Chapter 371: The Final Chapter of the Romantic Story
In the afternoon, sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the Magic Association's high-ranking officials' offices, illuminating the desks and reflecting the fine dust particles floating in the air.
Flamme had finally finished reviewing the last document, put the quill back into the inkwell, and slowly leaned back in her chair.
She took a long breath and slowly exhaled, as if trying to dispel all the fatigue that had accumulated in her chest throughout the day.
Then, she stretched out a big yawn, her arms reaching upward as her slender waist bent slightly backward. A few strands of red hair slipped from her shoulders as she relaxed.
The rare moment of peace allowed her constantly tense nerves to loosen slightly.
However, what followed was not a complete mental blank, but the quiet emergence of thoughts she usually kept buried deep inside her heart.
She remained leaning back in her chair, staring at the ceiling with an unfocused gaze.
For some reason, distant and nearly faded memories surfaced in her mind without warning.
Smoke.
Ruins.
The smell of burning and blood that filled the air when her hometown was attacked by demons.
Even now, after all these years, she still could not forget it.
The little girl huddled within the cracks of the rubble, her body stiff with fear, too terrified to even cry out, afraid the demons would notice her existence.
Then, Lady Serie found her among the ruins and brought her before Kurtz.
As for how she was taken away from that destroyed town, what she said to the two teachers, and her first clumsy attempts at sensing mana...
Those details had gradually become blurred over the long years, leaving behind only fragmented memories.
But she would always remember the feeling of that moment. A crack had opened within the cold and desperate world, and light and warmth had poured in through it.
Two figures descended like gods and pulled her back from the edge of the abyss.
What were her feelings toward the two teachers?
Respect and love.
The earliest and purest forms of respect and love.
The two teachers taught her magic, guided her growth, raised her into adulthood, and showed her how vast the world truly was. They were not only her teachers, but also her family, and the most precious people in her entire life.
However, at some point, her feelings toward Kurtz quietly began to change.
An unusual stirring slowly seeped into her heart, eventually becoming emotions she could no longer describe as simple admiration.
Flamme could no longer remember exactly when it began.
Perhaps it was when he patiently explained an incredibly difficult spell to her.
Perhaps it was when he protected her after she was scolded by Teacher Serie.
Or perhaps it was simply because, during countless ordinary days together, his wisdom and gentleness gradually wore away the boundaries around her heart.
By the time she realized it, those feelings had already rooted themselves too deeply to remove.
She knew she should not harbor such thoughts toward Kurtz. After all, Lady Serie was already by his side.
The bond between them had endured for over a thousand years. It was an unshakable relationship that no outsider could ever step into.
But back then, she had still been young and impulsive. So she confessed.
And the result was obvious.
She failed.
If the current Flamme looked back at herself now, would she regret it?
Perhaps a little.
But even so, she was still glad she had conveyed those feelings. After that came the promise between her and Kurtz.
She buried those emotions deep within her heart and would never reveal them again. She would not disturb the two of them.
Instead, she would turn those feelings into motivation to continue working harder, to become their most reliable student, to remain by their side in that way, to repay their kindness, and perhaps also to comfort herself.
And she had done an excellent job all these years.
So well that even she herself sometimes almost believed those intense emotions had long since faded into pure respect.
Although her heart still fluttered whenever she saw intimate moments between the two of them, those ripples were always quickly suppressed by stronger reasons and sincere blessings.
Yes.
Blessings.
She genuinely hoped both teachers could remain happy forever. Of course, mixed within those blessings was also a trace of envy.
As for jealousy? Almost none. That kind of emotion was too ugly and unreasonable.
At most, during quiet nights, a tiny feeling of unwillingness would occasionally surface in her heart. Why was she not the one who met him first? But such thoughts only lasted for a fleeting instant before disappearing again.
"Kurtz..."
She unconsciously murmured his name, her voice sounding especially clear within the empty office. Flamme gently rested her forehead against the cool tabletop as loose strands of red hair fell over her face.
Recently, she had learned another piece of news. A more specific and complicated one.
Once, when Lady Serie happened to be in an exceptionally good mood, she revealed something to her with rare embarrassment.
She and Kurtz seemed to be trying... perhaps seriously trying... to have a child together.
What kind of miracle would be born from the union between a human and an elf? Flamme could not imagine it.
Yet an overwhelming sense of envy still surged within her chest.
She envied the new life that might one day be born between them.
She envied the fact that their love would eventually bear fruit.
She even began imagining what kind of adorable little girl or boy they might have. At that time, she would definitely cherish the child as her most precious disciple.
No... As family.
After all, that child would be the descendant of the person she admired most and the teacher she respected most deeply. However, beneath such a romantic vision lay a cold reality she could never escape.
She was dying.
Indeed, when Frieren brought back the modified Solidification Magic created by Kurtz, the girl excitedly claimed that perhaps Kurtz had another plan in mind and that Flamme might also be able to continue living.
Although Flamme had been moved at the time, she never fully believed it. Defying fate, breaking through the limits of lifespan, and granting others immortality? That sounded even more absurd than the oldest legends.
She had personally studied Kurtz's immortality magic before. She understood its countless flaws and instabilities. The fact that Kurtz himself had reached this point was already a miracle.
How could she dare hope that such a miracle could extend to her as well? Perhaps... he had only been comforting Frieren and giving the child hope.
Moreover...
If she truly succeeded...
A thought that even she herself found shameful would inevitably emerge. If she really obtained the same endless lifespan as them, then how should she continue living?
For decades, or even centuries, she could suppress those emotions through reason and self-control. But what about a thousand years? Or ten thousand years? Endlessly remaining by the side of the person she loved, watching him together with the person he loved most, while she herself could only stand beside them as a disciple...
Could she truly guarantee those buried feelings would never spiral out of control? And if that day really came...
How would she face Lady Serie?
How would she face Kurtz?
How would she face the two people whose relationship might eventually be damaged because of her existence?
She did not dare continue thinking about it. Nor did she want to.
"Heh... maybe ... maybe this is enough." Flamme let out a self-deprecating laugh, her voice carrying a quiet acceptance of fate.
Her time was truly running out. The Solidification Magic was like an eternal gown draped over her body, forever preserving her at her youngest and most beautiful moment.
Her skin remained smooth. Her red hair still burned brightly like flames. But all of that was merely superficial. Magic could preserve appearance, but it could not stop the inevitable erosion of life itself.
She could clearly feel the vitality within her body slowly slipping away like fine sand through an hourglass.
The outside of the kettle remained perfect, yet the water inside had already leaked away through invisible cracks.
This was the fate of humanity. A law engraved into life itself. Even though she stood at the peak of human magic and possessed power countless others envied, she was ultimately no different from an ordinary mortal in this regard.
Strangely enough... A small part of her even felt relieved.
At least the Solidification Magic allowed her to avoid appearing before Kurtz in an old and frail form. At least she would not have to let him witness the final decline of her life.
For a girl, perhaps being remembered forever at her most beautiful moment by the person she loved was already the greatest kindness fate could offer.
Let's stop here.
Let's end everything while things are still beautiful.
The Magic Association had remained stable for decades. Even without her, nothing would truly collapse. Frieren had also matured greatly and had become a powerful mage in her own right. With the two teachers still guarding the Association, nobody dared target it.
Everything was already perfect.
Everything already resembled the ending of a romantic story.
Flamme slowly straightened herself, tidied her slightly messy hair and robes, and regained her usual composed expression.
However, deep within her eyes, a trace of determination quietly appeared.
A few days ago, Olivia had visited her for tea and casually mentioned something. She had remained in the mortal world for too long and planned to return to the Heavenly Kingdom soon.
The Heavenly Kingdom. The former homeland of the Skywing Clan. A floating city that would never fall. A ruined kingdom almost forgotten by the world. Perhaps it was also the place closest to eternal peace.
That place would become her final resting place as well. She would not need to wither away somewhere familiar.
Nor would she need to let anyone—especially Frieren—watch her slowly decline.
Quietly leaving like this, then using Solidification Magic to place herself into eternal sleep... Perhaps that ending was not so bad.
At the very least, she would still remain somewhere within this world, accompanying the people she treasured.
Flamme stood up and walked toward the window. She gave one final glance to the imperial capital bathed in sunlight. Then, using her detection magic, she slowly swept her senses across the entire Magic Association before finally stopping at the top floor.
There rested the light she had loved her entire life. A light she was destined never to reach.
Goodbye, Professor Kurtz.
Goodbye, Lady Serie.
She silently said her farewell within her heart. Then she turned around and walked steadily toward the office door, intending to find Olivia. Behind her, the setting sun stretched her shadow long across the floor before it gradually disappeared into the dim corridor outside.
[End of Chapter]