Chapter 165: Serie, Do You Want a Daughter?
After that heavy conversation, Serie seemed to have truly taken Kurtz's plea to heart.
She didn't change immediately, nor did she say anything to Flamme, but a subtle shift quietly appeared in her teaching.
The initial changes were reflected in daily routines.
Serie no longer used demons as examples to ignite Flamme's hatred after every magic practice, as she used to.
Instead, when Flamme successfully cast a spell, Serie would comment on the deficiencies in her magic circulation, allowing the little girl to do better and more perfectly next time.
Flamme keenly noticed this change.
She was a little confused, but more than that, she felt a sense of relaxation.
Previously, every successful spell felt like adding a shovelful of earth to the graves of her hometown, and the pressure of revenge was always present.
But now, Teacher Serie seemed to rarely force her anymore, which unconsciously relaxed the tight strings of her heart during practice.
Next, Serie began to adjust the proportion of training content consciously.
She would still teach Flamme powerful offensive magic, which was core content and naturally wouldn't change, but she would also, along with Kurtz, teach Flamme holy magic.
These contents, originally taught only by Kurtz, were now also included in Flamme's daily curriculum.
Perhaps Serie truly regarded Flamme as a special case.
She was willing to spend more time cultivating her.
Flamme, of course, didn't know the content of the conversation in the clearing, but she instinctively attributed this change to Kurtz.
She had experienced how gently Teacher Kurtz guided her.
And now, Teacher Serie also chose to do so.
Although neither of them told her the truth, Teacher Kurtz must have persuaded Teacher Serie!
This realization filled her heart with gratitude and a deeper sense of closeness towards Kurtz.
She also no longer felt the indecision and pressure of being at a loss due to the differing teaching philosophies of her two teachers.
Although Teacher Serie was still strict, the direction of her demands seemed clearer, allowing her to immerse herself wholeheartedly in the ocean of magic.
And Teacher Kurtz was like a lighthouse in the sea, providing guidance and care when she felt tired or confused, leading her to appreciate the broader side of magic.
In this atmosphere, Flamme was able to devote all her attention to learning magic, growing rapidly in a completely different manner than before.
Her progress not only did not slow down but, due to the reduced burden, showed even more astonishing potential.
One afternoon, Kurtz sat in his small rocking chair, watching Flamme demonstrate her magic in front of Serie.
The little girl from yesteryear could now be described as a young lady; although still somewhat naive, she already possessed a certain level of combat capability.
In Kurtz's opinion, it was time to take Flamme for some practical combat training, but the prerequisite was that there had to be magical beasts around.
Flowers in a greenhouse are too fragile, and the path Flamme was destined to walk was a journey fraught with wind and rain.
Flamme's magic ultimately succeeded.
Several Light Spears appeared around her, controlled by her, flying towards the ground not far away, causing an explosion.
"Very good, you did well," Serie rarely gave such direct affirmation.
Flamme smiled happily; her smile contained not only the joy of success but also a pure love for magic itself.
In the magic Flamme just released, it wasn't just simple Light Spear magic, but also had some Tracking Magic functions attached.
Although for Serie and Kurtz now, this magic was rarely used; ever since Kurtz improved all his magic to be large-scale, Serie herself was unwilling to waste time specifically controlling the direction of magic in battle.
After all, instead of predicting the opponent's escape route, it's better to seal off all of their escape routes directly!
This was Serie's choice.
But it was limited to herself.
Ordinary mages couldn't bear such intense magic consumption; only she, Serie, could do such a thing!
As soon as she thought of this, Serie's entire small face lifted.
Kurtz watched this scene, picked up a cup of fruit tea, and walked to Serie's side, handing it to her.
Serie naturally took it, her gaze still fixed on the excited Flamme.
"How does it feel?" Kurtz asked softly, with an implied meaning.
Serie took a sip of fruit tea and did not directly answer Kurtz's question: "Human cubs are indeed much more complex than elves."
It was Serie's first time interacting with such a young one, but Flamme brought her far more surprises than all of her past millennia.
Watching the other party slowly grow under her guidance, being gradually shaped in both strength and essence by herself, that sense of satisfaction was something Serie had never experienced.
However, Serie only planned to experience this satisfaction once.
Just as she had thought before, Flamme would only be a special case.
A special case that she could cultivate and guide from a young age.
Serie looked at Kurtz, her eyes no longer held the previous coldness, replaced by a glimmer of interest. "Observing her as a special case, perhaps, it really will be an exciting thing."
She acknowledged Kurtz's statement and clearly indicated that this would become a story worth savoring in her long life.
This was not just a compromise to Kurtz, but a proactive acceptance.
Kurtz looked at the clear light in Serie's eyes, knowing her thoughts.
She no longer merely viewed Flamme as a talented magic apprentice, but truly saw her as a human worth understanding and guiding.
"Yes, very interesting." Kurtz echoed with a smile, looking at the small figure in the sunlight. "Watching her grow, watching her understand, watching her find her own path, this itself is the most moving miracle outside of magic."
Flamme seemed to sense the gazes of her two teachers, turned her head, and gave them a brilliant smile, waving vigorously.
In response, Kurtz also waved back at her.
But deep down, a bold idea quietly arose.
"By the way, Serie, do you want to experience this feeling again?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" She looked at him in confusion.
Kurtz lowered his moving closer to her face and said "I have a way that will let you experience this process again, and even more than once if you wish—"
Perhaps, probably, maybe, possibly.
If that day truly came, his lovely daughter's magical talent should be no less than Flamme's, right?
"I cannot comprehend the weird thing you say." It was still too difficult to expect Serie to understand the subtext in Kurtz's words. "However, one experience like this is enough; Flamme will only be a special case."
Seeing Serie refuse, Kurtz said nothing, just smiled, and did not continue speaking.
Anyway, there would always be an opportunity.
[End of Chapter]
The question of importance is, do YOU want ....? :)