How fragrant!
Flamme picked up a bouquet of hyacinths and took a deep breath, exclaiming:
"They're more fragrant than before, and the flowers look more natural and vibrant. Master, you've been secretly practicing your Magic to Create a Flower Field, haven't you? Just like President Serie, you both actually love flower field magic."
Not far away, Zenze scratched her head and said, "She doesn't like people thinking that, but I'm surprised you saw through it."
"It was obvious from the start. Who else but someone who loves them would receive examinees in a field of flowers?"
"Master would probably say: 'I hate perceptive little brats.'"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Compared to Serie's often insincere and sharp-tongued yet soft-hearted behavior, Frieren was actually much more direct. Or perhaps, the two of them simply had more humanity, lacking the emotional desensitization and increasingly impersonal feeling found in many long-lived beings.
As they were chatting, the silver-haired girl had already put away her staff.
In just a short while, the ground was covered in fresh flowers. She nodded in satisfaction at the result.
It was true. Having used the flower field magic several times in The Lands Between, she had become more and more proficient. Besides, transforming the environment there was more difficult and more urgent, so she had mastered it.
Frieren clapped her hands and announced loudly, "It's all taken care of, completely finished. We can have a proper celebration."
"Hooray!"
The most excited of all was the drunkard, Miriadel.
But it wasn't just for the food and wine. The numerous high-society figures from all corners of the world gathered here were perfect sales targets. If she brought out her long-hoarded inventory, wouldn't she become famous among the continent's nobility?
She had been worried she'd hear news of everyone withdrawing their savings from the vault, but after asking around a moment ago, she was overjoyed. She had struck it rich.
Many felt that Elf Town had become even safer and were willing to place their trust in it.
However, the busiest person was actually Wirbel, who was organizing the banquet. As a veteran nobleman and a local authority, it was his duty, but he was also happy to celebrate. And so, a lively banquet began in Elf Town.
They were overjoyed, each feeling the exhilarating thrill of having survived a calamity—it was both perilous and exciting. They had survived. That in itself was worth celebrating.
After all, who among those who answered the call wasn't prepared to fight the Seven Sages of Destruction? That would have been truly dangerous.
In the worst-case scenario, they would have had to pile up bodies to achieve victory. Even a top-tier demon injured in the dreamscape would not have been easy to defeat.
Fortunately, Frieren stepped in and handled everything.
As the great hero, she naturally became the center of attention.
"Thank you so much, Lady Frieren. If you hadn't eliminated those demons, our vaults would have been completely lost. We would have all suffered together."
"Regarding the research on curses, we hope you can hold a public lecture at the Northwind Fortress branch."
"I can do that."
The silver-haired girl agreed in a heartbeat. She acknowledged that the Vice President had been slacking off a bit; it was time to fulfill some responsibilities.
Moreover, the demons' curses were still a threat to her and couldn't be taken lightly. Pooling everyone's wisdom would also advance the progress of magic, which aligned with Flamme's own advocacy. Using curse-countering as a banner to promote magic would surely be effective.
"Vice President, can you tell us a bit about what happened in the dreamscape?"
"That's a long story."
Frieren shook her head, politely refusing, and gave a signal to Flamme and Miriadel. They both understood that this magic needed to be kept secret.
Too much was involved, making it troublesome to explain. Besides, it was one of her trump cards.
Hearing this, the mages tactfully stopped asking, instead shifting to expressions of wonder. No one could have imagined that a massive-scale illusion could actually override the effects of curse magic. It was utterly incredible.
Consequently, some mages skilled in illusionary arts humbly sought her guidance. In their eyes, the world now had another way to deal with curses, such as using a powerful dream state to offset and overwrite them.
Unable to refuse their earnest requests, Frieren had no choice but to exchange insights with them, and time passed unknowingly...
Dusk.
The banquet had gone on for so long that even Miriadel, the best drinker among them, was slumped drunk on the table.
From time to time, she would mumble things like, "Struck it rich, hehe."
Sitting beside her, Frieren patted the drunkard's back, but there was no response. She would probably have to carry her home later.
Such was a routine that played out every few days.
The silver-haired girl then continued to diligently write down a series of magical formulas.
Midway through the banquet, she had delegated the socializing to Wirbel and Flamme, and then began recording the curse on her own. Relying on her fresh experience, she deduced them one by one. It was an an opportunity not to be missed.
"Vice President, I must be going now."
Zenze, leading a group of mages from the headquarters, was seen packing her belongings, looking as if she was about to travel through the night.
"In such a hurry? Is something wrong in the Magic City?"
"No, it's just that President Serie told us to return immediately once we confirmed the situation was stable. She needs us to handle official business. If there are too few people at headquarters, she'll have to get busy herself."
"If it were me, I'd delay a bit to get some rest. You're truly an obedient apprentice. No wonder Serie likes you."
"Indeed, but Master needs help sharing the burden."
"You were the one who purified the traces at the forest's edge, weren't you? Thank you. As a reward, I can give you a spell, or money would be fine too."
"That won't be necessary. It would be enough if you just paid more attention to the Association's affairs." She sighed.
"The President and Vice President of such a large organization both ignore their duties. How are we supposed to grow? Forget it, just being powerful is enough for you two."
In the end, Zenze could only convince herself with that, while Frieren smiled and nodded in agreement.
It was too difficult to change an elf's ways, especially at their age.
Having two Mages of the Mythical Era in the same organization was the most powerful banner imaginable. Any action they took would stir the winds of change. If not for the threat of demons, it would be the various nations that would be nervous.
"When will you be able to visit the headquarters?"
"Next time."
"In any case, I look forward to seeing you at headquarters again. I'm sure the Vice President and my Master have many common topics to discuss."
Though it was a long-lived being's perspective, the group, having received an answer, did not linger. They waved their hands, turned, and left, maintaining their hurried demeanor all the while.
Their departure made the banquet hall a little quieter.
"Speaking of which, as a Great Mage now, you should have quite a few mandatory commissions, right, Flamme?"
Frieren turned to the red-haired girl who had been eating and drinking nonstop and asked, "Are you heading to the northern front?"
At the mention of serious business, she coughed hard to swallow her food. She had been on edge for too long and was only about eighty percent full.
"For the sake of my health, I'll stop here."
"So, Master, you don't understand the Association at all. The Association is never responsible for wars. The allied kingdoms wouldn't entrust that to us; we mostly just assist them."
"Besides, the mainstream activities are exterminating monsters and bandits in various regions. This world isn't just about the war with the demons."
Hearing this, Frieren nodded and muttered to herself: "Indeed. I'll need to visit the Magic City later on."
"When?"
"At least after my next slumber."
Peace returned to Elf Town. The neighboring Northwind Fortress also lifted its martial law, and the garrison led by Wirbel departed.
With the trade routes reopening and an increased demand for goods, the roads became a scene of bustling, endless traffic.
The town and city, having been in the spotlight, became a focus of great attention. In particular, a large amount of capital flowed in.
The recent war had further convinced the nobles of the reliability of the elven vault, and they invested heavily. They were all in.
And security wasn't the only reason. Thanks to Miriadel repeatedly leveraging her network of contacts, many transactions had to be conducted here.
The more funds deposited locally, the more convenient it was. Eventually, it was better to let Elf Town protect the assets than to worry about them being stored elsewhere.
The nobles would rather hear that "Elf Town was attacked by the Seven Sages of Destruction, but the vault was completely unharmed" than hear their money was lost to bandits, war, or other things.
One can imagine that the management fees alone would provide everyone with a comfortable life.
She even remembered to pull Frieren in to set up a barrier for the vault, purely for publicity.
If it was created by "the caster who can create barriers that resist curses," then it was surely fine. They could rest completely assured.
Everyone knew that even an elite demon squad was held back by the town's barrier, struggling for quite some time before breaking through—a feat never seen before. Therefore, Frieren's skill in barrier magic was also absolutely top-tier, with no weaknesses.
Another point was a stroke of genius.
Miriadel even had a sudden inspiration and began a marketing campaign:
"Letting an elf manage your assets is like wishing your wealth an eternity. We will remember your children, and your great-grandchildren. You need not worry about accidents. As long as your family name exists and there is an heir, we can always open the vault doors for you."
The nobles, of course, flocked to this offer. They were utterly unable to resist the temptation of securing their inheritance. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Having long-lived elves record the vault's accounts was enough to ensure it could be passed down through generations.
And Miriadel hired bards.
For instance, they associated the elven race with words like dedication, perseverance, and integrity.
The original stereotypes combined with the propaganda, plus the fact that the prominent elven powerhouses on the stage truly fit the description, made everyone even more convinced. Only one thought remained: Increase investment.
Every day, carriage after carriage arrived, transporting gold, silver, and treasures, which were inventoried and then transferred into the vault.
The original vault was of course no longer sufficient, so the forest adjacent to the area cleared by the war's aftershocks became an excellent construction site. A massive building rose from the ground...
"Don't you think you should give me a share of the profits for working me this hard?"
Frieren asked listlessly as she brandished her staff.
Beside her, Miriadel, holding the design plans, immediately replied:
"Of course. Everyone feels more at ease with you as a shareholder. Your share is second only to mine."
"I was just saying. Consider it repayment for the trouble of waking me up."
She hadn't expected her normally lazy childhood friend to be so serious, so she added, "If you have any design needs, just ask."
"Can we change it from the 5th version back to the original?"
"No can do!"
The childhood friends' banter made Flamme, who was nearby, smile. She then returned to studying her notes, comparing them one by one with the building before her.
That's right. The three of them had simply chosen a building from Yharnam as a blueprint to replicate in reality.
Only a caster with a virtually infinite supply of magic could even attempt such a feat, and it turned out that a grand structure built of steel and stone was indeed sturdy, just a bit draining on the manpower.
It required more than just Frieren's power; others had to assist with the odds and ends.
A total of 500 people were mobilized to barely construct it, and that was with them only handling the minor details. If a Mage of the Mythical Era hadn't shouldered 80% of the workload, it's unimaginable how many resources it would have cost. Even the wealthy Elf Town couldn't afford it.
The problem must lie beyond magic.
That's why Flamme was more focused on the complex mechanical blueprints in her hand, but for now, she was completely in the dark. She couldn't understand them.
It was likely beyond her current level of comprehension. A person's energy is limited; she couldn't master everything alongside magic.
She could only plan for the long term. Anyway, there was plenty of time for now...
Suddenly, with a loud crash, the very top floor of the vault headquarters fell into place. It had been assembled under the power of Gravity Magic.
From beginning to end, Frieren's architectural style was simple, brutal, and effective. A six-story-high vault with a sprawling underground network stood before them, capable of serving as both an office and a storage facility.
After finishing, she didn't forget to add a layer of barrier, though it was visibly less intricate than the town's barrier, because it wasn't as important. If the town's defenses were breached, the vault's fate wouldn't matter much anyway. It was mainly for peace of mind.
"Work's done. Time to eat."
Miriadel, who seemed to be supervising, was actually the biggest slacker. She didn't care how long the construction took, being more interested in the lively atmosphere of everyone drinking together.
And so, for the umpteenth time in the past few days, another great feast began.
Frieren and Flamme were both used to it by now, studying magic whenever they had free time.
The booming development of Elf Town was in itself a form of counterattack, reassuring the originally paranoid Central Lands.
They had once feared that demons would penetrate deep into the interior and cause destruction.
Setting aside the extraordinary Seven Sages of Destruction, even a single greater demon required considerable effort to defeat. And if the enemy was purely focused on burning, killing, and looting, it would be even harder to deal with.
But now, the area radiating out from Elf Town was very safe. It could be called a forbidden land.
It had thwarted countless demonic plans and buried countless elites, becoming an insurmountable wall.
As a result, the surrounding nations and city-states one by one restabilized their situations. As long as this was maintained, it would naturally promote commerce, complementing Northwind Fortress perfectly.
In fact, after these years of development, it had gradually lost its value as a military fortress and had become a crucial transit hub. It controlled the passage between the Central and Southern lands.
Who would have thought that just about ten years ago, this place was a front line with constant friction with the demons. Since Frieren took the initiative, the front line was pushed back, and human prosperity replaced the old scars of war.
Naturally, the Magic Association's branch also received a large number of personnel from the south. In addition to the appeal of the Mages of the Mythical Era, it also benefited from the prosperity of Northwind Fortress.
Moreover, Frieren had been frequently holding public lectures these days, and countless mages came, drawn by her fame, much to the delight of their host, Wirbel. It was a win-win for everyone.
In a sense, this branch of the Association was already a "second headquarters" radiating its influence over the central region. Especially after achieving victory against the demonic Seven Sages of Destruction, its prestige soared, bringing honor to the entire organization.
It's conceivable that the headquarters in the Magic City was also stirring. Various nations began requesting tutelage from the mages.
For Serie, this was excellent news.
"How utilitarian. They see the power of magic and now they crave it. But that's fine. A world like this is simple and direct," she remarked, then ordered, "Send more people."
Perhaps the era of humans widely mastering magic had begun.
_____
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