Chapter 365: War? I'm Not Familiar With It
The afternoon sun was as intense as ever, but filtered through multiple layers of magical barriers, it fell on the skin with only a comfortable warmth.
The garden area of the Magic Association was actually not very large. Considering factors like sunlight, it was only arranged in a small area on the very top floor.
Initially, this garden was used for researching some Plant Magic, so the variety of flowers was very scarce. But as time passed, Ela and Flamme transformed it into a true garden.
With the help of Spatial Compression technology, the originally small garden gave the impression of a considerable area. There were carefully pruned flower beds, as well as corners mimicking the free growth of forest vegetation.
In the farthest corner, a small area simulating the cold environment of the North had been specifically opened up to cultivate the special flowers Ela had brought back.
Rhodes and Serie walked hand in hand through the garden.
It was quiet around them. Since this was the highest level of the Association, ordinary people were not allowed to enter, making it exceptionally secluded.
"This is it, right?" Serie stopped in front of an area emitting traces of cold air.
The temperature here was noticeably lower than the surroundings, and a small magic circle was operating constantly nearby.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of blue moss. Upon closer inspection, the moss wasn't inherently blue, but appeared so because its surface shimmered with gem-like blue light.
In the center of the moss stood two small white flowers, reflecting crystal-like colors in the sunlight.
"Mn. Northern Snow Demon Flowers. They only grow near specific mana nodes on the edge of the permafrost in the extreme North." Rhodes crouched down, his fingertip hovering above the flowers. A tiny thread of mana probed out, sensing their life fluctuations.
"Very special magical flowers, top-tier magical materials. Ela found a good sample."
Serie nodded in satisfaction. She also crouched beside him, sensing the special mana and life aura on these two flowers.
"I wonder how they taste brewed in tea?" she added at the end.
"That would be a reckless waste of a heavenly gift!" Rhodes stopped her hurriedly. "These things are extremely rare; there might not be more than ten in the whole world. Using them just for tea is too wasteful."
"Then how do you think they should be used? Just treated as ordinary flowers to look at?"
"Let's wait until they are successfully cultivated." Rhodes rubbed Serie's small head. "After all, Ela spent a lot of effort transplanting them. We can't just pluck them."
"Fine. I listen to you."
Serie didn't dwell on the matter; she had just mentioned it casually anyway.
She reached out a finger and touched the crystal-like flower carefully. A blue light flashed briefly at her fingertip, then dimmed.
"Still quite pretty!" she praised, her golden eyes reflecting the blue light. "That child Ela, although sometimes stubborn, always has a good eye for these beautiful and strange things."
"She is completely unlike you in this regard." Rhodes stood up and pulled Serie up smoothly, naturally brushing a bit of dust off her skirt. "She likes collecting these overly beautiful things."
The elf lady valued the practicality of items over their appearance. As long as it was useful, it was fine.
Of course, it couldn't be too ugly, or she'd rather not use it.
Unexpectedly, Serie refuted his statement this time.
"What do you mean?" Serie glared at him dissatisfiedly, though she let him hold her hand. "Beauty itself is a kind of power. It can make one happy and add color to boring research life. I actually think Ela did well!"
"Alright, I was wrong. I stand corrected." Rhodes nodded immediately, having no intention of arguing with Serie on this. "So I need Miss Elf to guide me often, so my eyes blinded by magical research can also see beautiful things."
Serie was amused by his agreement and punched his arm lightly. "Disgusting."
The two continued to stroll.
At this moment, Serie took a deep breath, smelling the fragrance of flowers in the air, a nostalgic look on her face. "It smells a bit like when I explored the edge of the Great Elven Forest in the past... though the trees there were taller, and the mana was more ancient and heavy."
Many flowers here possessed special mana and were top-tier magical materials.
Moreover, to cultivate these flowers, numerous magic circles had been set up in the garden. The mana concentration in the surrounding air was several times denser than outside.
"Why are you recalling such distant memories?" Rhodes asked gently.
"Is it distant? It seems only a thousand years or so." Serie continued, "Besides, the Great Elven Forest is gone. The true ancestral land of the elves now should be the Elven Kingdom."
For her, although many things had happened over this millennium, it wasn't a very long time in the end.
"But compared to the Great Elven Forest, I still prefer the forest where we lived in seclusion."
"Want to go back?" Rhodes suggested. "The Association is on track now, managed by Flamme and Ela. There shouldn't be any problems if we leave for a few years."
Serie shook her head, tightening her grip on his hand. "A few years is too short. Forget it."
"Then want to go to the Elven Kingdom?" Rhodes proposed again.
"Forget it. For me, this is home."
"The Elven Kingdom is another hometown, but you are not there." She said it naturally, yet it made Rhodes's heart pound.
The elf lady could always suddenly say things that moved him deeply.
"Besides, if I go to the Elven Kingdom now, those old fossils will definitely nag a lot. Annoying to death. It is freer here."
Rhodes said nothing, just holding her hand tighter.
They arrived at a pavilion in the garden, which housed a small set of stone table and chairs.
"Tired. Let's sit." Serie pulled Rhodes to sit on a stone bench.
The surface of the stone table was warm; clearly, it was also enchanted with constant temperature magic.
The two sat side by side, looking at everything around them, or quietly looking at each other. Neither spoke, yet they didn't feel awkward or cold at all.
As if as long as they were by each other's side, even silence was a comfortable communication.
After a while, Serie suddenly remembered something. She turned her head, looking at Rhodes with sparkling eyes. "By the way, yesterday you said you'd only make breakfast depending on your mood. How is your mood today?"
Rhodes feigned deep thought, stroking his chin. "Hmm... the sunshine is nice today, the garden scenery is passable, sitting next to the most beautiful elf on the continent who actively cares about my mood..."
"So?" Serie pressed expectantly.
"So," Rhodes dragged out his tone, looking at her slightly pouted lips, finally unable to resist laughing, "my mood is very good. What do you want to eat tomorrow morning? You can order."
Serie beamed instantly and began counting on her fingers. "Besides the bread you bake, I want jam made from Magical Blueberries, bacon made from Rock Beef, paired with some fresh vegetables. Oh, and the fried egg must be a Sun Bird egg, sunny-side up!"
"Quite a few demands." Rhodes noted them down and nodded. "We probably don't have blueberries. I'll ask Flamme to buy some today. The Association kitchen should have the rest."
"It is a deal then!" Satisfied, Serie leaned her body sideways, resting on his shoulder. "Sometimes I feel... living like this isn't bad."
"No enemies fighting to the death, no imminent crises. Just handling trivial matters every day, researching magic, and being with you. Is this the ordinary happiness humans talk about?"
"I still remember someone saying they liked war the most."
"How long ago was that? And where is the war now?" Serie curled her lip. "Although there are still conflicts between human nations, you definitely won't let me intervene!"
"The human race has its own path. I only need to ensure they aren't exterminated when facing external invasions. As for internal strife, it has nothing to do with us."
"Really? The Southern Unified Empire might have something to say about that," Serie squinted her small eyes, teasing.
"He sought death himself, thinking of acting against you! Moreover, in the war against the demons, not only did he not contribute, but he also plotted against other countries. I definitely had to act."
"You make it sound convincing."
Serie buried her head in his embrace, not continuing.
Just as she said, this ordinary happiness had quietly corroded her at some point, making her forget her original intentions.
War? I'm not familiar with it!
For them, who had experienced the end of the Age of Gods, the chaos of the continent, and the establishment of the Association, this plain stability was enough.
Rhodes turned his head, his cheek resting against the soft top of her head. "Serie, have you ever thought... if one day magic truly becomes popularized in every corner, and the Association no longer needs to guide the direction of magical civilization with such centralized power, shall we find a quieter place?"
Serie was slightly stunned. She lifted her head from his shoulder, looking at him in confusion. "Quieter place? Back to that forest to live in seclusion again?"
"Not entirely seclusion." Rhodes chose his words carefully. "Build a small house where we can see the night sky and stars. There, we can continue researching interesting magic, but we don't need to pay too much attention to outside disturbances."
"When Ela and the others want to visit, they can come anytime. Or, we can occasionally go out for a walk to see what the world has become."
The picture he painted was simple, yet inexplicably touching.
Listening, the corners of Serie's mouth curved up, and she leaned back on his shoulder, her voice soft. "That might be a long time from now. I don't feel at ease handing the Association over to Frieren and the others just like that."
"Mn, I know. Ideally, Flamme would be more suitable."
"But she..." Serie stopped mid-sentence, followed by a silence.
After the silence, perhaps to break it, Serie blinked suddenly. "If that time really comes, what about those precious items in your laboratory and the things in the basement? Move them too?"
"We can simplify a bit, only taking the core items." Rhodes seemed to have really considered this question. "Or, it won't be too late to leave after everything is thoroughly sorted out."
"Then let's wait until Frieren is more mature, and Ela can completely stand on her own." Serie said, her tone carrying plans for the future. "We also have to pick a good place. Not too close to the Elven Kingdom, to save them from coming over and being annoying."
"Not too far from the Association either, in case coming back is inconvenient."
She began to seriously imagine the details—which forest had the most stable mana veins, whether to use Stasis Magic on the house, and especially her precious grimoires, which definitely had to be brought along...
Rhodes listened with a smile, occasionally adding a sentence or two.
Unknown how much time passed, a rhythmic sound of footsteps approached from afar, breaking the atmosphere.
Flamme's figure appeared at the other end of the garden. Seeing the two snuggling in the pavilion, her steps paused. A flash of unreadable emotion crossed her eyes, but she quickly returned to normal.
"Master Rhodes, Master Serie." She walked up and bowed slightly. "Sorry to disturb. The Southern Delegation has submitted a formal written request, hoping to conduct joint research with the Association on new defensive magic. This is their preliminary research proposal." She handed over a magic scroll.
Serie sat up straight, leaving Rhodes's shoulder. The softness on her face receded rapidly, returning to that cool look. She took the scroll and browsed it quickly.
Rhodes also returned to his usual calm expression. "How is their attitude?"
"Respectful language, and the request is relatively reasonable. At least on the surface, it is a proper magical exchange." Flamme answered. "I have arranged for someone to review the magical knowledge they brought out; it does have value for discussion."
Finished reading, Serie handed the scroll to Rhodes. "They are sensible. Joint magical research... acceptable. Set the time for three days later. You preside over it, and we will send a few First-Class Mages to participate too."
"Understood." Flamme noted it down and reported several other matters requiring Serie's final decision.
Rhodes handed the scroll back to Flamme without commenting, clearly trusting Serie's handling completely.
With business concluded, Flamme didn't linger. After bowing again, she turned and left, her steps brisk, clearly busy with many affairs.
Once she was far away, the garden returned to tranquility.
Serie sighed, twirling her hair in distress. "Lazy time is over."
Rhodes laughed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I will compensate you tonight."
"How?" Serie's eyes lit up.
"Make grilled skewers for you, of course!"
"Mmph... just grilled skewers..." Serie was clearly tempted, but as the Association President, how could she be moved by some grilled skewers?
"Then add delicious mushroom soup?"
"Hmph! I don't want it!"
Although Serie said this, she stood up obediently to go to work.
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 200 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you