"Hey, Solitär, what kind of person do you think Flamme was?"
Fíliya collected her thoughts and then looked at the member of the Demon Race beside her.
Since she had borrowed Solitär's mana, she had essentially just read that scene together with Solitär.
Solitär's pupils dilated slightly; she clearly hadn't expected Fíliya to ask her such a question, so she had no choice but to think it over.
"A powerful… and great human mage, I suppose."
Solitär said slowly, but the unnatural tone of her voice immediately made Fíliya laugh.
"Pfft… never mind, I won't force you. It's no fun making you say things you don't mean. You definitely don't really think that, right?"
Fíliya laughed and nudged Solitär's shoulder with her own.
"…"
Solitär fell silent, wondering if her expression was really that obvious. This girl could accurately see through her thoughts every single time.
Fíliya didn't continue teasing Solitär and instead went on.
"Sigh, what a shame. Why couldn't I have been born a thousand years earlier? I really wish I could have met such a great figure and had a long talk with her."
Fíliya's tone held a hint of genuine emotion, which made Solitär feel a bit choked up inside.
"Hmm, but if I had been born a thousand years ago… I'd be a pile of bones by now, and I wouldn't have been able to meet you at such an opportune time, Solitär."
After lamenting about that figure from a millennium ago, Fíliya immediately looked at Solitär with an expression of relief.
Looking at Fíliya's smiling face, Solitär was momentarily stunned.
And she suddenly realized that the choked-up feeling from just a moment ago had vanished in an instant, without a trace.
"Fíliya, do you really want to talk with that Flamme?"
Solitär asked quickly, as if eager to find a new topic.
"Of course. She's such an interesting person; it's a shame that I couldn't live in the same era as her, no matter how you look at it."
Fíliya said calmly.
"But… the 'peaceful future' that Flamme hoped for…"
Solitär seemed to hesitate, trailing off.
"Yes, it's quite obvious. The 'peaceful future' Flamme spoke of is probably a future where the Demon Race is completely eradicated."
Fíliya's tone remained steady, betraying no fluctuation whatsoever.
"Doesn't that conflict with your ideals?"
Solitär asked nervously.
"Hm? Not at all. Flamme wanted to completely eradicate the Demon Race for the sake of peace, and I dream of remodeling the Demon Race also for the sake of peace. I think Flamme and I would actually get along quite well."
"Is that so…"
Solitär felt inexplicably nervous, though she didn't know what she was nervous about.
"Well, Flamme was certainly great, and her vision was unique. She completely predicted the world a thousand years from now. She must have already foreseen the future after the Demon King was defeated, which is why she left something behind for humanity in advance… But there were things she couldn't see, too."
"A saint like Flamme, even with the most malicious speculation, probably couldn't imagine just how low humanity's bottom line is… If the Demon Race were completely eradicated, would humans really be able to live in peace and happiness? I, for one, remain skeptical."
"I, on the other hand, believe the Demon Race shouldn't be completely wiped out. Only when the Demon Race and humanity pose a mutual threat, maintaining a state of opposition and vigilance, can a relatively stable 'peace' be formed… Of course, the prerequisite for this situation is still the same: the Demon Race must stop eating people."
"Human-eating demons are an 'aberration' that needs to be destroyed, while non-human-eating demons are a 'different race' to be wary of. Hmm, the definition of the Demon Race must be changed to at least that extent."
"Hmm… speaking of which, that reminds me of a 'secret' I learned while studying in the Imperial Capital."
Fíliya abruptly changed the subject.
She suddenly began recounting the 'secret' she had heard during her student days in a storytelling tone.
It wasn't just Solitär who was curious about Fíliya's words now; even Aura and Linie gathered around Fíliya obediently, like good students.
"This will be news to the Demon Race. Did you know that when I was a student, a new school of magic was born in the Imperial Capital."
Fíliya built up the suspense, finding great satisfaction in the clear bewilderment in Aura's eyes, which indulged her penchant for lecturing others.
"The name of this new school is the 'Magic of Annihilation.' They dream of eliminating all magic in the world, returning the entire world to an era without magic."
After saying this, Fíliya immediately observed the three demons' reactions.
Solitär and Linie were only slightly shocked and didn't say much.
Only Aura jumped to her feet at once.
"Huh? Idiots like that exist? Mere humans dare to dream of annihilating magic?!"
Seeing Aura's reaction, Fíliya nodded with satisfaction.
Aura, I could just die for you. As expected, you're the one to give me some emotional value. Solitär and Linie are a little too calm.
Fíliya looked at Aura with an expression of 'fond pity,' but thankfully, Aura was in the throes of anger and didn't notice it.
"Not only do these guys dare to think it, they dare to do it. In fact, this 'Magic of Annihilation' school has been growing steadily and has even been granted an audience with the high command of The Empire…"
As Fíliya spoke, her expression finally turned somewhat displeased.
"Question time. Solitär, you tell me, why would the high command of The Empire accept the philosophy of this 'Magic of Annihilation' school."
Faced with Fíliya's question, Solitär gave her answer after a moment's thought.
"Control."
Upon hearing that one word, Fíliya snapped her fingers.
"Exactly. The current Empire is merely a remnant of the largest Unified Empire in human history. They must dream of restoring their territory to its historical peak, which is why they're so actively preparing for war. Once they've swallowed up all the surrounding nations, this 'Magic of Annihilation' school will come in handy."
"First, they use magic to conquer the lands, then they annihilate all magic, leaving the occupied nations powerless to resist."
"When the world no longer has powerful individuals who can change the tide of battle single-handedly or overthrow nations with personal might, the rule of The Empire can last forever… I suspect that's what they're thinking."
"Hey, Solitär, tell me… if the great mage Flamme knew that the future she envisioned contained a nation that would turn on its own kind the moment its foreign wars ended… how heartbroken would she be?"
Fíliya said this with a cold expression, muttering to herself, then added.
"However, I personally have no interest in humanity's infighting. What I care about is this 'Magic of Annihilation' school itself… I cannot accept a world without magic. Therefore… no matter who he is, as long as he truly harbors the ambition to annihilate magic, he—or they—will be my mortal enemy."
__
🔥 New stories are available now! 🔥
Genshin Impact: Starting by Stuffing Columbina
✅ Access up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Receive exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 80 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan