Chapter 379: Frieren Loves to Play it Low-key
On the rugged mountain path, Frieren walked ahead, holding a magic sample extracted from the lingering light particles of Aura's Obedience Magic, attempting to analyze it.
'This magic structure is quite interesting. It's not a simple attack or defense, but rather something more akin to a rule-based coercion. Once the magic is released, it constructs a temporary Absolute Field to compare the total mana of both parties. Within this field, the will of the side with weaker mana is temporarily overwritten, replaced by a sense of obedience toward the stronger one. The strength and duration of the magic seem to be related to the willpower of the controlled individual; if the opponent's willpower is strong enough, there might even be a risk of failure.'
"It seems to be a high-level variant of Mental Magic, fused with elements of Contract Magic—" Frieren muttered to herself unconsciously, "To think it can act directly on the soul level, as expected of the innate magic talent of the Demon Race, truly remarkable."
Aura, following dejectedly behind her, heard Frieren's analysis, which sounded like praise, and her originally dim eyes instantly lit up.
She subconsciously puffed out her modest chest and tilted her chin up slightly, her dark red horns even appearing more lustrous.
Even though she was a prisoner at this moment, she couldn't help her instinct to show off when her proud innate magic was mentioned. Even the weakest demon would puff out their chest with pride once their boasted magic talent was mentioned. Aura was no exception.
"Of course!" Aura's voice sounded more confident than before, as she tried hard not to sound so pathetic. "This is the innate talent magic of the great Lady Aura! It is unique! You elves and humans, no matter how long you live or how much magic you learn, could never possibly master the magic of this level!"
She spoke with such abandon that she seemed to have temporarily forgotten the miserable fact that she had just been backfired by this very magic and reduced to a servant.
Hearing this, Frieren didn't stop her pace, but merely turned her head to give her a faint glance. There was no hint of anger, only a calmness that caused the small amount of smugness Aura had just felt to vanish instantly.
"Why would I need to learn it?" Frieren spoke. "I only need to become your master, and that's enough."
These words instantly made a certain someone lose her temper.
"You—!" Aura's face flushed red all at once, half from humiliation and half from anger.
She pointed at Frieren's back, her voice becoming somewhat shrill with agitation: "If not...if not for you, you despicable Elf, shamelessly hiding your mana and pretending to be weak, how could I have possibly used this magic on you! I, the great Lady Aura, also choose my opponents, okay! Who would have thought a Magician could be so shameless, so malicious to the point of hiding their mana and throwing away all the dignity of the strong? You're even lower than a demon—"
Her voice grew smaller as she spoke, and her speaking speed slowed down, until the last few words were almost inaudible. Because she saw that Frieren, who had been walking ahead, had stopped completely at some point and had turned around fully, watching her quietly.
Being stared at like that, Aura instantly felt an invisible pressure descend upon her, forcing her to swallow the rest of her words. Her heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition followed. And sure enough.
Frieren spoke slowly: "You seem to be getting a bit too arrogant. Kneel!"
Two simple words, yet they were like a trigger being pulled.
Aura's body stiffened abruptly as the contract of the Obedience Magic deep within her soul took effect instantly. Her knees buckled uncontrollably, and with a loud thud, she knelt firmly on the ground.
The pain from her knees made her groan, but what humiliated her more was this involuntary posture.
Only then did Frieren take a step and walk slowly back to Aura.
She pulled out her staff, held it in her hand, and looked down from a height at the pink-haired demon kneeling on the ground, trembling slightly from humiliation and fear.
The sunlight was blocked by her figure, casting a shadow over Aura's face.
Frieren didn't speak; she simply raised her staff and pointed the tip at Aura's forehead. Mana began to gather; the air in front of the staff's tip distorted slightly, and a Magic Array began to take shape.
Aura's eyes widened. She could feel the terrifying power contained within that Magic Array, which was definitely enough to easily pierce through her head.
What scared her even more was the killing intent she felt emanating from Frieren.
'This damn Elf, she would really kill me!'
"Eeeek! No! Lady Frieren! I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! Don't kill me! You are not cowardly; who is saying that? Frieren sama, forgive this lowly one. You are the most powerful, tenacious, brave, and merciful kind elf in the world! You wouldn't kill your servant like this, right?"
Aura was scared out of her wits. Pride and resentment were all thrown to the winds, leaving only the most primal instinct for survival.
She suddenly regretted spending so much time with that strange fellow who was neither human nor demon, which had made her emotions too rich and turned her into a coward.
But it was too late for that now.
Frieren still didn't speak, her expression unchanging as if she hadn't heard the pleas for mercy. She just quietly watched as the light at the center of the Magic Array grew brighter and brighter, the mana converging to its peak—Swoosh!
A beam of light shot out from the center of the Magic Array.
Aura closed her eyes in despair, waiting for death to descend. 'Oh my dear life, this is it, the great saga of the great Aura the Evil ended before its beginning. ~.'
However, the expected agonizing pain did not come.
The beam of light grazed Aura's cheek, the scorching air current even singeing a few strands of her pink hair, and the resulting wind pressure made her cheek sting. Ultimately, the beam struck a large tree a few paces behind her, leaving a hole with charred edges.
Aura froze in place, her mind a complete blank. After several seconds, she cautiously opened one eye. What met her sight was Frieren, who had already put away her staff, and those eyes that remained utterly indifferent.
'He-HeHe. It didn't hit! She missed on purpose!'
Realizing this, a massive sense of exhaustion from surviving a near-death experience instantly overwhelmed Aura. Her body went limp, her heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat instantly soaked her back. A warm wetness also quietly spread from a certain part of her dress.
Frieren didn't care about this little interlude. Her gaze swept over Aura's face, which was as pale as paper, and she spoke: "From now on, you must remember: I, Frieren, am your master."
She leaned over slightly and used the end of her staff to lift Aura's chin, forcing her to look at her.
"As a servant, you must act like one. Watch your words, mind your actions, and obey orders. And don't forget, you are a demon. In any other place on this continent, with any other Magician or warrior, the moment you tried to lay a hand on that village, you would have already been a corpse."
Aura nodded frantically, unable to say a single word. Her fear of Frieren had now reached her very marrow; she no longer dared to harbor even the slightest bit of wishful thinking. There was no other way; this elven Mage was too powerful, and under the reinforcement of the Obedience Magic, she couldn't muster even the slightest thought of resistance.
"Very good." Frieren straightened up, seemingly satisfied with her reaction.
She stowed her staff, stepped back, and began issuing new commands. "Stand up."
Aura's body trembled, and under the power of the contract, she stood up shakily, her legs still weak.
"Spin around three times." Aura bit her lip and did as she was told, spinning three times on the spot, her skirt fluttering.
"Bark like a dog."
"Woof— woof—" Aura's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, but she still barked.
"Jump until I say stop."
Aura began to jump clumsily, looking quite ridiculous.
Frieren stood to the side, watching quietly, her face still devoid of expression. These instructions were ones she had accidentally seen a human use to train a puppy in the past; using them on Aura now, she felt they couldn't be more appropriate.
Of course, the most critical step was still missing.
"Lie down, belly up."
Aura's body stiffened for a moment. 'This posture—No No No NO NOT THIS! 'My dignity. Waah, snifff~ I am a demon, you stupid elf, not a damn doggg.'
But she couldn't do anything. She followed the command and lay on her back on the ground, her limbs curling upward unnaturally and her clothes rolling up to reveal her soft abdomen.
This was the posture of absolute submission and trust displayed by canine animals.
She closed her eyes. The extreme humiliation made her wish she could die instantly, but the power of the contract wouldn't even allow her to seek death.
Frieren walked to her side and looked down at her for a few seconds. The pink-haired demon girl lay on the ground, her clothes in disarray, her body trembling slightly from fear and shame.
"That's enough. Get up and follow."
She didn't give Aura another glance, turning to continue walking in her intended direction.
Aura felt as if she had been granted a great pardon. She struggled to crawl up from the ground, rubbed her eyes haphazardly, and, without even bothering to tidy her clothes, she lowered her head and followed, stumbling behind.
[End of Chapter]