Chapter 376: The Same Heart
Inside the living room, the two of them at the top of the Magic Association, the atmosphere felt somewhat stagnant.
Kurtz had spent a lot of time just barely explaining the reasons behind Flamme's departure to Serie.
Naturally, he omitted Flamme's deeply hidden feelings, emphasizing only her unwillingness to become a burden and her desire not to worry her two teachers.
Serie sat curled up on the soft couch by the window, her arms wrapped around her knees and her chin resting atop them. Her golden hair was slightly disheveled, scattered loosely around her shoulders, while her dim gaze remained fixed outside the window in the direction Flamme had left, or rather, in the direction of the Heavenly Divine Kingdom.
Her lips were slightly pursed, the corners turned downward. Her entire delicate face practically radiated the words: "I'm not happy."
Kurtz walked over and sat beside her, reaching out to pull her into his embrace, but she subtly avoided him.
"What's wrong?" Kurtz asked softly.
"...Mm." Elf Miss responded gloomily, still refusing to look at him.
"Are you angry?" Kurtz knew she was not truly angry with him. It was more the lingering sadness and reluctance caused by Flamme's sudden departure that had left her in such a sulking mood.
"No," Serie denied immediately, though her tone completely betrayed her. She fell silent for a while before finally turning her head to look at him.
"I'm just... a little sad." Her voice lowered slightly. "Flamme is a child I watched grow up. She's my best disciple."
After a pause, she continued quietly: "Even if she could be troublesome sometimes, she always worked hard. She was always by our side. And now she's suddenly gone... it just feels empty."
Her gaze wandered across Kurtz's face, as though she wanted to say something else but hesitated. Her lips moved slightly, yet no words came out. In the end, she merely turned back toward the window again.
Kurtz watched her hesitant expression and waited patiently. He knew Serie's temperament well. She was incapable of holding back her thoughts forever.
Sure enough, after a while, Serie finally turned her head again.
"Kurtz..."
"Hm?"
"If..." She hesitated briefly. "I mean, if your research truly succeeds... is it possible for other people to gain the same lifespan as you?"
She stopped there, her golden eyes fixed intently on him.
Kurtz immediately understood.
He knew Serie too well. On the surface, Elf Miss always seemed wary of Flamme, but deep down, her affection for her disciple was no less than his own.
"You mean," Kurtz said slowly, finishing the thought for her, "if my research succeeds, helping Flamme extend her lifespan... or even gain long life herself?"
Serie's eyes widened slightly before she nodded.
She cared deeply about Flamme as well. She did not want the red-haired girl she had personally raised and taught, the girl she had watched emerge from the ruins, to simply disappear into the passage of time.
Kurtz looked at her for a moment before a trace of mischief suddenly surfaced within him.
"Heh~" he teased lightly. "What is this? Is the great Elf worried that one day Flamme will gather her courage again and come compete for her man?"
As expected, Serie's expression immediately changed. Her cheeks flushed red before she quickly pursed her lips and glared at him.
After a long while, she muttered softly: "...Anyway, I trust you."
She trusted Kurtz.
She trusted his feelings for her, trusted the bond they had built over more than a thousand years together, and trusted that Kurtz himself could properly handle everything. That trust came from understanding him more deeply than anyone else. Though even so, her heart still felt slightly sour and uncomfortable.
Kurtz's heart softened instantly, and his playful thoughts disappeared just as quickly.
Without another word, he reached out and lifted the still-sulking Serie directly into his arms, letting her sit comfortably on his lap like a large pillow.
"Let me go!"
Serie struggled symbolically for a moment, though there was very little strength behind it. Soon enough, she leaned against his chest anyway, cheeks still puffed in dissatisfaction.
Kurtz lowered his head and rubbed his chin lightly against her soft golden hair before speaking slowly.
"Actually, regarding Flamme... I've had a plan in mind for a long time."
Serie immediately perked up and turned around within his embrace to stare up at him. "A plan? What plan? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Because I was worried you might oppose it, so I didn't dare mention it." Kurtz sighed helplessly. "Now that I know you feel the same way I do, I finally dare to talk about it."
"The same way? What exactly are you planning?" Serie pressed further.
Kurtz then explained the promise he had made to Flamme, along with the research he had been conducting in secret.
During his studies, he had already begun experimenting with transferring fragments of his own power to others. Theoretically, this could allow another person to obtain a lifespan far beyond that of ordinary humans.
And to ensure Flamme could endure long enough until then, he had also improved the Solidification Magic beforehand and entrusted it to Frieren.
"You... you actually hid so much from me!"
Serie reacted with both shock and irritation. Unable to stop herself, she raised her hand and punched lightly against Kurtz's chest. It wasn't truly painful, but there was obvious grievance behind it.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why do you always make me worry and feel sad for nothing? You. Bad Kurtz, very bad. He always does this. Bad. Hmpf"
Kurtz quickly caught her hand and soothed her gently.
"I know it's my fault. It's just that I was afraid you might oppose it. After all... I truly don't want to watch Flamme disappear like this."
Serie glared at him, though her eyes had already begun reddening slightly. Just like Kurtz, she had long regarded Flamme as one of the closest people in her life.
Because of that, she could fully understand Kurtz's feelings.
Of course, understanding him did not stop her from still wanting to hit him a few times to vent her emotions.
After fussing for a while longer, Serie's mood gradually calmed. She leaned back against his chest again and fell silent for a short moment before asking softly: "Then... are you sure now? About this plan?"
Kurtz thought for a moment before answering honestly.
"I can't say I'm fully confident. But at the very least, I've conjured a possibility. Compared to doing nothing, this is already the best arrangement I can make right now."
He paused briefly. "As for the rest... it depends on whether I can truly walk all the way to the end of that path."
Serie nodded quietly and said nothing more. She trusted Kurtz. Trusted his abilities. And that trust had always been the foundation of their companionship over the past millennium.
Suddenly, as if remembering something important, Serie lifted her head again and looked toward Kurtz's still youthful face.
"By the way," she asked softly, "is this body's vitality almost reaching its limit? Is it time to prepare for the Reincarnation Magic again?"
Kurtz was momentarily surprised she brought it up so suddenly, but quickly understood. Serie had always paid close attention to his condition.
He nodded slowly. "Yes. It's about time. This should also be my final Reincarnation Ritual."
"The last one?" Serie's expression became complicated, containing both anticipation and reluctance. With every reincarnation he took came temporary yet long separation and unavoidable uncertainty.
Kurtz nodded again. "My research has already reached several key breakthroughs. The new body I'll prepare this time should have a lifespan of at least 300 years. That amount of time should be enough for me to completely finish my current research and find the exact path I need."
After saying that, his tone became slightly apologetic. "However... because this reincarnation incorporates my newest research results, the ritual itself will become more complicated than ever before."
"It will likely take several decades before my soul fully stabilizes and completely fuses with the new body."
Several decades.
For humans, that was half a lifetime. Even for longer-lived races, it was hardly a short period of time.
And for Serie...
"I'm sorry," Kurtz said quietly. "I'll have to leave you alone for a long time again."
Unexpectedly, Serie nodded calmly. Then she reached up and gently touched his cheek.
"Just a few decades isn't long for an elf." Her voice was soft and steady. "Compared to all the time ahead of us, waiting a few decades means nothing."
She leaned back into his embrace again, pressing her cheek against his chest while listening quietly to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
"I'll stay here and guard the Association while I wait for you."
This kind of waiting was nothing unfamiliar to her. Over the long flow of millennia, she had already experienced it several times before. This time would simply last a little longer.
Kurtz tightened his arms around her, holding her more closely before lowering his head to kiss the top of her hair gently.
"Yes," he murmured softly. "Wait for me to come back."
[End of Chapter]