After another half a month, Fíliya finally arrived at the place she had so longed to see—the Golden Land.
After all, they had been traveling leisurely before, enjoying the journey itself, which was why it took so long. Now, however, their travel was a sprint with a clear objective. If not for concerns about wear and tear on the golems, Fíliya could have arrived even sooner.
That's right. Of the five golems, besides the one she had converted into a purely "housekeeping type," she had also modified the other four to varying degrees.
She had remodeled these four golems into "mounts" suitable for long-distance travel, allowing herself and the three demons to each ride one.
And it had to be said, the golems were incredibly comfortable to ride. Their serpentine gait was so smooth that Fíliya felt not the slightest jolt on its back.
This thing is far more comfortable than a carriage. If it could be mass-produced, its novel design and pleasant riding experience could probably make kings and nobles scramble to buy them... Fíliya thought to herself.
Gazing at the golden world before her, Fíliya couldn't help but feel moved.
Indeed, no matter how many times she had read accounts of the Golden Land in books, nothing compared to the breathtaking impact of seeing it in person.
She even felt that deciding to arrive at the Golden Land during broad daylight had been a bit reckless, because she was genuinely on the verge of being blinded. The color of gold was eye-catching enough on its own, let alone with the addition of reflected sunlight. The combined brilliance was so overwhelming it was difficult to keep one's eyes open.
It took a while for her to finally adjust to the intensely dazzling scene.
She vaulted off her golem and took a moment to feel the land that had been turned to gold.
The sensation under her feet was something she had never imagined. It was unlike the softness of earth, yet subtly different from the stone floors of other cities. This made Fíliya wonder why the golden ground of the Golden Land... was so hard.
"Anything turned to gold by Macht becomes this hard. There is no possibility of damaging it."
Seeing the faint confusion on Fíliya's face, Solitär immediately provided an answer.
As she spoke, she gave a demonstration of just how indestructible this golden world truly was. She raised a hand and instantly projected dozens of flying swords, but they failed to pierce the ground of the Golden Land. They didn't even leave the slightest scratch.
Oh? This surprised Fíliya. To think that not even Solitär's magic could damage the golden ground before her.
She then raised an eyebrow slightly.
Because she was beginning to doubt whether this "indestructible" substance could truly be considered "gold." After all, gold is a very malleable substance.
If gold were so hard that it was completely indestructible, it would become worthless. Its most important value, after all, lies in its plasticity and ductility.
Thinking this, Fíliya crouched down and began to carefully run her hands over the golden ground.
But after closing her eyes and feeling it for a good while, the confusion on her face did not fade.
So she turned to Aura.
"Aura, what are your thoughts on the Gold Transformation Magic (Di Agolze)?"
"Huh?"
Clearly startled at being singled out, Aura stammered out a reply.
"I... I don't have any thoughts. If I had to say something, I guess... it's just very powerful."
"Oh? You seem surprisingly unfamiliar with this Gold Transformation Magic. Aren't both you and Macht members of the Seven Sages of Destruction? You should have seen it many times before."
Fíliya pressed on.
"N-No, actually, I've barely ever met Macht. The last time I saw him was when we ganged up on the Hero of the South."
"Oh? That can't be right. When the Demon King's army attacked the humans, did this Macht really not participate?"
Fíliya continued observing the golden trees and land, all while carrying on her conversation with Aura.
"Of course he didn't. That guy has no loyalty to the Demon King whatsoever; he's completely absorbed in his own world..."
"Of course, there aren't many Greater Demons who are truly loyal to the Demon King anyway... As you know, the Demon Race's organizational structure is just that loose."
"Is that so... Speaking of which, is this 'gold transformation' really irreversible? Has no one ever broken the Gold Transformation Magic before?"
Fíliya turned her head again, this time looking at Solitär, because she remembered something Solitär had said.
That Macht had once visited her and they had a conversation.
Therefore, Solitär should know more about him.
"As far as I know, no one can break the magic of turning all to gold."
"After all, 'turning people and objects into gold' and 'creating living people from gold' are completely different concepts. This 'turning all to gold' remains an incomprehensible curse," Solitär said with conviction.
"I see."
Fíliya didn't say much more, just nodding silently as she fell back into thought.
Seeing her deep in thought, Solitär felt exceptionally curious and moved closer.
But Fíliya didn't look up, so Solitär could only reach out a finger and poke her cheek.
Fíliya finally looked at her, and only then did Solitär smile.
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
"Hmm, I was just wondering if this vast area, completely 'turned to gold,' was really 'turned to gold' at all?"
"Hm? These areas covered by Macht's Gold Transformation Magic, while not destructible or workable like real gold, have certainly been turned to gold. What else could they be?"
Solitär looked at Fíliya, puzzled.
"No, no, Solitär. Don't you think this scene, rather than being 'turned to gold'... looks more like 'time has been stopped'?"
Eh?!
Solitär's eyes widened.
She was surprised to realize she had never considered it from that angle before.
After hearing Fíliya's words, she subconsciously looked at her surroundings.
Everything, every single thing, encased in gold, had become an eternal, unchangeable substance. Leaves and flowers no longer swayed; people and animals could never take their next step.
But... these things were all still alive. If someone could truly break the Gold Transformation Magic, they could indeed be restored to their original forms... It's just that no one ever has.
So for these people and things covered in gold, their time had, in fact, been "frozen."
Fíliya always managed to perceive the other side hidden within these revered magics.
Looking at Fíliya's serious profile, the curve of Solitär's lips grew more pronounced.
___
🔥 New stories are available now! 🔥
We're handing out that '25% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Access up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Receive exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan