Chapter 205: Flamme's Letter
To the respected teachers Kurtz and Serie:
I hope that when this letter reaches you, the forest will remain peaceful and your magical research will go smoothly.
Everything is going well with my adventure with Sister Aila, so please don't worry.
I am writing this letter because I need to report something to you, Master Kurtz.
Do you still remember that when we parted, you specifically told me to visit the elves' villages more often?
I have always kept it in mind and have been trying hard to find them.
However, we have not encountered any elf villages along the way.
At first, I thought it was just that the route I chose was remote and there were no elf villages. So I started asking the caravans and fellow travelers I met along the way.
Some of them had passed through elf villages and guided us. But when we followed their instructions and arrived at the place described, we found only emptiness.
The strangest time was when we met a young elf adventurer in a small town. He talked to us enthusiastically about his hometown village and clearly pointed out the route.
We followed the route he told us to take and found the exact place he described.
However, there was nothing there: no villages, no elves, not even any signs of life.
Sister Ayla also felt very strange. As an elf, she has strong magical perception and can vaguely feel the magical marks left by elf activity here, but we can't find any physical traces.
Teacher, this is so weird. Once is a coincidence, twice is an accident, but three or even four times... We went to different locations based on various intelligence sources, and the results were the same.
It's as if those villages never existed, or as if they disappeared collectively at some point. Or is there some powerful force preventing outsiders from finding them?
I tried using detection magic to search for any remaining spatial fluctuations, but found nothing.
Teacher, you specifically told me to go to the elf villages. Did you anticipate something? Or would you happen to know anything about this?
This strange situation makes me very uneasy. Big Sis Ayla and I will continue our journey and keep watch for clues, but I must let you know about this.
I hope you can give some guidance.
We will continue to explore and learn, but we will also be mindful of safety and return to the forest before the agreed time.
Your student, Flamme.
(P.S. Ayla said she also felt that this matter was very strange and had never encountered a similar situation before. She asked me to say hello to both teachers on her behalf.)
...
"What did Flamme's letter say?"
In an elf village, Kurtz and Serie were resting here.
The magic of sending letters cast with the help of magic power can accurately deliver messages based on the recipient's magical connection. However, it consumes considerable magic power. Kurtz rarely used it unless absolutely necessary.
"Someone is targeting the elf villages," Serie said coldly, handing the letter to Kurtz.
Kurtz took it and read it with a frown. "It's obviously the work of the demons."
"Demons?"
Serie's grip on the cup tightened instantly, causing a crack to appear in it. "What arrogant fools! How dare they act so brazenly!"
Angry magical aura emanated from her uncontrollably, making the atmosphere around her tense.
"It's not done openly." Kurtz shook his head, his fingertips tracing the air as if sketching a map. "It's done behind the scenes, quietly."
"Thinking back, we've encountered several elven villages along the way, including this one, which is larger and closer to the core area. All of them are safe, which means our direction is not within the demons' plan."
"The direction Flamme and Ayla are venturing in is far from the continent's center and relatively remote, especially far from the elf kingdom's sphere of influence. Even if the demons attacked these villages, the news wouldn't spread quickly, or might not be discovered at all."
Kurtz's gaze returned to Serie. "They're very cautious, choosing targets that are weak and isolated, unlikely to attract the elf kingdom's attention or ours."
"And their range of action, at present, is limited to the direction Flamme and Ayla are heading."
Serie instantly understood Kurtz's reasoning: "Is it a coincidence or is there another purpose?"
She had never imagined that Flamme and Ayla's adventure route actually aligned with the demons' plan.
When she thought that they might become targets, Serie felt she could no longer suppress the anger in her heart.
"Probably just a coincidence." Kurtz's voice remained calm, soothing Serie's mounting rage. "If they were specifically targeting Flamme, there'd be no need to attack those elf villages. However, to accomplish this so perfectly, they must not be ordinary demons, but at the level of a great demon."
"Could the Great Demon be on the level of the Seven Sages of Destruction?"
Serie still remembered the Seven Sages she and Kurtz had fought when they went to the Demon King's City.
"Probably not." Kurtz felt the demon general's strength hadn't reached that level.
Besides, the Seven Sages of Destruction aren't synonymous with the strongest among demons. Rivale, though not one of the Seven Sages, was equal to any of them in strength.
"Forget it, let's just go find them." Serie stood up suddenly, the cup in her hand shattering with a bang, purple juice flowing down the back of her hand. "Find and kill all those hiding rats!"
"Calm down." Kurtz's voice was low, but it carried a strange, penetrating power. He came to Serie's side and said, "Sit down first."
Serie shot him a sharp, questioning look.
Kurtz met her anger calmly and took out a towel to wipe the other's juice-wet hand.
"With Flamme and Ayla's current strength, unless they encounter a sneak attack from a Seven Sage of Destruction-level demon, ordinary demons or even great demons may not be able to do anything to them."
"Flamme has very high magical talent. With your and my guidance, and with Ayla as an experienced senior, we should have more trust in them both."
He paused and continued his analysis. "Besides, if we rush over now, we may not even find them. They're constantly on the move. By the time we arrive, they might have already encountered and dealt with the demons. That would be a wasted trip."
"In the end, this is a rare experience. Rather than us clearing the way for them every time, let them weather the storm themselves."
Serie pursed her lips. She understood Kurtz's reasoning, but she still felt worried about Flamme and Ayla subconsciously.
Sometimes, Miss Elf is unexpectedly soft-hearted.
"What if they encounter not ordinary demons, but powerful demons on the level of the Seven Sages of Destruction? Or worse—that strange demon king herself? The two of them wouldn't be able to stop her."
Kurtz looked at the subtle worry in Serie's eyes and felt that although the elf lady usually spoke tough in front of her disciples, she was actually deeply worried about their safety.
He gently held the other person's slightly cold hand.
"I have a backup plan, Serie."
Before the younger generation goes out to gain experience, how can the elders not give them some life-saving insurance?
Although Kurtz couldn't make his mental clone travel across vast distances, he could still arrange certain protections.
"Before Flamme left, I left a space magic on her containing Orger's full liberation attack. This magic is usually in a completely silent state and cannot be detected by any means of detection, including the Demon King's perception."
"It activates instantly when Flamme's life is threatened. Therefore, as long as the Demon King doesn't attack personally, Flamme and Aila are more than capable of handling most dangers. However..."
Kurtz's tone suddenly turned cold, and his eyes shifted to something distant and deadly.
Before he could finish his words, a murderous intent swept over like an invisible storm, but Kurtz precisely controlled it within the room without alarming any elves in the village.
This murderous intent was so pure and so terrifying that it made Serie's heart palpitate.
"...If that Demon King really dares to come down in person," Kurtz continued, his voice terrifyingly calm, "then I won't have any scruples anymore. Even if I have to use my body as a carrier of the seal, I will completely wipe her out from this world."
Seeing the unprecedented murderous determination in Kurtz's eyes, Serie's worry and anger miraculously subsided.
She knew he wasn't exaggerating.
But she didn't expect that Kurtz had actually secretly left a space magic on Flamme without her noticing it at all.
For some reason, this concern and desire to protect made her feel a little unhappy.
"I understand." Serie tried to restore her usual coolness. "So, should we write them a reply?"
"Yes, I should reply," Kurtz suppressed his terrifying, murderous intent. "Tell her that all this was done by the demons. Be cautious. And if she finds any traces of demon activity, she should not make contact rashly; instead, she should protect herself first."
"Also, we can warn the elf villages in this area and ask them to visit the village chief. I've inquired about this village; it's the core elf village in this area. They should have a way to pass on information."
Serie nodded. This was indeed the safest option.
Kurtz walked to the window, a trace of magic with a faint golden glow lingering on his fingertips.
The magic power condensed and transformed, eventually turning into a magical messenger emitting light that resembled a firefly.
The corresponding information had been injected into it. The messenger gently flapped its wings, turned into a stream of light, and silently blended into the night.
After doing all this, Kurtz turned around and looked at Serie.
The necklace on the elf lady's neck reflected faint light.
"Let's go," Kurtz extended his hand. "And visit the village chief here."
Serie glanced at him but didn't refuse his outstretched hand.
She placed her hand in Kurtz's warm palm and let him hold it. The two walked down the house side by side, heading towards the center of the village.
The communication with the elven elders didn't take much time and ended quickly.
The situation was just as Kurtz had expected. The elders of these core villages didn't have close daily contact with the small villages on the outskirts.
Fortunately, the connections between the small villages in this area hadn't been cut off, and there were still occasional exchanges. This alone was enough to show the demons hadn't yet extended their reach in this direction.
At first, the elders didn't take Kurtz's warning seriously. Although Kurtz could have asked Serie to reveal her identity, he chose not to.
He directly said that a large number of elf villages had disappeared in the northwest and hinted that it might be related to demons. He suggested they verify it themselves.
Although the elders remained somewhat skeptical, they promised to report the matter to the Elf Kingdom and strengthen vigilance in the surrounding area.
...
On the way back, the night grew darker.
Most of the lights in the village were out, leaving only the blue-green glow of plants under the moonlight.
The two walked side by side, neither speaking.
Serie didn't know what she was thinking. She kept her head down, and her loose golden hair shone with soft color in the moonlight.
Kurtz could feel the chill emanating from her, greater than usual.
It was not magic released deliberately, but the breath that naturally flows out when one is depressed.
He turned his head, and his eyes fell on Serie's furrowed brows.
"Still worried?" Kurtz took the initiative to break the silence.
Serie didn't answer immediately but paused slightly.
After a moment, she whispered, "I wonder what the elves would be like now without you."
"What do you mean?" Kurtz was confused by the elf lady's strange remark.
"I'm thinking—if it weren't for you, the elves would have been on the verge of extinction, right?"
"Why do you suddenly think like this?"
Kurtz was secretly surprised. How did Serie suddenly think of this?
"Look," Serie replied seriously, counting on her fingers: "The Elf Forest is gone. If it weren't for your intervention back then, the Elf Kingdom might have disappeared into the dust of history long ago."
"Now the demons have begun attacking the elf villages scattered around the world. I vaguely guess that the reason they don't expand the scope is that they're afraid of attracting the elf kingdom's attention."
"All of this should be blamed on you."
[End of Chapter]
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