not trying to make things difficult for you."
"...What king?"
"In any case, I will persuade him. We have some history. I will definitely convey the vice-chairwoman's attitude. They absolutely won't dare to act recklessly."
Vien was terrified that something world-shaking would happen.
Although they were old, the veterans left over from the Mythic Age still carried the martial spirit of their time. They might not play along; it was more likely they would respond according to their own logic.
The scene of Frieren intimidating the court officials and making unilateral decisions in the Labyrinth Kingdom was still fresh in his mind.
This one had no reverence for kings whatsoever, and had even personally presided over a deposition ceremony. Both practical experience and magical power affirmed one thing for the caster: the world would turn according to her will.
Once she decided to do something, she could do it.
Otherwise, she wouldn't possess the domineering power to master curses, which was essentially a matter of superior will.
The Seven Bone Sages were just a group of executioners and butchers; of course they couldn't compare to a powerful being who could enforce her will under any circumstances.
"The Empire will come to understand how to get along with you."
"I had originally planned to stay at the branch for a few more days, but I think I'll make a trip today and then leave."
No matter how humbly Vien played the peacemaker, Frieren's decision would not change. In her view, she had already received a side quest from Miliardel, and she wouldn't feel right until it was resolved.
.
It should be considered a main quest, as it concerned the development of the elven race. Compared to this, strategies against the demon race would have to take a backseat.
The two continued to chat for a while.
While drinking tea, Vien ceaselessly apologized on behalf of his friend Barke, even mentioning the wanted criminal Minus and promising a peaceful resolution... why did it sound like he was pleading for leniency? It was bizarre.
Then, she realized she must have released a wisp of her aura just now.
Frieren, whose body was still adjusting to her recent reinforcement, had not yet fully mastered her control. It was inevitable. In reality, she also preferred a peaceful outcome. Before completely killing the Demon King and crippling the demon race, there was no need to waste energy on trivial matters.
Vien wrote a letter to Barke with utmost speed and instructed the fastest messenger to deliver it.
"Is the Vice-Chairwoman satisfied?"
"Let's wait until I get to headquarters. After all, my superior is Chairwoman Serie; she has the final say."
"That esteemed lady tends to drag things out when faced with such matters. You should be prepared." He took a breath and said, "Never mind. Let's go to the branch first. Many people miss you."
Frieren readily agreed, saying no more about the Empire's court mages. According to Vien's earlier words, they were former comrades and trustworthy, so she would reserve her judgment.
She and her host arrived at the Northwind Fortress branch, a place she hadn't visited in a long time.
It was completely transformed.
It had clearly undergone more than one round of expansion. Its footprint was a size larger than before, having grown along with the city. Instead of sprawling out in the old manor style, it had begun to build upwards, even constructing a towering library.
The moment the silver-haired girl stepped into the main hall, all eyes turned to her, filled with pleasant surprise.
Although they had heard that Frieren was making a long-awaited visit to the place where she made her name, they weren't certain. After all, their top leader was famous for being elusive.
"Vice-Chairwoman, it's been a long time."
"The branch only feels complete when you're here to oversee it."
"Do you have any new magic to teach us?"
"—I do!"
When it came to new magic, she decided to share some of her results first.
As everyone knew, Frieren was, in fact, a research-oriented sorceress.
Her most widespread and deeply influential contributions were actually her research into Sunlight Healing, Tears of Denial, attack magic, and curse magic, which continue to be developed to this day and laid the foundation for these fields.
It was just that her formidable combat record often overshadowed her academic contributions, to the point that people forgot her title as the strongest healing mage.
In reality, every new sorcerer could not escape the fundamental teachings Frieren had left behind.
So everyone was looking forward to new results.
To those outside the circle of sorcerers, this master was known for her immense power—squads of great demons led by multiple Seven Bone Sages had been counter-killed to annihilation. But those within the circle knew her magical talent was a once-in-a-millennium phenomenon, a treasure trove that could never be fully learned.
Therefore, the moment she spoke, all the sorcerers gathered in the lecture hall.
There were even some elves and dwarves present. The former were active around Elf Town and easy to run into, while others had come for various reasons.
After everyone had taken their seats, Frieren walked up to the podium.
Since Flamme wasn't here to take notes and simplify them, she could only teach a technique that she had thoroughly researched and was relatively simple.
Yes, a technique, not an ability.
The silver-haired girl's one hand shimmered with a ripple, while the other condensed a ball of light. The next moment, a General Attack Magic was suddenly unleashed. With a boom, it struck the ripple and was unexpectedly repelled, striking the very hand that cast it.
CRACKLE!
The part that was hit steamed as a squall of magic power billowed from it; one could imagine the force was not light.
She was going all out from the start, even being ruthless in a demonstration. Judging by the magic intensity, an ordinary person of flesh and blood would have died on the spot from such a blow, yet Frieren, who made no defense, was completely unharmed?
How was that possible? What were its limits?
They clearly didn't sense any particularly complex magical formula being constructed, yet it deflected a massive force with a feather's touch. There had to be a secret within.
"Rather than a spell, it's more of a technique, which can be called 'Deflection'."
Frieren had used this technique countless times to date. It combines techniques like Ash of War: Thops's Barrier, Ash of War: Golden Parry, Ash of War: Carian Retaliation, and blade deflection, integrating them into a special technique for her world.
She demonstrated again, not limiting it to attack magic but switching to elemental damage, and still succeeded in returning it to its source without a scratch.
The real deal!
The things a Mage of the Mythic Age demonstrated were on another level.
Everyone had seen plenty of defenses that could resist magic, but this was the first time they had seen one that directly repelled it.
"However, I don't recommend you use it frequently, as it requires sufficient reflexes, so just use it as a surprise attack at a critical moment. I believe it's not only suitable for sorcerers, but also for warriors. At the very least, it should be effective against any attack that has a magical substance..."
With a sense of responsibility, Frieren also gave suggestions for its application and explained the knack of the technique in detail.
She chose Deflection because she understood it well enough to explain it thoroughly and simply, disseminating knowledge without Flamme's 'translation' and teaching it in as accessible a way as possible.
Fortunately, the feedback was good.
"To think such an exquisite technique exists in the world. Can we really do it?"
"If we succeed, wouldn't it change the fundamental logic of magical combat? It's too subversive."
"It's not that easy. Don't forget, the vice-chairwoman's magic may seem easy to pick up, but it's difficult to master. Learning it and knowing how to use it are two different things, fundamentally worlds apart."
"Now we have something to study. And we'll have to watch out for others' Deflections."
"Did you guys notice? The Vice-Chairwoman can now even handle General Attack Magic with ease!"
Everyone was in awe of the unfathomable strength behind Frieren's technique, because it required an intimate knowledge of every formula's structure, emphasizing timing, force, and decisiveness. Lacking any one of these would make it impossible. It was the ultimate combat technique.
It was too difficult.
But as she said, one only needed to identify and deflect the spells they were most proficient with, such as the most mainstream and numerous attack spells.
This made things interesting, adding another layer to the mind games.
Since the formula construction of humans and demons differs, this technique is theoretically more suitable for combat between humans. Thus, they would have to be more cautious when fighting each other. For instance, what if the opponent uses Deflection?
Vien, listening from below the stage, cast a meaningful glance at Frieren as she explained further.
"Was that intentional?"
He refused to believe his old friend had come up with this on the spur of the moment. Her actions now were effectively making combat between human sorcerers more troublesome, complicating the battle situation.
With mutual apprehension, they would be less likely to fight, creating a balance of power.
A brilliant calculation. This way, the sorcerer community would also focus more on this subversive new magic and be too busy to bother with the Empire's manipulations.
It diverted attention, acted as a deterrent to fighting, and enhanced her own prestige. It was a chain of interlocking moves that would allow Frieren to face the complex situation at headquarters fully armed. As expected of an experienced sorceress, had she considered every possibility?
Vien was certain that not even the Empire was this well-prepared, because in reality, they could only consider negotiating with Serie first, with no time to think of anything else.
No one would dare face two Mages of the Mythic Age.
It was no exaggeration to say that they served as a deterrent for the allied human forces and also hindered the Empire's expansion, which is why the situation was so difficult. Let that old bone Barke, the court mage, deal with the headache.
Little did he know, Frieren hadn't considered any of that; she had simply chosen a spell she could teach.
"—That is all."
"I've told you the main points. This technique grows stronger the more proficient the user becomes. The key is timing."
It took her half a day to give a rough explanation of the knack, leaving the rest for everyone to comprehend on their own. As the silver-haired girl made a move to leave, the sorcerers, still wanting more, pursued her with questions:
"Vice-Chairwoman, I have some questions about the magic you've previously made public."
At these words, another wave of inquisitive gazes followed.
"Alright, but I'm in a hurry. I can only answer some rather basic directional questions..."
"Is the reason the Vice-Chairwoman is in a hurry because of the Empire's merger proposal? They intend to absorb all the members of the Continental Magic Association."
Finally, someone broke the silence and asked the question outright. The hall immediately fell quiet. To be honest, everyone was considering it, and had more or less received some generous offers. It was impossible not to be tempted.
They hadn't really made a decision yet. After all, this concerned a major factional alignment. How could they decide so easily?
"But if we delay for too long, won't the Empire choose to arm itself with the magical technology of Sareytania?"
"The arts of controlling demons? Indeed, there has been some intelligence on that."
"The problem is, we can't be sure if this bargaining chip of theirs is a bluff or the real deal."
"—Why not study it?"
Suddenly, Frieren spoke up, and then another, even more world-shaking piece of news was confirmed: "Many of you may have already suspected it, so I will confirm it now. Yes, I have brought the Water Mirror Demon under my control."
Academically, she wouldn't consider it 'control', but right now, she needed a bombshell.
____
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