Chapter 351: Solis's Yearning for Understanding
Just then, Solis, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly moved.
She walked up to Kurtz and, under his slightly puzzled gaze, lowered her head, revealing her short black hair and small head.
"What are you doing?" Kurtz asked, his tone curious.
If it were Flamme, he might have thought she was jealous, but with Solis, it was a bit intriguing.
Solis raised her head. Her eyes showed no shyness or emotional fluctuation, only pure purpose. "In my observation, this is an effective way to deepen relationships. I hope you can touch my head."
Kurtz raised an eyebrow. "The reason?"
"I hope to build a better relationship with you, thereby reducing the possibility that you will kill me in the future." Solis's answer was straightforward, revealing her entire plan without hesitation. "Survival is what I want to do most right now, so pleasing you is the most effective strategy under the current circumstances."
Upon hearing such a candid statement, Kurtz found it interesting.
According to Olivia's earlier statement, Solis seemed to have never developed any feelings, not even the desire to live. Otherwise, she would have thought of running away the moment she saw Olivia, a master of divine magic. After all, holy magic was practically the natural enemy of demons.
However, Solis had not. She had simply allowed Olivia to take her to the Magic Association, and it was only after Kurtz threatened her with murderous intent that she awakened her instinct for survival.
And now, this instinct was gradually taking over her heart.
It had to be said that this was a good thing. After all, this kind of flattery based on pure rational judgment had a unique charm compared to the caution and concern one had when communicating with others.
He reached out, his gesture less warm and more of a verification, and casually ruffled Solis's hair.
Her hair felt cool and smooth to the touch, just like a human's. He could feel her temperature through his palm—slightly warm.
"How are you feeling?" Kurtz withdrew his hand and asked.
Solis tilted her head slightly, as if carefully sensing and assessing the situation, then answered truthfully. "The contact was very clear, but I didn't feel anything special."
Kurtz's pat on the head had not exerted any pressure, and he had even concealed his aura to some extent, so Solis had not felt any discomfort. But similarly, she had felt nothing at all.
"I don't understand," she continued. "Why does Serie show such obvious pleasure when you make similar contact with her?"
Kurtz looked at her with interest. "Are you trying to understand this joy?"
"Yes." Solis readily admitted it. "I personally believe that understanding emotions is essential for my survival, and I must analyze them to achieve this."
"So, what did you figure out?" Kurtz walked to a chair and sat down, gesturing for her to sit as well.
Solis sat down as instructed. "Preliminary analysis suggests that the feelings between you and Serie may stem from long-term interactions. Therefore, even a simple gesture like patting someone's head can enhance their happiness."
Kurtz couldn't help but laugh. "You're right. So what do you plan to do?"
"I hope you can touch my head every day until I understand this feeling," Solis said earnestly.
"I don't have the time." Kurtz refused outright. Wouldn't it be better to spend that time petting his own fairy?
Solis looked down, appearing distressed. She hadn't expected that the first step of her plan would be rejected so quickly.
"Moreover, I think the most important thing for you to do right now is to understand what fear is," Kurtz said.
"Fear—" Solis uttered the word softly, with a hint of unfamiliar hesitation. "Is this also a kind of emotion?"
Kurtz didn't answer directly. Instead, he reached out and snapped his fingers.
The air in the room suddenly distorted, and a magical arrow shot toward Solis at an extremely fast speed.
Faced with this attack, Solis's body moved.
That wasn't a reaction based on thought, but rather a conditioned reflex imprinted deep within her survival instinct. Her head tilted sharply, barely dodging the near-miss, while a small hole was silently pierced through the back of the chair where her head had been.
Solis instinctively assumed a defensive stance, and magical energy began to flow around her body. However, due to Serie's mental magic, this energy was very weak and could not even form a complete magical shield.
The attack had naturally come from Kurtz. The magic arrow dissipated after passing through the chair.
Solis's tense body slowly relaxed, and her aura began to subside. She looked at Kurtz, her eyes clearly puzzled. "The attack just now... but there was no killing intent."
"You don't have to harbor murderous intent to unleash magic," Kurtz said calmly. "Do you sense anything?"
Solis carefully savored the state of mind and body she had experienced at that moment. "The resistance to being hit made me subconsciously dodge, and after successfully dodging, I felt a sense of relief. And my body trembled slightly—it hasn't completely subsided yet."
"That's fear: the emotion that arises when facing death. This should be the second time you've faced this emotion. It's normal to tremble when facing fear."
Solis looked down at her slightly trembling fingers, seemingly trying to stop them, but she couldn't do it immediately.
This feeling of being out of control was novel to her. She felt as if a shackle had been removed from a part of her body, and her whole head began to feel lightheaded.
"Is this fear?" Solis murmured to herself. "I think I understand a little bit about that instinct to survive that is born from fear."
Kurtz looked at the demon before him, who was trying to analyze human emotions, as if he were looking at an apprentice trying to use magical formulas to analyze magical knowledge. He slowly said, "If you can completely understand these human emotions, then perhaps that will be the time when you no longer need to be restricted in your freedom."
If one day Solis truly understood human emotions, then Kurtz believed that she would no longer do anything harmful to humans. Because we understand good and evil, we have weaknesses. Because we understand love and sorrow, we learn self-control.
This was the future that Kurtz wanted to see for the demon race.
Solis's eyes seemed to light up, and she nodded emphatically. "I understand. I will try my best to understand this feeling."
Kurtz gave a meaningful smile. "Well, I'm also looking forward to seeing how far you can understand it."