The driverless carriage continued on its way. Fíliya watched the placid horses, and a different thought suddenly crossed her mind.
"I don't get it. You can go anywhere you want with just a thought, so why are you sitting in a carriage, moving so slowly?"
Fíliya turned her head and posed the question to Serie. Having experienced the convenience of spatial teleportation, she truly couldn't understand Serie's choice.
…'You guyss'? Tch, this person used to kneel respectfully before me and call me 'Lady Serie'… She's becoming more and more disrespectful.
The moment her eyes met Fíliya's, Serie subconsciously pursed her lips but didn't say anything to stop Miss Fíliya's presumptuous behavior.
"There's still plenty of time, anyway… Flamme's memorial mausoleum will only open after the Empire's national holiday is over. Moving slowly like this, the timing will be just right. Besides, I can use the time on the road to think."
Serie said casually, but this answer did not satisfy Fíliya.
"Is that so… If it were just a matter of standing before Flamme's grave, that would be simple for you, right? Even if the mausoleum isn't open, you could slip in easily… Looking at it this way, you're actually thinking, 'I want to go see her openly, witnessed by many humans', aren't you?"
"…"
What is with this girl? Why does she guess my thoughts so accurately… I've kept my mental barrier to prevent mind-reading active this whole time…
Serie stared into Fíliya's eyes, somewhat annoyed. After all, having one's thoughts pointed out to their face was a very uncomfortable feeling.
"Let's just say you guessed right."
Serie said, turning her head away.
"'Let's just say'… Heh."
Fíliya, on the other hand, let out a smirk.
The two of them fell into a brief silence, and the carriage advanced for a long time with the rhythm of the horses' steps.
And the one who couldn't help but break the silence was, surprisingly, the god herself.
"In the Prophetic Dream, I met with the Emperor of the Empire. I discussed many things with him, but it wasn't very fruitful. He told me that the Empire is currently in turmoil, and it isn't a country ruled solely by him. He couldn't provide any useful information about those who plan to assassinate me. The only thing that could be confirmed is that this is not the Emperor's own intention."
Hmm?
Fíliya frowned upon hearing this and immediately voiced her own question.
"Wait a minute? 'Discussed' with someone in a Prophetic Dream? Shouldn't a Prophetic Dream show a fixed future? How did you manage to 'discuss' things with a predetermined character?"
"Because the Emperor himself possesses a magic tool that prevents intrusion via dream abilities… It was a coincidence, you could say. In the dream, thanks to the magic tool's effect, the Emperor instantly realized he was in a dream and was no longer influenced by the Prophetic Dream. So, we were able to converse normally instead."
"Is that so…"
Fíliya nodded, and then her expression slowly morphed into one of disgust.
"Well, that's just pathetic. You're pathetic, and that Emperor is pathetic too!"
Fíliya shouted loudly, and before Serie could react, she immediately added.
"It's all your fault. If you had just kept some advanced precognition ability, you wouldn't be so blind. And that Emperor, too… It's called the 'Empire', for crying out loud, but it's not even an autocracy ruled by the Emperor. He has to be kept in check by some other power… Ugh, and he wants to restore its former glory? What a disgrace."
"Do you realize that such a statement would be a capital crime in the Empire?"
Serie looked at Fíliya with a somewhat helpless expression.
"Heh, a crime requires someone to be able to catch me first."
Fíliya said with disdain.
"Look at you, getting so full of yourself… Then what's your brilliant idea on the matter? Come on, offer a solution."
Fíliya managed to get a rise out of Serie, who, after all, wasn't exactly a calm person to begin with.
"Hmph, of course I have a way. Do you know where I'm stronger than you?"
Fíliya looked at Serie with an arrogant expression.
"…"
Looking at her like this, Serie suddenly clenched her fists. She swore that in all her thousands of years, she had never met someone who could get on her nerves this much.
"I don't know."
Serie repeatedly told herself in her heart not to bicker with such a junior. In a blink of an eye, she would turn into a pile of bones and wouldn't be able to anger her anymore.
"Imagination! You, with your barren mind… Besides the fact that the Prophetic Dream itself is a rather low-level precognition magic, the biggest reason you can't see the full picture is because you're a blockhead!"
As Fíliya spoke, wearing an expression of exasperation as if disappointed in a student who wouldn't improve, she reached out her index finger and poked Serie on the head.
"!"
Serie's fists clenched even tighter. She felt herself losing her composure more and more.
"Not convinced? Look at you. You may have collected most of the magic in this world, but to what extent have you developed any of it? At best, you're just a collector who simply knows how to use them… You couldn't even figure out Gold Transformation on your own. You've just lived long enough to accumulate invincible power. If our mana reserves were the same, you probably couldn't even beat your own disciples."
"Even Frieren successfully analyzed Gold Transformation, but you, the 'God of Magic', couldn't do it. Aren't you ashamed of yourself… Ouch!"
Just as Fíliya was getting into the swing of things, she saw Serie suddenly lash out, grabbing her by the neck and pinning her to the floor. The two of them quickly began to scuffle.
"So we're using our fists, are we? Suits me just fine! If we're not using magic, let's see how I take care of you!"
Fíliya also let out a loud shout and quickly fought back.
This farce continued for several minutes. It was truly fortunate that no one else was present besides the two of them, and… that the carriage compartment was large enough.
"I can't… I surrender. Aren't you a ten-thousand-year-old shut-in… How is your stamina so good?"
After a bout of fighting, Fíliya collapsed on the floor and cried out for mercy to Serie.
Serie's victory was a matter of course. After all, the countless blessings on her body were the real deal. With the enhancement of these mysterious protections, even if she stood still, Fíliya couldn't possibly harm her. Well… unless she used that move.
"Heh… Did you think I was born this strong? I have fought countless powerful enemies to get here, ascending to godhood through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. My opponents weren't just mages; even warriors from the Age of Gods were cut down by me. If you want to fight me, go train for a few more decades first."
Serie looked down at the human girl collapsed at her feet, a victorious smile finally appearing on her lips. The sense of accomplishment she got from this farce with Fíliya was simply unparalleled, even more joyous than the battles from the Age of Gods.
"Is that so… You don't really think you've won, do you?"
Fíliya was the type to beg for mercy one second and run her mouth the next. In that instant, she had already forgotten the fact that she had just surrendered, and a hint of arrogance reappeared on her face.
"A true 'God' wouldn't lower themselves to fight with someone… In that moment just now, I have already pulled you down from your 'Godhood'… From that perspective, the one who won should be me."
____
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🔥 New history: Reincarnated as Mahito, Watch Me Manipulate Everyone
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