Almost the very moment the battle in the Golden Land began, deep within the Continental Magic Association —
"Yuna, I'll say what I've always said: become my disciple." Serie rested her cheek on one hand, one leg crossed over the other as she lounged on her throne, swaying idly back and forth.
As the sole human Mage to pass this cycle's First-Class Mage examination, Yuna had earned the right to an audience with Serie and her choice of any one spell.
"Lady Serie, I must decline, same as always."
Her hair was the same vivid green as ever — though unlike before, the two strands had been gathered and braided together into a single thick plait, draped to one side and falling across the white mantle of a Mage.
The young girl — a young woman, now — had shed the last trace of girlishness, blossoming into someone who carried herself with quiet, poised grace.
Beneath the towering pillar of mana, Yuna stood like a drawn sword: sharp, decisive, and unyielding.
That was the strength forged on the battlefields of Gaderia.
"You ought to face reality," Serie said, eyes narrowing slightly. Seeing that Yuna offered no reply, she pressed on. "That so-called teacher of yours has been gone for years, and the territory called Gaderia teeters on the edge of ruin. Here's my offer: if you agree to become my disciple, I will not only teach you magic of far greater power — I will also act on behalf of the Continental Magic Association and several nations of the Central Lands to provide Gaderia with every resource at our disposal."
Stubborn as ever. Serie's gaze sharpened. "Unlike the mediocrities one finds at every turn, you possess genuine magical talent. The war has given you exactly the tempering you needed. After all these years, you should understand what it means to be taken on as my disciple. I have no desire to watch that talent go to waste."
Serie probably knew everything about her already — and what she said was, in truth, all accurate. That she had looked into Yuna's past came as no surprise. And yet even so, that figure in her mind refused to fade. No — it was something she absolutely could not allow herself to forget.
"Lady Serie — why does magic matter so much to you? Why does power?"
Faced with Yuna's unexpected question, Serie's expression shifted almost imperceptibly, as though something had surfaced in her memory. When she answered, there was a rare note of nostalgia in her voice. "I can answer that. Because magic is everything. It is a path that transcends reality, a road with no end — and only those with true talent can keep moving forward along it."
Serie folded her arms, the hand that had been propping her cheek now tucked away, and her presence took on an imperious edge. "Over the long ages, I have come to believe that humans are the beings most capable of driving magic forward. Under the right pressure, a talented individual can achieve a leap in magical understanding within a single, finite lifetime. That, I find genuinely fascinating."
"So Lady Serie takes on disciples in pursuit of higher magical heights?"
"I won't deny it."
"My answer will not change. I am Lady Nanoda's disciple, and I will be for the rest of my life."
"She has been gone for a very long time. What could possibly make her worth this? She taught you one rather crude spell — and she is a demon, the greatest enemy of humankind, at that."
"It has only been ten years."
"And if I were to withdraw every resource the Association currently provides to Gaderia?"
"Then I will be buried alongside Gaderia. So be it."
"Stubborn! Foolish! Another once-in-a-millennium idiot!"
Serie hadn't expected Yuna to be utterly unmoved by either carrot or stick. For a moment, uncharacteristic frustration crossed her face — then, just as quickly, her usual composure returned. Like a balloon that had lost its air, she propped her jaw back up on her elbow.
"Then pick a spell and get out of my sight."
"My apologies."
After a brief silence, Yuna's expression remained composed as she stepped forward.
"Please give me a spell for locating a specific target."
"You really never give up, do you. Let me tell you something: over these years, I have used magic myself to search for that teacher of yours. And I found nothing — not a single trace of her. It would be a complete waste. Choose something else."
"Even so, that is the spell I want. I will use it until I find Lady Nanoda."
"You're certain? This is your one chance. You truly want this spell?"
Serie looked down at Yuna, who gazed back up without a flicker of hesitation. At last, Serie let out a long breath. "You've beaten me. Fine." There was no missing the resignation in her voice.
Serie raised one hand, and a spellbook materialized from thin air. She tossed it without ceremony, and borne along by a current of mana, it floated down and settled precisely before Yuna.
The instant Yuna took hold of it, the spellbook dissolved into a stream of light and vanished directly into her mind.
Knowledge of the Seeking Spell bloomed inside Yuna's thoughts as if it had always been there. Her grip on her staff tightened.
She had finally obtained it.
Drawing a slow, deep breath, Yuna turned and bowed deeply toward Serie on her throne.
"Thank you, Lady Serie."
"Idiot. Go on, get back to where you belong." Serie waved her off with what appeared to be mild impatience.
Yuna had already turned to leave when Serie's voice rang out again from behind her.
"First-Class Mage Yuna — listen carefully. I will not withdraw the Association's current support from Gaderia. If you fail, you may come to the Continental Magic Association and seek my protection. At that point, you must agree to become my disciple."
"One more thing — and this is important. Several nations among the Central Lands are planning to launch a coordinated attack on Gaderia in the near future. Those greedy opportunists, seeing that Gaderia has just fought a brutal war with the Empire, apparently intend to swoop in and take their share of the spoils."
Yuna's steps faltered. Then she said something that moved Serie all over again.
"I will not become your disciple. Everyone says time washes everything away — but there are some things that cannot be forgotten."
With that, Yuna left without looking back, leaving Serie alone on her throne, wearing a perfectly stupefied expression.
Long after Yuna had gone, Serie lifted her gaze toward the featureless ceiling, murmuring softly: "A disciple, hm…"
Before her mind's eye, the image of a woman with auburn hair surfaced once more.
[Lady Serie, I think you can be rather unreasonable at times. Magic should belong to everyone — it is not the sole province of the talented. Forgive me, but I must take my leave.]
Back then, she must have been wearing exactly this expression too.
By passing that crucial intelligence to Yuna at the last moment, Serie felt she had, at the very least, done her part.
The rest was up to Yuna and Gaderia's own fate.
Serie surveyed the empty hall from above. Her expression was placid; her mages were no doubt all occupied with their various duties.
"Well. Nothing else to do anyway."
She had given the Seeking Spell to Yuna — but the method of learning it still resided with her. It would simply take a little time to relearn it from scratch. And time, she had in abundance.
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👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Uchiha Reborn in Jujutsu Kaisen: The System Thinks I'm in Konoha, but I'm Not
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone