Chapter 257: A Touch of Care from the Elf
On the middle level of the Magic Association Tower, there is a public area for mages to rest and socialize. A little further up is the residence of Serie and her disciples. A barrier protects the entrance, so ordinary people, or even mages, cannot go up there.
The area was quiet at the moment, and no magicians could be seen.
Just then, Ayla came over with a pot of freshly brewed herbal tea and gently placed it on a small round table. Frieren followed behind her, carrying a paper bag full of various snacks; clearly, the two had just returned from the market.
"Frieren, you have cookie crumbs stuck to your lips."
Ayla watched as Frieren devoured a cookie, then helplessly pulled out a handkerchief. She wiped the cookie crumbs from the corner of Frieren's mouth, then poured herself a cup of hot tea.
According to Frieren, she was only about a hundred years old, and in Ayla's eyes, she was just a little sister who needed to be cared for.
Although elves don't have a clear concept of kinship like humans, Ayla felt that she was different from ordinary elves. After all, Kurtz was like a second teacher to her, and he had taught her a lot about human emotions. Although she doesn't fully understand it yet, Ayla has already begun to learn slowly.
"Mmm," Frieren responded vaguely, obediently raising her little face. She seemed to enjoy the feeling of being taken care of.
At this moment, Flamme also came down the stairs from the side. She seemed to have just finished a long period of research; her face showed a hint of fatigue, but her eyes were still clear. When she saw Ayla and Frieren, she paused for a moment, then walked over to them.
"Ms. Flamme!" Frieren swallowed the pastry in her mouth and greeted her casually. She even took out a piece of cake from the paper bag and handed it to Flamme. "This is for you."
Flamme glanced at Frieren's pure, emotionless eyes and suddenly felt a pang of envy. She took the cake and forced a smile. "Okay. You just came back from the market?"
"Mmm." Frieren had a piece of cake in her mouth. "The food here is delicious."
"Have a seat, Flamme," Ayla said, pouring her tea. "You look tired. Did you go to the library to study magic again?"
During this time, Flamme often went downstairs to the library to study magic, and each time she would stay there for a whole day. Ayla had asked her what kind of magic she was researching, to see if she could help, but Flamme didn't seem to have any intention of telling her. Over time, they had no choice but to give up the idea of helping.
Flamme sat down in the chair next to them and shook her head gently. "It's alright, it's just that I'm looking up some rather difficult ancient magic books, which is a bit mentally taxing."
She took a small bite of the cake. The sweet taste melted on her tongue, and she felt her tense nerves relax a little. Not wanting to delve into her actual research, she steered the conversation away.
"Hmm~, This cake is really delicious today. Where did you buy it?"
"Right?" Frieren immediately spoke up, opening the paper bag as if presenting a treasure to Flamme. Inside, there was a dazzling array of cookies and pastries. "There is a newly opened shop. If you would like to try some, Teacher, I have other flavors here as well."
"No need, this piece is enough." Flamme quickly declined Frieren's offer.
Although the child was several generations older than her, in Flamme's eyes, Frieren was just like a human little girl. Not understanding or knowing about emotions, she retained a touch of innocence in everything she did.
Very nice.
Ayla chimed in, "Yeah, she almost emptied the entire counter. If I hadn't stopped her, she probably would have bought the oven for baking pastries, too."
Her tone carried a hint of indulgence and amusement at Frieren's childlike behavior.
Frieren tilted her head, seemingly seriously considering the feasibility of the oven. "I was thinking that if we bought the oven, we could enjoy such delicious desserts without having to go out."
"How could that be?" Flamme couldn't help but retort at Frieren's earnestness.
Being with Frieren always makes you feel better, even without you realizing it, as if she has a wonderful power that can relax people.
"Teacher," Frieren suddenly remembered something.
She took out a small packet wrapped in oil paper from her pocket and handed it to Flamme. "I bought these candies at the market. Although the taste may be a little different from the ones in the village, they are still very delicious."
This bag of candy was clearly something Frieren had specifically sought out.
Could it be that this child had been going to the market a lot lately, buying a lot of food each time, just to find candies that taste similar to those from her hometown?
Flamme remembered that when she first saw Serie and Kurtz kissing, Frieren had given her candy to comfort her. She never expected that this child would remember it so well.
A warm feeling welled up in Flamme's heart. She took the candy and said softly, "Thank you, Frieren."
"You're welcome."
Ayla watched this scene and smiled. "Frieren really likes you. It seems that Kurtz made the right choice in letting Frieren become your apprentice."
Flamme lowered her head, looking at the bag of candy in her hand. Her heart filled with mixed emotions. The elf's affection was so pure that it made her feel a little guilty about the hidden, perhaps less honorable, obsession deep in her heart.
A brief silence fell between the three of them, broken only by the soft sounds of Frieren taking small bites of her snack.
After a while, Frieren seemed to have finally eaten her fill. She contentedly picked up her teacup and sipped her tea, swinging her legs as she did. Her gaze remained fixed on Flamme.
Suddenly, she asked out of the blue: "Teacher, are you unhappy?"
Both Flamme and Ayla were taken aback.
Ayla quickly looked at Frieren. "Frieren, what are you saying?"
Frieren blinked, still looking at Flamme with certainty. "But the flow of magic has changed. It used to flow in a regular pattern, but now it's completely chaotic and disorderly."
Elves' senses are sometimes more acute than one can imagine. Especially for an elf like Frieren, who is detached from emotions, she may not be able to understand human emotions. Still, she can intuitively perceive the invisible magical aura emanating from emotional fluctuations.
Flamme had fully proven this.
She never expected that Frieren would bring out the emotions she had tried so hard to hide in such a way. She opened her mouth to refute, but for a moment, she didn't know how to answer.
Ayla looked at Flamme with concern. She had noticed Flamme's change long ago, but she hadn't been able to find a suitable opportunity to ask her.
Flamme was silent for a moment, then forced a smile. She gently stroked Frieren's soft hair. "Frieren is mistaken. I'm not unhappy, I'm just a little tired from spending too much time on my research lately."
Frieren looked at her intently for a while, her brow furrowing as if she didn't quite believe it. Finally, she nodded. "Then, you should rest more."
"Yes, I will."
Ayla looked at Flamme and said in as gentle a tone as possible, "If you have any difficulties, you can tell us. After all, we are all disciples of Teacher Serie."
Looking into the pure gazes of the two, Flamme felt the taut string in her heart loosen slightly. Although she couldn't reveal the real secret, the care from the elves still made her feel much better.
"I understand, thank you."
[End of Chapter]
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