"That little light show earlier. That was you, wasn't it?"
High atop her dais, the golden-haired elf sat buried in her oversized throne. Her eyes, usually half-lidded and bored, were fixed intently on the violet-haired figure standing below.
Serie looked small, almost doll-like in the massive chair. But the pressure radiating from her was anything but small. It filled the room, heavy and suffocating.
Takson, standing a step behind his teacher, swallowed hard. Cold sweat trickled down his back.
What is this atmosphere? he thought, his hand twitching towards his axe. Is she angry? Is she going to punish us for blowing up the mountain?
The labyrinth had been close to the Magic City. The shockwave from Stell's attack had rattled windows, and the golden fallout had nearly drifted over the city walls.
In fact, several curious mages had attempted to fly out and investigate the phenomenon. If Serie hadn't forcibly stopped them, they would have flown right into the cloud of Dimensional Energy and been erased from existence. She had recognized the danger immediately, a power that disintegrated matter on contact.
Now, she demanded answers.
Stell, however, was immune to the pressure. Her golden eyes remained as flat and emotionless as ever.
"Affirmative," she replied.
"And?" Serie leaned forward, her chin resting on her hand. "Aren't you going to explain it?"
"..."
Stell paused. Her processors ran a quick predictive model of the conversation.
Serie wanted to know the spell. To her, that beam of light was a new, unknown magic, something destructive, beautiful, and potentially revolutionary. She wanted to dissect it, understand it, and add it to her own vast arsenal.
The truth, however, was going to be a letdown.
"Negative," Stell stated. "It was not magic."
The effect was instantaneous. Stell's optical sensors tracked the micro-expressions on the elf's face. The anticipation vanished, replaced by a distinct, childish pout. The corners of her mouth turned down.
"So," Serie sighed, slumping back into her chair, "it really is a unique system exclusive to you? Something impossible for others to learn?"
Since their first battle, Serie had been analyzing Stell. She had searched her memories of the Mythical Era, looking for any spell that matched Stell's capabilities. There were similar effects, yes, but the fundamental mechanics were alien. She had suspected that Stell operated on a completely different set of laws, a system incompatible with the magic of this world.
"Affirmative."
"..."
They stared at each other in silence.
Finally, Serie waved her hand dismissively. "Fine. Boring. Do whatever you want."
Her interest had evaporated the moment she learned she couldn't copy the technique.
Stell turned on her heel and walked toward the massive double doors of the sanctum. The interrogation was over.
Takson let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and scrambled to follow his teacher. He wanted to be out of this room, away from the terrifying elf, as soon as possible.
But just as Stell reached for the door handle, Serie's voice stopped them.
"What are your plans now?"
Stell stopped and looked back over her shoulder.
"Negative. No current schedule is established."
"Then why don't you stay here for a while?"
"Query: Why?"
Takson stood silently behind Stell, playing his usual role of the mute statue. He knew better than to interrupt a conversation between monsters.
Serie smiled. It wasn't the bored smirk she usually wore. It was the look of someone offering a treat to a stray cat.
"You're collecting magic, aren't you?"
"Affirmative."
"Query: You wish for me to remain here so I can catalog your collection?"
Stell tilted her head to the side, a gesture of genuine curiosity. She raised a hand to her chin, adopting a thinking pose.
"Agreement. My previous scan of this facility's archives only reached 38% completion," I stated. "The conditions for remaining are sufficient."
"Addendum: Serie, your request is accepted."
High upon her dais, Serie blinked. Even for her, a being who had lived for thousands of years, my statement was hard to process.
Thirty-eight percent? In a single afternoon?
The Great Library of the Magic City contained the accumulated magical knowledge of humanity. It was a collection that had taken centuries to build. And this creature had memorized nearly half of it in a few hours?
The learning speed was terrifying. At this rate, she would consume every spell in the city within a few days.
And what then? Serie wondered, her mind racing with possibilities. When she runs out of human magic to learn... what will she do next?
Hunt demons?
The thought brought a fresh wave of amusement to the ancient elf. Unlike humans, demons didn't share a unified system of magic. Each demon developed their own unique, often bizarre, spells. If Stell could copy those too...
If I let this 'Angel' loose on the demon lands... the harvest of new magic would be unimaginable.
A smile tugged at the corners of Serie's lips. It wasn't a nice smile. It was the smile of someone anticipating a very entertaining show.
I watched her, my sensors analyzing the shift in her expression.
Why is she smiling again?
According to the data from the anime I had watched in my previous life, Serie was supposed to be a stoic, emotionless character, a "dead-fish-eyed" elf who only showed emotion when she found a disciple she liked.
Does she consider me a disciple?
Negative. The probability is 0%.
She viewed me as a curiosity. A peer. Perhaps even a rival. But certainly not a student.
Deciding that further analysis of her facial expressions was inefficient, I turned and walked away, signaling Takson to follow.
The heavy double doors of the sanctum groaned shut behind us, sealing the elf inside her tower.
Silence returned to the room. Serie remained on her throne, the smile lingering on her face.
"Stell... an Angel... a new system..." she whispered to the empty air.
"A being that exists outside the logic of this world. Possessing power that dwarfs my own, yet driven by a hunger for magic that rivals mine."
She looked at the closed doors as if she could still see the small, white-clad figure walking away.
"I cannot even begin to guess what kind of impact you will have on the history of this world."
Heh. How exciting.
She turned to the window behind her throne. Outside, the golden stain on the southern sky had finally faded, returning to a deep, natural blue.
She said nothing more. She simply watched the sky, her smile widening.
….
It had been twenty-four hours since our arrival.
I spent the entire day in the Great Library.
To the scholars and mages of the city, the library was a sacred place of quiet study and contemplation. To me, it was a data buffet.
I didn't read. I didn't sit at a desk. I simply walked down the aisles, my eyes scanning the spines of the books.
Scan. Record. Analyze. Next.
I was processing thousands of pages per second.
Serie said nothing. In fact, she had facilitated it. Normally, she was an elitist teacher. She only bestowed her knowledge upon those with exceptional talent, ignoring the mediocre masses. Most students were taught by her other disciples, never even seeing the great mage herself.
But when I had stated my intention to acquire all of her magic, she hadn't scoffed. She hadn't tested me.
"If you want it, take it," she had said. "I've already given you clearance."
She had informed her followers and guards. I had free rein of the city. I could go anywhere, open any door, read any book.
Of course, I could have done all of that without her permission. My hacking protocols and stealth capabilities would have allowed me to strip the library bare without anyone noticing.
Perhaps Serie knew that. Perhaps her "permission" was just a way to save face, or to make the process more polite.
Whatever the reason, it was efficient.
….
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