Chapter 15 [ Extra Chapter]

Chapter 15: Serie Refuses to Be a Parasite

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Serie's curse-like whisper made Ash glance at his red hands. He averted his gaze, trying to pretend nothing had happened as he awkwardly changed the subject:

"…Ah, come to think of it, will the roasted lamb still taste good after being frozen?"

"I haven't tried it, so I don't know. But I do know that if you don't give me an explanation today, you'll definitely regret it." After all, she had lived for thousands of years. Serie smiled with no intention of letting the matter drop, forcing Ash to raise his hands in surrender. "Well... actually, I think it was just too hot."

"Do you think I'm not afraid of being burned?!"

"They say older people don't mind pain as much because their hands are thick with calluses."

"Ah, what a coincidence... I've also heard that demons are thick-skinned and don't mind a beating." Serie's smile grew even brighter.

"How about changing today's class to a magic attack and defense session? I'll attack, and you run away?"

"I refuse!"

"Give me your reasons."

"Because you'll definitely take revenge!" He pointed at Serie as he backed away, hoping to stop her retaliation with persuasion. "And think about it, Serie. Your well-behaved disciple worked hard to cook for you. Shouldn't you feel touched?"

"Well-behaved? Haha! That's funny! I don't know how you can say that with a straight face, but I am touched. And as a reward for guessing correctly…" Serie's hands were suddenly surrounded by dark flames as she grinned ferociously. "——The fire of hell!"

Boom——!!

In an instant, the makeshift barbecue stand outside the ruins was engulfed in flames.

Ash took advantage of the chaos to escape, but Serie, still harboring resentment, continued her bombardment.

In the blink of an eye, the surrounding forests were completely destroyed.

…

Half a month passed in no time.

After finishing the meal that Serie had reluctantly prepared, Ash decided it was time to explore and learn more about the powerful elves of this era. He set his sights on visiting the elven village in a neighboring country that Serie had told him about.

"Serie, I'm going on a long trip, so you won't need to make my meals for a while."

"…Am I your mother? I've been wanting to get rid of you—a freeloader who eats and drinks without lifting a finger! In fact, it would be better if…" Serie, sitting on her throne, initially looked displeased but then broke into a wide grin. "—If you leave now, don't come back!"

"Don't say that. Once a teacher, always a mother. In my heart, you are—Whoa?!"

Before he could finish, a powerful gust of wind interrupted him, blowing him out of the hall.

Using magic to lighten his body, Ash rolled across the ground. Though covered in dirt, he wasn't hurt.

He stood up calmly, dusted himself off, and muttered, "I'm studying hard, and you kick me out like this? Isn't that a bit harsh?"

However... deep inside the hall, Serie completely ignored him, leaving him feeling a bit disappointed. With a large bag of ancient magic books borrowed from Serie, Ash left the place—at least temporarily.

While searching for the elf village, Ash hadn't yet found any elves, but instead came across someone strangely familiar.

But... thinking carefully, he realized there couldn't be many people he knew from five hundred years ago. Not that things had changed much five hundred years later.

The woman's long orange hair covered half of her face, making her appear to be in her early thirties. Ash found this suspicious at first, but he quickly remembered that he had read plenty about this person in his studies. She was none other than the great mage of human magic—Flamme.

And now…

"You…" Flamme's gaze narrowed as she noticed something strange. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Ah~ Ahem… You're Flamme, right? I've heard of you."

"You've heard of me?" Flamme, who usually kept a low profile, frowned at his words. Her expression became more guarded, and she secretly prepared magic. After all, in this chaotic world, danger was everywhere. Even the most powerful magician could fall prey to a hidden dagger.

"Don't get me wrong," Ash said quickly. "I heard about you from Serie."

"...Master?"

"To be precise, I'm your junior fellow apprentice."

"Junior brother? Master has accepted a new disciple?"

"Is that strange?"

"Very." Flamme didn't hesitate to nod, casting a scrutinizing gaze at Ash. "Given Master's personality… it shouldn't be that easy for her to take on a disciple. What exactly did she see in you?"

"Maybe my sincerity and diligence?"

"...It may not be polite for me to say this, but Master isn't the type to accept a disciple just because they're sincere and diligent in learning."

"She's also rather rude, you know. She knocked me out when I left. I just hope she learns to respect her elders and care for the younger ones."

"..."

Flamme said nothing, simply continuing to stare at him in silence.

While Ash's appearance seemed ordinary, his aura gave her an unsettling feeling. What she found most disturbing was that his presence distinctly gave off the sensation that he had killed many people.

Could it be that she was just overthinking things? Or perhaps it was because it was her first time seeing someone who had taken so many lives that it caused such unease? She wasn't certain.

Out of an abundance of caution, Flamme chose not to say anything more. She quietly distanced herself from Ash, planning to confirm everything with Serie once she returned.

Ash watched her go, and only after Flamme disappeared from his view did the smile vanish from his face. He let out a sigh of relief, muttering to himself, "...The stealth technique Serie taught me really works. If I had run into her earlier, I definitely would've been exposed."

Although they hadn't fought, Ash could tell from her aura that Flamme was undoubtedly the strongest human he had ever encountered—even if she had been suppressing her full strength.

But since she had already chosen to avoid him, he saw no point in worrying. With a light heart, he continued on his way, following the map that Serie had given him before.

As he walked, he suddenly realized something: Serie had given him this map and told him the location of the elf village… maybe to get him out of the way? Could it be that she was trying to stop him from freeloading any longer?.